Bygone News - People

Happy Days - Memories Will Last Forever

lynne.davidson — Fri, 21 Aug 2015 10:47:31 +0000

I was born in 1946 brought up in City Road (the roadie) as we called it. I went to Blackness Primary school the Logie Secondary, I was in the netball and swimming teams in both schools. I remember the old baths when there were 3 pools.

Childhood memory of my mum taking my brother and myself down the Old Overgate to the pea buster stall then over to Greenhill for our Saspirilla (Black Sass). Read more......

Nostalgic Memories of Dundee and Broughty Ferry

lynne.davidson — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 09:25:04 +0000

To rekindle nostalgic memories of Dundee and Broughty Ferry, I worked here in 1966, a 24 year old East London Sassenach but staying in St Vincent Street, Broughty Ferry. Loved the city, the people, the atmosphere. Used the Sliding Tackle pub, (Dear old Bobby Cox, the pub manager), John(?) the Locarno (?) ballroom) the Chalet along the seafront, and a hotel on a Sunday with a fab band, on the banks of the Tay river on Broughty Ferry Road. Weekday dinners at the Timex factory canteen, suggested by friendly locals. Happy days.

Happy Days

lynne.davidson — Mon, 08 Dec 2014 16:00:00 +0000

I moved from Montrose to Dundee and worked as a porter in the D.R.I. After a spell at Step Row off the Perth Road, we were given a house in Dunbeg Place, Trottick. We came to know some ot the residents and still keep in touch with Betty and Ian. My brother, who was a chef in the D.R.I. and I played golf at Caird Park. Ian and I frequently visited the Claverhouse (Ian called it the slaverhouse) on Saturday nights. Happy days.

Memories of Polepark

fiona.christison — Wed, 30 Jul 2014 12:46:22 +0000

I was brought up in Polepark by my dad Frank Traynor and the lovely Ann and Bert Small who owned a little grocer shop at 16 Polepark Road. They took over the majority of my care after my mum sadly died when I was four years old.

I have many happy memories of the jute workers who came into the shop and the actors from the Rep Theatre which was in the church at the top of Polepark. It was a lovely time to grow up and a caring way of life when people all looked after their neighbours. Ann and Bert Small ran a lovely wee shop and were kind to their customers. Read more......

Born at Maryfield Hospital

fiona.christison — Thu, 10 Jul 2014 07:58:14 +0000

Born at Maryfield Hospital in 1956 and lived at 135 Alexander Street until 1964, firstly in the attic flat with outside toilet on the pletty then luxury we moved into the first floor flat with a inside toilet above the chippy until they knocked it down to build the multis, what a great place to grow up. Read more......

Memories of Dundee

fiona.christison — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 09:19:47 +0000

I was born in 1947 in Blackshade - a great place to grow up. Prefabs like little bungalows with front and back gardens! Open grassed areas for endless football and woods for countless adventures! Hatties was the first newsagent (hat never left his head) it was at the top of Iona Street. The only other shop to start with was Sandies at the St Mary's brae roundabout. Read more......

My Hulltoon 'Hert'

lynne.davidson — Thu, 19 Sep 2013 11:27:07 +0000

I've just came across this site by accident and its wonderful to read old stories and look at old photos of Dundee. I was born at the foot of the Hulltoon (as it was known) in Sheperd's Pend (46 Hilltown), when I was 4 we swapped houses with my Grannie to 20 Hulltoon. They called it Meekie Land I went to St Mary's Forebank and St John's schools growing up 1944 to 1959. They were great days.
Read more......

The Auld Steeple Clock

fiona.christison — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 08:22:42 +0000

I used to wind the Auld Steeple clock every week. I was apprenticed to Wullie Reid who was responsible for maintaining many of the citys' turret clocks in the mid 50s. Later, around 1957-9 I wound the clock at the Royal Arch. The West Station clock was also refurbished by Jack Knight and I. We worked for Rattray the Jewellers at that time. Great memories of these years.

Memories of Dundee - Part Eight

lynne.davidson — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 09:11:03 +0000

Street vendors were commonplace in my childhood - there were so many different ones. One of the first who comes to mind is the milk man who had a small two-wheeled cart pulled by a pony. On the cart was a huge metal churn with a tap from which the milk was drawn to fill the customer's pitchers and jugs. Being two-wheeled the cart sloped and I could never understand why the churn didn't fall off and spill the milk. Then there was the banana salesman who came round carrying a basket of bananas shouting "ripe bananas sixpence a dozen" he left his basket on the street one day to go round the doors with a few bunches and when he returned to where he left his basket, someone had pinched a lot of the bananas from it. I felt sorry for him. Read more......

Stobswell and Links to the Late Jim Reid

lynne.davidson — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 10:19:22 +0000

The recent death of Dundee folk singer, Jim Reid, raised in the Stobswell area of the city, brought out a few references to his song " The Stobbie Parliament Picnic".

The Stobbie Parliament were the old men who sat on a long bench just above Ogilvie church in the early years of the 20th century. They sat and blethered and, as the name suggests, set the world to right. Read more......