Friday, July 24, 2015

Soldier, Soldier (TV Series) - Robson Green (1992) - Stanley Fort, Stanley

As the base for the fictional King's Fusiliers throughout their stay in HK, Stanley Fort features fairly heavily throughout the series (so I am sure this is the first of several similar posts). Here are a few shots from A Touch of the Sun.

I've never been to Stanley Fort and therefore am not 100% sure of the building identities, but I'll give it a stab. The first picture is of the accommodation of the battalion commander, Lt Col Fortune, which, I believe, is Conway House (aka Building 18).

Conway Hse/Building 18?

Next up we see the swimming pool down by the lowest row of accommodation blocks that face Stanley Bay - although in the background we can see the row of blocks on the higher terrace. They are (from right to left) Richmond, Halifax, Chester and Windsor (Buildings 89 thru 86).


The next building is one we have seen on this blog before - it can be seen in Bloodsport - but I am not sure of whereabouts it is within the fort. I am guessing it is the nameless E-shaped block on the maps in the centre of the Fort (now called Chek Chue Barracks, by the way) that has the bowling green in front of it?


Another block, also seen in the above Bloodsport link, is what I believe to be Building 10. An elongated colonial building that sits on the road just above the parade ground and sports field.

Building 10 - also seen in Bloodsport

We get to see a brief glimpse of the road in front of the lower accommodation blocks (buildings 90 - 95), although I am not sure which one we are looking at.


And rounding off this post with a quick look at the parade ground with Building 10 in the background.


I'm not familiar with the fort and so can't say how much has changed since the P.L.A moved in to Chek Chue Barracks (Chek Chue is the Chinese name for 'Stanley' in case you didn't know), but judging from GoogleEarth, the majority of landmarks we see in the series are still around as far as I can tell. I'd love to hear from anyone familiar with the compound or perhaps who actually lived there with the army.

6 comments:

gweilo8888 said...

Here are a few links with photos inside Stanley Barracks after the handover:

http://fanfansky.blogspot.com/2006/05/blog-post.html
http://www.kwuntung.net/tthp/life/life.php?pageNum_rsLife=34&totalRows_rsLife=569 (scroll down to 2007-05-01)
http://blzx8312881.blog.163.com/blog/static/73525172200971943640735/

Comparing those few photos that contain identifiable buildings to older ones, it looks like the main change is a whole lot more propaganda "art". ;-)

Phil said...

interesting stuff. i've always wondered about the PLA barrack open days but suspect it may exclude foreigners - not that it would make any difference - I am pretty sure the US and UK already have fairly detailed blueprints for all of these places for obvious reasons.
It's interesting though that they really don't seem to have done very much to any of the former British Garrison barracks - some even appear to be completely empty such as the ex-Osborn Barracks near to me. In all my years here I have seen two soldiers in that place doing a perimeter walk but other than that the place seems to be dead.

Unknown said...

Not sure I can add much from memory about specific building names, but in the late 80s/early 90s I went to pre-school and Beaver Scouts at Stanley Fort and later played junior rugby and hockey on the sports field there on Sundays.

I remember visiting friends who lived on the site too, whose families weren't involved with the military as far as I know, so I believe there were also civilian residential facilities there as well.

I'll see if I can track down any family photographs from that time.

Phil said...

If you do have any photos they would be interesting to see. These days the barracks are only open on the PLA open day and only to Chinese residents of HK (the PLA doesn't want any gweilo spies going in lol) so photos of the place are always interesting to persona non grata like myself...

On an aside, one of the old gwulo contributors is the cousin of Jerome Flynn and told me he and his family were invited over to the fort one day to watch them film a cricket game. His (and Flynn's) family have strong China roots from old Shanghai pre-war days. Phil

Anonymous said...

I lived in Halifax House (2nd block from right) in 1984/5 when Cheshire Regiment we’re stationed there. Would love to go back and see it. Have dreams I’m Back there they’re surreal.

Unknown said...

I lived in the accommodation at Stanley bay. Top row I think the 3rd from the right tower block. 1st floor right hand side flats with my sister mother and father. I was 8 and 9 in 89 90. I loved growing up there. Had some really good memories playing in the top play grown and the lower one. And nearly drowning at the pool that was close to the parade ground. Santa abseiling out of a helicopter at xmass.

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