Sunday, July 29, 2007

KIRKBY HALF A CENTURY AGO ( CONTINUE)

These Kirkby and Brinsford Lodge Trained Teachers were from Kedah
Do you know them?
Yes fifty years ago this group of 22 Malayan students met in Kirkby Hall for this historic photograph. Eight of them traveled up from Brindsford Lodge near Wolverhampton to meet their colleagues at Kirkby Teacher Training College. Wolverhampton is south east of Liverpool and about half way to the city of London. I remember that it took more than six hours to travel by coach (bus) between the two sister Malayan Colleges in England.
For record Kirkby specialised to bring out primary school teachers and Brinsford Lodge was given the task to produce secondary schol teachers. On their return they became teachers irrespective of media, primary or secondary. Many moved forward beyond their initial vocation.
Can you believe that all 22 of these trainee teachers were from Kedah. More interesting ALL the males except Jaafar Saidin studied earlier at Sultan AbdulHamid College in Alor Star. Further even FOUR of the female students were schoolmates at SAHC too. Except for Norma, Muhrizah and Mrs Looi Chee Chong ( I forget her name) who studied at Sekolah Menengah Asma Alor Star and Jaafar Saidin the lone male, all of us were from the same school. What excitement and boisterousness when the group met.
On returning home to Malaysia, each took their own journey progressing where they are now with their own families. If we are lucky we meet again but I believe each know where the other lives and would not forget to convey SALAM to one another on whatever occasion.
Sadly as the year take its toll, we have lost several of these colleagues. Only two weeks ago I came to know that Sdr Khir Ismail passed away in Kuala Lumpur. Sdr Zainol Rashid Ahmad and Sdr (Dato) Annas have left us very much earlier. "Semoga Allah mencecuri RahmatNya keatas Roh mereka"
We happened to be at Kirkby in 1957 because we were in the batches that graduated with the teaching diploma between 1957 - 1958. Of course other students from Kedah followed our footsteps and so too from the other states. They arrived later.
I am certain that there were one or two others from Kedah at that time but did not make their way for that moment in photographic session. If they are please let me know. Please.
SELAMAT MENYAMBUT HARI MERDEKA 2007
from
Zainal Abidin Mohamed (1956 - 1958 group)
30/07/2007

4 comments:

NGINAP SRENGENGE @ SRENGENGE said...

Marvelous , marvelous......you surely have many historic photos .
I can recognise Cikgu2 Hashim Mydin,Jaafar Din, Boonlert Somchit, Annas Haji Ahmad and Mr.Zain ( is he Mr.Zain Abdul Rashid ? ).
Pak Zain later became the Pengetua of SITC .
Boonlert because of rugger and football.

Actually I bought a piece of land belonging to Cikgu Annas in Guar Cempedak.
If I am not mistaken Cikgu Jaafar came for a short span-of-time at Ibrahim School .

Enjoyed your blog .

KotaStar said...

Itula. Banyak cerita terpendam. kadang-kadang ta'ada orang yg hendak mengulas. Nasib baik ada ruangan blog. Kita boleh hulur cerita kalau rajin.
Jaafar Saidin ada di Kulim sekarang
Hashim Mydin di KL. Abangnya Yusoff Mydin Pak mereka policeman di Alor Star dulu. Aruah Dato Annas pernah jadi Pengarah Pelajaran di Pahang. Che Gu Zain dari Perlis. Bukan Pak Zain kita yang pernah mengajar Pak Non di Kolej dulu. Pak Zain now about 90 Masih di Bangsar KL. Boleh kita pi tengok dia. Che Gu Ismail Saleh ( tokoh sejarah Kedah) adik kp Dato Ahmad Saleh ta'kenaikah? Glad you appreciate and like the photo. Nanti sambung lagi cerita 50 yrs ago.

NGINAP SRENGENGE @ SRENGENGE said...

In the early 90's saya pi umah ibu cikgu Annas kat Alor Merah, to negotiate about that land I bought.Tiga kali saya pi. His mother told me a lot of stories of the past with Tunku A.Rahman. They were closed partners .Very smart old lady .Talkative and well-versed . Infact she came to my house once with Annas 's sister after I agreed to buy the land. Then I met her no more .

Azizi Ahmad Termizi: said...

Pak Non

Wah semua Kedahan...ini sudah case assobiyah :-). I met Uncle Jef (Jaafar Saidin) about 2 months ago when I brought my father to visit him in Kulim. He was recovering from an operation.

nice pictures. ada lagi ke?