9 posts tagged “1976”

I had a meeting earlier today and this TV show came to mind, which I suggested to the person I was chatting to (she might have been a bit young to remember):

I think we know who the third celebrity to pass away is, after Patrick McGoohan and Ricardo Montalbán. It’s Tony Hart, who passed away today. He had had two strokes and even had to give up drawing last year. RIP Tony. You were an inspiration to all budding artists and graphic designers out there was we watched you on Vision On and Take Hart.

The first time I returned to Hong Kong (a.k.a. ‘Home’) in 2006, after a 30-year absence, I got to visit the street where I grew up, but I didn’t get to walk around the ’hood. Also, I didn’t take any digital shots, though a few rest on 35 mm film. Here, for Voxers, is Hong Kong this time around, as I flew back from New Delhi.
   You see, all the stuff about Central and how it’s all grown does not impress me, because I have no close connection to that. For the first years of my life, Kowloon was it. The Island—Hong Kong Island—was where family lived and we occasionally ventured across, and it is nice to see it on occasion, but if you have limited time to spare on a journey home, you want to revisit your old haunts.
   Your guided tour begins.

4 Victory Avenue

   This is the entrance to where I used to live, just underneath the Ace sign. Back then, this was a nice little neighbourhood of upper-middle-class families, and I do not recall a business set right in the façade of the building. While there were businesses along here, it was more residential. Let’s look across the road:

Across the street at Victory Avenue

In 1976, this was a building site. So, the building has been completed? You might ask. Yes, but since 1976 that new building has been torn down and other ones put up in its place. There were a bunch of same-again apartment blocks on this side of Victory Avenue, and it’s interesting to note that they are all gone.
   On my first visit back I noticed that despite this huge change, the character of the neighbourhood remained the same. In a way, it still is. Even communists dominating the Legislative Council have not changed the essential character of Kowloon and the Hong Kong people.

Steps up 4 Victory Avenue

   This is inside the apartment block. It’s pretty much identical, though it was cleaner in 1976. There’s a locked gate  right after this flight of stairs. I told my father that I was surprised at this but he assures me that the gate was there back then. I guess when you are a kid and your responsibilities did not include locking and unlocking the gate, you don’t commit its existence into your long-term memory.

Corner of Victory Avenue and Waterloo Road

On the corner of the street (other side of the road again): I could have sworn this was where the Fiat dealership used to be. If not this block, then one block down. In any case, Fiat is not as strong in Hong Kong today as it was then, though I did see a black 500 cruising around.

Waterloo Road 1

   Heading northeast down Waterloo Road, the main drag, which was the route I would have taken to get to kindergarten. The butcher is gone, as my grandmother used to shop there.

Waterloo Road and Pui Ching Road intersection

   I still remember some of these intersections. Just that my vantage point was several feet below this.

Crossing Waterloo Road 2

Man Kee Mansion sign below bus stop sign

   The kindergarten is gone. Man Kee Mansion is still there, just as it was—but Man Kee Kindergarten is history. It used to be around here, but I could not even locate the old driveway. It must have been totally levelled to build some of the new buildings.

Model car toy shop

   There are still plenty of model car shops, but once upon a time, I am pretty sure they sold cheaper fare. Those little Playart miniatures used to be available around this area. While this won’t be the exact location of that store, it is very close.
   One negative thing I will say is that the pollution was terrible. Far, far worse than my walks around New Delhi. That was one change that was not welcome over the last 32 years, and even the locals said it had got to a low point.
   To conclude, a shot of airport food. I ate at Food Junction, a take-out place, when heading to New Delhi; flying back it was Maxim’s, my customary yum char spot.

Chinese food is just called food here

You can’t beat Hong Kong yum char, and even so-called cheap airport stuff is better than what you can find at the best Chinese restaurants in New Zealand. It was great to relish food that didn’t taste like warmed-up leftovers, which is the best expats can rustle up while eating out in Enzed.
   Best moment: asking a lady where the old 大大 stores were. Her reply: ‘You must have been away for a long time. That place closed decades ago. You must have been away for a long time!’ All in Cantonese, of course. But at least she picked up that I was local, as many did. Some didn’t, speaking Mandarin to me (do I look like a northerner?).
   Overall, it was still very easy to fit back in, but one sad thing to note was that I would not choose to live back there now. Even two years ago, visiting when it was less polluted, I entertained the possibility. Not any more, not with the environment the way it is. I’ve gotten too used to the good life.

