Sex: | Female |
Birthyear: | 1935 |
Age at Interview: | 76 |
Education: | Unknown |
Occupation: | Shopkeeper |
Theme: | Community |
Title | Personal Background. Living environment of Tak Cheong Lane neighbourhood. Customers of kerosene store |
Date | 21/03/2011 |
Subject | Community |
Duration | 10m7s |
Language | Cantonese |
Material Type | Audio |
Collection | Oral History Archives |
Repository | Hong Kong Memory Project |
Note to Copyright | Copyright owned by Hong Kong Memory Project |
Accession No. | YMT-CPL-SEG-001 |
Title | The neighbourhood of the Wholesale Fruit Market in the old days |
Date | 21/03/2011 |
Subject | Community |
Duration | 6m57s |
Language | Cantonese |
Material Type | Audio |
Collection | Oral History Archives |
Repository | Hong Kong Memory Project |
Note to Copyright | Copyright owned by Hong Kong Memory Project |
Accession No. | YMT-CPL-SEG-002 |
Title | The operation of the kerosene store. Living environment and neighbourhood sentiment in Tak Cheong Lane |
Date | 21/03/2011 |
Subject | Community |
Duration | 13m29s |
Language | Cantonese |
Material Type | Audio |
Collection | Oral History Archives |
Repository | Hong Kong Memory Project |
Note to Copyright | Copyright owned by Hong Kong Memory Project |
Accession No. | YMT-CPL-SEG-003 |
Title | The early shop houses of Tak Cheong Lane |
Date | 21/03/2011 |
Subject | Community |
Duration | 3m45s |
Language | Cantonese |
Material Type | Audio |
Collection | Oral History Archives |
Repository | Hong Kong Memory Project |
Note to Copyright | Copyright owned by Hong Kong Memory Project |
Accession No. | YMT-CPL-SEG-004 |
Title | Daily operation of kerosene store (1): the means and scope of goods delivery, the flexibility of buying on credit |
Date | 21/03/2011 |
Subject | Community |
Duration | 10m33s |
Language | Cantonese |
Material Type | Audio |
Collection | Oral History Archives |
Repository | Hong Kong Memory Project |
Note to Copyright | Copyright owned by Hong Kong Memory Project |
Accession No. | YMT-CPL-SEG-005 |
The kerosene store run by Cheong Po Lin and her husband was in business all year round. The couple took a rest only on the first three days of Chinese Year, on which they brought along their children to visit their relatives in the New Territories. The store opened from 8am to 6pm, but the working hours were not fixed actually. Business was done whenever a customer knocked at its door. Goods were delivered in different ways according to the distance. Her husband delivered goods to distant places by bicycle or truck. Cheng Po Lin and her assistants delivered kerosene kegs and stoves on foot for their customers from nearby areas such as Man Wah Sun Chuen and the Yau Ma Tei seashore. Her husband bought a truck after he had obtained a driving permit. Besides delivering kerosene at a daily basis, he also transported poultries to increase the family’s income. When the Dangerous Goods Ordinance was passed, the couple had to buy a truck specializing in transporting dangerous goods like kerosene. However, they were unable to afford a tank truck which cost several millions.
In the early period boat people were the key customers of the kerosene store. Cheng Po Lin always delivered matter varnish and motor oil on board (for lubricating the parts of ship engines). As a result, she got acquainted with many boat dwellers. She had to walk on a narrow plank bridge linking the dwelling vessels with a funnel and a keg on hands. She did the same even when pregnant. Luckily some customers helped her out occasionally. At that time not all customers paid immediately. Serious deferments of payment were common. Since the couple could not afford losing their customers, they had no choice but tolerate. The store sold high-quality kerosene, which sold well through word of mouth. The majority of vessels anchoring from Shantung Street to Pitt Street were cargo boats. They shipped goods particularly for freighters. Boat workers lived aboard every day. Many fruit vessels which took delivery orders from Yau Ma Tei Wholesale Fruit Market settled near the Royal Bridge of the Waterloo Road’s promenade. There were only few fishing vessels along Yau Ma Tei’s coast. Fishermen only occasionally went on shore to sell their yields at the market. Singing boats were run by somebody else in the evening. They had nothing to do with those cargo boats sailing at daytimes.
Title | Daily operation of kerosene store (2): work hours, delivery of goods and customers from the typhoon shelter |
Date | 21/03/2011 |
Subject | Community |
Duration | 8m59s |
Language | Cantonese |
Material Type | Audio |
Collection | Oral History Archives |
Repository | Hong Kong Memory Project |
Note to Copyright | Copyright owned by Hong Kong Memory Project |
Accession No. | YMT-CPL-SEG-006 |
Title | Maternity Department of Kwong Wah Hospital in the 1960s. Moving the kerosene store to different addresses in Tak Cheong Lane |
Date | 21/03/2011 |
Subject | Community |
Duration | 6m46s |
Language | Cantonese |
Material Type | Audio |
Collection | Oral History Archives |
Repository | Hong Kong Memory Project |
Note to Copyright | Copyright owned by Hong Kong Memory Project |
Accession No. | YMT-CPL-SEG-007 |
Title | The practice of having the shop at the front and residence at the back. Schooling of children |
Date | 21/03/2011 |
Subject | Community |
Duration | 10m10s |
Language | Cantonese |
Material Type | Audio |
Collection | Oral History Archives |
Repository | Hong Kong Memory Project |
Note to Copyright | Copyright owned by Hong Kong Memory Project |
Accession No. | YMT-CPL-SEG-008 |
Title | The memory of Yau Ma Tei community: cinemas, teahouses, neighbourhood sentiment |
Date | 21/03/2011 |
Subject | Community |
Duration | 15m16s |
Language | Cantonese |
Material Type | Audio |
Collection | Oral History Archives |
Repository | Hong Kong Memory Project |
Note to Copyright | Copyright owned by Hong Kong Memory Project |
Accession No. | YMT-CPL-SEG-009 |
Title | Living a life in Yau Ma Tei: the building up of community sentiment |
Date | 21/03/2011 |
Subject | Community |
Duration | 14m9s |
Language | Cantonese |
Material Type | Audio |
Collection | Oral History Archives |
Repository | Hong Kong Memory Project |
Note to Copyright | Copyright owned by Hong Kong Memory Project |
Accession No. | YMT-CPL-SEG-010 |