Tan Sri Tan Chin Tuan and Puan Sri Helene Tan with their grandchildren, from left to right; 
Helene Elizabeth Campbell, Chew Gek Hiang, Chew Kwee San, Chuan Campbell and Chew Gek Khim
Photograph from the Singapore National Archives
  
In mid May 2017 having cut short our annual trip to the USA, upon arrival at Changi airport, I was immediately taken to NUH and admitted into their ICU, where they diagnosed me with stage 4 cancer of the esophagus, accompanied by the doctor’s very grim prediction of my only having 6 months to live, this was a considerable wake up call, and certainly made me reflect upon my life. 

At the urging of friends and family, who kindly rallied around, came to visit, support and comfort me, sharing stories of our travels, adventures, success, failures, pains, happiness and time spent together, this is for you and the 1000’s of people from all walks of life whom I have had the pleasure and honor to have met and know.  

In attempting to embark on trying to tell my / our story via this website I do hope that, you my friends and family will kindly contribute stories and anecdotes, as well as help me to remember and where necessary correct and or expand upon it.

I guess the following short introductory version, from which with your kind help and contributions, we can expand upon, would be as good a place to start as any.... 

Chuan Campbell, was made in Nigeria, to where his parents Tan Kheng Choo also known as (Kheng Choo Campbell) mother and Donald Glover Campbell, father eloped from Singapore.  Father worked as an engineer with the UN and mother taught at the local school. He was born on the 24th September 1965 in Nuneaton England. 

At around the age of 3 the family moved to Taiwan where father had secured another job with the UN, mother taught at the Taipei American School (TAS), and we lived on Yang Min-Shan, in a house owned by Aunty Fifi Tsai, then PA to Madam Chiang Kai-shek. Shortly after moving to Taiwan my sister Helene was born, despite having English spoken at home she only spoke Mandarin and didn’t speak English (thanks to her nannie) until we had moved to Singapore. 

At around the age of 6 the family moved to Singapore, where our parents set up Ajax Engineering, we lived right across the road, less than 150 meters from our grandparents who lived at 42 Cairn Hill Road, what is now Tan Chin Tuan Mansion. I briefly attended a play school off Kings Road and then was sent to the Anglo Chinese School (ACS) at Barker Road

In the mornings (except for Sundays) mother would go to have breakfast with her parents Tan Chin Tuan (Ah Kong) and Helene Tan (Ah Mak), and would then work for the rest of the morning assisting Ah Kong at his home office, before going on to Ajax Engineering in the afternoon. My sister and I would have breakfast every Saturday morning with our grandparents, and I also remember that often, (on Friday nights and or Monday's when mother went out to play mahjong, once a week) we quite regularly had sleep overs with our grandparents. 

The name Chuan that mother and Ah Mak chose for me, (Ah Mak flew to the UK shortly after I was born) does have several auspicious meanings in Chinese, however it is also a portmanteau which was made by the combination of my grandfather’s given names the Ch from Chin and uan from Tuan. Out of a similar act of love and respect, mother named my sister Helene Elizabeth Campbell after our maternal and paternal grandmothers.

Mother, a Queens Scholar went to Girton @ Cambridge and read literature, came from a very prominent local family and had 2 older siblings, brother Tan Keng Siong (Ku-Ku) and sister, Dr. Tan Kheng Lian (Twa Ee), my sister and I only learned their real names later in life, as we only knew and referred to them Ku-Ku and Twa Ee. 

My late uncle, Ku-Ku or (Ken Tan) by his westernized name that he preferred friends to call him, worked with grandfather, was married to Aunty Barbara Tan (nee Chong), and they had an adopted daughter, Jacquie whom we saw often, and are close to. They lived together with Aunty Barbara’s 4 sons Lawrence, Fred, and twins Jerry and Lionel, from her previous marriage.
Aunty Peggy Tan (nee Tan) Ku-Ku’s first wife ran a dress making business from her home, just a few doors away from us along the same row of terrace houses on Cairn Hill Road with her 3 children, Debbie, Beng (Kenneth junior), and Pattie.

