Hilltown

There was another potential danger that had to be considered and guarded against, poison gas! That was used on the battlefield in the First World War so the chances were that it could be used again, against civilians this time. Thus everyone had to be issued with a gas-mask. Read more......

In some ways, the war had an immediate impact on our lives. The Blackout, which I mentioned previously, was imposed by law on every house, street and premises nationwide. All vehicle lights were curtailed, with black paper stuck on them, allowing only a half-crown sized circle of light to show. Torches became almost a necessity, but even they were restricted to a small circle of light showing. As a result, torch batteries, owing to demand, became somewhat scarce and if work got round that a certain shop had some there was a rush of customers at these premises, eager to buy. Read more......

The coming of war brought many changes to our lives. However, I felt the very first impact of war, two day before it started. On the evening of 1st September 1939, the day Germany invaded Poland, a country whom we had pledged to help if they were attacked. I went to see a film about the Dionne Quintuplets, born to a French Canadian mother, who roused a lot of public interest at the time. When I came out of the cinema, I thought it was very dark, but I didn't realise that there were no street lights on. It wasn't until I got home that the truth was brought home to me. I assume this was the first ever blackout and I guess, a practice for that which would later become commonplace when war was declared two days later. I assume the Government was then resigned to the fact that war was inevitable. Read more......

Street vendors were commonplace in my childhood - there were so many different ones. One of the first who comes to mind is the milk man who had a small two-wheeled cart pulled by a pony. On the cart was a huge metal churn with a tap from which the milk was drawn to fill the customer's pitchers and jugs. Being two-wheeled the cart sloped and I could never understand why the churn didn't fall off and spill the milk. Then there was the banana salesman who came round carrying a basket of bananas shouting "ripe bananas sixpence a dozen" he left his basket on the street one day to go round the doors with a few bunches and when he returned to where he left his basket, someone had pinched a lot of the bananas from it. I felt sorry for him. Read more......

1939 was also a remarkable year for me personally. My parents were Good Templars, i.e they did not drink alcoholic beverages and were staunch members of the Independent Order of Good Templars in Dundee or simple ‘the Lodge’ as they termed it, since every branch was a lodge with a particular name and number. My first recollections are of them being members of Camperdown Lodge, which met on a Saturday evening in Camperdown Masonic Hall which was situated in a corner of a square, up an outside stair from which access was gained by way of a pend in Barrack Street. However this closed, due to lack of members in 1938. My parents them transferred their allegiance to Rescue Lodge which met on a Tuesday evening in St Salvador’s church hall in Church Street. There were other lodges which met on other evening's throughout the city; The Home of Peace, The Pioneer of Peace and The Perseverance are the ones I remember. Read more......

The year 1939 was memorable for a number of reasons. First of all there was the Mrs Jordan sensation. Of course it didn’t mean very much to me at the time, but I can understand now how big a thing it must have been. Read more......

I think the best way to start is to go back to the beginning - to my earliest memories:- One of these is my fourth birthday. I've worked this out with a bit of calculation. It must have been my fourth birthday, since I was born on the 18th October 1930, which was a Saturday. The occasion I remember was a weekday afternoon so it must have been before I was at school. I reckon it must have been Thursday 18th October 1934. Read more......