The Stannergate (bottom left area) was a place we'd occasionally hang out and muck about. This was in the early 70's aged 12-15.
You got a good game of Skiffies there. Throwing flat pebbles across the top of the water and counting the bounces!
It was also a place we went fishing.
When it was high tide however, you couldn't get down onto the shore, so we would move further along to the docks area to fish off the pier. To get there, we had to shuffle precariously along the top of a sea barrier wall which was also fenced off, leaving only about a 2 inch ridge to balance on. The wall was around 12 feet up and we named it "The Wall Of Death". If you lost your grip on the wire fence while tip-toeing along, you'd drop into the Tay. Although it was dangerous, you didn't dare wimp out of it, and I'm pleased to report, we all survived to tell the tale! One of us made up a story that if you fell and drowned, your body would be washed ashore, covered in whelks, with your eyes pecked out by gulls!! That was good enough incentive to tread carefully!!
The green patch at the bottom right corner of the picture, we called Craigie Home farm (not sure if that was it's real name), which was just a grassy wasteland kind of zone where we also messed about. It now has houses.
To help get your bearings, the roundabout above it is the Greendykes Road / Craigie Avenue circle.
We moved into the houses that were built on the area where the farm was in 1978. We lived in Scotston Gdns but Brington Place was still being built. My Dad worked for the company that built them, I think it was Grays. He would know the name of the farm the houses were built on as he grew up on Craigie Drive. If I am speaking to him at the weekend I will ask him the name.
ReplyDeleteI lived in Carolina House from 1967 to 1973.It is in the middle right of the picture.It overlooked the two power stations and the Robb Caledon shipyard.
ReplyDeleteWe used to walk along the stannergate on our way to grassy beach.I also remember the park on Greendykes rd.It used to have a totem pole in it.
GG, did you go to school with any of the Carolina House boys or girls ?
ReplyDeleteThey would have gone to Cragie High .I was due to start there in 73, but I went to live back in Perth.
I have certainly knocked about with a couple of Carolina House kids, that would be around 1971/72 when aged 13/14. I have absolutely no memory of their names though. I remember a girl who was quite big for her age, who always seemed to be on the hunt for a bloke!! We called her "The Man Eater" - all in fun mind you. Her being the biggest in the gang was a bit intimidating for us wee boys!
ReplyDeleteI also recall she and a couple of others, tried to get us a sneaky-in to Carolina House one day, but we didn't get passed the door! GG
I had several of my mates from the Gleebie visit the place,but we had trouble getting out, as we were confined to the grounds unless we had somewhere specific to go, like the baths or the pictures.
ReplyDeleteI cannot think of the girl you remember, although I was there at the time.I left just as I was getting interested in girls,which is a shame because my elder brother says he got off with several.
I think the sneaky-in attempt might have been an "after hours" situation or possibly for a party, anyway, it wasn't a success and the times we went there seemed to be limited to having conversations from us up at the wall and the Carolina kids down below! GG
ReplyDeleteA fascinating view of the area where I lived 1968-1977. You're right about Craigie Home Farm. The area at the bottom of the picture was originally part of Craigie Estate. Craigie House became a nursing home between the wars, then after 1945 much of the ground was taken over for prefabs. The farm itself, I think, remained until the ground was redeveloped for Craigie High, Craigiebarns Primary and the College of Education. The prefabs were progressively replaced by new corporation housing, except for those on Brington Place, which was left as waste land until the private bungalows were built in 1979-80. In summer, this waste land became like a country meadow, and was criss-crossed by rough footpaths used by the Craigie High kids who made their way up from Craigie Drive and Strathern Road.
ReplyDeletei lived in the houses at the bottom of brington place next to the old folks home, we used to play on the waste ground which was the top half of brington place and scotstoun gardens. i remember we were playing in scotstoun gardens and i nearly took someones eye out with a stone and he ended up in hospital, we also had a jump there were played on all the time with our bikes. we also used to play in the houses on brington place while they were being built and a friend broke her leg in the bottom house because we were trying to get away from the watchie.
ReplyDeletei remember a couple of folk from carolina house, john watt? and there was another boy who i think was younger than him but cant remember anyone else - basher? i think he might have got called? there was another guy i remember, always had a duffle coat on but no idea of his name now, too long ago.