There were no shortage of volunteers for this particular fund raising escapade for Rag Week 1977 - The Pram Pub Crawl!A total of 19 teams took part in the event that year.
The "baby" in the pram had to drink a pint in each of 9 designated pubs in town, while the 3 money collecting "pram pushers" were only allowed half a pint per pub. Well we couldn't have their drink driving endanger the public!
I only have one of the lassies names in the picture - Frances Webster - 2nd left, pushing pram. Anybody recognise the others?
Cue Reeves & Mortimer - "You can't give a baby booze!!"
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ReplyDeleteI may be wrong but furthest right looks like Betty Patterson, nee Costello, who was married to Ross Patterson, who was President of the Institute of Technology (Bell Street Tech) Students' Association in 1977. Her Dad was Bob Costello, well known Downfield based builder.
Years later, she was a Dundee Councillor, under the name Betty Ward. She now works for Sidlaw Executive Coaches and is a member of the board of NHS Tayside.
Of course, if it isn't Betty, the aforementioned bio is redundant!
8=)
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ReplyDeleteI feel it's appropriate to paste here input I posted in -
http://retrodundee.blogspot.com/2009/02/bowling-alley-marketgait.html
just over a year ago:-
For the annual students' charity parade in 1977, Pete and I offered the use of PA equipment for the Bell Street float (Bell Street always had one float in the parade of around 30.)
It was decided that the theme of the float would be the TV programme "Happy Days". I recorded, repeatedly, the theme from "Happy Days" on both sides of a cassette so the song would continually play as the parade moved through the town. The back of the lorry was kitted out as the cafe from the series, complete with pinball machine from the BA.
The usual procedure at the end of the parade was for the floats to go down to the Coup to dump the constructions and stuff off the back. Pete was in the lorry's cab - I was working that day but joined them as they went up Seagate and along High Street.
On their way back from the Coup to the Dundee Uni Union for the after-parade party, as the lorry turned from Riverside drive into Magdalen Yard Road, the pins holding up the side of the lorry gave way and everybody sitting on it fell onto the road, followed by the pin table.
One student, Alison Jeffries, was killed and at least two others had serious injuries that kept them in crutches and bandages for months.
This incident resulted in the cessation of the annual students' charity parade until just recently. What annoys me is that neither on the 25th nor 30th anniversaries of the incident, nor when they started the charities parades again, was the tragedy publicly remembered by either Abertay or Dundee Uni, nor their respective Students' Associations. Like it never happened.
I remember the accident clearly as I was in Barnett's garage close by when it happened.There was much confusion at the time.
DeleteThat is a very sad story. Firstly that it happened and secondly that there was no commemorative event.
DeleteSurprised to see myself (Frances Webster) on Retro Dundee from 33 years ago. I can confirm Betty Patterson is the girl on the right of the picture and the baby is Helen Gillan. Can't remember the name of the girl on the left. We were all at Dundee College day release classes.
ReplyDeleteHi Brian,
ReplyDeleteI was on the float that tragic day: Alison died, Wendy suffered serious spinal fractures, Duncan Sutherland's leg was almost severed at the ankle.
Duncan MacKinnon and myself got off with relatively light injuries.
I will like to add this to the history.
Kind regards to all,
John Proctor.