Wellgate
The Wellgate Clock
Crowds gather in anticipation
Showing their appreciation
The footman grinds the hurdy gurdy
In tuneful animation
A monkey turns to look around
Two bluebirds take their station - Almost midday
Precisely then - the clock becomes alive
Unicorn gallops and nods his head
To the cat's fiddling jive Read more......
Favourite Dance Halls
I found reading all the memories great but I've checked out on all websites
and have yet never seen nor heard anyone mention my two most favourite dance
venues The Continental which still exists I believe but not as a dance hall
and my favourite the Commie Club which I recall being near each other in
the Wellgate area, also The Tonk. I wonder if anyone has any photos as Dundee
was a wonderful place then.
Albert's Memories
Born 23 Hilltown 1926. The Progie Dance Hall, Norries Pend, the Wellgate Steps, always plenty action. Owned the Silvery Tay. Chipper in Menzieshill before moving to USA. My dad owned a chip shop at 21 Hilltown in 1926. I remember Andy Reekie the seven foot cop and Dirty Joe selling roasted chestnuts at the end of Dudhope Street.
Hilltown Days
I happened across this site featuring the Hilltown by pure chance and just had to contribute. My parents lived at 62 Carnegie Street when I was born in 1943 at the DRI. Very shortly thereafter my parents separated and my sister Violet and I moved in with my Grandmother who lived opposite the blacksmith in Kirk Entry - just off the Wellgate. I must have been six or so when we moved to our first house (an attic) on the Hilltown, it was on the west side between Ann and Alexander Street. Time spans are hard to remember but I'd say a year or two later we moved a little farther up, it was a long narrow close next to (possibly) Wullie Cook's bar? It led to the back land of a complex where we once again had an attic. It was there on Xmas eve 1951 that I have my first memory of my family - we had one sister and three brothers much older than us. The reason for the reunion was because our father had just died. The next boy older than me was 16 or so and the image of him crying will stay with me forever (I couldn't understand what could make a boy cry). Read more......
Horse Meat
A butcher at the bottom of the Wellgate sold nothing but horse meat. In the pendy opposite, the blacksmith shod the town's cart horses. We nicked the horseshoe nails and nipped up round the back and crossed Charles Street. Running up narrow stairways, through dilapidated tenements we came out onto Victoria Road next to the fish shop selling whale meat. We dropped our horseshoe nails into the tram lines and waited until a tram came rattling down. Then we'd jump forward and pick out the hot nails. They were transformed into fiery little silver swords. Read more......
Monkeys Parade
Before leaving Dundee, we lived in Annfield Street, above Mrs Ledger's shop, where she sold horehound toffee. I remember my mother used to give her most of her sweet coupons for her sugar and we would get cakes etc.
I was 10 when we left and I remember when the siren went, we had to go to a shelter underneath the tenement building; later I thought what a stupid place to go - if a bomb fell, we wouldn't have had a chance. Read more......
Horsemeat
Someone mentioned the butcher shop selling horseflesh at the bottom of the Wellgate. I worked there as a laddie after school and on Saturdays, earning £1 a week. And yes, we sold only horsemeat. If I remember correctly beef was rationed at the time (1950) and the queues outside the shop were quite long on most days. We used to get a big parcel of meat home with us on a Saturday night, steaks, joints, sausages etc. Read more......
