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......
I read with interest the reminiscence made by Derek M with regard to the old Dundee tram which was transported to the City Road allotments and was used as a greenhouse. There was not one but two trams on this site, the other was transported by my Father. I was there to assist in them being slid down from Pentland Avenue using batons and rollers. Derek's Grandfather was also our neighbour living in Kincardine Street at that time, and those trams were a great success and provided an extension to the gardening skills as the allotments were the means of providing much need vegetables during the war. Read more......