AND A BIG SHOUT OUT TO...

I was originally planning on doing Retro Dundee for around 2 years, that being how long I thought I would be able to post items regularly based on the amount of material I had in my collection, however, because of all the items I had sent to me, I managed to keep going for another year and a half!

So to all the people who chipped in with their stuff - a big THANKS - great to know that lots of you kept all those old rarities tucked away after all that time.

Here is a list of those who helped contribute to Retro Dundee...and in no particular order...

MIKE FRASER - EDDIE G - CRAIG METHVEN (R.I.P) - THE SCOTSMAN - YVONNE J - STUART BETTY - NEALE ELDER - DREW RAMSAY - JOHN GURVAN - FRANK BOYLE - JIM GRIEVE - BRIDIE - MAC CARNEGIE - JOCK FERGUSON - NICHOLL RUSSELL STUDIOS - MIKE KANE - STEPHEN SMALL - GARY ROBERTSON - CAMERA KEN - BOB McGOULDRICK - ANDY GURVAN - DC THOMSON - GERRY MITCHELL - THE BEAR - ALI STRACHAN - RONNIE CHALMERS - THE ATTIC ARCHIVE - YVONNE McKINNEY - BRIAN WILSON - DEREK THOMSON - JOHN LUNAN (R.I.P) - JOE OGILVIE - PETER ROSS - EWEN ALLARDYCE - MARK MECHAN - KEVIN L GUTHRIE - AL McKEWAN - GORDON COBBAN (R.I.P) - GILLIAN JORDAN - DAVE McDONALD - JIM AIR - MIKE GALLACHER - SCOTT McKINLAY - GRAHAM GURVAN - GORDON WALKER - LLOYD SMITH - JIM WILKIE - LYKEN - LORRAINE WILSON - COLIN RAMSEY - WILLIE FORREST - LAURA WALKER - GORDON BAND - BILLY GRAHAM - ANGUS RAE - CAROLYN LOTHIAN - ECKY COCHRANE - DAVID ROBERTSON - MOIRA BIRD - LUDA ALBIT - DONNY COUTTS - VIKING STUDIOS (R.I.P) - MARK RITCHIE - BRIAN HUTTON - NEIL MENZIES - PETER ASHWORTH - JIM FARRELL - MARTIN KIELTY - ALLAN BROWN - RICHARD ROONEY - GEORGE DUNCAN - DEK McHUGH - DAVID PENTLAND - RICHARD C. - KENNY MACKINNON - ALAN WESTON - DEREK HIGH - MARTIN DUDLEY - ANGUS CARNEGIE - GRAEME WHITE - GEORGE ARTHUR RONEY - BRIAN PERRIE - GRAHAM KENNEDY - DOUG B - MOIRA BERNARD - NEIL HOWIE - ALISTAIR LITTLEJOHN

MOOVING ON DOWN TO THE COWGATE

If you backtrack to 24th October 2011 when I posted 3 pictures from around the Cowgate, you'll be able to see many of the buildings that were in these settings in 1970, just before demolition commenced.

The top photo here, taken in the early/mid 70's after demolition, has the area around King Street visible and as you can see, it was turned into a temporary car park before the new construction started.

The picture taken in the Cowgate, if you compare to the October set, you will notice that a huge chunk of the original buildings have disappeared from this location too, and again, a part of it turned into a makeshift car park - you can just make out Wishart Arch poking through in the distance. This image above was captured in September 1984.

Top photo from Gordon C.

Bottom photo by Neale Elder.

VICTORIA ROAD BACKIES - 1970

A couple of interesting photos showing the back of the buildings along Victoria Road.

You may recall a similar view of this section of the Vicky I posted back in November 2010, but the difference is, on last years, the buildings were all empty - on these 2 photos here however, there is evidence that they are still being lived in.

The pictures were probably taken around 1970ish, so they didn't have that much longer to go before the arrival of the bulldozers.

The top photo shows the segment where it joins onto Idvies Street.

The image below it is further down a wee bit going towards Wellgate, with the tell tale sign of life - the washin' hingin' oot!

Not quite sure what the small building in the foreground beside the lampie is mind you, because I don't know what address it would come under. If it's in Charles Street then the only place that crops up in my 1970 directory on that side of the street is D. Todd, a coal dealer. Could be - could no be - hopefully maybe one of you will be able to nail that one.

