In the early 70's, a bunch of Dundee school kids organised a protest march across the Tay Road Bridge one Saturday afternoon.So what triggered these youngsters to make banners and come out in force to demonstrate their grievance? An increase in schooling hours? Too much homework? The cost of school dinners?
Nope, the culprit was Scooby-Doo, or rather, the removal of the TV series from their television screens. In true Dundee cartoony tradition, the main issue on kids minds was why the powers that be had taken their favourite TV show off the air! Needless to say, this unique event made the local papers, and it is probably the only time that the famous cry of "Scooby-Doo, where are you?" has actually been heard in real life!
To find out if this is an April Fool or Retro fact, click the comments link.
It's a Retro FACT!
ReplyDeleteIts a definite FACT - I was on this march! Incredible when you look back and think about it - kids prepared to march for Scooby Doo - innocent days!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was living in Argentina I came across a couple of protest marches by school kids, marching against reforms that would affect their education. I often thought to myself, why didnt we protest about things when we were at school... Seems we did!
ReplyDeleteYup, fact. Took a right old huff with my parents because they wouldn't let me take part!
ReplyDeleteYes, i remember seeing this march.It was in 1971.I was a big fan of Scooby Doo at the time,and i even remember lots of adults on the march,including dockers.
ReplyDeletei also wasn't allowed on the march but my mum and others mums let us make cardboard banners and march around the block (not too far) while they kept a parental eye on us young rebels . :)
ReplyDeleteFact - I joined the march in Reform Street. It was organsied by some very strange adults!
ReplyDeleteI was there too, very strange I was at Dryburgh primary at the time and my recollection is I was the only person from class there. Why on earth we went out on the bridge remains a mystery to me. There have been plenty of issues that have made me mad since then but I've never been motivated to go and join a march about them, which is kind of sad. A year later I was given David Bowie 'The Jean Genie' for my birthday and never watched Scooby Doo again.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the word on the Dundee streets was that the programme was being pulled off the air all together, wheter this was a mix up or not i'm not sure, didn't it go off for quite a while ? then came back with newer cartoon styles etc ?
ReplyDeleteI had a flashback of this event and jokingly told my other half of the scooby doo riots of Dundee, I remember even hammering nails through a piece of wood for the march, I was 9 !! This has now proved to her I'm not some deluded fantasist. It must have gave me the taste for future riots ie miners strike,poll tax and Wapping ,thank you scooby doo. Billy Graham
ReplyDeleteAm sure there was a piece about it at the time on Reporting Scotland
ReplyDeleteThis is a Retro FACT and was instigated at Hawkhill Primary School! My class started the protest which quickly gained the support of the entire school. The first out-of-school protest was held in the City Square where a few other schools joined in after the story appeared in the Telegraph and the Courier. By the time of the Tay Bridge Walk it had gained the attention of TV news and other school kids were protesting throughout Britain. The best thing about it was that the BBC relented and bought and aired the next series of Scooby Doo!
ReplyDeleteIncidentally sometime over the last 10 to 20 year Blackness Road Primary School was closed down and the remaining pupils were then sent to Hawkhill; then Dundee City Council decided to rename Hawkhill to Blackness and change the uniforms from Hawkhill to Blackness so as not to offend the Blackness pupils!!!! No thought was given to whether or not the Hawkhill pupils would be offended and the fact that Blackness Primary was situated on Blackness Road while Hawkhill Primary was situated on Hawkhill. So the Cooncil in their wisdom still have Blackness Primary on Hawkhill!!!!
Segi Tamson