Memories of Chinatown

Geraldene Lowe-Ismail pioneered the development of professional tour guides and their training in Singapore over 50 years ago. Under the auspices of the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board, she established a training course which still runs today. As a result, she is the proud recipient of the Board's Lifetime Achievement Award, its highest honour. The founder of "Geraldene's Tours", she has been wandering the nooks and crannies of Singapore ever since, recalling past memories of the earlier Singapore of her childhood. A true National Treasure, Geraldene is a walking encyclopaedia of the oral history of the city state having witnessed at first hand many of the momentous events and changes brought about by Independence in 1965. No one knows Chinatown and the other heritage areas of Singapore better - the sights, smells and sounds of the streets and buildings. A committed conservationist, Geraldene is a founder member and prior office holder of the Singapore Heritage Society, now celebrating its own 30th anniversary.