Childhood

Lorimer Street - low door "But and Ben" (1945 - 56). Jute Factory "Bummer" (Wm. Boase). Rag and Bone man with his bugle. Early morning milk deliveries by horse and cart. Playing street games like hopscotch/chicy/melly. Attending Saturday morning children's club at the Odeon Cinema.

On Main Street I loved the smell coming oot o' Johnnie Norries candy store... Magic!
 

Playing football in the streets all day/night, greengrocer vans, ice-cream vans. Happy days, real family days, a community, the days oe the Waltons. Skint knees, holy-troosers, base-ball shoes, plym-soles(sand-shoes)and punk-rock, bring it on, bring it on...bring it on.

As I sat on my dad’s knee
Many stories he told me
They were always of the same wee thing
Everyone different, made my heart sing. Read more......

Arbroath RoadAs a little girl I lived in Morgan Street. I would play in the Ritz Picture House doorway with my doll Maureen at (housies). Also Cardean Street with a ball in old stockings “under leggy” or throw the ball jump over it saying boys or girls names in the alphabet. Doll in pram walk to Baxter’s Park. Sit on steps in front of pavilion with Maureen (housies) again. Great imagination! Not like today kids all computers and phone games.

Fincraig Street in the summer of the 1960s.

PlayingThe pong of the bins, nappies, endless nappies on the line in the “backies”. Elvis on the radio from upon verandas and beer bottle Andy with his long black sack collecting last nights booze refuse. Bumble bees in jars with clover stuffed inside and chalking boxes on the pavements while the green nurse passed by. Read more......

West EndI am a Step Row boy born 1947, can't find anyone from Step Row or from the streets. We had a gang called the 'Black Hand Gang' and had to pay to be a member. We had moms cellar for our gang, we lived at 21, at the top, great view of the Tay Bridge. I found an old groat in the ground floor and still have it. Also we found a grenade at Cosgrove's yard. My grans paper shop was the last shop on the Hawkhill across from Dempsters the bakers. I suppose we could all write a book. Hawkhill School at the teacher Miss Pringle say no more.

Conditions in Dundee at the time when Lorna contracted Tuberculosis

Background to the interview with “Lorna” who was 100 years of age in May 2011. Visit Lorna's Memoirs page to find out more.

 Read more......

I also went to Jean Pringle at the foot of King Street  - I think round about  
1960. Linda Penman who lived in Albert Street also went there and a girl  
called Ria or Lea who was from Charleston Dundee. I absolutely loved it. Jean  
looked every inch a ballet dancer and my weekly lesson couldn't come quick  
enough for me. Hopefully I will hear a bit more from some other pupils from  
that time.

I lived in Shepherds Loan in the early fifties in a tenement right next to Thomson and Shepherds, at the end of the day the bummer would sound and men and women would stream up the road on their way home, the jute fibres filled the air and the smell of jute hung heavy all around us. I loved Lizzie Smiths shop at the top of the road and would spend all of my one and sixpence pocket money there.