It doesn't look particularly wintery, but these photos were taken on 19th December 1963.
The square is located between Aboyne Avenue running along the top, and Huntly Road at the bottom.
We just called this place Craigie Shops rather than Huntly Square, this being my neck of the woods back then, and when schoolboy age went there almost every day as they were also on our school route.
Amongst the shops were - Jack Chalmers, butcher - Moore, grocer - Primo, chip shop - Black, baker - Steele, household goods - Stan Gordon, newsagent - Wallace's, baker - Gowans, draper, some of which show up on the pictures above. Needless to say, during the course of time, some shops disappeared and new ones opened, so later there was a Tudor Crisps warehouse - V.G. Store - Farmfoods shop - Dempsey's, hairdresser - a Police Station - Nan's, chip shop - Church of Nazarene, and no doubt a few others that have slipped past my memory.
It wasn't just a place we shopped, we also hung out there and turned it into a play area - football, hide & seek, pitchie, the usual kind of stuff. We also indulged in a game called "Follow The Leader" which was almost like a pre-cursor to present day Parkour. A snake of us would line up and we'd all have to copy the exact movements of the leader in front. Wherever the leader went or whatever they did, everyone else behind had to do the same, so there was a lot of running around, jumping over objects, balancing on structure, that kind of stuff - a bit daring at times, well for primary age kids!
Oh yeah, and it was also a great place to go stot your Superball..!!
Click on images to enlarge if you want to nose around.
Photos by DC Thomson.
Don't forget the good old gobstopper machine outside Stans too!
ReplyDeletewe used to hang about he shops now and again. im sure one of my friends, gail? stayed in the flats on the corner of the square on the top floor. i remember being at a party there and got absolutely legless, lots of good memories
ReplyDeleteMy memories are of the Linlathen shops at the bottom of Pitkerro Drive near the Dichty Bridge.
ReplyDeleteWest Riding wallpaper shop, Wullie Donachie's VG franchise later taken over by Mr Jaffray alias Jeff the Grocer, Pat Donaldson's General Store, Baldy Eck's Newsagent and Marino's Chip Shop.
Great days at the shops we amipals.
ReplyDeleteMe in mi brother Alan started the roller skating doon the ramp past Primos an inti the square. I met meh wife there when we wir baith 6 yrs old in 1961 when their wisnae any shops and Stan Gordon hid a widden hut on the corner o' Keith Place and opposite was Alma's hut shop. Name cars, What a great wee place.