BOB MACKAY'S - WESTPORT - 1960'S

Officially, this pub was called The Great Northern Bar, but the locals who drank there just referred to it as Bob MacKay's.

The photo was taken in the 60's at a location that no longer exists - the corner of Westport & North Tay Street.

For those of us (like me) who didn't socialise until a little later in the 70's, this spot here was the big car park space beside the Barracuda.

At the time of the photo however, it was the JM Ballroom that was just a few doors up from it, so needless to say, despite it being considered a bit of an old mans pub, the young set would often pop in for a couple of pints before nipping along to the JM.

The pub, along with the rest of corner area, was demolished in 1968.

Photo from Gordon C.

ROCKPILE RECORDS - 1980'S

3 adverts for Rockpile Records published in local fanzines in 1982.

A neat wee shop, selling a mixture of new and second-hand records.

Very aromatic too I remember!

I never actually bought any records from there mind you, my visits were only when I was off-loading parts of my collection from time to time.

And, it was also the only shop in town who dared to sell bootlegs!

HAWKHILL BREWERS - MID 80'S

Hawkhill Brewers in Mid Wynd was a very short-lived business that started up in 1983 by Bob Welch and partners.
Bob was a home-brew enthusiast who used to make Buddon Ale in his garage. So the next step was to get himself proper brewing premises and start filling barrels with his own recipe's.
Hawkhill Brewers main ale was Old Bally (you may recall The Scout changed it's name to Bally's in 1983). They also produced 2 others, a beer called Witch's Brew and another alcoholic treat called Rocket Ale, a drink that was aptly named, because it was so strong it sent you into orbit!
Unfortunately, Hawkhill Brewers couldn't compete with the big dominant companies, and the place closed down just after 2 years in biz, in 1985.
Photo by John Alexander.

ABOUT THE SCOUT

There are 2 images of The Scout up on Retro already, but this one here is my favourite.
Taken in 1980, it shows what a weather beaten, run down, lived in, messed up gem of a drinking den it was.
Lifestyle designers would have charged a fortune in the 1990's to fake a distressed look as good as this!
The Scout was the real thing though, and delighted to say it was just as naturally shabby on the inside.
Hard to believe young boozers would queue up at weekends to get into a place that looked like this, but they did, with the queue often going around the corner into the Hackie. There they would be, waiting for a couple of people to leave the joint so's another couple could squeeze inside.
It was a pub where you could comfortably let yourself go, act daft, muck about, and nobody would give a hoot. In fact, the bar staff clearly encouraged craziness, and not only would they join in, they'd often be the ones to spark the madness off.
In the height of summer they'd keep the door wide open to try get some ventilation in the place but it never worked and everybody would be dripping in sweat!
George Thorogood would be blasting full volume out the PA, and they had their well known cartoon "Happiness is a life debauched" on the wall beside the bog!
Always a great laugh to be had there - you just had to keep going back for more!
You couldn't fake it..!!
Photo by DC Thomson.

STAN URBAN AT SESSIONS - 1980'S

Dundonian, Stan Urban, is an old-school rock 'n' roller. He was hooked on the music at a young age - and I mean young - playing in a local band called The Mystery Men when he was only 13 back in the 50's, when rock 'n' roll was as fresh as he was. By the early 60's he had progressed to providing piano backing for Gene Vincent & Chuck Berry and was also part of the bustling Hamburg scene at the time. In the 70's, when he had a residency in Ibiza, he even found himself jamming with Jimmy Page & Robert Plant!

Since the 80's he has released many records as a solo artist - with one of the albums called "Dundee Jivin' "

Performing live is what he likes doing best though and the above picture is him playing a home gig at Sessions in 1989.

He lives in Denmark now and you can find out more about what he's up to from his own website here - http://www.stanurban.dk/ (remember and click the union jack if you don't understand Danish!).

And so as Stan brings the house down - it's time now for Retro to bring the curtain down on the present music theme and head off to pastures new...

Photo by The Bear.

ALAN PRICE GIG AT SESSIONS - 1989

Alan Price had a 2 night stint at Sessions in June 1989.

I can remember when Alan was a regular on the telly in the 60's when he was in The Animals, a band who had some serious chart-busting singles in the hit parade, as it was called back then.

Alan then departed The Animals in the mid 60's to pursue a solo career - he actually played a gig at the Palais (Top Ten Club) in 1966.

Around the early 70's, he kind of became a lightweight all-round entertainer appearing on naff variety shows.

I never saw or heard him again after that.

So obviously, as this picture shows, he went back to doing what he was doing in the mid 60's, playing the pub & club circuit again.

His 2 female backing singers appear to be sharing a joke behind his back rather than providing vocals!

Photo by The Bear.

