BAXTER PARK FESTIVALS - 1980'S

In July 2010, I put an article up on Retro about the "Peoples Festival" that took place at Baxter Park in 1981.

This was coordinated by a group of Anti-Nuclear organisations who went under the banner of No Nukes Music.

The review I posted back then came from Cranked Up fanzine, but it didn't really contain much info about the bands who were playing.

The review above, however, was published in the Courier and gives an account of the same event, including naming some of the acts who were performing.

So there was - RB's - Gypsy Joe - The Shoplifters - Alternative - Toxic Effects - Blaise - plus a few others.

There are also a couple of words from those in the crowd who give their opinion of the event - which appeared to get a thumbs up in general.

The other item is for another Baxter Park festival, this time celebrating International Youth Year - which was 1985.

Some of the bands taking part in this do were - AAGA - Chilli Peppers - Life Support - Plastic Surgery - plus others.

This article appeared in Deadbeat fanzine.

You'll need to give the Courier item a click to read the enlarged version.

CAMPERDOWN PLAY PARK - 1985

One day in 1985, I went up to Camperdown Park with my camera with the intention of snapping some of the colourful autumn foliage on display. On my way there I passed this kids play area that I'd never seen before which seemed to be half adventure complex, half public art space.

The top picture has large ship shaped climbing frames in the background. I didn't discover until I read a Dundee guide book some time later that they represented the "Battle Of Camperdown". I've no idea who the 2 sculpted characters are supposed to be in the foreground but they look a bit on the depressed side to be in a kids fun zone!

Guaranteed to bring a smile though, were the leaping dolphin sculptures a bit further along - a couple of decades before the real thing started to re-appear in the Tay.

WRESTLING IN THE PARK - 70'S

I've heard of all-in wrestling before but here's an example of all out wrestling!

Not got any info on this photo at all but a couple of guesses has me thinking it may be Baxter Park in the early 70's. Baxter's used to put on events like this during the summer weeks, and I've gone for the 72/73 period based on a boy in the crowd wearing what could be the Dundee FC "penguin" strip (near the bottom left corner standing to the right of the girl with the patterned coat). Also, the car in the background could be an early 70's Vauxhall Viva.

I'm not 100% certain on any of these statements, but that's the best I could come up with using what possible clues there are available in the picture.

The other obvious alternative is Camperdown Park.

If you fancy a stab at it, drop it in the comments.

DUNDEE GOLF COURSE PRICES - 1971

The amber ad from 1971 shows Dundee as the centre of the Scottish golf universe with 3 local courses on offer while reminding everyone that there are plenty more to be found in the surrounding area.

The 3 Dundee courses referred to in the ad are Caird Park, Camperdown & Downfield, and under it are their prices for the same year.

DUDHOPE PARK BANDS #1

Here are some of the acts who were on stage at the Dudhope Park Fest in the mid/late 80's.
Top - BETTER BACKWARDS
2nd - LIXX
3rd - JOE PUBLIC
4th - JOE MACKAY
Joe is accompanied by a couple of guys out of Joe Public.
Photos by The Bear.

DUDHOPE PARK FESTIVAL - 1980'S

Just wondering if David Cook had a hand in the stage set for this outdoor do up at Dudhope Park around 1987, give or take a year? Painted brollies! It always rains at Glastonbury, but seems like it was decent weather for this one.
That looks like Alain Breitenbach AKA Legrand on stage. Can't quite make out the other guy with him.
I do know that a couple of members of Joe Public are strolling by. The guy with his sleeves rolled up, and the blonde lass, Caragh Mackay, the band's singer.
The guy on the left with the hat played on stage with Caragh's father, Joe Mackay, also on the bill.
Photo by The Bear.

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.

CAMPERDOWN'S ALF ROBERTSON

Alf Robertson was Conservation Officer at Camperdown Park from the late 60's to mid 80's.
Many of you around my age group will remember Alf from your school visits up to Camperdown Wildlife Centre. He used to do a guided tour around the various sections with one of the highlights being Alf with the golden eagle.
He wasn't only a wildlife expert, he was also an artist and timber contractor, so when combining all 3 talents he ended up personally designing and building, what went on to become, the Camperdown Wildlife Centre and zoo.
When he retired in 1985, he famously sculpted a highland cow out of wood which was presented to Dundee's twin town, Wurzburg.
Alf was born in Lochee, went to Harris, then Duncan Of Jordanstone, and died quite recently in 2009.
The above photo is from around the late 60's / early 70's period.

BRUCE, THE PARKS HORSE - 1980'S

Bruce, was the Parks Departments cart horse during the 80's.

