Linlathen

I was born in Germany as my dad was in the RAF. Unfortunately my mum died before my second birthday and we moved to Dundee to live with my mum's parents in Linlathen at Blacklock Crescent. We were not well off, but at the same time I had everything for a great childhood. I went to St Vincent's Primary School where Miss McManus was my teacher and what a great teacher she was. All the kids loved her. Her father was the Lord Provost no less! Some time later my father remarried and we moved to West Lothian, however I've always considered Dundee as my home town. Read more......

Our family lived in Linlathen next to Mossgiel and Linlathen High School which are no longer there. Times were hard but we made do playing football in the street, making swings on trees, playing street games such as ghems up the poley, kick the can..this was late 60s/70s...we would go to Swanny Ponds, Baxter Park and Den o Mains. I remember as a kid going to Caird Park with a wheelbarrow to collect twigs/broken branches for the coal fire, going to Pitkerro Rd newspaper shop for the penny tray which had all kinds of sweets...wish I got pics from those days. 

Hi Tina. Like you, I remember the metal gates and barbed wire used to prevent anyone from Linlathen to cross the viaduct from Fountainbleu Drive to the wilderness that was Fintry, although my elder siblings found them little deterrent when they crossed from Linlathen to make a few bob picking spuds on McLean's farm. Happy days, they lied. A heroine of mine, Mary Brooksbank, called such times the good old bad old days, and I think she was spot on. She would arrive unannounced at the top of our street, Riddell Terrace, sing two or three songs and then move on. Read more......

I live in Birmingham now, but grew up in Linlathen with my Gran and Aunt Norah looking after me as my mother was ill in the DRI. I went to a few schools, enjoyed the freedom of playing in and out of the prefabs in Fountainbleau Drive, climbing the gate on the bridge which leads to Fintry where my aunts later moved to. The Den o Mains was the place to be at Easter. I have seen pictures of the Rainbow School and Stobswell which I went to but can't find St Michaels. O well happy days.

We lived in MacVicars Lane off the Perth Road for a while but in 1959 we moved to Millars Wynd. I went to the Demonstration School in Park Place and remember some classmates names like Kenny Campbell, Ronald Koppel, Alistair Soutar, Diane Buick, Cherry Leaper, Jaqueline McMaster and Stewart Patterson. Our headmaster was John Gunning and it truly was the best education a child could have. The teachers like Mr Watson, Mrs McFeet and Miss Gregg were simply the best. Read more......

In 1940 I was transported by tram car from Maryfield to Blackness School. As the war started in 1939 and we moved to Linlathen in 1940 and there were no schools there so a free tram car went from Maryfield to St John's in Tay Street and St Joseph's in Blackness Road and also to Blackness School, Logie and Mitchell Street. I was only 9 years old and left home at 8am walked to Maryfield and spent the day away.

I remember living (squatting) at 13 Larch Street in the nine storey tenement and attending Blackness School prior to moving to Fintry in 1951, and moving to Linlathen Primary just over the Linlathen bridge. I'm sure it was a foundry opposite us on Larch Street, and a huge open midden around the corner on Urquhart Street. A penny dainty from the corner shop on the way to school was a treat to look forward to.

I don't know if you are the same Jean Tully. If you are you will remember Rita and George. I think we stayed with you before we moved to Cheltenham in 1959. Read more......