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Best Homeware Store Shun Kee City Houseware (aka Harrods)
Best Local Band The Pineapple Jam With more live music sessions than ever in Sai Kung, our first Best Local Band award goes to local bluegrass folk band, The Pineapple Jam. Guitarist George Derisley was surprised at the news. “It’s because of our big bushy beards,” he guessed. Nope, it’s because they’re good. The name came about after the band – suckers for a pun – played on Pineapple Hill. Formed in 2014, they cite as an influence Sai Kung band The Village Dogs, who they jam
with from time to time. The Pineapple Jam play regularly at Casa’s live music nights (every other Wednesday), rocking up with guitars, banjos, mandolins, harmonicas and various other instruments to play covers of the likes of Bob Dylan as well as their own original songs. They welcome song requests, but have a strict noJustin-Bieber rule. The band – Derisley, Simon Thomson, Alex Nellist, percussionist Holly Booth and vocalist Kira Albarus – have played the occasional gig in Central and they hope to one day grace the Clockenflap stage. Derisley says a possible concert with other Sai Kung bands is in the works... stay tuned. For details, visit the band’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/thepineapplejam).
Best Sports Team Sai Kung Stingrays Sai Kung Stingrays has a lot to celebrate: a successful season, the club’s 10th anniversary and now its second Readers’ Choice Award. The club was founded by a small group of parents from Clearwater Bay and Sai Kung – take a bow, Kevin and Fiona Overton – with training at Tai Po Tsai before landing a regular Sunday session in Sai Kung. It has quickly grown to become one of the most prominent mini and youth rugby clubs in Hong Kong and has become a force to be reckoned with at tournaments, with players from four to late teens, and strong boys’ and girls’ teams. Minis chairperson Fiona Saunders says, “Winning the Readers’ Choice Awards is a reflection of just how integrated we are into the local community. We provide not only a sports
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activity but a wider family environment for our members.” With plans to expand, Sai Kung Stingrays are looking forward to an even bigger and better season this year. For details, visit www.saikungstingrays.org.
Where would we be without it? Long established and hugely popular, Shun Kee City Houseware – fondly nicknamed Harrods after the London department store with the motto “All things for all people, everywhere” – wins your votes for favourite homeware store. “Business is great!” says manager Mr Wong. “We have something for everyone. What do we sell? Look around your office or home: everything you can see, we sell.” And the rest: we’re talking swimming pools, pet accessories, lightbulbs, chopsticks, coolboxes, tents, crockery, bamboo steamers, tools, Tupperware and plastic boxes in every shape, size and colour imaginable. Then there’s the special stock for Christmas, Lunar New Year, Easter, summer, Mid-Autumn Festival, Halloween… “Harrods has been operating for over 50 years and has been passed through three generations,” Mr Wong says. “Some of our staff have worked here over 20 years and it explains a big part of our success.” Open daily, 8am-7pm. 8-10 Yi Chun Street, Sai Kung, 2792 3145.