From the blue windows : recollections of life in Queenstown, Singapore, in the 1960s and 1970s

Imagine a Singapore in which flat rental was S$50 a month, a plate of noodles cost as little as 20 cents, and television broadcasts ended at 10pm every night. From the Blue Windows is a collection of Tan Kok Yang's memories of growing up in Queenstown back when the tallest residential building there was fourteen storeys, the Alexandra Canal flooded regularly, and wayang shows were a regular feature on Mei Ling Street. He stayed in Princess Estate, an area that was colloquially known as "the Blue Windows" because of its unique blue glass louvred windows.With nostalgia and a sense of loss, this memoir is a personal tribute to and celebration of Queenstown and a simple but fulfilling way of life that has all but vanished from modern Singapore. Tan Kok Yang grew up in a small public housing estate in Queenstown during the 1960s and early 1970s. Queenstown is one of the earliest public housing estates in Singapore and over the years, has gone through immense changes. This account of the games, festivities, customs and lifestyle of the area as seen through the eyes of an inquisitive boy will arouse memories in many older Singaporeans.