SAMANTHAS ADS - LATE 70's

Samantha's in South Tay Street was quite a short lived discotheque, on the go from 1976 to 78, so these ads above are a bit of a rare sight.

The first 2 are from the Dundee Telegraph and are dated December 1977.

The top one is a general ad emphasising their weekend disco action.

It also mentions the Stage Door Bar - that was the pub at the back of Samantha's in the Marketgait that had a connecting doorway taking you to the disco. It saved trekking around the block to the main entrance.

The second ad is for a midweek event, the visitor being Richard Searling.

I remember Richard's name cropping up every week back then in music mags such as Black Echoes and Blues & Soul. He was a DJ specialising in soul music, both the Northern Soul variety and the more up-to-the-minute dance tracks. In fact he was quite an influential DJ, not only was he a Wigan Casino regular, but he was the guy who brought the original "Tainted Love" to the attention of clubbers.
Another well know disc-jockey who appeared here was Radio 1 DJ, Paul Burnett. This was on 15 January 1978.

Just a bit of general background info to give you an idea of the entertainment on offer at the time.

An example of the kind of bands that performed here are shown in the next 3 items.

Firstly an ad that appeared in NME in October 1978 featuring tour dates for punk band, 999, who had Samantha's as a venue on 22 October. To go with it is a gig guide showing the same date, with Simple Minds also on the bill.

The last item shows that Ultravox played at Samantha's a couple of weeks earlier on 8 October '78.

Many thanks to Yvonne for the Telegraph ads.

CITY CENTRE BALLOONS - 1980'S

A glimpse along the High Street on 25th July 1985 caught this wee lad in the top picture carrying a couple of large balloons.

They don't appear to have cheered him up any mind you. Still girnie!

And a glimpse along Reform Street in the mid/late 80's caught these 2 characters carrying a heap load of balloons.

The balloons were used to advertise McEwans Ale who were sponsoring the Jazz Festival, the balloons being placed around all the venues where the gigs were taking place. So being snapped in Reform Street means they had just dropped a few balloons off at the Old Bank Bar. You can also see a jazz banner hanging above the duo in the middle image.

Colour photo by Neale Elder.

B&W photos by The Bear.

HRH AT THE GALLEON - 1966

Well I may not have had the exact year when the previous 4 photos on Retro were taken, but this one here is easy - 18th August 1966.

The car is whizzing along Dock Street with The Galleon in the background, the pub being on the corner of Dock St/Whitehall Crescent.

The VIP in the back of the car is Her Royal Hatness the Queen Mother on her way to the ceremony podium to give the speech that officially declares the Tay Road Bridge open.

Photo from Gordon C.

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.

VIEW UP THE WELLGATE

What - no boarded up windows? That means this is a rare colour photo of the old Wellgate when all the shops were still open for business. Wowee!

This would have been taken around the late 60's then.

I can't name all the premises but going up from Boots on the right is - next door, Whyte's pub on the corner of the entrance to Bain Square. Massey's grocer and Hunter's household goods were in the next section up as far as the Kirk entry area, then up from that is British Relay and Watt's music shop. Can't really see much beyond that.

So crossing the road coming back down - I'm fairly sure that's a pub sign above where the 2 guys are - if so then that would be the Forester Arms Bar on the corner of Baltic Street. Can't make out the shops in the section down from it but that takes you onto Meadow Street with another couple of unknowns before it reaches LS Chalmers drapers and Malone Shoe Repairs. Coupar's Alley has Nelson Confectioner on the other corner and finally the bloke standing on the chair is outside the Wellgate Snack Bar.

If ever the phrase "A Trip Down Memory Lane" can be taken literally, then the old Wellgate is the place that does it best for me!

Click onto the image to enlarge and have a look around.

Photo from Gordon C.

VIEW DOWN LOGIE STREET

I don't have the exact year this scene was captured but this is what the view down Logie Street was like around the late 60s-early 70s, a lot of which has since disappeared.

