Leisure
Animals, Anxieties and Aspirations: The Earlier Years of the Singapore Zoo
The zoo was able to overcome major setbacks in its formative years to become the well-loved tourist attraction it is today.
A Quick History of the Singapore Speedway
The history of the Singapore Speedway was as fast and furious as the races it hosted.
Order and Cleanliness: Singapore’s Public Bathhouses of the 1880s
Three public bathhouses at Ellenborough Market, Canton Street and Clyde Terrace were built by the Municipality in the late 19th century.
From Sarong Island With Love: Singapore’s Original Tourist Isle
Before there was Sentosa, there was Sarong Island.
Union Book Stands Tall At 70
Chinese bookstore Union Book has seen many changes over the last seven decades.
Movies Beneath A Starry, Starry Night
The Jurong Drive-in was Singapore’s one and only drive-in cinema. In its heyday in the 1970s, it was packed bumper to bumper with vehicles. Sharon Teng tracks its rise and subsequent decline.
In Their Own Words: The Early Years of The Substation
The development of the arts in Singapore is unimaginable without this arts centre dedicated to alternative voices. Key individuals from its early history tell Clarissa Oon how it got started.
The Thespians of RAF Seletar
The RAF Seletar Theatre Club was a highly regarded amateur drama group in Singapore for more than 20 years. Suriati Sani provides a snapshot of the club’s history.
When Disco Fever Raged
Pulsating music, strobe lights and postage-stamp dance floors packed with shimmying bodies. Tan Chui Hua gives you the lowdown on the history of the disco scene in Singapore.
Singapore Stopover: The Entertainment Circuit 1920–1940
The city was a major pit stop for visiting entertainers and sportsmen in the early 20th century, according to the writer Paul French.
St John’s Island: From Gateway to Getaway
St John’s Island was once home to new migrants, opium addicts and political detainees. Marcus Ng charts the island’s transformation from a place of exile to an oasis of idyll.
Old-world Amusement Parks
Theme parks in Singapore had their heyday from the 1920s to 50s. Lim Tin Seng charts their glory days and subsequent decline.
The Circus Comes to Town
The story of a homegrown circus finds expression in a new book called Life Beyond the Big Top: Stories of the Tai Thean Kew Circus, by Adele Wong.
