Victoria Road

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......

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.

I was born at 40 Constitution Street in May 1933 where I stayed with my parents and two brothers until we moved to a new house in Kendal Avenue in 1946. I went to Rosebank School then to Rockwell High. When I started work it was in J.K. Mearns at the bottom of Victoria Road, it was a very happy place to work as we had a very good employer (William Mearns). I married George Millar in 1953, we have 4 children, 8 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.

I was born in 1954 in my Granny's house in Kirkton. We lived in William Street but went to Granny's all the time to play in her garden and get a bath. My mum was one of five sisters, three of whom were nurses in Maryfield Hospital and it was one of my aunties, Annie Dodds, a midwife, who delivered me and most of my cousins, at home. I remember walking down Victoria Road with Mum to the butcher who always gave us a slice of roast beef straight from the machine and salt to put on it.