The row of terrace houses on what we (the Campbell family) called the bumpy road was a small tree lined, dead end road running parallel to Cairn Hiill Road, off Mount Elizabeth Link, the houses have log since been demolished and replaced by Fraser Residence, but in our time our row was quite a close knit community.

Twa-Ee, my Aunt, Dr. Tan Kheng Lian (Dr. Chew Kheng Lian) is an optician, married to Dr. Chew Beng Kheng, they lived with our grandparents across the road from us Campbells, and had 3 children, Chew Gek Khim, Chew Gek Hiang and Chew Kwee San

On father's side of the family there was Elizabeth Campbell (GRAN our widowed grandmother an amazing woman, better known to all as Toots) we never did have the chance to meet our grandfather, father's wife Valarie from his first marriage, with whom he had 3 children, so we had 3 ready made older siblings, two brothers, Duncan and Hamish (deceased) and sister Jean.  I stayed for a year with Gran, Valarie and Hamish whilst attending Irwin Academy. Duncan and Jean have since had children, providing us with nieces and nephews, Adam & Amy from Jean who married Jeff Wale, and Tommy & Laura from Duncan who married Sue, they live in Leicestershire, England. Hamish did not have children or ever marry.

The few remaining parental figures who continue to bear significance and a positive influence on my life are long time friend and confidant Paul Drayson, Aunty Barbara (Ku-Ku's widow), BABU Awang Damit (the Matriarch of my adopted Brunei family), and
Ah Tong our long serving Amah (house keeper & nannie) who has been with the family since our arrival in Singapore, and she continues to help hold our family together.  In Jan 2020 Ah Tong attained 100 years of age and remains very clear headed and alert, the children love her stories, and despite her age and the advancements in technology, she has always adapted well, from her leaving most entertaining voice messages (read directives) on the answering machine, to summoning us on our mobile phones, and more recently having her nurse at the old folks home call us via whatsapp to face time during this CB - CORONA 19 lockdown!  
More recently, Tommy Lee (who was at Cambridge with mother) and his family have taken me under their wings and welcomed me into their large, loving and warm family.

My far flung, colorful, rounded and rather checkered education included attending ACS Barker Rd, before being asked to leave by my Aunt the Principle and sent onto boarding school at St. Ninian’s in Scotland, returning after a few years when the school was closed, followed by a couple of years each at Dover Court and United World College (UWC) before being sent back to the Scotland, first to Trinity College, Glenalmond during which I briefly entertained the idea of possibly joining the British Army, and finally ending up at Irwin Academy in England.  

School holidays were usually most enjoyable with part of them spent at the various social clubs in Singapore, but they were also quite busy as I was regularly sent to work for, learn from and stay with the managers and owners of various business based both locally and in the region for a large part of the holiday. I believe that this was possibly the only area in which my father and grandfather saw eye to eye, (read keeping me engaged and out of mischief) for other than this, I am of the understanding that the last time they spoke was when grandfather summoned father to his office in order to try and dissuade him from seeing mother, shortly thereafter our parents eloped, and upon our return to Singapore they had nothing to do with one another, nor do I believe that they ever spoke nor met again for the rest of their lives. 

Upon graduating I returned to Singapore where, despite being a British Citizen and only a PR, enlisted in the Singapore Army, as I had been given to understand that I would be trained to become an Officer, that was not to be and my career in the Singapore military, much like my education was for the most part great fun, quite eventful, sprinkled with many stories, and adventures. 

After my extended and eventful stint in the Singapore Army, (time served in detention must be repaid) my first and only real job was when I joined our parent’s book publishing company Graham Brash, established in 1926, with which I am still involved. Along the way I have also tried my hand at various other businesses involving computers, warehousing & fulfillment, environmental engineering, golf, the supply of manpower & training, on-line retail, and the Oil & Gas industry, with mixed success. 

