Monday, June 05, 2017

School Bully: Stopped By 'Trailers' Band Member

James Kwok helps this blog with stories of his own about Singapore in the 60's. After reading about the Trailers and their Phoenix Song 50th Anniversary reminder and success, he wrote me a letter about rhythm guitarist, Edmund Tan.

James recalled his primary education at Rayman School (established in 1954) situated @ Rayman Estate. Following its closure in 1984, the school was converted into a center for disabled people (VAPC). Rayman Estate today is known as Whampoa Estate.
                              The Trailers (Edmund Tan: sits right)

NEARLY 8,000 VIEWS, 20 COMMENTS

Hi Andy,

The Trailers guitarist Mr. Edmund Tan Teck Chiang (image: sitting right) was my Primary Three classmate in Rayman School at Whampoa (its premises has been taken over by the Handicapped Welfare Association).

Rayman School in what used to be called Rayman Avenue, off Towner Road which today is  Whampoa Drive. (Towner Road still exists today, but the section from Balestier Road to under the CTE is now Whampoa Drive).


Our teacher in Primary 3B (1956) was a Ms. Alice Tan, the teacher in charge of Girl Guides. After the three exams, she would gather her Guides in our class to practice songs. Naughty boys like Edmund and me would imitate them, and change some of the words to the songs to make them sound funny.  


Recently after visiting the FOY (Friends of Yesterday) website, I met an old friend, who told me that Edmund Tan is one his cousins, but have lost contact with him ever since Edmund went overseas.  If he has been working in Singapore perhaps my friend doesn't know that. 

I told him that I wanted to get in touch with Edmund, who was a kind of a big brother protector to me. I received a double promotion from Primary One in 1955 to Primary Three in 1956, so I was the smallest boy in class. But I still managed to come out first in class after the first term examination (image left: James Kwok). 

I became the target of some unhappy boys who did not do well, but somehow Edmund got them to leave me alone.

My friend told me that he has lost contact ever since Edmund got married.

Cheers,
James Kwok.

PS: 

So Mr. Edmund Tan from the pop 60's band The Trailers and a former Rayman Primary School student, wherever you are, James wants to meet you again.
Footnote:

"Bullying In Singapore Schools Today:


Results showed that approximately 1 in 5 primary school students surveyed was a victim of bullying, defined as any action apparently intended to victimize and repeated at least twice every single month over a span of one school year. 


Bullies and their victims tended to be of the same gender, the same ethnic group, and in the same class at school. However, more bullies and victims were boys than girls, and there was the greater tendency for boys to bully girls than for girls to bully boys. 



 Benny Koh warns, Don't Laugh You'll Cry with the Trailers: 1960's

Students of any ethnicity were equally likely to be bullied. Similar proportions of children reported being bullied at each primary level - A Survey of Bullying in Singapore Primary Schools (2007)."


Children's Society’s website at

 http://www.childrensociety.org.sg

Images: A Private Collection.

11 comments:

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Thanks for LIKING the post
Kong Kim Pah
Merlin Lim
Tin Leong Lim
Ann Rowena Lim
Charlie Yap Locomotion
Raymond Cho
Peter Lim
Tony Ng
Foo Jong Fook
Leslie Wilson Joseph
Serene Chew
Penny Koh
Joseph Goh
Eddie Ng
John Cher
Irene Hoe
Althea Lim
Hanche Presley
James Seah
David Lim
Mike Ang
Richard Danker
Jimmy Appudurai-chua
Davychandavy Chan
Martin Ong
Joe Peters
Richard Yew

JIMMY APPUDURAI CHUA said...

Trailers and Pest Infested and Straydogs have a show for the Arts Council to be held at Sota on Sept 10th 2017

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Yes, Jimmy thanks. Got it from Victor. Unlikely to get Edmund Tan in the line-up. But hopeful so James can meet him again.

JOHN CHER (WRITER/ PERCUSSIONIST) said...

Winston Koh will be doing the vocals for The Trailers! Looking forward to the event! Cheers!

STEPHEN HAN said...

Winston is the guy who sings Cliff Richard songs.

The Trailers had a good singer in Benny Chan.

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Thank you all for the immediate response. Just hope James gets to meet his childhood hero again soon.

Unknown said...

The Trailers, one of the best local bands from the golden era of SG's music scene. As Jimmy has pointed out, the band will be performing at SOTA, come September 10th. May I add that Winston Koh will be doing the vocals for The Trailers!

btw if Stephen Han happens to read this, Benny Chan is a guitarist for The Checkmates. He probably meant Benny Koh.

Good story Andy! As always!

Cheers!

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Thanks, John.

Yes, Benny Koh was a Joo Chiat boy, a good friend, another baba.

Credit for the story goes to James Kwok, a highly intelligent individual.

YOUNG PARENTS said...

AUGUST 23RD 2017
youngparents.com.sg

Fifteen-year-olds here experience more bullying than their peers in 50 other countries and economies, and only the children of Latvia and New Zealand have it worse, said a study by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The findings were released in the third volume of data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa), a three-yearly study run by the OECD.

FACEBOOK CHATS said...

Andy Young
It's about school life and big bullies by JAMES KWOK, which drew many viewers. it's been posted before. THANKS JAMES.

Andy Young
Thanks guys for thumbs up. SCHOOL MATTERS.

Stephen Han
Bullying is not rampant nowadays.

Andy Young
James focusses more on the Trailers' hero but bullying is part of the tale. THANKS Stephen.

Andy Young
Stephen Han You'll be surprised. March 2020 has an article to explain that bullying not so straightforward.

Irene Yap
Hi Andy, I've worked with Edmund before. Have not seen him for a long time!!
May be an image of 2 people and text

Andy Young
Hey that's great. THANKS IRENE, WOW, the costumes look good.
Now we're back discussing pop music 60s/70s.

Irene Yap
Andy Young we were doing quite a bit of Spanish songs that's how we decided to match our outfits!!

Irene Yap
Andy Young Music is the essence of your blogs, can't escape hehehe!!

Andy Young
THANKS IRENE.

FACEBOOK said...

Kali Dass S
Jimmy Appudurai-chua
Koh Sui Pang
Freda Hanum
Irene Yap
Stephen Han
Foo Jong Fook
Ho Victor
Lim Tin Leong
Chow Wen Hing

THANKS TO ALL THE ABOVE
WE DISCUSSED BOTH MUSIC
AND BULLYING AT SCHOOLS