LET'S DROP BY DA VINCI'S - 1980

This cosy little scene was taken in Da Vinci's in Westport around about 1980.
The babe in black is Audrey Lundie who was well known in town for her individual dress sense.
This look originated in London around 79/80 at places like The Blitz Club and Le Beat Route, the fashion becoming more popular as the 80's progressed.
The guy in shot is Iain Cairnie.
I think I see some tinsel in the background so I assume this night out was sometime during the festive season.
Thanks to Joe Ogilvie.

IN HAWKES AD - 1988

A 1988 advert for In Hawkes Hairdressing in Westport.
Not sure whether "Hawkes" is supposed to mean "Hawkhill" in a more upmarket slang way, or if it's someones surname, but anyway, I do like that haircut!

FREW'S - HAWKHILL - 1978

Here's an image I bet many of you have been longing to see - Frew's on the Hawkhill.
It's another of Neale Elder's photographs, this one though he took when he was only 14 years old, using his first camera, a good old Polaroid.
A few years later when he was doing his Higher Art at Craigie High School, he made a model of this very tenement scene!
I suppose the pub and the location has inspired a few folk like artists and musicians. I know Frew's gets a mention in a poem called "Step Row Nights" written by author/poet Scott Martin.
If you check out the comments on Retro about city pubs I posted on 12th January 2010, the Captain gives the lowdown on a few aspects of the pub as well as the variety of characters who frequented it - a diverse a range as it could possibly be in fact - from the "Carry On" team to Jocky Wilson!
Captains log...
And when Willie Frew wasn't in his pub at 157a Hawkhill, he'd be home at 22 Finavon Place.
Both rather humble abodes for someone who has achieved such legendary status in the history of Dundee pubs!

SOUTH TAY STREET - OCTOBER 1969

I was going to put this picture up sometime later but thought I'd post it now to tie in with yesterdays photo. South Tay Street running from Westport on the right to Nethergate on the left, with Marketgait circle bottom left.
Mac mentioned Tay Street Public School. Well you can see the gap of the school entrance/playground area near to the Westport junction, with the car park across the road from it. Yesterdays gable end shot is the building beside the playground on the right. Although the school building is in the photo, it had shut down when this photo was taken in 1969. The building to the left of the playground, in the 80's would have been the pub, Slickers, but in 1969 was a hairdresser call TC Machir.
I think you should be able to figure all that out without the need for arrows pointing to them.
You could also see Tay Square, before the Rep moved in.
Click the image to enlarge.

GABLE END ADVERT - WESTPORT

This photo is from around 1984ish when a lot of the Westport area was being pulled down. The ad was actually on the side of the former premises of Young's in South Tay Street, where the new buildings on the corner of Cross Lane now are. That means at the time I was taking the photo I would have been standing at the gap next to Slickers, looking over towards Marketgait.

John Young was still there in 1970 , and were present at this location for quite a few decades up to then. Looking at the phone number, I'd say the building ad is probably from around the 1930's period.

WESTPORT BAR - EAST HENDERSONS WYND

Moving down South in the mid 80's meant that I missed out on the Westport Bar when it opened a year or so after I departed, but was a regular visitor to it's previous hot spot format, Da Vinci's.

The photo here was taken in the late 80's, before it had it's large sign placed above the entrance, but you can still make out "Westport Bar" on the wrought iron gate.

I must say that I have heard and read nothing but good words about the Westie as a live music venue throughout the time span it was there, around 2 decades.

Just as with most of Dundee's decent music venues however, the last ones to perform there was that well known local act - THE BULLDOZERS.!!

BLACKNESS PUBLIC ART - 1982-85

Click onto the image to read about some of the works of art that were on display around Blackness, where they were located and who created them.

PUBLIC ART IN BLACKNESS - 1982-85

The first of 2 leaflets I have on public art in Dundee in the 80's, with this one here being for the Blackness area.
In the late 70's much of Blackness was a pretty depressed location, with the buildings either lying empty or being cleared. So in 1981, agencies got together to form a joint project to regenerate the region. "Action Blackness" consisted of a Blackness Public Arts Programme and the Blackness Business Development Area. The idea being that the introduction of art into Blackness would attract attention and bring in much needed business to the area.
When it was complete, it made for an interesting wee tour from Westport to Polepark Road and all the narrow streets in between, trying to track down around 20 works of art.
Many of the works have now themselves since been cleared to make way for the latest chapter in improving Blackness.

JM BALLROOM ADVERT - 1962

This ad for the JM appeared on 5th Sept 62. It was a one-off ad referring to the night Dundee FC played Cologne at Dens in the European Cup - the famous 8-1 Dee victory as it turned out.
The wording says "Herzlich willkommen den Koellner Fussball Club. After the game, pop down town to Dundee's most popular dance hall and round off a perfect evening". And I'm sure there probably was quite a few who ended up at the JM that night!!
By the way, I've asked a few folk, and not one of them knew what the "JM" stands for..!!