Hobbies and interests which our parents encouraged in my formative years included, golf (which initially started under duress, but is now my greatest passion), horse riding (dressage, cross-country, show jumping and racing), rugby, boats, cars, motorcycles (basically anything with an engine), and Seletar Hash House Harriers; from my 30’s onwards these expanded to include long-distance driving (touring), travel, good food & companionship and the wonderful circle of friends and acquaintances that I have been so very fortunately blessed with.

These days (up until the travel restrictions brought about by COVID 19) in between my bi-monthly chemo & NIVO sessions I have kept myself busy travelling whilst running the Asian Seniors Tour (AST) a professional golf tour, catering to leading male golfers who hail from ASEAN, the Asia Pacific and further afield.

Whilst in Singapore despite the COVID 19 related travel restrictions thanks to the support of title sponsor Integra Petrochemicals and the many other supporting sponsors the AST successfully staged the 14th Asian Senior Masters @ Singapore at the SICC's Bukit course from 15 to 19 Nov 2021 that was won by Tim Pinneger (Singapore) and which raised in excess of SG$ 120k for local charities and beneficiaries.  The 15th ASM @ Singapore will be staged from 5th to 7th October 2022 at SICC's Island course.

In addition to playing over 600 rounds of golf during lock down from March 2020 until early 2022 when travel restrictions in the region were lifted, the AST and I took over and have since revived the ASEAN PGA catering for the regions leading male and female amateur and professional golfers of all ages, which recently staged it's first tournament the 3M Open Qualifier 2022 @ Thailand at the Siam CC's Plantation course which was won by Thaya Limpipolpaibul (Thailand) also known as Mo Lim, who secured a place along with the funds to enable him to afford to go to Minnesota to play in the 3M Open 2022 to be staged at TPC Twin Cities from the 18th to 24th July 2022, which is anticipated to offer a prize purse of US$ 7.5 million up from the US$ 6.6 million in 2021.

My family life has also been quite colorful, and eventful, I met and married Nicola Wagner a German (my father certainly had a few things to say about that) and we have 2 wonderful daughters Bianca and Isabella. When it came to naming our daughters, following mother's lead when she named my sister (Helene after our grandmother); my eldest daughter Bianca was given the Chinese name Khim after my cousin Chew Gek Khim, who I was very fond of, and Isabella was given the Chinese name Choo after mother. 

Unfortunately, the marriage didn’t stand the test of time, and as they say there are 3 sides to every story, his, hers and the truth, I spent the following 20 years as a single man during which time I was fortunate to have spent time first with Lori an American, who's maiden name was Campbell (seriously) so there was no need to complicate things with paperwork... then there was Norishakin a Malay princess, and I have now been (for the most part happily married) to Norelyn from the Philippines since 2018.  

My 3 children, Bianca and Isabella live in Singapore with their mother Nicola, and Jonathan, Lori's son, whom we consider part of the family, has since graduating from USF and until only recently lived with my sister.

To friends, and relatives both those with whom I am still in touch, and or with whom we have only recently reconnected via email / facebook / linkedin please do kindly reach out and share whatever stories that you might remember, and any photographs you might have, it matters not if they are good or bad.... 

I do hope to hear from you, to be reminded of how we met, and for you to kindly share stories and adventures which we have shared, for it is only with your help that I / we will be able to flesh out this website and fill in the blanks.....

If you come across mistakes, factual and or typographical, please do let me know and I can be reached by any one of the following means; the contact & feedback section on this website, or via facebook, chuancampbell@gmail.com or whatsapp, or by calling me at +65 96346497 please text me first for as a rule I will not answer calls from an unknown number.

Wishing you and yours all the very best during these most trying times, I do look forward to hearing from you, and many thanks in advance for your feed back and input, warm regards, Chuan Campbell