Neighbours
Tenement Life
Immediately after the Second World War my Aunt lived in a tenement exactly like the model on display at the Central Library, Dundee. It had been an abandoned building, a “backland” in Nelson Street, but such was the need for more housing after the war that this and other buildings like it were hastily done up for homeless people. Read more......
Fincraig Street in the Sixties
Fincraig Street in the summer of the 1960s.
The 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......
Memories of Dundee - Part Eight
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......
Twa Tram's
I read with interest the reminiscence made by Derek M with regard to the old Dundee tram which was transported to the City Road allotments and was used as a greenhouse. There was not one but two trams on this site, the other was transported by my Father. I was there to assist in them being slid down from Pentland Avenue using batons and rollers. Derek's Grandfather was also our neighbour living in Kincardine Street at that time, and those trams were a great success and provided an extension to the gardening skills as the allotments were the means of providing much need vegetables during the war. Read more......
Step Row
I remember my first impressions being of Step Row just off the Perth Road. My grandfather, James Kirkland was a coal merchant and everybody knew everybody. I remember especially the lovely summer days, an ice cream cone with raspberry on top from Tony's on the Perth Road. Happy days when bairns played on the street making their own fun and life was plain and simple. I have since moved to New York and have lived in many very fine places but my heart will always hold a place for all the special ordinary people and memories of Step Row.
Street Party
I lived in a close in Bernard Street in 1958 to 1960. I went to Hawkhill School and my mum worked in a wood shed over the backs. I worked for them on a Saturday selling bunches of kindling. I was only ten at the time. We also had an air raid shelter in the close which we all used to play in and make fires in. Health and safety eat your heart out. I remember we had a street party in 1959 or 60 but can't remember what it was for. We then moved to Menzieshill farm which was taken over for the hospital and housing estate. I have a lot of very happy memories of living in Dundee.
Great Neighbour
Of course I can't go back in time as most of the fowk here, however being born and bred in Dundee living most of my young life in Beechwood I have brilliant memories from there. Read more......
End of WWII
I was working as a joiner in our family business, Robert Samson Ltd. when World War II ended. All the neighbours were very excited, then we carried on working until 5 pm. There was a big bonfire in the field behind our house which carried on all night.
