The basic layout of Kirkton is the same now as it was back here in the mid 70's.
Today most changes to it would be more noticeable from ground level than the air, however, a couple of obvious changes from this picture are the schools.
The one at the foot of the photo I'm fairly sure is Gillburn Primary School, which if it is, then it has since been demolished. The other blue/grey building to the left of Balgowan Avenue I'm pretty certain is Kirkton Nursery School, which I also reckon no longer exists. Kirkton High School which has survived, albeit with a new name, is just visible top left in the hazy distance.
You can also make out the shops near the centre of the photo no problem.
A piece of trivia from this era of Kirkton I can add is that, back in 1979, the place was featured on BBC TV.
This was a show called "Roadshow Disco".
The quirky thing about it was that when the show visited other cities around UK, they all had the programme broadcast from proper discos and nightclubs, but when they came to Dundee, they ended up doing the show from Kirkton Community Centre!
As well as the local disco dancers that were filmed, Dundee funk act, Rokotto, were the band supplying the dance grooves.
I think the one at the foot is Jessie Porter Nursery which is still there.
ReplyDeleteYou are right about the one to the left being Kirkton Nursery which was demolished just a couple of weeks ago.
Again, you are right about Kirkton High which is now Baldragon Academy. Top right is West March Primary, now Sidlaw View Primary.
Other big changes include the Church, aka 'The Churchie' in Balgowan Square, between Balgowan Ave and Helmsdale Ave has long been demolished along with the Balgowan Shops.
There is also the old Prefab houses which have been knocked down and replaced by a police station and sheltered housing.
Next to the Prefabs is Downfield Park which doesn't yet seem to have acquired the Downfield Clubbie!
kirkton high school and west march are demolished
DeleteThanx for the extra details, Gary. I'm sure I'll know my way around better now next time I'm in that neck of the woods.
ReplyDeleteIs that Baldovan House peeking through the trees?
ReplyDeletebaldovan house was demolished after a bairn died falling from the roof
DeleteChanged days dept
ReplyDelete58 Balgowan Ave
Yours for 100k
Gary, what you call Jessie Porter used to be Gillburn Primary 1&2. (The wee skale as it was known when I went there). You can just see a bit of the big skale below it (Primary 3-7). I always thought Jessie Porter was the building in the grounds of the big school, on the corner of Ambleside Ave/Gillburn Rd. But maybe it moved in P1&2..canna mind.
ReplyDeleteUr right Gary. the wee chool was to the right a seperate building across from the big school
Deletedoes anybody remember the nicholsons fey helmsdale,styed next door to the colqouns straight across fey the auld churchie
ReplyDeleteYes i knew them my grandad lived on balgowan most people knew hus as auld geordie ..aka george ross
DeleteSorry i meant to say my grandad lived on helmsdale lol ..my name is sharon steer
Deletei lived opposite george on helmsdale ave in the 1980s.he was sound.
DeleteWho are you? Do I know you?
DeleteMy name is Alan perrie and wee were the young kirkton huns back in the 1970s
DeleteI remember the nicholsons, duncans, mconnachies them all. They were a sound so there a bit rough but who wasnt' I stayed right across from the old churchy for 20 year and loved every minute of it, if i could move back to that same house i would. That is the kirkton nursery and not st columbas. Auld hector died in a fire in the trottick multis some years ago, young hector is still sneggin. The mconnochies are a few lighter on numbers as a few of the sons and the parents have all passed on. The same goes for the nicholsons.
ReplyDeleteT The houses bottom left of coniston ave kendall ave ulverston keswick ave and Gillburn all flat roofs now an Asda store Born and brought up in Kirkton in the 60s and 70s That is Kirkton nursery in the photo
ReplyDeleteI lived in helmsdale and dont quite remember it being as bad as coniston and kendal etc. the school is definitely not st columbas. i went there for a couple of years when we moved to helmsdale from beechie. i had family at the top and bottom of balgowan and the covered terracing at downfield juniors is named after my uncle eric who lived opposite the entrance to the top of helmsdale where the prefabs used to be but the police station is now. might have been a tough place to live but when i moved there from beechie it was like heaven.
ReplyDeletehey all! im looking for a man the nick name of shake.... he was in the kirkton hunz round about 1974... he was mixed race... i would be grateful if anyone could give me information please.... thank you
ReplyDeleteShake aka abdul stayed in forres corner o beauly cres
Deletenurblnursery not in picture built on corner site gillburn rd early 70s
ReplyDeletek-huns number 1,hector wiz pure teckle in the days.
ReplyDeleteanybody remember gaggin think thats how ya spell his name pure yowser man r.i.p man one o the soundest guys ever
lol gagin and his bump of knowledge pyoor sound man he wiz Yowser
DeleteDo you mean john gagin ..he was one of my closest friends
DeleteWha remembers the Mushie in Haldane? oh yah fecker!
ReplyDeleteFriday night discos in the community centre and break dancing nights in the Copper Beech, b.y.o.l (bring your own lino)
I remember them ..cozmo lol breakdancing
Deletesorry 2 correct u mr or mrs anonymous
ReplyDeletebut hectors no dead yet hees still going strong in the jail
hector is still on the go now
DeleteHector is now married to christine cummings and has a daughter and grandaughter
DeleteYKH aye still the same nae changes wee stick up fir wir scheme
ReplyDeleteLol this is class, ah memories, i lived in beauly cres, for 17 years and loved it,parents still live there. Eh mind o fat richard fae the chippy annd his mum menia, she had a tash, boab the butcher,clarks the baker,i worked there,roger fae the post office, even mind o the wool shop next door, the launderette,starkys,the mushy,the copper,the kcc,doc stewarts,bentleys......