He wasn't just a novelty showpiece, he did actually do everyday work, although being the fine Clydesdale that he was, always attracted attention wherever he went.

The top photo is Bruce and co up at Camperdown stables in 1984.

The picture under it was taken in 1986 when the City Chambers kitchen was undergoing refurbishment and Bruce was called upon to cart the old kitchen equipment away. Before carrying on with his job though, Helen Smith, who was in charge of the kitchen, seized the opportunity to have her picture taken with him.

As a sideline, Camperdown also sold bags of dung as garden compost, and printed on the bags it had - "I Found It At Bruce's"!!

A 2ND HELPING OF LIXX

1. LIXX ON STAGE AT BAXTER PARK.

2. STEEVO & JO DOLL AT BAXTER PARK.

3. THE LIXX STAGE GEAR.

4. LIXX BACKSTAGE IN EDINBURGH.

5. LIXX PROMO POSE.

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All the above photos were taken in the mid to late 80's period.

I've already done a wee feature on the history of Lixx, so those of you who need to refresh your memory, you can find the first batch of Lixx stuff in the September 2010 Archives.

Meanwhile, here below is a track from 1989 called "Someday". This was to have been released as a single following on from their album, but for some reason it never saw the light of day, so it's good to give it a new lease of life on Retro.

No shortage of Lixx guitar licks as the guys sound fully energized on this metal workout, their polished performance buffing up a blazing burnish!

Big thanxx to Joe Ogilvie.

DUDHOPE PARK CONCERT - 1960'S

This concert took place in Dudhope Park sometime in the early 60's.
It was actually part of the entertainment laid on during the 7 weekies.
No idea who the act is but if anyone wants to have a stab at who it might be, there are 2 guitarists, a drummer, a pianist and a female singer.

PEOPLES FESTIVAL OF MUSIC - 1981

This event called the Peoples Festival Of Music took place at Baxter Park on 29th July 1981.

It consisted of stalls selling various knick-knacks alongside those who were selling politics - CND, Anarchists, Friends Of The Earth and so on.

There was also a kiddies farm, and of course there was the main music festival itself.

I haven't got the full band list as to who played that day but Dundee rockers, No Fixed Abode were on, as were a couple of punk bands, with Perth's ska outfit, the RB's, top of the bill.

The main complaint in Sid Gripple's report at the top, published in Cranked Up, was the lack of enthusiasm in the crowd.

Sid also suggests the smaller than expected turnout may have been down to the fact that the Royal wedding was being televised the same day!

Well whatever was causing the apathy, all I know is I wasn't at Baxter Park that day, neither was I at home watching any Royal nonsense because I was actually in the middle of a tour of Spain & Portugal with my Inter Rail card, and on the 29th July 81, I was in Lisbon.

I probably would have popped along to Baxters though if I was in Dundee.

So to read about Sid's account of the festival, click onto the image to enlarge it.

Ditto, if you want to have a nose around the photograph of the festival crowd to see if you recognise anyone.

 

Photo by DC Thomson.

GUSSIE PARK CORNER - 1965

There is a picture of Gussie Park carnival in my October 2008 Archives from further up Fairbairn Street, this one here being down at the corner area.
Back in the old Teddy Boy days, they once held a Jivin' contest on the Dodgems floor! It took a little while for the city centre ballrooms to adjust to this young, rowdy, wild teenage scene called Rock'N'Roll, so Gussie Park was one of the first places in Dundee where you could listen to & dance to the music.
In the 60's, I remember there being a huge "MAFIA" piece of graffiti on the perimeter wall, but this corner area in the photo seems to have got off lightly. However, the building on the other side of the park, in front of the Tannadice stairs, has got a large "King Billy" painted on it's wall. Yes it was pots of paints in those days, not spray cans. You'll need to zoom in though.
When I went to the carnival in the 70's, there was definitely more stuff on offer than there is in this shot. It used to fill the entire area. Eh mind being on the Big Wheel for example.
Look at the overgrown shrubbery on the back slope at Tannadice. When you got fed up of the futba on the pitch, you could go look for birds nests..!!
Click on the picture to have a look around the large version.
Photo by D C Thomson.

