SOME 60'S SILLINESS

Some of you may recognise the top image, published in the Peoples Journal in 1968.

It's 2 separate signs that were on a lampie in the city square which became amusing when you read them as one.

The other photo you'll not have seen before because it's an old family snap of ours from the 60's.

This is my cousin, Alex, posing before a game of futba down at Riverside.

Nothing special about it really, a very ordinary kind of picture, unless you count his large looking boots.

Check out his team mate standing behind him though - he's wearing a Trilby!

The FA have recently decided to ban snoods, so surely they'd have to clamp down hard on this offence too!

Unless he was a trialist from Luton!

Anyway, if the guy in shot is still out there, this will be the first time he's seen the picture.

THE 70'S LEMON TREE PRANK

In the mid 70's, someone came up with the bright idea of attaching plastic Jif lemons to a tree in the landscaped garden area next to the Tay Road Bridge.
A few folk I've spoken to have a hazy memory of it, but none of us can remember if the idea behind it in the first place was an April Fool stunt, or if it was just a general practical joke.
If it was supposed to be an April Fool then it went way beyond it's one day of glory, because the plastic lemons remained there for a few years.
A photo of it did appear in the local papers, so maybe it started off originally as an April Fool played on us by DC Thomson's.
Anyone know a bit more about it?

BORDERMATICS & HYND BROS AMUSEMENTS - 70's-80's

The top ad is dated 1981 and is for Bordermatics. They supplied local pubs & clubs with gaming machines, jukeboxes, pool tables etc, and were located at 137 Lorne Street at the time.

I also have another ad of theirs from 1984 and by then they had relocated to 109 High Street, Lochee where they shared premises with Cherry Video rentals.

Bordermatics are still on the go, only now they are based in Broughty Ferry.

I suppose Hynd Bros have done a bit of business with Bordermatics over the years, what with the Hynd's having had an amusement arcade in Reform Street for many years.

The first of the Hynd Bros ads is dated 1972 and is for an exhibition of arcade games at the Angus Hotel.

Then a jump to 1986 and they were announcing the very latest in gaming machines - the Laser Disc System.

In 1988 Hynd Bros had a Scottish exclusive - the first appearance of After Burner.

2ND BASE ADVERT - 1983

Located beside the Keiller Centre, 2nd Base was the place to go in the 80's for a game of snooker and to try your luck on the slot machines.
Not sure if they had "next to the Keiller Centre" as their postal address, but it was to be found roughly around the back of Reform St/Meadowside area, 2 flights up...I think!

THE LOCHEE SWING - 1981

Here's a humorous slice of satire from the 80's.
A variety of aspirations centre around the simple concept of installing a kids swing - with a very real kinda punchline!
It's all rather self explanatory.
Click to enlarge.

DUNDEE'S AMUSEMENT ARCADE - 1970's

Around 1970, another Amusement Arcade was proving popular in Dundee - this one was in the Wellgate, and on 2 levels.

The ground floor of #34 (on the corner of Baltic Street) had all the slot machines & games, and upstairs there was a mini dodgems track.

I remember it had the first ever primitive computer screen game, it was called PONG and based on table tennis (ping pong).

Spent quite a few bob at the arcade there Saturday mornings - Pong in particular.

Photo by DC Thomson.

DUNDEE'S AMUSEMENT ARCADE - 1960's

Probably most of Dundee's kids paid a visit to the Amusement Arcade in Shore Terrace in the 60's. It had the usual kind of stuff, slot machines, rides & shooting games, but the one I liked best was "Torpedo". You looked through a submarine periscope to view ships passing on the horizon. You then had to calculate when to fire the torpedo to hit the ships. It did take 2 or 3 seconds to travel through the water, so it was a bit hit and miss. The path of the torpedo lit up and when you did make contact, the whole consul flashed on & off along with the sound of the explosion. No computer screens then, these were in 3D depth.
Photo by DC Thomson.Tints by GG.