BRIDGE DAY - ANGUS HOTEL - 1966

Here's a couple of photos from completely different vantage points, but both captured at around the same time.
The Royal entourage were in town for the opening of the Tay Road Bridge in August 1966 and stopped off at the Angus Hotel, inevitably drawing a large inquisitive crowd.
Although the photographer in the crowd was suffering from a touch of camera shake, you can see the 3 cars are in the same position as the image above it.
Quite a coincidence that these are the only photos I have of this moment, and the two of them appear to have been taken almost simultaneously!
In addition, I have film footage of the moment the Queen Mother departs the Angus Hotel and gets into a waiting car.
The "doorway crowd" footage is very wobbly, but you can make out what's happening.

ANGUS HOTEL - THE END

POTS ARE FORMED FROM CLAY,

BUT THE EMPTY SPACE WITHIN IT

IS THE ESSENCE OF THE POT.

WALLS WITH WINDOWS AND DOORS

FORM THE HOUSE,

BUT THE EMPTY SPACE WITHIN IT

IS THE ESSENCE OF THE HOME.

Words by Lao Tse

Photo by Neil Menzies

ANGUS HOTEL INTERIOR - #3

The top picture is the Dining Room.

The bottom picture the Ballroom.

That serving dish is made to look very large in the top shot!

And that grand piano is made to look very small in the bottom shot!

My wining & dining back then was normally something a little less ostentatious.

One night in the early 80's, steamboats as usual, I nipped into the Chinese Takeaway in the Nethergate, after a really good night up at the University for the Bow Wow Wow gig. Tucking into my meal on the way back to my flat, I was passing the Angus Hotel entrance area when this mini bus rolled up outside. Who should who step out it but the band. I spotted the singer, Anabella, straight away, a wee honey she was, looking great with her new mohican hairstyle. As she crossed my path, instead of being all star-struck letting her know I had just seen her perform, thought the gig was wonderful and all that, I shoved my chicken & chips under her nose and said "D'ye want a chip?". "No thanks mate" she replied in her Cockney accent, as she toddled off into the hotel.

And that was it!

She certainly didn't want to "Go Wild In My Chinky" that night!!

Photos by the Scotsman

ANGUS HOTEL INTERIOR - #2

The top picture is the Coffee Lounge, where I bet many business deals have been discussed.

The lower picture is the Cocktail Lounge, where I bet many businessmen have been pissed!

The hotel, of course, wasn't just for the pleasure of out-of-towners, we locals had a bit of fun in there too. I've been to quite a few gigs at the Angus, as well as an occasional private function.

Disco action too, catering for varying tastes, with the likes of The Neoteric Disco, Mike Short's Disco, and even the Cranked Up Disco has rattled the Angus Balcony Bar!

Bottom pic by the Scotsman

ANGUS HOTEL INTERIOR - #1

I have some pictures from inside the Angus Hotel I'm gonna put up over the next couple of days, but before I plough on, just another reminder of how the hotel looked on the outside back in the 60's (as shown in the top image) where everything is all neat & tidy and shiny & new.

So to get the ball rolling with the black & white picture, here's the main stairway with a piece of artwork by local artist, Ian Eadie, who you may recall also did the Overgate mural.

The piece in the picture is called "Night and Day"...(the artwork, not the female!)

B & W photo by the Scotsman.

AD FROM THE 80'S - LE PAPILLON

The last in the sequence of ads from the 80's is this one dated 1981 for Le Papillon Restaurant in the Angus Hotel.
It says you can sit and listen to soft piano music while enjoying the intimate surroundings. On Saturday evenings you can really let your hair down and dance along to their resident trio!
Perhaps they should have called the place Le Papillon (butterfly) for day time, and in the evenings, Le Papillon de nuit (moth)..!!

ANGUS HOTEL ENTERTAINMENT

Top is a 1966 advert with a nice illustration of the Angus Hotel.
Along with its location, the ad emphasises their Banqueting Suite, which caters for 500 people.
The other item is for a different kind of entertainment at the Angus, and is dated December 1981.
Local DJ, Tony Cochrane, organised an alldayer which was spread over 3 halls in the Angus.
One for SOUL music, one for Funk and the other, FUTURIST.
Click items to enlarge.

ANGUS HOTEL #3 - 1980's

On the Angus Hotel reception desk they used to have a visitors book for guests to sign and an additional separate book for celebs autographs.

Being Dundee's top hotel for 3 decades meant that it did contain quite a few famous names. In there were the likes of Maggie Thatcher, David Bowie, the Queen, Peter Ustinov, Rod Stewart and so on, page after page.

In March 1985, The Associates booked in for the night when they were in town for a gig at Fat Sams.

A while afterwards, I managed to get the page from the celeb book the band had signed that night.

I also attended the gig too and I'm gonna give that a mention on Retro Dundee next. Stay tuned..!!

Incidentally, on the other side of the page was the signature of songstress, Susan Maughan. She had a couple of hit records back in the 60's (remember 'Bobby's Girl'), and she was performing at the Whitehall Theatre in April that year.

ANGUS HOTEL #2 - 1970'S

This photo of the Angus Hotel zone was taken in 1973.
The road layout reminds you it was in a perfect spot to catch travellers from all points on the compass.
There were a couple of small business premises to the left of the main entrance canopies. Grampian TV was next door. Next to them was a jewellers, office supplier and a car rental. Later, one of those premises was occupied by 2nd-hand record shop, Groucho's.
The 2 businesses across the road in the same Nethergate building next to the roundabout were, J.D Brown Photography Studio (the window with the net curtains) and next to it is the Bangladesh Restaurant, where David Bowie & Co once bought meals to bring back to the Angus Hotel after their gig in '73.

ANGUS HOTEL #1 - 1960'S

Built in the early 60's, The Angus Hotel, on the corner of Marketgait and Nethergate (now Debenhams), was Dundee's top city hotel for around 3 decades. It was THE place for visitors to stop off at, whether they be royalty, politicians, rock stars or celebs. It wasn't only for out-of-towners though, locals used it too, for functions, weddings and so on. It even hosted gigs occasionally. I remember going to a few jazz concerts there in the late 70's - early 80's.

The building was part of the overall Overgate Centre design, and adjoining the hotel on the Nethergate side were 2 pubs, The Glamis and The Nethergate Bar. Then around the back of the hotel was the Overgate shopping area.

The short piece of footage below, from the mid 60's, gives a better view of it's position and layout, showing the front of the Angus and the shops at the rear.

 

Photo by the Scotsman.Tints by GG.

THE OLD OVERGATE CAR PARK

I've put quite a few items up about the old Overgate shops, so now it's time to have a little look around the car park.
The above photo give's you a good reminder of the layout.
Below, however, is a great piece of film from the mid 60's that actually takes you there. No need for any further descriptions as you will see it for yourself. So fasten your seat belt and enjoy the wee hurl.