刻不容緩

'The Saced Heart Canossian College, very close to the Roman Catholic Cathedral along Caine Road, was until 1937 named the Italian Convent and it is still known by this name among many older residents...The attractive, expansive 115-year-old covent was demolished in 1976 and replaced by functional new buildings, completely lacking any of the character and grace of the old." Pg. 62, 'Streets: Exploring Hong Kong Island', Jason Wordie

讀到這一段，有切膚之痛。

一 九七四年頒布了《古物及古蹟條例》，諷刺地，在此之後被鏟除的老建築卻更多。舊校原址只剩教堂，被周圍石屎高樓重重圍住，外人根本沒法得知這裡有著一座已 有過百年歷史的珍寶。研究香港史的蕭國健教授曾多次要求修會開放教堂給專家勘察研究，希望她能被列入受保護的古蹟名單，卻不得要領。自家對自己的財產都沒 有心保護，外人又能做甚麼？是不是又要等到教堂被圍板拆卸，外人才猛然驚覺叫嚷要保留？甘堂第的位置當眼，街坊才見到她被圍板要拆，政府剛好要建孫中山紀 念館，而幸好教會肯賤賣，才救下來。聖心教堂？拆了也沒有人知。舊生會的友好們，除了募捐籌款開會聯誼之外，可以就這方面做些工夫嗎？

要是你看過以下這些書刊和電影，或許你都會像我一樣，為優雅不再的香港感到痛心。吾生也晚，趕不及於清晨時分從堅道校門走上長長的石樓梯，在拱廊露台度過如花年華…

延申閱讀：
http://www.royalasiaticsociety.org.hk/publications/hk_going_and_gone.htm
http://www.formasiabooks.com/asp/general.asp?contentid=6
http://www.hkbookcity.com/showbook2.php?serial_no=2129
http://www.hkbookcity.com/showbook2.php?serial_no=74658
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048316/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054483/