Food and Drink

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......

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. Read more......

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 grandparents ran the Dairy at 6 Shepherds Loan. When they moved there as a married couple in 1906, they were cowfeeders i.e. they had cows in milk and sold milk round the doors. Then they had a byre and then "larries" and his brother had a dairy in Strathmartine Rd., with the first milk lorry in Dundee a model T Ford, I could write a lot more and have done so in my series of "Poems and Stories". My other grandfather was stage manager at the Palace and at the King's Theatre in the 1914-18 war.

I was born in Maryfield Hospital in 1947. My mum Ruby Fisken was a long time nurse there. My dad Jim played the piano in a local band that played at the dancehalls. I used to go and sit by his side. By the time the night was over, you couldn't see anyone's heads for the secondhand smoke.

In summer, I loved going for a day at Broughty Beach. When the bus would start and stop, all the shells of the wilks would run back and forward. Read more......

Saturday was buster day
Chums eagerly made their way round Boots' corner
Past Greenhills sarasparilla (Black Sass)
Mid Kirk Style outings for a lad and lass

Late 40s - early 50s the old Overgate
Was where they kept that special date
Sitting by the fire to eat
Tupp'ny busters - a weekend treat

Winter - summer - the stall was warm
Coke-fire sparks caused alarm
When chip-pans on top (remember)
Spat boiling fat to red-hot ember
Rocketing fire to boot-lace thongs
(Before retreival with heay tongs) Read more......

When the glass touches the lip
Feel the grip
She can't let go - you know it's true
She's controlling you Read more......

Born in February 1942 in Brook Street I came from a family of 10. We moved to Polepark Road and attended Mitchell Street primary school in 1946 until going to Logie High (Penitentiary). Later we moved to Grey Street, Lochee. Many happy times of going down to the penny buster stall in the Overgate and of Greenhills the chemist where our late dad would buy us a saspirrila to clean out the insides. I also remember being pulled out of school and sent to the tattie howkin. We were paid the great sum of 10 shillings. Read more......

Land o' Cakes whaur pies were born
Nae true Dundonian dare wad scorn
A dinner '' Wallace's juicy pies
Mooth-waterin' sicht afore oor eyes
Succulent mince - a joy tae savour
Nae ither dinner has sic' flavour
Bairns love them - dads an' mums
Grannies - grandads an' their chums
Enjoy pies, tatties an' warmed baked beans
A royal dish tae serve yer freens

Loved going fishing at Balmarino, overnight stays, also the fish and chips from Tony's doon the Overgate about 1962 ish, all gone now eh? My wee pals and I played on the building sight where the New Overgate/ Angus hotel was being built, we found lots of bones/ skulls all buried in a mass grave by Monks army when he sacked Dundee, the Auld Steeple was our play house then!! The Sat morning movies at the Guament, the sweeming baths, those old one, it were great the shivery bites!! The Sasperellas from the Italian shops yum yum! Read more......