I think most people will look back at visiting Gussie Park with fondness, despite it's rather ramshackled appearance. I certainly recall having fun there as a schoolboy in the 60's & 70's during the 7 weekies. I also remember a few skirmishes as well when there were matches on up the road!This image of the carnival was taken in September 1965.
Photo by DC Thomson.Tints by GG.
REMEMBER GOING THERE WHEN THE FOOTBALL WAS ON.SCARY.
ReplyDeleteI remember being suspended upside down from the top of a dive-bomber when it broke down once. With no safety harnesses etc, they got it started in the nick of time just as I was beginning to lose my grip. Not been on a carnival ride since..honest!
ReplyDeleteI worked with some ex-carnival people down in London, still working as drivers but now in the film industry...they said Gussie Park was one of the roughest venues in the country, and they're not sheltered people!
ReplyDeleteGreat blog.
I remember getting chased one Wednesday night by Hearts or Aberdeen fans, cant quite remember but I was about to go into the chipper behind Tannadice when they ran at me and I ran down Arklay street and in between the workers caravans parked on the edge of Gussie park, they stopped chasing me but then someone came running out of one of the caravans and began to chase me through the closed carnival... I ended up running up a closey on the Dens Rd and hiding for a hour. One of the scariest nights of my life...
ReplyDeleteI really loved going to Gussie Park Carnival, I was a bit of a scaredee cat as the rides were too fast for me but I always had a hot dog and candy floss
ReplyDeleteWhere did the name come from?
ReplyDeleteWhen was the last carnival at gussie park
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