Down Memory Lane

These are my memories of Dundee. I have lived in Ireland for thirty years now, but go back home at least once a year.

Down Memory Lane

I’m taking a trip down Memory Lane,
Down through the years to my childhood again,
I’ll let you walk with me and maybe you’ll see,
Places and times, the things special to me.

The flicks is the Odeon, the cinema to you,
Saturday matinee, cartoons we will view,
Stand in the queue, in an orderly manner,
It’s cheap at the price, it’s only a tanner.
Look! There’s the usherette. What’s that? you say,
She’s the lady, who brings ice cream on a tray,
Little tubs, big tubs, a stick for a spoon,
You eat it real slowly, but it’s finished too soon.

I’ll show you the sweetie shop, It’s just down the street,
Laden with goodies and all sorts of treats,
Bull’s eye’s, dainties, gobstoppers and rock,
Sherbet and soor- plooms, toffee in a block.
Black-jacks and bubbly, Granny Sookers as well,
You fill up your pockets, your tummy to swell,
Sweets four a penny, you won’t get that now,
The sweets of my child-hood have vanished somehow.

The Bunty, the Judy, the Beano and Dandy,
The Hotspur and Rover, the Jackie and Mandy,
Basher and Knasher and Desperate Dan too,
Smiffy and Biffy to name but a few.
The Broon’s, and Oor Wullie, came from Dundee,
You may not know them, but they are special to me,
For they bring back memories, of days long gone by,
Just thinking about them brings a tear to my eye.
Just up the road I’ll take you to see,
“Keillers” the famous jam factory,
Oranges from Spain, is how it was made,
You’ve seen it; I’m sure, its called marmalade.
For breakfast in the morning we would lavishly spread,
This sweet tangy substance on hot toasted bread,
Come back to the present and what do you find,
The factory’s gone, no sweet smell left behind.

Jam, Jute and Journalism the famous three J’s,
Have now disappeared since my childhood days,
The mills and the factories have closed one by one,
The big smoking chimney’s that blocked out the sun.
The bummer that told you “the working days o’er,
Forever now silenced its needed no more,
Dundee has changed since those days of the past,
But in my minds eye, forever they’ll last.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this trip back with me,
Down through the years to my home in Dundee,
You’ve seen lots of places and things of my past,
In your memory too I hope they will last
I have enjoyed it immensely, I hope you have too,
Now its time for goodbyes, Beannachd Leat to you.