STAR WARS QUEUE - 1978

Bet most of you remember this...queuing to see Star Wars. This photo was taken in February 1978 on the day it burst onto screen at the Odeon for the first time. It was on a Sunday that it made it's debut in Dundee, and the queue having began at 9:00am, ended up along the length of Cowgate and all the way down to the bottom of St Andrew's Street, as in the photo. Not only that but the doors didn't open until 4:00pm and because of the size of the crowd the Odeon had to bring in an extra cashier to help out.
I remember going to see it a few days later, and although I enjoyed it I'll never forget my mates comment as we were leaving the building with everyone raving about it. Looking rather bemused, he quipped "It was a bit far fetched!".
If you think you may be in with a shout of spotting yourself in the picture - click on the image to view the large version.
Photo by DC Thomson.Tints by GG.

EUROVISION - PEELY & HUTCHIE FAE DUNDEE

Another John Peel memory with a wee Dundee link I can recall, comes from the late 80's.
Peely was involved in covering the Eurovision Song Contest for radio which this particular year was the turn of Switzerland or Sweden to host.
During the programme he interviewed a guy called David Hutchison, who, although I can't remember his exact role, was one of the main organisers of the event. As the interview went on, I suddenly had the feeling that I recognised the voice, and thought it sounded like "Hutchie", a guy who used to live around the corner from me in Craigie, and who was in my class at Balerno as well as Craigie High. I remembered my mum knew his mum, so I asked her, the next time she saw Hutchie's mum, see if she could confirm it was David on the radio. It turns out it was him and he had been involved behind the scenes in the Eurovision contest for quite a while. His mum also revealed the extra info that David got paid £24 a minute for the Peel interview. A nice little earner!!
If you happen to read this, David, feel free to drop some details into the comments.

OLD MUSEUM EXHIBIT #3 - DUG-OUT CANOES

Although these are as well known to Dundonians as the Discovery, Unicorn & Fifies, the Museum's dug-out canoes are hardly ever seen in photos, so here is a picture for posterity.
The top one was found at the river Tay near Errol, and the bottom one is from Kinnordy Loch.
As regards how old they are, well let's just say they predate Robb Caledon!

OLD MUSEUM EXHIBIT #2 - THE CIST

The technical term for a stone burial box such as this is a cist. The photo above was the one that was on display in the middle of one of the floors in the Museum in the 60's.
I remember having to be lifted up to see inside it when I was about 5. I then progressed a couple of years later to viewing it standing on my tip toes, and a couple of years after that it was just a matter of catching sight of it in the passing.
This cist was unearthed near Brechin. It belonged to a group of settlers called the Beaker People, who lived around the East coast of Scotland from about 2,500 BC.

OLD MUSEUM EXHIBIT #1 - SHRUNKEN HEAD

Back in the 60's when the Museum entrance was on the corner of Meadowside, opposite Commercial Street, they used to have a doorman in uniform who would open the door for you then give directions to the various rooms. Well near to that corner reception area where he stood, they had a shrunken head on display. This very one above as a matter of fact.
I remember a few folk considered it to be a model, because, being the size of a tennis ball, it looked like a doll.
So if there are still any doubters out there, I can confirm it was indeed a real human head.
Information from the original Dundee Museum catalogue is that it comes from Ecuador, the Jivarro tribe to be exact, and dates back to the late 19th/early 20th Century. Similar details on the net backs this up.
Not knowing what was involved, I checked Wikipedia to find out what the shrinking process entailed and apparently the skull is removed along with all the fatty tissue, then the skin is boiled in water & tannin, finally once the shrivelled flesh is dried & prepared, it is stuffed and remoulded back into shape.
Don't go trying that at home now!!
On a lighter note, this chap wouldn't have been too out of place in the late 60's with a hairstyle like his!

TANNADICE STREET - 1970

This photo of Tannadice Street was taken in 1970. It has changed a wee bit since then. Gussie Park carnival would have been there, as well as the Angus Jute Works, and obviously the other 2 "Parks", Tannadice and Dens, have now become Stadiums.
I reckon if they moved the cars out of the way, this would be the ultimate spot for Dundee kids to play Kerby! A backdrop like that would surely inspire a few good throws to get those "half-roadies".
Stats show that Dundee FC and United were eeksie-peeksie around this time.
The 1969/70 season had United finish in 5th position on 38 points and Dundee in 6th with 36 points.
The 1970/71 season saw Dundee finish 5th on 38 points and United in 6th spot with 36 points.
The cool piece of film below was taken a year or so earlier and shows the comings & goings at Tannadice on match day.

GEORGE KIDD - DUNDEE WRESTLER

George Kidd went to Clepington Primary School, and being a wee lad, he would often get picked on by bullies, which lead to him becoming a bit of a scrapper.

To develop his skills further he took up boxing, Jujitsu, yoga and was a regular at the gym.

