Ladies' Recreation Club Historical Archive

Charles Lee ...

My mother, who was British, walked right down and signed me up at the LRC when we moved to the Old Peak Road area in 1954. I was the only Eurasian child that I know of at the LRC at that time.

There was a children's library upstairs in the Old Clubhouse where I spent many happy hours. And a black phone that gave you a shock if you used it when you were wet from the pool.

The original adult changing room was under the pool. When the new Main Clubhouse was built, it was considered a treat by the boys who were then able to use the former adult changing room under the pool as our own.

When they were building the new family clubhouse, the children were allowed to use the Main Clubhouse, which was certainly considered a rare privilege. Towels were not provided by the Club - you had to bring your own.

Mairi McDonald ... a brief collection of my memories:

Big stone footbaths down to the Big Pool - the baby pool on the same deck as the Big and B pools.

The first floor of the Family Clubhouse which has had many metamorphoses - being transformed in the late six ties, early seventies, into a teenagers room. My Dad drew up the plans for it and painted the walls. There was a stereo for discos and general use and Jimi Hendrix and fluro colours adorned the walls. It was pretty 'cool'.

Mike Cox banning tennis balls anywhere near the Family Clubhouse - he hated them being bounced!

The hatchway to the bar at the main Clubhouse - so we could call through to our parents that it was time to go home (not it's real purpose I'm sure!).

The badminton court in the main Clubhouse.

It's great reminiscing actually - what a great club and great memories!

Charles Lee memories ... I remember the food: Beef stroganoff, Chicken a la king, Club sandwiches, Curry, Life Savers candy, Green Spot orange drink, Cream Soda floats (cream soda and ice cream).

Alison Croucher

... Billy Tingle teaching swimming and diving over a bamboo cane at the deep end Playing Marco Polo 7 up floats toasted tea cakes and the best sweet and sour ever Also the original club house it had 2 floors and a flight of very steep steps into footbath before entering the swimming pool Club house was very old colonial building with a sad excuse of a library on the first floor It was demolished an a new one was built Probably in the early 60s

Kevin Phillips ...

We joined the LRC in 1955 when the only clubhouse was a small building by the big pool and adjoined by the small paddling pool. Im guessing The tennis courts were there as well. Despite living at Repulse Bay Villas, a sandball throw away from the beach we too lived at the LRC until we left HK in 1969. ( I regularly go back and indeed had dinner at the LRC only last month). As a little boy I spent hours on the outside tennis practice wall, by the new Junior Clubhouse, playing the game Marco Polo in the pools, and signing regularly (P6..!!) for Cokes, bourneville chocolate, Green Spot, Brierleys Grape Soda and nutty nibbles. I learned to play table tennis very well upstairs and could read the Famous Five or Secret Seven in a day from the library there too. So who else was taught to swim by Billy Tingle?? And has anyone found anywhere outside of Hong Kong that makes Beef Stroganoff like we used to get there at the LRC, or even better club sandwiches or meatball curry?