Hilltown

Came from Wellington Street went to St Mary's Forebank school with my two brothers Jimmy and John and my sister Anna, was there from 1945 to 1953. The Marist brothers playes a large part in my life. My very good friend John Markie and myself played for the school football taem, so did my two brothers, happy days.

I first lived at 21 Kinloch Street at the foot of the Law Hill. An old tenement with 1 bedroom and kitchen/front room. The coalman used to come in and dump the bag of coal in the space under the wooden draining board. We moved to Findcastle Street in 1953 and we thought it was great, a new house and a garden. I went to St. Vincent's infants and primary school. It was a long walk to school. Then on to St. Michael's in Graham Street, we got a penny transfer for 2 buses. Used to go the Marryat (near Caird Hall) and the Palais to see all the bands. Read more......

My family moved to Carnegie Tower in November 1967, when I was 10. Carnegie Tower was the first of the 4 tower blocks to be built in Alexander Street. Previously in that area, there had been streets full of old small shops and tenements where families lived, mainly in cramped conditions and sharing outside toilets with neighbours. I was an only child and we had lived only a few hundred yards away in a one bedroomed first floor tenement flat at 76 James Street. Read more......

Born at Maryfield Hospital in 1956 and lived at 135 Alexander Street until 1964, firstly in the attic flat with outside toilet on the pletty then luxury we moved into the first floor flat with a inside toilet above the chippy until they knocked it down to build the multis, what a great place to grow up. Read more......

Wha remembers the Palais
The Locarno an’ the Chalet
Kidd’s Room an’ Gray’s Rooms
An’ pals th’gither at th’ looms
Plannin’ a nicht at the Empress
Tae dance wi’ lads in spivy dress
Or enjoy Hawhill’s Robbies
Or partner Hilltoun Proggies

There were dancers – romancers
And the inevitable bunch o’chancers
The quickstep and rhumba
Foxtrot – tango and samba
The energetic jump an’ jive
It was a great time tae be alive
Big band sound – crooner’s voice
Last waltz – ladies choice Read more......

Standinn' in a lang queue
Tae see the double-bill
Ootside the Plaza
On the middle o' the Hull
Some frae Norrie's Pend
Ann Street - Coldside
Winchin' couples haudin' hands
Waitin' tae get inside Read more......

I've just came across this site by accident and its wonderful to read old  stories and look at old photos of Dundee. I was born at the foot of the  Hulltoon (as it was known) in Sheperd's Pend (46 Hilltown), when I was 4 we swapped houses with my Grannie to 20 Hulltoon. They called it Meekie Land I went to St Mary's Forebank and St John's schools growing up 1944 to 1959. They were great days.
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On Main Street I loved the smell coming oot o' Johnnie Norries candy store... Magic!
 

Immediately after the Second World War my Aunt lived in a tenement exactly like the model on display at the Central Library, Dundee. It had been an abandoned building, a “backland” in Nelson Street, but such was the need for more housing after the war that this and other buildings like it were hastily done up for homeless people. Read more......