Photos from Gordon C.

IT'S THE JIF LEMON TREE!

Well Peter Ustinov may have written a play called "Halfway Up A Tree", but halfway up this tree was a strange fruit that I mentioned on Retro back in April - plastic Jif lemons!
We weren't hallucinating after all - here is the evidence from 1974.
Photo by DC Thomson.

PETER USTINOV IN THE NETHERGATE

Here's a fine shot of Peter Ustinov having a wee chuckle to himself in the Nethergate.
The 2 shops in the background are the Civil Service Stores and Patterson's shoe shop.
Peter Ustinov was rector at University of Dundee from 1968 to 1974, the era the photograph was taken.
It's quite an amusing image because Peter was really world famous at the time, what with his numerous film awards, his plays, books, his witty one-man shows etc etc etc - a gigantic list of achievements and a colossal all-round entertainer - and here he is in the city centre with a bench all to himself, none of the locals aware of his presence!
Photo by DC Thomson.

SHIRLEY BASSEY'S DUNDEE DATA



"A magnificent audience. A magnificent hall & magnificent acoustics.

My first time here. I hope it will not be the last"

This is what Shirley Bassey wrote in the Caird Hall visitors book on 19th May 1972.

Then on the next page we have...

"Here I am again as promised" - yes Shirley returned the following year and signed the book once more on 20th November 1973.

Shirley Bassey also has a creative connection with Dundee, when back in the 80's, Associates singer, Billy MacKenzie composed a song for her.

The recording was called "The Rhythm Divine".

This was a classy slow moody groove with a polished production and was made in Switzerland by Yello.

DUNDEE SAVINGS BANK - PART 2

Just along the road a wee bit from their previous location, this branch of the Dundee Savings Bank in Arbroath Road was photographed in May 1976 - the month it opened for biz.

The building was brand new and purpose built at the time - this spot being where Johnston's Stores was situated in earlier years.

Sometime around the early 80's the "Dundee Savings Bank" wording was ditched and it became a fully fledged TSB.

Photo by DC Thomson.

DUNDEE SAVINGS BANK - PART 1

2 items from the mid 70's featuring the Dundee Savings Bank.
Top one is an ad dated 1974.
In '74 the DSB had loads of banks spread around Dundee as well as plenty further afield.
One of the local branches was this one above in Arbroath Road at Craigiebank shops.
This image was captured in May 1976 when the bank shut its doors to move into new premises just a few steps away, with this corner location turning into a bookies.
In 1975, Dundee Savings Bank merged with other banks dotted around Scotland and formed the Trustee Savings Bank. The 2 existed in tandem for a while, as you can see by the TSB sign present, top-right of the entrance area.
Click onto the picture for a closer look.

Photo by DC Thomson.

ADAMSON'S - ARBROATH ROAD - 1972

Adamson & Son had this workshop/factory at 140 Arbroath Road.

It was a place I'd pass regularly as a schoolboy, but didn't have a clue what went on inside!

Well after recently finding an advert for them dating from 1970, I can now let it be known that in this Wire & Metal Workers building they called Riverview Works, they made a wide variety of items.

Their wire based products included - guards for windows, fires, fans and similar stuff - then there was fence enclosures for sports grounds, animal pens, works security etc and they also made more general items like baskets, sieves, trays and so on.

Their sheet-metal products included - lockers, bins, pipes, signs, storage tanks, things like that.

This picture of the premises was taken in March 1972 - but not long after, they had moved biz to Clepington Road and by around 1973/74 this building was demolished.

Photo by DC Thomson.

JACK GOW AD / BIKE AD - 1970'S

Here's an ad for Jack Gow's shop in Glenagnes Road dated 1979.

Jack was not only a dealer in bikes - he was a racer too, and in fact, it was a crash during a practice session for the Manx Grand Prix in 1996 that ended his life.

On a similar subject, below is a Public Information film that was also on the go in the 70's instructing motorists to pay more attention to bikers at junctions.

Remember - HINK BIKE!!