The car in shot is a Ford Escort which were introduced in 1968 so the picture wouldn't be any earlier than that.

The Astoria Theatre can be seen in the middle of the photo but it's difficult to make out if it is still open for business or closed down. According to the Tele supplement I posted up 2 days ago, the Astoria shut its doors in 1971.

Ach well, at least the Logie Bar is still in the same spot today, so that's something that hasn't changed!

Photo from Gordon C.

ANN STREET ACTIVITY - EARLY 70'S

These 3 pictures were all taken along Ann Street in the early 70's.

The top image is the calm before the storm as it was snapped just before the main part of the demolition commenced.

The Heatherbell Bar was still open for business in January 1972 but by 1974 all these shops and tenements had disappeared.

The middle shot is further along the street where you can see an old building being demolished behind the modern block. If you go back to the top photo, it's still standing.

Photo 3 is looking back along Ann Street in the other direction with Ellen Street corner behind the JCB that has just reversed into a shop!

Photos from Gordon C.

HILLTOWNS DISAPPEARING PUBS - 70'S

Here's a couple of Dundee pubs in the process of being wiped off the map.

The top one is the Empire Bar & The Copper Bell Lounge which was on the corner of Rosebank Street / Constitution Street.

Underneath it is Bradley's Bar & the Talk Of The Town Lounge located on the corner of Ann Street / Ellen Street.

Both pub positions are listed in my 1970 Directory, but in my 1974 Directory the 2 addresses don't exist, so this demolition occurred sometime in-between these two dates.

Photos from Gordon C.

MORE ST ANDREW & THE WOOLLEN MILL

Bringing May's mega music mix to a halt, I'm gonna let St Andrew & The Woollen Mill continue with the comedy and have them play the month out with a bit of a chuckle.
This is another couple of tracks taken from the same source as yesterdays but shows a different side to the act, because along with the self penned material in the set, St Andrew also performed well known tunes...but with a humorous twist of course!
So once again the examples here were both recorded live - first one is a rendition of Fleetwood Mac's "Albatross", and the second one, the tune from "Close Encounters", dropping Vangelis's "Chariots Of Fire" into the fray!
I've seen them do this back in the early 80's and it's now interesting to observe that this comedy routine predates Bill Bailey by quite a few years.

Thanx to Jim.

3 DUNDEE DRINK ADS

Well I couldn't end the recent retro pub crawl without giving a wee shout to the delights of O.V.D. who are still on the go, with the ad on top dated 1974, just a year before I started boozing. Never touched the crude oil myself mind you, but my mum has been drinking O.V.D. for decades and continues to indulge to this day!

The middle ad is from 1981 and is for Scottish Brewers when they had premises in Smeaton Road.

Finally, another ad from 1981, this time for a place I know nothing about - Blackness Wines - who supplied wines locally. I don't think there was an actual brand called Blackness Wine though. Can't say I saw any vineyards up Westport anyway!

And so that's enough alcohol related items for now.

Time to sober up and get fit!

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.

JACK DANIEL'S AD - 1984

Many of you will recognise Jack Daniel's logo in this ad from 1984, as it used to be imprinted on the window of the pub and dotted around the interior.
A pub I used to visit, but mostly as a daytime drinking den rather than when in full flow at night.
You can catch a glimpse of the outside of the pub in a photo of Whitehall Crescent I have in the November 2008 archives.

GENNAS - GELLATLY STREET - 1980'S

Can't say I was a regular at Gennas in Gellatly Street, but I do remember popping along there from time to time on Thursday's, and reading again this 1984 advert above, now I realise why - it was half price night!

The place was on the same lines as Da Vinci's - bar downstairs, dancefloor upstairs.

Someone who chose to have their 21st at Gennas was Craig Methven. That's his original ticket from 1981.

