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)

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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.