This site is here as a token of my memories of a short but happy time spent in a foreign land, far from home. 

Each country I have been too has it's own special memories and each is obviously different from elsewhere, however despite experiences in any country you cannot help having one country that is more favourite than  others.   Singapore for me is this place, although it was not the first country I had visited it was my first time away from the UK, that was to be more than the few weeks I had previously been away for.  This was to be my home for, initially, a planned two and a half years.  This was later cut to just over one and a half years...the reason being Harold Wilson or at least his government of the day.  This adventure was in most respects daunting since home was now 7000 miles away.  However, I did have my wife and daughter with me.  For my wife, the adventure I feel was even more daunting since this was the first time she had ever left the shores of our small island.   Singapore had long been a country I had wished to visit since I had joined the RAF and was a possibility.  This possibility was removed from my sights in 1969/70 when cut backs were announced by the government of the day and the force in Singapore was reduced to a token compared to the large force that had been stationed there since the end of the war.  It was of course a pleasant surprise in 1974 when, for my first overseas posting, I was sent to Singapore.  

Singapore was a new world and reservations were abundant about our new life there. Soon this multicultural, multi-lingual community felt like home and we were a part, although not a permanent part, of this young country recently becoming independent.  UK is often said to be a multicultural society, but the people wanting the UK to aspire to this role have in general no idea what a multicultural society is or how it exists.  A multicultural society does not change a culture to suit the other cultures, for fear of insult or offence, it exists in parallel and behaves as it should but with a tolerance to other cultures.  Singapore, even in the 1970s, did this, the Chinese were Chinese, talked, ate, behaved and followed their religion as Chinese yet they were just as much aware of Christian feasts such as Christmas and far from being offended by Christmas, they enjoyed and partook in Christmas festivities as did the Hindu and other religions.  A true integrated society  without the politically correct hang-ups of the west.  Despite being foreigners in their land we were greeted and treated as if we were natives of their country.  To the shame of the UK, especially today, we could go anywhere within the small island of Singapore and felt no fear of personal harm.  While in Singapore we lived in a house in Jalan Puteh Jerneh on the Chip Bee Estate, Holland Village.   A house we fell in love with and still to this day regarded as home.

In 1999 and 2004 we had a short stop-over in Singapore on our way to Australia.  Our visit in 1999 came as somewaht of a shock, it had changed beyond recognition in the 25 years since our original visit.  It is a necessary part of life that change is inevitable.  What had once been a counttry filled with ramshackle sheds and romantic colonial type buildings, had turned into a modern business oriented environment.  Gone were the small ramshackle buildings, replaced by huge towering glass temples of business.  However despite the vast modernisation, they have managed to retain some of the older architecture as a reminder and the whole thing is a wonderful blend.   Even though the architecture has changed beyond recognition, the welcome and the freedom from fear remained.  In fact in 2004 it seemed the Singaporeans were even more friendly than they had been previously, on several occasions we were approached by people offering help and just generally takative.  It just keeps getting better.  Their transport system is clean, fast and cheap.  The roads, although filled with traffic, flow freely without the traffic jams we have here in UK.  Maybe the government ought to send someone out there to see how it's done properly.
 Anyway there are photos, take a look.

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