Douglas

I was born in Maryfield  Hospital in 1950 and lived  in Buchanan Street until we got moved to Douglas in 1953. I went to St Vincent school until age 7 when a new school St Pius was built opposite my house  in Balmerino Road. I used to love going to the baths on Saturday morning one week and the Gaumont on another, I used to love going through the Arcade under the  Caird Hall and see the roast chicken turning on the spit. It made me feel really hungry.

I remember one winter in Douglas when we had no coal for our fire, my Mum sent me over to Douglas School which was just being built (so I would have been about 6 or 7 years old) to collect some of the wood off cuts. A joiner was working late, (I remember that it was very dark) and took pity on me and filled a sack with logs and carried it over to my house for me. My Mum, my three siblings and my self (my Dad was not around) had a warm house and hot water for some nights after that and we will always be grateful to that unknown joiner.

I remember moving from Charles Street in the town to Balunie Avenue in Douglas at the age of five. My first day at Balerno Primary I about turned and ran out of the school. I was lost and running around Douglas as I didn't know how to get home. I always remember Miss McKinlay and her numerous big rings on her fingers. If you said something she didn't like she would clout you round the back of the head and I still remember trying to avoid eye contact with her. She would also lock the classroom door when she left the room. Ahhh, those were the days!

One of my first memories as a child was the coronation of Queen Elizabeth 2nd not the 1st, I'm not that old. I lived in a 'single end' in Bernard Street and we had a great street party. My cousin Francis Harvey was dressed up to be the young Prince Charles. I was only 3 at that time, but I still think of it with fondness. Later that year we moved to a new house in what I thought was the countryside because it seemed so far away and there was a farmer by the name of Sherrit who lived up the road. Read more......

My first job was in (?) in Ward Road. Then I went into the Calender in the sewing department. I worked in the Jamaica Works and then I worked in Victoria Road Works, then East Port, then several other works. When I got married I went part-time. Later I worked in Keiller's in the chocolate dipping and then in Maryfield in the bakery. Later I worked in Woolworths for a few years and then I landed up in the newsagents in Douglas.

My memories of Dundee are many happy ones, I am trying to write a book of them at the moment. The book will be called memories of Dundee. I fondly remember my childhood there on holidays from Edinburgh, my mother was from Dundee. I remember going on the bus to Broughty Ferry, the fare was one penny from Douglas, down to Swannie Pond we went with our fishing nets, excitedly running to see who could catch the first fish. My brother tripped over and went head first in net and all.