March 1983

Islamic Centre Plan Welcomed

Blackness LibraryAncrum/Blackness Community Council last night showed considerable interest in the probability of an Islamic Centre being set up in the area, perhaps the old Blackness Primary School. The Chairman the Rev. J. MacKay Nimmo said he knew he was speaking on behalf of the whole community when he welcomed the opportunity.If the centre of religious worship was set up it could only be an asset to the ethnic minority and an enhancement of the cultural background generally.

Travelling Folk May Soon Have Site in Dundee

The growing "village" of travelling folk on spare ground beside the Baldovie incinerator on the outskirts of Dundee may soon have a permanent site of their own in the city. The increasing number of caravans has been upsetting residents, who agreed at Tuesday night's community council meeting  to ask the district council to intervene and "move on" the travelling people.
Yesterday it was revealed that the district council is to take steps to resolve the problem next week - but not quite the way the Whitfield house-holders had in mind. A draft local plan coming before the planning and development committee on Monday night night contains a proposal for the location of a permanent site. Until now the council has adopted a "softly softly" policy in dealing with travelling people. "We tend to play these situations fairly low key", a senior official said yesterday. "After all no one wants to upset people any more than necessary." The official declined to reveal the proposed site although an area by the Dighty at Seven Arches in Monifieth, has been talked about, but it is unlikely that any proposal will be accepted without opposition. Last night the travelling people, living in about a dozen caravans declined to comment.

New Broughty Mini Lifeboat

Broughty Ferry station of the R.N.L.I. is to receive an up-to-date replacement for its now ageing inshore lifeboat after nearly 16 years of operational service. The new £5000 craft, now being fitted out and under going sea-trials at Cowes, is due to be delivered this summer. As the second generation of Broughty Ferry's current D173B craft  D293B will provide increased power and stability in situations where speed and close control are of the essence.

Captain John Watson, lifeboat operations secretary, explained yesterday, "With its greater manoeuvring ability she will be very handy in the shallow parts of the river, making our job easier and safer as the majority of our call-outs are for work within the estuary. "The new craft has been designed through ideas and modifications stemming from our crafts first 16 years" he added.

D293B is one of three craft being allocated, after money raised recently through a joint promotion effect with Ind. Coope (Alloa Breweries) Ltd. "Obviously we really do appreciate all the work that has gone into the purchase of the craft, because as a voluntary organisation we cannot look at these kinds of costs" added Captain Watson. "Along with out 53-foot Arun hull lifeboat Spirit of Tayside, we will be able to maintain an excellent all round cover for the area" he concluded.

United One Down - But It Looks Good

Bohemians 1, Dundee United 0
From Don John in Prague
Dundee United players walked off Bohemians' pitch yesterday evening covered in mud, and in credit, too, after another magnificent performance in the U.E.F.A. Cup. They didn't win in Prague, but their chances of getting through to the last four of the competition are excellent. Bohemians showed themselves to be a good team, though not better than the Tangerines, who must fancy their chances of turning the tables at Tannadice Park.

The goal that decided the game came early and caught the United defence stuck in the mud. Before and after, the visitors gave more than they got in atrocious conditions. This was a fine team effort by the Scots achieved despite some astonishing refereeing decisions against them.

So it is now to March 16, the second leg at Tannadice and the promise of another great European occasion.

Egg Quiche

Serves 4 - Mrs N. Donald, Insch
Take 4oz short crust pastry, 3 hard boiled eggs (chopped), 2oz cooked ham (chopped), salt and pepper, 2oz grated cheese, 4oz single cream and  2 beaten eggs.
Line a 7 inch flan ring with shortcrust pastry. Bake blind for 10 minutes and then put in the chopped eggs and ham. Beat eggs with cream and season. Pour into flan and cover with grated cheese. Bake in the centre of oven at 275F for 30 minutes, serve hot or cold.

Boxing for Funds

A 12-bout boxing show under the wing of the S.A.B.A. is Monday nights attraction at Kirkton Community Centre. Scheduled to start at 8pm the show should run to about midnight and there will be a bar available. Proceeds from the show are destined to swell the Cavitron fund and to this end there will be sponsorship and other fund raising stints throughout the evening. Among the guests will be the Lord Provost James Gowans. Tickets for the show which cost £1.50 may be purchased at the door.

Scrumptious Fare

For scrumptious fried fare, make it Dora's, delicious fish and chips, roast chicken in a crunchy batter and a full range of mouth watering pies, puddings etc.
Dora's, 61, Dura Street, Dundee. Telephone 43521. We are open from 11.30am - 1pm and 4.30pm - 11.30pm Monday to Friday.

Last Chance For Marathon Hopefuls

Around 200 runners who have entered for the Dundee Marathon on April 24th took part in an informal timed half-distance run round Camperdown Park yesterday, their last chance to see how they fared when running with a large number of others. Organised by the Hawkhill Harriers Athletics Club the "mini marathon" went quite smoothly and only a handful dropped out.

Forecast Says 4000 More Dundee Jobs Could Go

Prediction of 20% unemployed by Our Local Government Reporter
A grim prediction that there are 400 redundancies to come in Dundee this year, which would mean an unemployment rate of 20% or one worker in five on the dole, was made last night.
It came from Mr John Henderson, the district planning and development convener, when he spoke to a sub-committee of councillors on proposals for the Dundee end of the Tayside enterprise zone and its promotion and marketing. These came in a letter from the Scottish Economic Planning Department. Dundee was given zone status on November 15 last year but the boundaries have still not been finalised.

Mr Henderson recalled that the last time councillors discussed the subject was the day Timex announced massive redundancies. Once again they were discussing the proposals "in the wake of hellish news" this time from Crompton Parkinson. The impact of this was something which the Labour administration of the district council had contended all along, that enterprise zones were not a panacea to transform unemployment difficulties.

"We had a trend of redundancies in Dundee which is very very forbidding" Mr Henderson said, and he gave details. In the six months to December 1981 the monthly figure of redundancies was 126, in the following six months it was 184 and in the second half of last year it was 247. "If you carry out a straight line projection there are 4000 redundancies to come in Dundee this year. It means that 20% unemployed in Dundee before the end of the year and 20,000 people unemployed. These massive figures have to be remembered when we remember the negotiations under way".

He referred to the enterprise zone and said the Dundee Project was another move which they all supported fully. The objectives of the project were to create 1200 jobs in the next three years and 2500 in the following five years. That was 3700 jobs before 1990- and the city could lose 4000 this year.  All councillors welcomed these initiative but no public figure could hide behind any project and say everything would be okay when these jobs came on stream.