Memories of Serangoon Gardens - Of Gardens and Tupperware parties

The Serangoon Gardens Estate was one of the few electoral wards at that time. The estate was well-planned with shops , banks , private clinics, tailors , a sports club , a post office , hairdresses , a pharmacy and a cinema.

There were also schools in Serangoon Gardens area which included the Serangoon Gradens South School and the Serangoon Gardens North School.

My mother who resided at the Serangoon Gardens , completed her primary education at Serangoon Gardens South School.

The houses in the estate were Terrace, semi-detached and bungalows. Many of these houses were rented out to the British soldiers and their families who were stationed in Singapore. A wet market was later built in the estate so as to reduce the travelling distance of many residents who originally had to tarvel to Peya Lebar to do their grocery shopping.

It was common for one of the British housewives to organise activities such as "Tupperware"" parties for neighbours to attend. She would then invite the other housewives in the neighbourhood. These parties had a vareity of food and drink served. There would also be an agent from Tuppperware who would demonstrate how to use the various types of Tupperware which she was selling. The housewives would then palce their orders for the Tupperware through the agent.

Written by Shantini J - 1E1

Comments

Anonymous said…
A Serangoon Gardens house cost S$250/month for rental.

The present SHELL Station at the corner of Lorong Chuan and Serangoon Gardens Avenue was the place for British Servicemen to rent cars to go to town.
Anonymous said…
The picture you provided above in this blog reminds me of the trail I used to take when I was attending Serangoon Garden North School. We used to go behind the school to go to a shop house similar to the picture above to buy sweets or titbits
Adrian Choo said…
Interestingly, the Lorong Chuan stretch along the Shell and Mobil stretch (towards the Serangoon Central area) used to house crocodile farms that were really stinky. I remember that on the Bus Service 73 that brought us to Toa Payoh, the passengers would all pinch their noses whenever they passed this stretch.


Adrian Choo
(DOB:1972)

adrian.choo@boyden.com