After a stint in the Navy he opted for wrestling as his profession and studied the sport in Wigan, London and France.

A couple of quirky procedures he used to do was, drink a pint of bulls blood before a match, this he would get fresh from regular visits to the abattoir.

He also bathed his ears in hot vinegar to toughen them up like leather.

This all lead to George being crowned World Lightweight Champion.

He used to be on TV quite a lot in the 60's & 70's. Wrestling went on around 4.00 pm on Saturday afternoons, before the football results.

I watched it quite a lot as a schoolboy back then because it was often amusing.

George himself came up with some original moves and was particularly well liked by everyone.

He even performed in London's Albert Hall.

Back home in Dundee when he retired in the 70's, he ran the Ellenbank Bar in Alexander Street.

He died in 1998.

The photos are...

Top - George in the wrestling ring.

Mid - George in his Ellenbank Bar.

Low - George with a trophy presented to him by City Of Dundee in recognition of his world title.

And below is footage of George in action.

THE FIFIE

Before the Tay Road Bridge was built, Dundonians used the "Fifie" to cross the river. This ferry service was for passengers as well as vehicles and it took you to Newport.
The day the bridge opened was the day the Fifie crossings stopped. That was on the 18th August 1966. The above photo of the Fifie with its flags up was taken on the 18th, the final day of the ferry service.
I can remember being on the Fifie only once. That would have been around 1963/64 when I was about 6. Can't recall much of the trip other than the image of the boat moving away from the pier.
To bring back those memories into a clearer image, here below is a wee video that contains film footage of the boats in action.
Photo by the Scotsman.Tints by GG

THYNGLCHYME AND TIVVY ON TV

Here's a quirky item of Dundee music trivia from the 70's that may get a few locals scratching their head!

In 1971 Dundee band, Thynglchyme, appeared on TV talent show "Opportunity Knocks", hosted by Hughie Green.

At the time, my cousin was drummer in The Jacques who was one of the other bands who took part in the auditions for the local heat.

Thynglchyme won the Dundee contest though and made it onto the show. Not only that but they actually went on to win the TV show 2 weeks on the trot.

However, performing on national television in front of millions doesn't appear to have done their career much good because I put THYNGLCHYME into Google search and got absolutely nothing!

So if any of you knowledgeable Dundonians can fill in a few details on this mystery band with the groovy name, feel free to pass on the any info you have into the comments.

Then a few years later in 1978, it was the turn of local outfit Tivvy to make an appearance on the show.

The above cuttings are dated Feb '78.

Tivvy once played at the Caird Hall supporting Slik - this was in 1976.

Apart from that, I have no details on this band or information as to how they did on the TV contest - so over to you to fill in the details in the comments.

U2 - CAIRD HALL - 1983

On this day, 26 years ago, U2 were playing in Dundee and it was a show I went to. In fact this was the 2nd time I had seen the band as I caught them at Edinburgh Nite Club a couple of years earlier.
I remember popping along to Da Vinci's for a quick pint before meeting up with my mates in the city square for the concert. So after my refreshment I was making my way into the town centre and as I was passing the Angus Hotel, lo and behold, there was U2 getting into their minibus ready to be taken to their gig. I very nearly shouted over to them to give me a lift but I managed to restrain myself. If I had another couple of pints inside me I may very well have been telling you about the time U2 drove me to their show!
Oh well, anyway, this Dundee gig was the very first date on this '83 tour. On the back of the stage they had a huge image of their "War" album cover. Bono was quite hyperactive on the night, pacing up & down the stage waving the white flag, clambering about on the PA stacks and even managing to reach the balcony at one point while still singing!
I missed the support act who were called The Nightcaps.
Below is a recording from this very U2 gig at the Caird Hall. Not only that, as they were trying out their new material, this track "Like A Song" would be the one and only time they would ever play this song on stage, so a bit of a Dundee exclusive!
Afterwards, me and my mates all went back to Da Vinci's to finish the evening off.

THE STEPS THEATRE - 1979

This is the same top of the Wellgate Steps area in the previous photo only in it's brand new transformation into the Wellgate Centre, Library and Steps Theatre. The image taken in 1979.

I used to go to the Steps Theatre quite a lot in the late 70's/early 80's for it's cinema. They used to show quite a lot of obscure French films, art house movies and underground stuff in general. The most commercial they got would probably be Woody Allen pictures.

Mind you, as a consequence of putting on such arty stuff the place would be pretty empty a lot of the time. All you'd see was rows and rows of bright green seats and hardly any audience! In fact the only one time I remember it being packed to capacity was when they showed a 2 hour Loony Tunes cartoon extravaganza. Bugs, Daffy, Droopy and the rest of them. Now that WAS entertaining!

The graphic is their well known ident which they used in their adverts. 

WELLGATE STEPS AREA - MID 70'S

Looking extremely run down at this stage in the mid 70's with all this area preparing to be knocked down. The boards going up on the shop fronts remind me of someone being blindfolded waiting to be executed!