Many of those who got a ticket were involved in the local music scene, so in attendance were the likes of Ricky Ross, one of the McGlone's, Mike Kane, Jock Ferguson, Drew Ramsay, various members of Street Level, Alien Culture, Megazones, The Grip, Scrotum Poles, The Hurricanes, and of course a few friends and family members.

Cranked Up fanzine gave the party a mention too, which is where the other items above are taken from. It reported that one of the local bands seen in the crowd was Gypsy Joe & The High Cheekers. Not being familiar with this act, I asked Craig who they were - and he doesn't know either! Celeb gatecrashers!!

Also in Cranked Up, it mentions a bit about the....er....strange gifts Craig received. My fave is the Popeye Bop Bag!

And what better way to end an evening of intermingling with the local alternative scene, than having the last record be "Atmosphere".

That would be the Joy Division one...not Russ Abbot's!

Big thanks to Craig.

UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS - 1981

Broughty Ferry wanted a piece of the action, live band action that is, and so Upstairs Downstairs cropped up on the scene to provide such a venue.
I have no images or ads of their place in Erskine Street, but I do have these 2 articles from a 1981 Cranked Up.
Top piece is a short review of Upstairs Downstairs, describing the sewing machine tables they had.
The one below it tells of the time The Grip played there, and in particular the moment the van carrying the band's gear crashed into the canopy above the main door!
Luckily the landlord wasn't there to witness it!!
You should be able to read it ok as it is, but if you're struggling, just click it to get the large version.

BROOKES INTERIOR - 1980

I already have a photo on Retro of the outside of Brookes in the Ferry, that you can track down in the January 2009 archive.
I mentioned then that we used to gather in this pub on Sunday evenings for a couple of pints before nipping along to The Sands for the rest of the night.
This 1980 photo, however, is the other side of the pub to where we hung out. The bar in shot would be where you'd end up if you went through the door on the left. Us lot used the door on the right which lead to a roomier lounge, which you can just catch a glimpse of through the counter in the picture.
Photo by DC Thomson.

FAT SAM'S DINER - LATE 80'S

Top picture is Alison Burns, Derek Thomson and co tucking into their grub at Fat Sam's Diner around the late 80's.
The other picture is a general shot of Fatties Diner & Cocktail Bar area from the same era, with a bit of entertainment thrown in.
I don't know who the duo are, so if anyone can identify the act, or even spot someone they know in the crowd, feel free to pass it on.
Photos by The Bear.

BETT INNS AD - 1987

Another ad featuring a few more local pubs. This time all belonging to Bett Inns and dated 1987.
In my day, The Occidental used to be more popular with Douglas guys than with Ferry folk. It may not be like that now though.

TENNENTS PUBS AD - 1979

You may be able to spot some of your old haunts in this Tennents Caledonian ad from 1979.
Most of the pubs named, I have no material on - no photo's, no ads - so won't be able to do an individual feature on them.
If you want to give any pubs on the list a mention, feel free to have a wee blether about them in the comments.
I thought the Golden Pheasant was a Chinese take-away!
Just goes to show you can't always rely on your own memory!

THE HAWTHORN - LATE 80'S

This was the moment The Hawthorn's roots were wiped out forever.
Did they shout "TIMBER"?
With it went the other pub in shot on the corner of Victoria Road, the Top O' The Steps.
All gone!
Photos by The Bear.

THE HAWTHORN - EARLY 80'S

This image at the fut o' the Hull was taken on 3rd July 1982.
On it, tucked away bottom right of the picture wearing the Sunderland strip is, The Hawthorn.
For some reason, this pub seemed to suffer an arboreal identity crisis, because during it's history at this spot - 5 Hilltown - it has been called The Rowan Tree, then it became The Maple Leaf, before it eventually settled for The Hawthorn.
The various transitions of the pub's family tree, however, came to an end just a few years later...as you'll see in the next batch of photos!
Photo by Neale Elder.