DISMANTLING VICTORIA ROAD - 1988

They seemed to be going a bit canny with the demolition work at Victoria Road when this photo was taken on 19 Feb 1988. Perhaps this was the "snaffling the lead tiles off the roof" phase or something!
Anyway, the area in shot stretches from the Butcher on the left (#24) to the Knitting Centre on the right (#38).
I can't make out all the shops but the Central Cafe is there, also Chima, who sold saris and suchlike.
I remember in the mid 60's the 2 Chima daughters were the first Asians to enrol at Balerno Primary School, with Ravi Chima coming into my class.
The other feature in the picture is the lamppost at the top of Wellgate steps, referred to as the Bobbys Helmet.
And if you are in a particularly silly mood, you could do a double take and view the photo through surreal eyes where you might be able to see a wee gnome repairing the inside of the light!
Photo by Neale Elder.

DAVID LOW AD - 1971

I haven't mentioned much about Dundee's golf scene on Retro, so because I have some bits & pieces, not much, I'm gonna post them up over the next few days.

Starting with this ad from 1971 for David Low who were presenting themselves as golf specialists at the time. Although they stocked other sports items in their shop in Commercial Street, they did devote an entire floor to golfing equipment, a photo of which you can see in the December 2008 Archive.

David Low also used to have a shop in the Seagate on the corner of Gellatly Street but that one closed down in the early 70's allowing them to concentrate their efforts on this branch here.

OUTSIDE JOHN MENZIES - 1987

John Menzies moved away from their own well known position on the Murraygate/Commercial Street corner and took over Woolies prime spot further along the Murraygate in 1983, as above.
This shot of the activity outside it's main entrance, along with a few other nearby shops, was taken on 6th February 1987.
I do remember the guy in the picture across from John Menzies though, busking away on the accordion in his scruffy flannels and the wee money pouch attached to his squeeze-box.
As usual, if you want to have a closer look, just click onto the image to enlarge.

Photo by Neale Elder.

WOOLWORTH AD - 1973

I can remember Woolies in the 60's when they still had the original old wooden counters, but around the beginning of the 70's the store was modernised and got itself some new open plan style rack shelving.

This ad here is from 1973 and mentions how "up to date" it is as part of the sales pitch.

One of the relics from the old store they kept going, however, was the huge weighing machine tucked away in the corner beside the photo booth. A big red & silver thing it was, a penny a go.

Another memory from the 70's I always associate with Woolies were the budget priced "Top Of The Pops" albums with glamour girls on the LP covers. 12 chart hits for 60p or something. For that price though you didn't get the original artists, oh no, these were 2nd rate rogues imitating our favourite pop groups. The work of session musicians in fact, and they were mince!

Oh yes, and get this, I was once thrown out of Woolies when aged around 12/13. I was in the Murraygate store just having a look around, probably been there for 15/20 minutes, when this frumpy middle aged wifie (the floor-walker) came over to me and escorted me to the door. Was I stealing? No. Causing a scene with a shop assistant? Nope. My crime, she told me on the way out, was "being in the shop too long". What the...??!!!

The Murraygate store closed in 1983 and John Menzies took over the premises.

ROCKPILE RECORDS ADS - 1980'S

A couple of adverts for Rockpile Records in West Port, 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 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!

HANGING OUT AT LITTLEWOODS - 80'S

"Oh great, a windee seat"... now we get to look down from Littlewoods cafe and see what's going on outside.

Well when the top photo was taken around the mid 80's, there was a group of punkettes gathered at one of the benches. You can't make out their faces but you can see their hairstyles. A couple of the lassies have the peroxide look (one a Mohican) and another has a full head of green hair that resembles Hilary a bit, not sure if it is her though.

The other photo outside Littlewoods taken on the same day has a different flock of females on display - these ones dressed smart, but casual.

Bird spotting courtesy of The Bear.

WALLACE'S AD - 1973

Just thought I'd chuck on this '73 ad to finish off the local bakers theme.
Wallace's getting the final say with - FLOUR POWER!

ROUGH & FRASER ... AND BILSLAND'S - 60's

2 old bakers items for price of 1 on this photo.
First is the main part of the image, the Rough & Fraser shop, which, as you will all have spotted by now, was at the tap o' the hull.
I've figured this to be 323 Hilltown to be precise.
I reckon the photo would have been taken around the 1963-65 period because my 1966 directory has the premises as being a hairdresser by then, as do my early 70's directories.
Also, that date fits in with the car parked outside it which I think is either a Hillman Imp or Singer Chamois, both models springing up on the scene around 1963-65.
The other bakers item in shot is the Bilsland's Bread van driving past on the left.