SOUTH TAY STREET IN THE 80'S

This was the bonnie mess in the 80's that was South Tay Street, although I seem to remember it was just this certain part in particular that had the slum look. This is the area nearest the Westport/Marketgait car park, with the old Palais doorway on the right. The Palais, obviously having gone through it's Samanthas and Bloomers phase by this time. It was also the sight we saw every time we went in and out of Slickers across the road.
The whole of this block has survived and is now looking spick & span after its overhaul a few years later.

UP AN DOWN HAWKHILL IN THE 70'S

 

Here's a well trodden cobbled path....the view up Hawkhill from Westport.
I can recall on more than one occasion, me and my mates "galloping" up & down here from pub to pub, in the style of Monty Pythons human horses in the Holy Grail film..!! The silly sods that we were!!!
Keeping the Python humour going, a year or so later when one of our mob got married, a couple of us wore a "lupin" in our jacket lapel at the wedding!!
In fact, we actually had the smoker in the back room of the Tav.
Talking of the Tav, some of you may remember the excellent sketches of Dundee done by local artist, Stephen French. Well when these buildings on the right of the photo (MC Bar to The Globe) were restored in the 80's, he opened up a studio/shop in Johnston's Lane - next to the corner shop in the picture.
He sold sketches, quirky sculptures, and a range of other modern artefacts. I can remember even the blinds on the shop window were very arty, having a holographic design etched into them. Cutting edge interior design indeed.!!
I also have a hazy memory from back then that French had a stint as designer for "Memphis" of Milan. Memphis were a radical, avant garde design team who made outrageous interior décor, causing a bit of a sensation in the 80's, most of which are now only seen in art galleries and museums.
However, I can't find any info about the French/Memphis link anywhere, that is just one of those wee facts stored away in my mind that I assume must have got there by reading a piece about him in a magazine way back in the 80's.
All that superb stuff he done, and yet no details on any of it.
About time there was a book about him and his work.
Until then, this sketch above is one I have in my own collection at home. You may be able to make out that he personally signed it in 1977.
It is also one that used to be on display in the Tav.
The actual content of the sketch is pretty much the same location as the photo, but from the other end.

THE M.C. BAR - WESTPORT - 1970'S

Although it sounds like a pub you'd visit to catch live hip hop acts perform, the MC in the name stands for Mickey Coyle.
The MC Bar was on the Scout to Tav route in Hawkhill, and so we passed it hundreds of times. However, it had been shut for quite a lengthy period by then. It did eventually reopen again in the mid 80's after restoration, this time under the name of The Blue Mountains.
Shortly after though, it changed back to Mickey Coyle's.

THE GLOBE BAR - WESTPORT - 1970'S

Nowadays, the Globe occupies the full width of this building in Westport, which is all nice & tidy after its restoration. In my era, however, this is how it looked when we visited it, grubby, all the boards going up beside it and having to share the space with Kleen Wear.
Further up, out of shot on the right, many of the buildings had already started to be knocked down around the Hawkhill/Blackness area, with the demolition continuing well into the 80's.

TEMPLE LANE CORNER - 1982

 "And now, the end is near..."

1982 here at Temple Lane, and not only is the corner shop boarded up, but all the flats above are too, with The Scout the only one managing to hang on 'til the very end!

This was the sight we saw every week and never thought anything of it. There was a wee derelict closie on the right of the photo that got used as a place to go for a quick joint before the drinking in the Scout began.

It was 1982 The Scout eventually closed and you can get a reminder of The Scouts final night in my July 2008 Archive, with lots of comments as well.

A couple of quirky things I can recall are, there was a drink on the go at the time that young bravehearts would order and was part of the youth ritual of showing off - it was called "The Green Monster". A lethal brew of various spirits & beers, and with it being tough old Dundee, this actually came in a PINT glass, not a namby pamby cocktail glass. Needless to say, 1 pint and you were F**KED!!!

Also remember Elvis Presley being a regular in The Scout.

This was a local who was his double, it wasn't an act, but was a good laugh watching everyone do a double-take when they went passed him.

If you zoom into this photo, there is actually a shadowy figure standing in The Scout doorway. Just wonder if it is the ghost of Elvis, perhaps singing "Suspicious Pints" or maybe "Alehouse Rock" or how about "Love Me Cider"!!!

Incidentally, the pub used to be called The Temple Bar but when it was taken over by Oliver Hamilton it was renamed The Scout, based on the fact that he used to be a scout for Blackpool Football Club.

Photo by DC Thomson.