December 1978
Black Watch Men are Top Drivers
Volunteer soldiers with plenty of drive - that's our Dundee lads of A (Black Watch) Company, 1st Battalion, 51st Highland Volunteers.
From the H.Q. Highland Rally - for teams in Land Rovers - the Rodd Road boys in Khaki took the supreme award, the Swan Trophy.
This was won in a field of 60 participants and featured 200 miles of motoring through Fife and Perthshire.Spearheading the effort was the company's O.C., Major Alex Murdoch. His driver was M.T. Corporal Alec Perrie.
Sergeant Ian Hay, with Private Alan Denny, and Captain Mike Lindsay, with Private John Jackson (best individual vehicle) all helped make the rally a rousing success for the Dundee team.
The Swan Trophy takes its place among the other awards one by this company this year.
Braw Lads at Hogmanay
Those with a mind to bring in Ne'erday in the traditional way, down City Square for the bells, will have a free treat this December 31st.
Dennis Clancy and Arthur Spink are to top the bill for an 11 pm till midnight downtown show. And I couldn't think of two better bets than our Braw Lads to launch 1979 with bright good cheer.
It's a couple of years since Dennis and Arthur did a similar stint in the Square and over 10,000 citizens came down to join them.
Fires Cause Several Thousand Pounds Worth of Damage
Two separate fires caused several thousand pounds worth of damage to St Saviour's High School, Drumgeith Road, on Wednesday night. They began in staff rooms, in the mathematics and physical education departments. Hundreds of books and personal belongings were destroyed. Two years ago a fire completely destroyed the administrative wing of St Saviour's. Wednesday's was the third major Dundee school blaze in two months, the other schools affected being St John's and Kirkton.
What a Good Idea
That I go to Allardyce for all my Christmas items
Christmas Coffrets by Coty, Goya, Max Factor, Tweed, Yardley, Morny, Lentheric and Tabu.
Gift hall now open six days a week.
The centre for Christmas gifts
Allardyce, 145 Overgate.
Squirm Time
Man shouting upwards from Lochee window late on Christmas eve.
"I don't care what your name is, get those reindeer off my roof!"
Who is Santa Claus? Where Does He Stay?
Talking Point
This week the "Journal" visited Douglas Primary School to ask some of the youngsters in the nursery class and primaries one and two who Santa Claus was, and where he lived.
Laura Coutts (5)
Santa comes at Christmastime and brings people lots of toys. He lives in Greenland where he makes all the toys for people's presents. His reindeer help him to make the toys because it's too much work for Santa on his own. Reindeer eat carrots. When we were on holiday I saw Santa - my sister was dancing with him. I leave out juice for Santa.
Barry Gray (6)
We've got a picture on our wall of Santa, so I know what he looks like - he wears red clothes. He lives in the sky, but he's got a phone because I was speaking to him on the phone. He's a nice man, he tells stories. I hope he gives me a Scalextric set. He's not married so the elves help him to make his toys.
Lisa Minns (4½)
Santa is a nice person, he's got a beard and a big hat. He gives everyone lots of lovely presents. I hope he brings me a playdough set for my Christmas present, I like playdough. I like Santa because he is a kind man because he gives people presents.
Pauline Russell (4)
Santa has a long beard and a reindeer. I saw Santa at Aviemore when I was on holiday, he was nice. His reindeer bring him to our houses at Christmastime because he usually lives in John Menzies. I would like a Cindy doll from him. He makes all his own toys, but his fairies help him, too.
Liam Mills (4)
I've seen Santa. He's a nice man with a white beard and glasses. He goes to the Wellgate, beside a big toy shop. He has friends to help him make all the toys for everyone. I don't know his friend's names - I think they are wee gnomes. He lives in a place where it is all snow, I think that it's called the ice-pole.
Stephen Hughes (5½)
Santa is a man with a red coat and a big black belt. He comes to people's houses and gives them presents. He gets to people's houses by riding on his sledge. The reindeer pull his sledge from house to house. When it isn't Christmas, Santa lives in Greenland most of the time.
Sharon Taylor (6)
I think Santa wears a red hat with a big white ball on the end of it. He wears a red coat and trousers, too. He makes all the toys on his own but maybe when he's busy he gets the elves to help him. He lives in the sky, in a place called Toyland. I would like to go to Toyland. Santa wears black boots, too.
Smart Wellies
Children's wellingtons can be restored to brightness if they are washed with water containing a few drops of ammonia and then polished.
What's on TV, Saturday 2nd December
BBC 1
The Pink Panther Show
Scoreboard
The Basil Brush Show
Dr Who
Larry Grayson's Generation Game
All Creatures Great and Small
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
Starsky and Hutch
Grampian
Happy Days
Bruce Forsyth's Big Night
The Incredible Hulk
Sale of the Century
The Professionals
Elvis Costello
The Elvis Costello gig booked for the Caird Hall on January 14th will have American band The Voloids and John Cooper-Clarke as support.
Elvis will also have a new album out to coincide. It's called "Armed Forces" and will be on Radar Records.
"Aladdin" at Lawside
Lawside Academy's Christmas production is Aladdin. Produced by English teacher, Mr James Gray, the pantomime is being staged at the school on December 19th, 20th and 21st.
There has been one small problem with the cast. Audrey Brough, who plays Aladdin, had lost her voice when the "Journal" photographer called. Hope she manages to get it back in time for the first night.
Main characters Mr J. Quinn, Kevin Rattray, Mr R. Lees, Paul Stanhope, Elizabeth Holmes, Audrey Brough, Maureen Boath and John McKaig.