GROSSETT'S OPENING DAY - 1978

2 days ago I put up film footage showing Grossett's (next door to The Hap) being demolished in the mid 70's, well here is their other shop further along Arbroath Road at Craigiebank shops, preparing for their grand opening on 15th May 1978.
The shop is still going strong, although it has since had a bit of a facelift.
Photo by DC Thomson.

HILLTOWN DETAIL - 1970'S

A couple of snapshots showing a section of the Hilltown taken around the mid/late 70's.

On the top photo, the photographer was standing in Stirling Street looking over at a few shops near the corner of North George Street.
The dark terracotta coloured premises on the left is The Auld Dundee Pie Shop owned by David Wallace. Next door is G.Page, shoe repairs. The small stone building with the large chimney stacks is Robert Gibb who was a joiner/DIY supplies shop, and the store catching the sunlight on the corner is the Co-Op.
This small group of buildings is still there today, although the shops are now different.
On the other photograph, however, the buildings further up past the Auld Dundee Pie Shop, have all been demolished.
Photos from Gordon C.

MENZIESHILL WRESTLING AD - 1972

If karate wasn't your thing, then you could always give wrestling a go.

Not sure who would have been involved at this event up at Menzieshill Community Centre - seems an odd place to have an "all-star" billing especially when the Caird Hall presented wresting quite regularly.

Anyway, not just all-star but all ticket for this do in '72.

DEMPSEY'S KARATE AD - 1972

One way you could get in shape to fend off bullies was to join a karate club.

This ad for Dempsey's Karate School is from 1972 and gives the lowdown on various aspects about the team and the club facilities.

My mate used to go to Dempsey's around 1969/70 and I remember going along with him one Saturday morning to watch a training session.

Afterwards, I got to muck about with some of the gear they had and this was the first time I had ever encountered a medicine ball. Blimey, I could hardly lift the thing off the ground, never mind throw it and catch it!

POSTERN GATE AD & PHOTO

The Postern Gate was a pleasant wee arty gift shop in the Nethergate in the 70's & 80's, run by Edith Cunningham.
It had all sorts of craft styled goodies as you can tell from the advert.
I used to pop in quite regularly to top-up my art postcard collection!
The ad is dated 1977 and the photo was taken in 1985.
They changed the intrusive traffic light into a quaint lamppost for the illustration too!

CRAFT CENTRE ADS - 70's

Here's a couple of ads from the 70's for The Craft Centre in the Nethergate.
They specialised in arty gifts made from a variety of materials.
The basic top ad with just the shop name on it is from 1978.
The one underneath with the Beatrix Potter style mouse, is dated 1977.

THE PDP-10 AT DUNDEE UNIVERSITY - 1976

This monster machine is the mighty PDP-10 DEC computer being installed at Dundee University in 1976, replacing their previous one, the Elliot (ICL) 4130.
The PDP-10 was not only able to cope with the demands of all the university departments, it was also part of a larger network connected to other Scottish universities.
Impressive for its time, but not as impressive as Batman's computer in the Batcave. That was able to digest clues then let Batman know which shop The Penguin was about to raid!

3 COWGATE VIEWS - 1970

3 views of the Cowgate area captured before all the demolition began - so 1970ish.

Top one is from near St Andrew's Street junction looking over towards the Wellgate side, with Walsall Conduits sign on show.

Middle image is a familiar view of the Cowgate featuring Wishart Arch.

The wooden business sign top-left of the photo is for Holland House Electrical Co, and the white building next door to it is Mitchell Car Hire.

The bottom picture would have been snapped outside Millett's probably, that's the Gaumont canopy to the right of the image, with the continuation of the Cowgate beyond and King Street curving off next to it.

The Wellgate side of the Cowgate has the Dundee Savings Bank on the corner, and you can just catch a glimpse of the Cowgate Carpets shop sign beside it.

No hint of any boarding going up yet, all premises seem intact and still doing biz!

Click on pictures to enlarge.

Photos from Gordon C.

HUGH FARQUHAR AD - 1978

I forgot Hugh Farquhar also had a place in Crichton Street - although they themselves seem to have forgotten to put Street in the ad!

I automatically think of the High Street salon anytime Farquhars name crops up.

Anyway, this one is from 1978.

PARR AD - 1974

This ad for Parr in the Ferry is dated 1974.

Sorry about the hair dye drips!