Memories of Ninewells

I was brought up in Ninewells and am now 63 years old. It is amazing how much this place has changed in a fairly short time. Gone is Bill Davidson's wee shop, Joe Johnstone's smiddy, Lauries's nursery and the greenhouses behind it. Ninewell's garage is still there, albeit much changed and no longer a petrol station. There was also another petrol station close to where the railway bridge crossed over the Perth Road by Johnny Callaghan's scrapyard.

Just before Invergowrie was a tidal basin called the tidie. It was eventually filled in with waste from the Invergowrie paper mill. My brother and some of the local lads skated here in the winter months. Farther in towards Dundee, was the old tram terminus. Where Riverside joined the Perth Road, stood an old police box (Doctor Who style). Riverside ran down over the railway bridge near where the Ninewells signal box stood. At that time the river still came up to the sea wall by the main Dundee to Perth line.

The inscription is still on the bridge that tells of the opening by Dundee council of the Esplanade extension. I think it was in 1909. I lived in three different houses here, East Loan 1949/50. 564 Perth Road 1950-1964 and 600 Perth Road 1964-1967. Ninewells was so called because it was built on a natural spring line. During wet periods water would surface and form streams across the road.

There was also a beach that could be accessed via a track that led under the railway line to the river. There is no beach now as it has been covered over by infill.

Amazing how this place I grew up in has changed in the last 40 years! There was even a company that sold lawnmowers in Ninewells! and a chip shop in Invergowrie. Oh happy days!