This is probably the only time I have heard the late Ted Knight (a World War II hero, I might add) say, ‘Oh, shit’!

One more for today—we might as well cover all the Mustang IIs in a single article. The II was never going to be as loved as the originals, was it? I still think of Charlie’s Angels when I see these models, and having a Fawcettmobile was not very manly.

Ford Mustang II

Ford Mustang II. 1974–8 (prod. 1,116,199). 2-door coupé, 3-door liftback. F/R, 2302 cm³ (4 cyl. SOHC), 2792 cm³ (V6 OHV), 4949 cm³ (V8 OHV). An attempt to get back to basics. Bulk of 1973 Mustang discarded; all-new model returned to sensible size. Styling inspired by model from Ghia of Italy. Lee Iacocca, now Ford president, targeted the segment heading to smaller cars such as its own Capri and the Toyota Celica; the fact the Mustang II came out in the wake of the first fuel crisis was fortuitous. Four-cylinder engine considered weak; no V8s till 1975 (the classic 302 in³ unit); car needed structural changes to accommodate the V8. Heavy, cramped (shorter wheelbase than Celica, but longer overall), not that great a handler, and ignored by many collectors, though it has its own 1970s’ style and was incredibly successful for Ford in its early years. Emphasis on luxury in Ghia models, as Iacocca saw the II as a ‘little jewel’, built to high standards. Some Mustang features found their way into the Pinto. Cobra II trim in 1976, T-top in 1977, King Cobra in 1978, though more style over substance in all these cases.

During a visit by then-PM Robert Muldoon at New Zealand House, the following were present, as noted in one of his memoirs:

British prime ministers Callaghan, Wilson, Heath and MacMillan
Governors-General Porritt, Ballantrae, Cobham
The son of former Governor-General Freyberg
Gordon Jackson

   Spot the odd one out. Gordon Jackson, the actor.
   Perhaps he was doing research for his role as the head of CI5 in The Professionals? He always did seem rather chummy with the Home Secretary in the series, and it was mentioned that the PM thought highly of him.

Given how popular my Love Boat post was, I thought I would attempt it with Charlie’s Angels. The only problem is, from a design perspective, not much changed. If anything, with each title change, the openings seemed to get more and more out of date. You also can’t sing along to the late Jack Elliott’s theme. Still, it is an interesting journey into recent TV history, and how a show began sinking because of cast changes and ever-inexperienced actresses. But Jaclyn Smith is still hot, so there.
   Here is the original cast:

   Then, goodbye Farrah. She may have been the 1970s icon and with hindsight, her departure from the show helped turn her into a legend. Word has it that her husband, our good mate Harv Yeary, wanted her at home more. For whatever disputes went on behind the scenes, Spelling and Goldberg decided that Farrah’s role would be replaced by that of a sister, played by Cheryl Ladd.
   Just as Jaclyn Smith was chosen for her good looks, Cheryl was chosen for her figure. To this day, there is something alluring to me about a girl with her hair up in a hot tub. Cheryl did that. 

How’s this for retro? In The Incredible Hulk, we had a boffin tinkering with a computer and turned himself into green man. In Automan, we had a boffin tinkering with a computer and made him a blue man. Here, David McCallum’s computer couldn’t decide on colour and made him invisible. 
   The Invisible Man was a fairly intelligent series, which was probably why it didn’t last very long. Just goes to show that even in the 1970s, it could be a mistake to overestimate the intelligence of your audience. It was supposedly based or suggested by H. G. Wells’ Invisible Man, but since this was the 1970s, he worked for the US Government undercover. (The 1958 British series had the Invisible Man work for British Intelligence.)
   The pilot was a lot more human and tragic, before becoming more regular adventure fare, which was the same path as The Six Million Dollar Man. Still, I remember it fondly, and McCallum (whose birthday I share) remains one of my favourite actors.

I wasn’t searching specifically for this, but it brings back childhood memories. It’s a Michael Hui film—Hui is one of Hong Kong’s great comedians and comedic writers—with soundtrack by his very popular brother, singer, composer and lyricist Sam Hui.
   I grew up on Sam’s songs and this film would have been a hit the final year I was in Hong Kong. We did have the song on tape (yes, Virginia, there was a cassette tape) and I must have listened to it a lot. Very nostalgic stuff.