MONDAY, AUGUST 6, 1984 ·
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STORY BEHIND A STREET NAME
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CHI CO TERRACE IS A QUIET LITTLE STREET RUNNING OFF PEEL STREET IN ONE OF THE LESSER KNOWN PARTS OF THE MID-LEVELS, BUT THERE IS A HIGHLY INTERESTING STORY BEHIND HOW IT GOT ITS NAME - A STORY CONNECTED WITH PIRACY IN HONG KONG WATERS IN 1864 IN WHICH THE SKIPPER OF THE BRIG CHICO AND SOME CREWMEN WERE KILLED.
SIMILARLY, THE EARLY-DAY HISTORY OF ELLIOT CRESCENT, GUTZLAFF STREET, TIT HONG LANE AND SOUTHORN PLAYGROUND IS ALSO TOLD IN THE URBAN COUNCIL'S LATEST PUBLICATION, HONG KONG STREET NAMES AND THEIR ORIGINS+, WHICH HAS JUST BEEN PUBLISHED.
THE BOOK IS WRITTEN BY FREN A BLOOMFIELD WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF RESEARCHER BRENDA EATON WHO SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS THUMBING THROUGH THE DUSTY DEPTHS OF MANY LOCAL RECORDS AND ARCHIVES.
IT CONTAINS 100 NAMES OF STREETS WHICH ARE ILLUSTRATED EITHER BY PRESENT-DAY OR OLD-DAY PICTURES.
BUT READERS WILL SEE THAT A COUPLE OF NAMES HAVE CREPT IN WHICH ARE NOT THOSE OF STREETS. THAT WAS EITHER BECAUSE A PARTICULARLY INTERESTING STORY 1S ATTACHED TO THEM, AS IN THE SAD TALE OF RENNIE'S MILL, OR BECAUSE THEY ARE PROMINENT IN USAGE, SUCH AS KAI TAK.
A LIST OF SOURCES HAS ALSO BEEN APPENDED WHEREVER POSSIBLE TO ENABLE INTERESTED READERS TO FOLLOW UP THE FASCINATING HISTORY OF THE PLACES.
THE BOOK, AT $25 A COPY, IS NOW ON SALE FROM THE URBAN COUNCIL'S PUBLICATIONS CENTRE IN ICE HOUSE STREET, AND THE COUNCIL'S BOOKSHOP IN THE LOBBY OF THE CITY HALL LOW BLOCK.
TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM
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THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT, MR PETER LEEDS, WILL SIGN A CONTRACT WITH GEC TRAFFIC AUTOMATION LIMITED, U.K. FOR THE
INSTALLATION OF A COMPUTERISED TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM FOR HONG KONG ISLAND COVERING THE ENTIRE NORTH SHORE FROM KENNEDY TOWN TO SHAU KE WAN.
A SIGNING CEREMONY WILL TAKE PLACE ON WEDNESDAY (AUGUST 8) AT 11 AM AT TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT'S TRAFFIC CONTROL AND SURVEILLANCE DIVISION, 16TH FLOOR, KOWLOON GOVERNMENT OFFICES, 405 NATHAN ROAD, KOWLOON.
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