January 1953

You Serve Yourself in this Shop

Dundee's only self-service store, at 21 Bank Street, Lochee, has celebrated its first anniversary.

The shop belongs to Aberdeen firm, Stewart Macrae Ltd., and is managed by Mr James Bruce.

Commenting on the first year's working, Mr Bruce said, "we have found that the self-service system has caught on with younger customers".

Sold Ten TV Sets

TV is gradually but perceptibly gaining ground in Dundee. There is no forest of aerials on the house-tops, as can be seen in some of the bigger cities. But more and more are making their appearance each week.

I was talking to a local dealer the other day - not one of the biggest dealers by any means - and he told me he had sold 10 sets last week. "It will soon be quite commonplace," he said.

There are 815 on Waiting List

The postal and telephone advisory committee in the city is not particularly well-known, but it does a tremendous amount of work in the background with suggestions always pointed at greater efficiency.

Mr C Robertson, one of the Dundee Business Club's representatives on the committee, passed on some of the statistics to his colleagues; which had been submitted to the committee.

During 1951 over two million trunk calls were made from the city. There are 815 waiting for phones, 348 fewer than the previous year. Because of the work of the G.P.O.'s detector van, 1610 new wireless licences were taken out during the year.

Street Name

Elizabeth Avenue and Consort Place were names suggested at the Works Committee for a new street to be laid out at Tay Lodge, Albert Road, Broughty Ferry. Decision - Albert Gardens.

If You Have Happy Feet

You are more likely to have a Happy New Year
Let the Good Shoe Shop look after your feet in 1953
Potters, Murraygate, Dundee

More Marriages

There were 285 fewer deaths in Dundee in 1952 than in the previous year - 2303, compared with 2588.

Marriages were up by 85 - from 1584 to 1669, and births by 51 - from 3609 to 3660. Marriage figures include 418 civil ceremonies.

Here's a Quick Service for you
Monumental sculptor Mr George Carnegie rang up Dundee libraries chief, Mr Alex Small

"I wonder if you can help me?" he said. "I've an inscription to do of that quotation about passing through this world but once. Think you could find me the exact wording of the whole thing?"

And before he could get his breath back Mr Small had answered - "I shall pass through this world but once. Any good thing that I can do or any kindness that I can show any human being, let me do it now and not defer it. For I shall not pass this way again - A.D. 1420".

The sculptor was amazed. He didn't know he'd asked for the one quotation that hangs on the wall of the Chief Librarian's office.

About twenty people a day ring up the Albert Institute Library and ask sometimes awkward questions.

Cold Lines!

The coal shortage inspires me:-
Digging in the coal shed
On our hands and knees
Looking for just one wee lump
Before we bloomin' freeze
Churning through the stourie dust
Searching for a knot
Lucky if we find one
Bigger than a dot
But 'fore we die of frostbite
Let's raise a chilly cheer
The Coal Board claims another rise
In output for the year

A Coronation Cruise

A Coronation day cruise for 200 old folk was discussed at a meeting between representatives of the corporation and the harbour trustees.

To suit tides the ship, probably the B.L. Nairn, will sail about 5 pm. The trip will be through the bridge and along the Fife shore by Balmerino towards Flisk Point.

It will last from an hour and a half to two hours and tea will be served.

What's On Tonight - Cinema

Gaumont - Happy Time - Charles Boyer, Louis Jourdan
La Scala - Thief of Damascus - Paul Henreid, John Sutton, Lon Chaney
Kinnaird - Jack and the Beanstalk - Abbott and Costello
Playhouse - The Golden Hawk - Sterling Hayden, Rhonda Fleming, John Sutton
Regent - Skirts Ahoy - Esther Williams
Royal - Annie Get Your Gun - Betty Hutton
Forest Park - Scarlet Angel - Rock Hudson, Yvonne de Carlo
Gray's - Stairlift - Doris Day, Virginia Mayo
Rialto - Rancho Notorious - Marlene Dietrich
Astoria - Toast of New Orleans - Mario Lanza, Kathryn Gray
Princess - Birth of the Blues - Bing Crosby
Odeon - Son of Paleface - Bob Hope, Jane Russell, Roy Rogers
Empire - Meet Me Tonight - Valerie Hobson, Jack Warner, Ted Ray
Palace Theatre - A Guide New Year - Jack Milroy