A simple everyday item like an umbrella may seem like a trifle to most people. An umbrella was considered a luxury item in the 1950s. Nowadays, people can easily afford to buy one the moment it starts raining and probably never use it again. Although the umbrella industry is now dominated by big manufacturers and there is little room for such a rare profession to survive, many Hong Kongers used to bring their beloved umbrellas to Mr Ho Hung-hei for repair, instead of buying new ones. Mr Ho had repaired and made umbrellas since 1947 at the Peel Street located in the bustling Central business district in Hong Kong. Despite the rarity of his profession, Mr Ho also commanded a loyal customer base around the world. He was literally the king of the umbrella. In 1994, Mr Ho broke a Guinness World Record for creating the most expensive umbrella — it was made of cow leather and sold for £167 in England. Now that’s vintage. That umbrella has been donated to the Hong Kong Museum of History. Mr Ho had passed away in July 2015. He was 87. It was a big pity that i did not have a chance to do a close-up interview with him when i travelled to Hong Kong for the past two years. His stall was always closed each time when i dropped by. I was told by the neighbouring shop owners that he retired in late 2014 due to poor health. This photo documentary (taken in 2014) is a tribute to his small humble umbrella repair store Ho Hei Kee 何希记造遮 where he had spent more than 55 years there in serving the Hong Kong community. 在日常生活中,尤其将要来临的雨季,雨伞虽看来普通不过,但却有人为之特别找专人订造,更有 人珍而重之地为爱伞不断修补。在香港,市民们总会想起中环卑利街的何洪希所提供的体贴造伞及维修雨伞服务,正好迎合这些人的执着。 何洪希以至全世界唯一一位被列为制作出全球最贵的牛皮雨伞,以167磅打入1994年的 Guinness World Record 健力士世界纪录大全。这把伞已捐赠给香港历史博物馆。 随着时代的变迁,每个城市的发展,一些别具特色的路边摊档,都一间又一间地消失。 我很遗憾没有机会为何洪希生前做个访问,听说他当时已身体不佳,无奈退休,将何希记结束。(遮,粤语方言,意思是雨伞)被誉为遮王的何洪希已在去年2015离世,享年87岁。 在卑利街,何洪希的为人和物都有着情,他曾是卑利街上活力十足的一道风景、一种情怀。无缘一面,实属可惜。以下我的图片于2014拍摄。 在中环卑利街70号的斜路上,两旁尽是西方摩登的高楼大厦,零零落落就有一档以绿色铁盖铺顶、生了锈的铁架支撑着的摊档,旁边竖立着以毛笔书写的招牌—何希记造遮。这个铁架至今已有六十年的历史了,就一直在这儿,没离开过。 Standing strong at the top of the slope is Ho Hei Kei which has attracted so much media attention over the past decades. Mr Ho's green tin stall on Peel Street in Hong Kong since 1947. 档口毫不起眼,但此处正是 "健力士世界纪录",何洪希工作的地方。 1947年在中环卑利街,搭起铁皮屋经营「何希记」,一做便是67年。 无论科技如何进步,何洪希在过去六十多年间,仍然坚持以人手,制造每一把雨伞。上一代人,就是勤力。也许是他那精湛的手工,才能使一把看来平凡的雨伞,变得不平凡。何洪希的顾客由外国领事至贫富街坊都有,他透露有很多雨伞因为具纪念价值,所以有人会千里迢迢从外国带回来给他修补。他从来没有一把雨伞是维修不了的,只要伞骨或布仍在,他都可以把它还原。换伞骨及换伞布的价钱由$20至$50不等。在某些情况下,他甚至会免费替人维修或把作品送予有需要的人,认真善心满溢。 何希记的招牌见证了卑利街大半世纪的风雨。 Mr Ho had spent his entire life in the centre of Hong Kong repairing umbrellas. Pilgrimage site for famous people and celebrities working in various fields, Ho Wei Kee has become a landmark memory.
像雨伞这样的日常用品对很多人来说可谓微不足道。 但对何洪希来说可不。传统的何希记绿色铁皮排档位于卑利街长斜路,邻近坚道,以前呈现不一样的中环风景,现在却已成了中环街坊的集体回忆。
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Author
|