THE WELLGATE STEPS - mid 70's

And a wee reminder of the steps...

LAST LOOK AT THE OLD WELLGATE

Better get yer hankies oot...
This photo taken from the Wellgate steps in the early 70's shows the street empty because most of the shops were being boarded up in readiness for imminent demolition. Shortly after, the whole Wellgate area was cordoned off to make way for the bulldozers and so to the street's final farewell.
For reference purposes, here's the complete list of shops & businesses that were in the street in 1970. Starting from the Cowgate corner and going up on the right towards the steps :-
J.LAWRIE costumiers - BOOTS chemist - JW WHYTE spirit merchant - A.MASSEY grocers - HUNTER household store - BRITISH RELAY tv's - WATT'S music - MENZIES & SONS outfitters - CALEDONIAN TAILORS - KEN'S BAZAAR - DUDLEY'S OF DUNDEE - BANKS fruiterer - MINIT HEEL BAR - FASHION BARGAIN CENTRE - S.C.W.S furnishing - BETTY WHITE fruiterer - JS YOUNG fish merchant - HENDERSON furniture - AG KIDD baker - HENDERSON furniture - and WEST RIDING WALLPAPER.
We reach the steps here and so back down the street we go with the shops on the right :-
SMITH billiard saloon - OLGA'S hairdresser - McRAE baby linen - CHRISTIE tobacconist - CALEDONIAN TAILORS - PIGGOT butcher - ALEX SMITH furniture - CHAS STEPHEN drugstore - DISCOUNT STORE - HOUSE OF HEARING - FORESTER ARMS BAR - AMUSEMENT ARCADE - MORGAN'S STORE - LYALL grocer - RADIO RENTALS tv's - GRAFTON SPORTSWEAR - MALONE shoe repair - NELSON CREAM ICE CO confectioner - WELLGATE SNACK BAR - GREENLEES bootmaker - THOW BROS stampcutters - and CLAUDE ALEXANDER tailors. Bringing us back down to Panmure Street corner.
In contrast to the empty street in the photo, below is a short film clip of how the Wellgate looked when in full hustle & bustle mode a few years earlier.

THE ODEON - COWGATE





This spot in Cowgate is where the Gaumont used to be, prior to it becoming the Odeon in the mid 70's.

Not much of a change to the interior of the cinema I recall but there was a bit of superficial tweaking to the outside with the addition of tiles to the entrance area.

The above photos were taken in September 1978 and the film was "Revenge of the Pink Panther", a movie I remember seeing at the time.

It looks as if the policeman is giving directions to Inspector Clouseau!

The Odeon closed down in 1981 then the building re-opened in 1983 as a bingo hall.

Photos by DC Thomson.

QUICKIES - EXCHANGE STREET

This Barber shop in Exchange Street in the 60's and early 70's used to be known by locals as "Quickies". A nickname, not a business name. I think it just had City Hairdresser or something above the door. Another name it was called was "Scotties", after Scott, the guy who ran it. The photo above, which was taken in the late 80's has yet another name variant!
I'll always remember it as Quickies though. An apt description...in for a quick trim and out again. No messing, no fuss, no problem!
Photo by DC Thomson.Tints by GG

BOOTS RECORD DEPARTMENT - 1970'S

Around about 1970, Boots on the corner of Reform Street, became the first store in the city to install an escalator. The first weekend it was operating saw an influx of kids to the shop who wouldn't normally be in Boots. They were the ones trying out this modern contraption the most. It was just like a visit to the funfair I suppose, the novelty of it.

What I liked about it was that it lead straight into the record dept on the first floor. Yes, Boots did used to sell albums, singles, cassettes and posters in the 70's.

They didn't have a "down" escalator though, so after a wee rummage through the record racks it meant having to use the "old fashioned" staircase. They did have framed pictures on the stairway walls, so at least you got a free art gallery display for your efforts!

The top image is of when Boots changed their exterior appearance the same time as they got the escalator put in.

Underneath it is the carrier bag from their record department - with a pop act on one side and a classical conductor on the flip.

THE GALLEON BAR - INTERIOR

This was the view you got from the balcony inside the Galleon. Most folk made a grab for the seats nearest to the balcony railing because you could keep an eye on what was going on down below. It was like getting a window seat on the bus..!!

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.

LOWLAND FOLK FOUR with BRIAN COX - 1966

This is taken from the Radio Times, dated 17th August 1966. A 40 minute documentary on BBC1 featuring an unusual Dundee double act... music performed by local band Lowland Folk Four and narration supplied by a budding young actor called Brian Cox.
I was only 8 years old when this was broadcast. Unfortunately I have no memory of the programme, but from what I gather the content consisted of a tour around Dundee, old and new, set to music. If anyone remembers anything about it feel free to drop the details into the comments. Or, if someone out there has an actual copy of it, do let me know.
Click on the image to enlarge it to read.