Childhood

Born in 1945 in Clement Park, I lived at 50 Marshall Street, Lochee (overlooking Tipperary) with my mother Mary and my grandparents Andy and Lizzie Wilbourne. I remember the trains chuffing past our 'back green', Ancrum Road school, being sent to the shops for 'a lippy 'o tatties' and a globe for the gas light, pushing an old pram full of laundry to the wash hose in St Mary's Lane..so many memories..

My grandfather Simon McIntosh was stage manager of the King's Theatre and prior to that of the Palace Theatre. I have his autograph book with some of the 'stars' like Harry Lauder and pictures of that time.

I was brought up in Cherryfield Lane, one memory I have is of Harry Deaks horses coming home from a hard days work on the building sites, sometimes a horse would slip on the cobbles and crash to the ground, this terrified my pals and me to see the horse struggling to get up, we thought the only safe place to get away was to run up three storey's in the building opposite. The year would have been in the 1940s and I would be about six or seven.

We were brought up in Fincraig Street from 1961 to 1965 then moved to New Zealand. We stayed three years came back and stayed in Whitfield with my Grandmother Julie Roberts them moved to Glenrothes. Three years later we moved back to New Zealand again. I have been back twice over the years 1981 and 1992 and had the pleasure of bringing my wife and two daughters back to Fintry and Dundee. It had changed so much and it is so good to see the old Fintry photos and old Dundee photos, thanks so much. I have shown my 12 year old Grandson the photos.

Our family lived in Linlathen next to Mossgiel and Linlathen High School which are no longer there. Times were hard but we made do playing football in the street, making swings on trees, playing street games such as ghems up the poley, kick the can..this was late 60s/70s...we would go to Swanny Ponds, Baxter Park and Den o Mains. I remember as a kid going to Caird Park with a wheelbarrow to collect twigs/broken branches for the coal fire, going to Pitkerro Rd newspaper shop for the penny tray which had all kinds of sweets...wish I got pics from those days. 

Hi Tina. Like you, I remember the metal gates and barbed wire used to prevent anyone from Linlathen to cross the viaduct from Fountainbleu Drive to the wilderness that was Fintry, although my elder siblings found them little deterrent when they crossed from Linlathen to make a few bob picking spuds on McLean's farm. Happy days, they lied. A heroine of mine, Mary Brooksbank, called such times the good old bad old days, and I think she was spot on. She would arrive unannounced at the top of our street, Riddell Terrace, sing two or three songs and then move on. Read more......

I was born in 1946, and lived on Baldovan Terrace until 1958. I was reading the letter from Magnus Walker about growing up on Park Street. Baldovan Terrace is one block away from Park Street. He stated that he played in Baxter Park and Stobbie Pond which were both placed that I also played at. I was just wondering if I knew him. I moved to the U.S. in 1961 where I have lived ever since. I am now also retired, and live in Buffalo, New York. I enjoy your articles on auld Dundee. They bring back many memories. Many thanks.

I live in Birmingham now, but grew up in Linlathen with my Gran and Aunt Norah looking after me as my mother was ill in the DRI. I went to a few schools, enjoyed the freedom of playing in and out of the prefabs in Fountainbleau Drive, climbing the gate on the bridge which leads to Fintry where my aunts later moved to. The Den o Mains was the place to be at Easter. I have seen pictures of the Rainbow School and Stobswell which I went to but can't find St Michaels. O well happy days.

The day war broke out it was one week to my 8th birthday and I spent it with my family. We were evacuated to Banchory, Aberdeenshire. We had never seen green fields or cows and we had to walk one and a half miles to school. I was amazed but loved it. We stayed for six years and did not want to come back.

I was born in Dundee in 1950. I remember I was in the 49th Life Boys in Kirkton and a lot of photos were taken at that time. It would be nice to see them after all these years. After that I was in the Boys Brigade and also had a spell in the Sea Cadets. I was at HMS Unicorn in the docks. Good memories.