His extraordinary physique made Chang Woo Gow famous, but this well-educated family man sought escape from the limelight in Boscombe, as Jeremy Miles discovers
AS we celebrate the arrival of the Chinese Year of the Dog on 16 February spare a thought for Bournemouth’s most celebrated oriental resident, Chang Woo Gow who delighted and astonished polite society in the late 19th century.
Standing nearly eight feet tall in his stockinged feet, Chang the Chinese Giant (as he was widely known) used to hold court at his home Moyuen, a Victorian villa in Southcote Road, Boscombe.
As he took his evening stroll a gaggle of followers would watch as the towering Chinaman made his way along the street. Sometimes he’d indulge them and light a cigar from one of the gas-lamps.
But all he really wanted was a quiet life. Suffering from ill health he had retired to the seaside town with his wife and two sons making a modest living by running tea-rooms and an Oriental Bazaar selling Chinese curios, bronzes and silks.
A softly spoken, well-educated one-time businessman who had once been destined to become an international tea-importer, Chang was a prisoner of his extraordinary physique.
Bu hikaye Dorset Magazine dergisinin February 2018 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Dorset Magazine dergisinin February 2018 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Fighting Fit At Fifty
As the country braces for a lockdown winter, seize the moment to become the fittest you can be – after all age is just a number
Last Night I Dreamt I Went To Mapperton Again...
Helen Stiles goes behind the scenes at the filming of Rebecca where two historic Dorset manor houses play a starring role as Manderley in this romantic thriller
Painting the Seasons
Nicholas Hely Hutchinson reveals how the changing moods of the Dorset coast and countryside inspire his paintings
THE HEAT IS ON
Weymouth 51 are blazing a trail through the chilli world with their handcrafted fermented sauces that offer layers of complex flavours from mild and fruity to super-hot tongue tinglers
Meeting MR FIX IT
Sir Oliver Letwin stepped down as the MP for West Dorset in 2019, but his passion for the county he served for 22 years is as strong as ever
Wildlife Wanderings
David Bailey shares some of his favourite Dorset images and stories taken from his new book
SOWING THE SEEDS
The average age of a British farmer is 60, which is why the Melplash Agricultural Society is investing in the next generation of Dorset farmers
HAUNTED DORSET
From spectral Roman armies and duelling ghosts to a beneficent black dog, Jerry Bird explores some of the spookier goings on around the county
Decorative art
Not simply functional, treat your walls like an extension of your personality
Age-old advice
Just become a grandparent for the first time? Perhaps you need a little guidance, so here are some top tips about how to embrace your new family role