Beh goad, this is a pretty bleak image of Mid Craigie's Kingennie Terrace... and it's just how I remember it!
In the 70's, I used to visit friends who lived in Blacklock Crescent in Linlathen, which meant having to pass this part of Mid Craigie on my way up and down Pitkerro Road.
Words like grim, desolate, stark, scary, would spring to mind and I never really felt safe until I reached back onto the Kingsway, where I'd let out a big sigh of relief knowing that I made it without getting jumped by the Mid!!
This picture was taken on 30th November 1985.
None of the buildings in shot exist anymore, all gone, even the street name has changed to Kingennie Court, which now has individual houses with bonnie gardens.
Photo by Neale Elder
That was indeed grim. I lived in Douglas, but delivered letters in that 'walk' as a casual postie when I was a student a couple of years after the photo. Accosted many times by guys wanting their giros early so they could head off to work! Lots if dog 5h1t too and the tenements could do with a clean! Blacklock Crescent brings back memories too as my Auntie lived there for many years. Remember all the old wooden houses!
ReplyDeletei lived opposite that red car in the photo,bailed oot "77" my mother lived on there until around about "84".What a bra place to live,not to forget the nice pub up the road the cutty ;-)
ReplyDeleteMy Granny and grandad lived in Kengennie Terrace and I grew up in and oot it's closeys. Most were still kept clean but number 13 smelled really badly of pish.
ReplyDeleteEvery closey had a solid marble stone step and there was and air raid shelter in the backies, under the slope.
Bins were in a cupboard type place in the wall in the back green.
Granny lived on the bottom and there were stairs down into a cellar from a cupboard in the kitchen.
borzoni chipper was great and so was eating the chips whilst watching the wrestling on a saturday night tv.
There was a strange but really good playpark behind the houses on the up side of the road.
There also used to be railings.
As one who was born in Westhall Place, round the corner from where this pic was taken I have to defend Mid. Not at all as some have pictured it on here. OK, the new modern houses now there might be less bleak to look at but no way will there be the friendly neighbourhood this area once was. As a resident there for well over 20 years I never saw these mythical gangs that supposedly walked the streets. Our door was never locked, always on the latch for neighbours to pop in.
ReplyDeleteBest place I ever lived in.
12/131955-64
ReplyDeleteI lived in 38 at the end next to Pitkerro Road. Ours was a "good" close.
My best pal and best man lived at number 3. We were "Morgan bums" - low life tended to drag down any idea of someone being better than themselves. One of the worst traits of our fellow Dundonianns for generations. No wonder, the city and its people still have a bad name - which I hate, as I am proud of my roots and my ancestors, and the great things about Dundee.
My pal became principle teacher of physics at the Grove and I became a MOD scientist, so, these places dont always grind you down, especially if your parents guide you well - as did ours. Parental responsibility is shirked too much today - hence the low standards becoming lower every generation.
I hate meeting people who say they do not like Dundee, but I know of the scumbags who let us down - I grew up with them.
Ah.. Mid! Drumlanrig Dr..then Midmill Rd.. Left in 85 & ended up in Menzieshill!! (night & day) you were doomed brought up in that place.? Wrong! Now I'm an IT guru in Aberdeen.
ReplyDeleteI lived in No11 Kingennie, from 1947 to 1954. In this street you could get home maid Lemonade, have your shoes mended, get a Haircut and by Fag's from the Hearts who had a Machine in there house.
ReplyDeleteWe would play in the Squaters and Air raid Shelters on the Kingsway, happy days.
I was born here and all my family lived from top to bottom the Perkins and the Skellys. My grandfather Frankie Skelky used to shout at passers by out the Window xx
ReplyDeleteI remember Frank Skelly, he was downstairs from us.
DeleteMy gran and grandad Bob and Isa Ramsay lived at no 5 and then later no 26.They knew the Skellys.Happy memories of there.
ReplyDelete