DUSC v ROYALS - DOWNFIELD - 1987/88

Here's a typical clash featuring 2 local football teams battling it out one Sunday back in the 80's.
The location is Downfield Park, the teams are Dundee United Social Club & Royals and the level of game is from a short-lived under 23 League.
This was DUSC's first season together, with most of the players hailing from the Douglas area and the team being managed by brothers, Joe & Stevie Stewart, from Fintry. Being the new kids on the block, DUSC surprised everyone by winning the League and picking up 3 out of a possible 4 trophies (they were finalists in the 4th!). My wee brother (a Dundee supporter incidentally) played in the DUSC team and went on to be named "Player of the Year" that season.
The action caught on cam is a final encounter for a trophy called the Scottish Cup, which despite it's name only had Dundee teams involved. Only the goals in the video clip, and without revealing the score I can tell you that there are 5 goals in total.
No commentary but plenty of noise from the crowd!

BLACK STREET PLAY PARK - 1980'S

Looking like a NASA site rather than a Dundee Council area, this play park featuring a Space Shuttle chute & climbing frame was located in Black Street, just off Lochee Road. Also in the shot, taken in the early 80's, are swings and sandpit with digger.
Again, like the Craigie one, it is a thing of the past. I had a look on Google Earth for it but the whole area is now sitting empty.
Unless it IS a secret NASA site and has been airbrushed out..!!

CRAIGIE'S PLAY PARK IN THE 60'S

This was the play park we went to as kids in the 60's. It was in Kemnay Gardens opposite Crathie Place. It was a regular stop-off for us on our way to and from Balerno Primary School. We actually just referred to the whole area as "The Swings" but it also had a chute, 2 sets of swings, 2 roundabouts, a climbing frame and these monkey bars, above.
I had an accident on these very monkey bars around 1966. You know those somersaults kids do where you'd climb to the very top, lie on your belly grabbing the outer frame and birl around until you end up dangling - a move I'd done dozens of times before - well on this one occasion, I lost my grip, fell flat on my face and burst my nose! I ended up being taken home by the Parkie, surrounded by about 20 kids and my shirt covered in blood. I was rushed up to DRI for a check-up but there was nothing broken. Came back with a topper of a swollen nose and a couple of keekers. That'll teach me to show aff! Did get a few days off school mind you.
The Parkie's door in the photo was designed like a stable door, an upper half and a lower half. He would usually have the upper half open and lean on the closed lower half to keep an eye on things.
The shelter in the picture we'd use when it rained and played 2 touch, headers, truth-dare and so on.
The above image was taken in the 80's, and by the 90's, using the current method of creative thinking, turned the whole area into a car park.
Photo by DC Thomson.Tints by GG

THE BAXTER PARK DISPLAYS

On one summer weekend each year in the 60's and 70's, Baxter Park put on a display that attracted hundreds of visitors. All the entertainment and action took place in front of the Pavilion, and around the edge of the cordoned off square, they had Army vehicles, Air Force tents, food stalls, ice cream vans and so on.

Performing in the square would be things like motor cycle stunt teams, a dog handler's obstacle course and the highlight would be the Red Devils sky-diving team. They would drop from the sky wearing their smoke flares and land dead centre on a cross marked out in the middle of the square.

I remember one time in the late 60's they ended the show with an old fashioned biplane that flew extremely low over the pavilion, over the crowd and off down across the Tay. A few people in the crowd even ducked by instinct, but it wasn't as low as that!

(By the way, in the late 60's, psychedelic rockers Jefferson Airplane released an album called "After Bathing At Baxter's" and had an image of a biplane on the cover.
However, theirs wasn't about a trip to the park, but more to do with a trip on LSD..!!)

Anyway, one of the quirkier side show attractions was a 6 ft robot that claimed it could answer any question you asked it. I wish I had asked it how it worked!

The above photo was taken on 22nd July 1976. Not much of a crowd for this one though compared to earlier shows. The sky-divers on this occasion are from the Golden Lion Team. The 2 guys are, Jim Conway from Mid Craigie and Mike Colligan from St Marys.

Below you can see the original Red Devils in action that may bring back a few memories of this Baxter's annual event, although it wasn't filmed there.

Photo by DC Thomson.Tints by GG

THE SWANNY PONDS IN THE 60'S

The Swanny Ponds was about half an hours walk away from where we lived, so when we went there it seemed more like a days outing than a visit to the local park. This would have been the 60's when primary school age.
Did the obvious things like fishing for sticklebacks using a long cane net. Went on the rowing boats that sometimes turned into "water dodgems", usually by accident! I can't recall any paddling looking back now, but I certainly remember on a couple of occasions boys pushing their mates in the water for a lark!
One time, when I was passing on the 13 bus, I saw a group of 4 school kids push a female into the pond. Not one of their mates though, it was a mature woman in her 30's I'd guess. No idea what that was about, but I remember being more shocked than amused. Maybe it was a truant officer..!!
By the way, it looks like Mr.Whippy in the background of the image.
Photo by DC Thomson.Tints by GG.