ReplyDeleteThat large building near the bottom of the pic is st aidens school. It was part of kingspark. Think gillburn used to use parts of it in the 70's and early 80's .......nearing the end of the 80's and onwards the building was used for educating children with additional needs.
ReplyDeletehere that's no St'Aidens yi pure dinghy thats Gillburn Primary (the photo was took in the 70s remember)
ReplyDeletehello everybody danny pettigrew here i know everyone whos names are here all good people iv been in helmsadale av since 1972 big changes but still a great place and great people the guy whos looking for shakes iv never seen him in years mate
ReplyDeleteeh remeber the young boys o trottick its first wee gang ,then it wiz the tottick trendies just efter the casual scene started oh eh and ah the wee breakers wee thier lino wot a great place back in the days !!
ReplyDeleteeh mind some o the lads fae trottick wonder whar they a bide now falser,biffo,pickle,guv-r,tich,brando,hastie,drew mck,jimmy jeff,to name but a few great lads great days....playing futba at the wah!!
ReplyDeletei remember freds and the lyons maid ice cream vans the driver was bert and his assistant was joan,they sold great ice cream happy days
ReplyDeleteyeah, i remember bert and joan i used, to buy haunted house,fabs,zooms, nobbly bobbly,cider barrels,screwballs,etc, etc,if you guessed the name of the chime playing that night,you got a free 99 cone,joan later had her own van,i remember her in her lyons maid van,in balgowan avenue,same time every night,i miss the ice cream so much .
ReplyDeletebert and joan had the lyons maid franchise,they had a wee fleet of vans, snow white ices was their company name,they married,and as far as i know they still supply chimes to the ice cream van trade,their vans were always well maintained,and very clean and tidy,it was a real treat to choose from the large selection of ice lollies etc,oh to turn back the clock,yum, yum.
ReplyDeleteKnew Bert and his wife Shirley very well they have 3 kids also
DeleteEH remember them, they worked well the gither,chuffed when they married,really loved each other and had twa kids.
DeleteYeah I knew Albert and his first wife and kids very well knew Albert from fintry... MC
Deletegrew up in kirkton,across the road fae the copper beech,everything seems to be demolished.wild times and great days.like yo hear from anyone who knows me.
ReplyDeletecheery,
kev logie
what was the churchies name in balgowan square
ReplyDeleteAlan perrie here hi it was always called the churchie
DeleteUsed to play in there every Day always was the Churchie to me
DeleteWHA REMEMBERS KEVIN LOGIE FAE KIRKTON COMMUNITY CENTRE?DEAD FUNNY GUY,RIGHT GOOD-LOOKING AND A BIT OF A CRAZY DUDE.I ONLY WENT TO THE YOUTH CLUB TO SEE HIM!!
ReplyDeleteEh stayed right in front of the shops in balmuir road the good old days Michael and Arthur had the shops n the wulck man twa bob a bag eh
ReplyDeletehi,i used to hang around with,tanya Arlene ,dec addese,and paul,philip Wilcox,dianne,god loads to remember hated getting older.how many nights did we sit at doc stewards door,
ReplyDeletesean and ecky winter jacko aswell
DeleteJimmy walsh hear e wiz born in 52 balgowan ave been on the avenue a me life m now in 76 balgowan ave wont to liv for a me life luv it ♡♥
ReplyDeleteNO REMEMBER LIVING ON HELMSDALE AVENUE,
DeleteMy name is Alan perrie and I lived on balgowan ave number 57 hunz will always be here say hi to Danny Pettigrew
DeleteC the wallpaper, Coo haed
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone remember martin & isobel hutchison from gilburn road in the late 60's/ early 70's
ReplyDeletethe mansion where abody used to go aswell been demolished now tho or swings over the burnie
ReplyDeleteAnyone know karen or billy craig children of william and ann
ReplyDeleteCan anyone remember the Gordons who lived in Haldane Tce? Parent John and Alice both deceased, daughters Olive,Joan and Ann. Olives married name was Carswell.
ReplyDeleteMy name is sharon steer i grew up in kirkton in the 70s and 80s i remember the hunz the duncans the nicholsons the coulhouns and the mochonnachies ..i remember bon fires in the auld churchie ..cozmo and his breakdancing on old bits of lino lol ...sitting on the bus all night and paying one fare .think it was the number 36 not sure ...my friends where the gilgun family ..john gagin john harvey linda boyde caroline doyle paul chrighton and many more ...i had the best childhood in kirkton ..not the same now when i go back
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteyea can take the boy out of Kirkton but yea cannae take Kirkton out off the boy
A KIRKTON BOY in West Africa.
Be Lucky
Gosh I found this picture and cant believe just how much has changed. Wish it could have all stayed the same. Brings a tear to the eye
ReplyDeleteSame here pal Alan perrie fae balgowan ave ☘️
ReplyDeleteAre you the same Allan perrie that dated Arlene Duffy back in the 70s ?
Delete