Keeping the history of void decks alive

Mr Wee's 'proud' collectables: A 1958 glass to commemorate the 75th anniversary of F&N and a 1953 glass to commemorate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Photo courtesy of David Wee

Last month, he left his job as an events manager at People's Association to pursue his passion. He also started a company trading in vintage items. I wanted to collect things from the '70s and '80s that bring back a lot of memories, said Mr Wee.

All of these tell a bit of story about Singapore's heritage, Singapore's history.

His collection first began 15 years ago during a visit to Sungei Road. There, Mr Wee spotted a vintage F&N glass which made him reminisce about his younger days.

I wanted to keep a slice of history because I feel that in Singapore, things are disappearing very fast, he said. If I don't keep them, maybe they will end up somewhere (being) disposed of.

Living with his 77-year-old father, Mr Wee's collection is sprawled across two rooms in their two-storey home. There are two items that Mr Wee is particularly proud of a 1958 glass to commemorate the 75th anniversary of F&N and a 1953 glass to commemorate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

Mr Wee's collection includes childhood games such as paper balls, paper aeroplanes, kuti-kuti and chapteh. These items are an eye opener not just for his friends but also his three nieces, aged between seven and 10.

To me, history is about keeping all these things and then passing it on to the next generation and at the same time telling them about (the history of these items), he said.

Last Sunday, Mr Wee showcased his collection at the Our Void Decks, Our Shared Spaces travelling exhibition at Chai Chee Road. The exhibition was a prelude to this year's Singapore HeritageFest which kicks off on Friday.

The exhibition brought back fond memories for some residents. Mr Poh Chang Sek, who lived in Chai Chee Avenue till the late '80s, recalled there used to be a stamp club located at his void deck. At that time the club was quite active, there were a lot of collectors, said the 76-year-old retiree.

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Keeping the history of void decks alive