Maryfield
Buster on the Benches
I was born in 1948 in Maryfield Hospital in Dundee. We lived in William Street for the first couple of years of my life, then moved to Kirkton where I grew up. As a toddler, until the age of about 6 or 7, Saturday mornings were my time with dad. We would go into the town, where Dad would buy his seeds and bulbs for his garden in a shop near the bottom of Whitehall Street. Read more......
A Conductor's Tale
In 1955, having just left school and starting a college course, I was employed as a temporary tram conductor during the summer of that year. It was one of the happiest summers I ever experience and I have many happy memories. Read more......
Working Hard
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.
Free Tram to School
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.
Penny on a Tram Line
I'd been at the Palais and got the last tram home from the Perth Road to Maryfield depot. The route went along the Murraygate and I remember people putting a penny on the tram line to keep as a momento of this last tram journey to Maryfield. At the Woolies stop I remember a certain gentleman got on from my place of work, a jute mill, I'd always liked him, and although we both went on to marry other people, just recently, after over 50 years we have met up for coffee and a blether.
Streets Now Gone
I was born in 1930, within a cottar-house on Milton of Craigie Farm, long gone, but B & Q and ASDA are sited there. I think 1930 was the year of the darkest day in Dundee, when some people thought the end of the world had come. Read more......
Another Runaway Tram
On the Maryfield line, just before the Arbroath Road on Albert Street a fellow had parked his horse and cart. The tram driver decided that there was not enough room to pass, he decided to go into nearby shops to look for the carter but the tram's air brake leaked and the tram, full of passengers ran right down Princes Street and King Street to the Gaumont Cinema. Mr Charles Broadley, Superintendent, took charge of the situation, fortunately no one was hurt.
Monkey Business
While travelling with my mother, (I would have been about 10) on a tram, a photographer with his monkey boarded the our tram and sat down opposite us. All of a sudden the monkey leapt onto my mother's lap, it was funny, until the monkey did the toilet on my mother's tweed skirt, which was part of a suit (very hard to afford a suit back then). Read more......
Nuts and Raisins Conductor
My favourite trams were the Lochee trams, as I lived in the West End of the city, and travelled on them daily. Where as on the East End of the city when I visited my relatives, I found the Downfield to Maryfield trams very uncomfortable, where the Lochee trams were very comfortable. I always remember our regular Conductor on the Lochee trams was always cracking jokes and was known as "nuts & raisins".
Evacuated 1939
Here are some memories of my days during the war when three of my brothers and myself were evacuated in 1939.
It was an exciting time for us and many other children. Our mother made it clear that we should be kept together, the children were all happy and excited, we weren't aware how heart broken our Mother was to see us go. Read more......
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