《Snapshots of Wah Yan Kowloon Life, 1950-57》
by Raymond Eng (Ng Yew-Hay, or LWY for Lo Wah Yan as he likes to be called, Class of 56)
A Homecoming …
An 81-year-old alumnus turned up in Wah Yan College Kowloon with his son Spencer on October 23, 2014. He was in search of information about his old classmates. Dr Gregory Yeh Soh Yu, of the University of Michigan, studied in Wah Yan Kowloon from 1949 to 1953, graduating from Form 5 in 1952. He would love to reconnect with Dr Leo Wong Kwai Kuen and Dr James Wan Wai Hung.
The inquiry led him to Mr Chiu Hay Kaw (61) who had retired as a WYK teacher but still went to the school regularly to put his knowledge of art and biology at the school's service. It so happened that he was in the school that day and he took Dr Yeh and Spencer on a tour round the school campus – an act much enjoyed and appreciated. Yeh could remember Fr Toner, Fr Gallagher, Mr Poon, Mr Wong Chin Wah and Miss Wong. In Form 6 his Form-master was Mr Wong Chin Wah.
Mr Chiu also sent out an email appeal to some of his classmates and to Mr Anthony Ho. Mr Ho, looking up the first issue of The Shield, was able to identify the old students and he forwarded Yeh’s email to one of his classmates, Edison Ha Chung Wai.
Sparking off a Journey Down Memory Lane 1950-57
The appeal reached an old boy of the same generation, Mr Raymond Eng, or Ng Yew-Hay, as he was known in his school days, nicknamed “Fay Hay” – Fat Hay – although in his own view, “the girls thought I was just right in shape :-) “. It sent him down a memory lane to old WYK 1950-57. Here is his description of those years:
“I am afraid I cannot help Dr. Yeh for his old classmates at WYK, although I am familiar with Fr. Toner (Principal of WYK in my time, Wong Chin Wah the form master when I was at Form VI, Mr. Poon, a lanky fellow who was good teaching Algebra, Mr. Lau (nickname Long Robe Lau - "Cheung Sarm Lau" ) who taught Chinese and always displayed a Tai-Chi movement using his two forearms.
From the period that Dr. Yeh attended WYK, I can see there was an overlap with my time of attendance because I attended WYK from 1950 through 1957. Back then I started from class 8 (Miss Wong was the class mistress, the other one was Miss Lee). WYK was at Nelson Street in Mongkok back then. Headmaster was Mr. Lim Hoi Lan. Class 7 was taught by Mr. Aras (a native of Ceylon). He was very strict on pronunciation. Since space was limited, the only pastime during recess was to fight for the Ping Pong table in order to get a few rounds of exercise. Or we could take a quick walk to McPherson football ground to buy some bits of snacks from the street 
hawkers. Since I was fairly good at Ping Pong I got to befriend a few senior boys who were interested in the same game. One of them was Henry Lim (Lim Tak Kwong) son of Mr. Lim Hoi Lan, and the other was Fok Chak Pui (Dr. Yeh might know these two gentlemen). Together with two Chan brothers we formed a Ping Pong team called "FIVE TIGERS". We thought we were so great that we entered HK open tournaments. Whenever we won, we called ourselves TIGERS. But the tigers turned into cats when we lost :-) I may also add in those days I was keenly interested in photography (B & W). In the 1957 edition of the SHIELD they published a few of my
works.
Then the HK School system had a reform. Instead of Class 6 they named it Form 1. So I was promoted to Form 1 in the brand new WYK Waterloo Rd. campus in 1952. I stayed there through Form VI. But the year I finished the HK School Certificate. Examination was 1956. So officially I am from the Class of 1956. Some of the class mates are: Watt Chung Yin, Michael Lee, Frank Yang, Edward Ming Chi Wu, Robert Koh, Chan Sai On (Orson), Leung Kiang Yiu, Tam Yuen Dick, Philip Wong, Alfred Chui Wing-Man. The last I knew, Henry Lim later became the Headmaster of Tak Yan College at the same Nelson Street location. Fok Chak Pui went on to Taiwan University after graduation.
They are all over the world. Each has made a mark in their respective field of study.
Without any doubt, as we grow more advanced in our age, we like to reflect back to the innocent, care-free days of our youth ----- the jokes we played on our teachers (“Lemon Head”), debating and partying with the girls from Maryknoll Convent School, the picnic outings to Shatin across the Lion's Rock, and yes the midnight oil struggle before the School Cert. Exams, etc, etc....Those were my WYK days. To me, those sweet and happy images will forever linger in my memories.”
About the photographs. Click here to view the 1957 album
[Note -- The article was put together by Yu Fong-ying (61). Dr Gregory Yeh’s email address is