NICOLL & SMIBERT - NETHERGATE SHOP

Here is a photo of the Nicoll & Smibert shop in the Nethergate, taken sometime in the late 60's.
Big thanks to Peter.

NICOLL & SMIBERT - NETHERGATE ADS

Another bakers in centre of town offering snack/restaurant facilities was Nicoll & Smibert who were in the Nethergate.

The top ad is dated 1968 and the red one is from 1974.

Nicoll & Smibert had baker shops all over Dundee back then, and the ones listed in the 1974 directory are as follows - Overgate, Union St, Hilltown, Albert St, Strathmartine Rd, Lochee Rd, Princes St, Craigowan Rd, Lochee High St, MacAlpine Rd, St Giles Tce, Blackness Rd, Fintry Rd, Whitfield Dr, Whitehall St, Clepington Rd and Brook St in the Ferry.

OLD STAMPING GROUND - 1982

I forgot all about this wee shop until I saw this photo - Dundee Philatelic Supplies at Sinderins, on the Perth Road / Hawkhill junction.
Can't say I was ever in it mind you, but passed it often enough.
The shop itself was being stamped out at the time of the photo which was taken on 23rd September 1982.
The corner seated area still remains today, but the wedge of shops that are boarded up, have all been demolished.
And is that a couple of Harris pupils plunking? Surely not!
The 3 white posters on the boards are for Hot Chocolate, who were playing at the Caird Hall in Sept '82, a review of which can be found in the Nov 2009 Retro Archive.
Leading us nicely into the start of another music theme in May.
It'll be mega. So stick around!
Photo by Neale Elder.

LIFF ROAD STORES - EARLY 70'S

Another corner shop that was on the go in the 70's was Liff Road Stores, a grocers on the corner of Stevenson Street and Liff road.

It's not just the shop that has closed down now, it's the entire chunk of this corner area that has completely disappeared.
In it's day though, as you can see on the door, it was a Green Shield Stamp shop.
When the locals popped in for a pint of milk, there may be a chance they ended up with the same brand as the one in the other photo - John Kerr of Balfield Dairy in Clepington Road.
Shop photo is from the early 70's.
Milk photo is from Bridie.

SIMPSON'S SWEETIE SHOP - 1979

Bart and Lisa would have enjoyed this place - Simpson's Sweetie Shop on the corner of Graham Place and Princes Street.
The picture was taken in 1979, and although there is still a corner shop at this location, it isn't this one anymore.
On the subject of sweeties, anybody remember Ross's Chocolate Puff Candy? Same as a Crunchie but about the size of brick! Here's an ad for it from the 60's. It's black & white but my memory has it as being a red and yellow wrapper.

DUNDEE TROPHY CENTRE - HILLTOWN

I take it this is the same Frank Gilfeather who is the ex boxing champ, journalist, TV host, futba pundit, playwright and author.
If so, this ad for his Dundee Trophy Centre shop up the Hulltoon is dated 1981.

OLD BANK BAR - MURRAYGATE - 1960'S

Before the Old Bank Bar opened in Reform Street in the 80's, there was another one in town who had been doing business a couple of decades earlier - the Old Bank Bar at 25-27 Murraygate - the original, and a place that goes back to at least the 1940's.
Although the pub's main door was on the Murraygate, there was another side door down the True Rest pendie which took you into another part of the pub - The Clan Lounge.
The Old Bank Bar was also well known for it's seafood dishes.
The picture dates from around the mid 60's, and the pub eventually closed down in 1968.
While I'm at it, I'd be as well to mention the shop next door in the image - at #29 Murraygate was Paul & Matthew, a stationers. The wee slogan they used in adverts and had on the shop front was - "The Pen People".
Photo by DC Thomson.

JOHNNY GEDDES JOKE SHOP - 1981

This ad for the Johnny Geddes Magic & Fun shop in Meadowside is dated 1981.
Although I can remember the place ok, I was never in it, but I do recall the masks they had in the shop window, including Laurel & Hardy, old hags and a Maggie Thatcher one too!
Johnny Geddes was actually a professional magician who toured regularly around UK as well as places further afield such as America.
Needless to say, he was in the Dundee Magic Circle, before later going on to become president of the Scottish Magic Circle.
He has also appeared on TV a few times alongside the likes of Charlie Drake and Rolf Harris.
In addition, Mr G has written many books on the subject of magic and managed to find time to run the Jay-Gee Variety Agency too.
In fact, oor man of magic had quite a few tricks up his sleeve it seems!

AUDIO VISUALS IN THE 70'S

This ad for The Audio Visual Centre in Perth Road is dated 1973.
They were a photographic specialist, although obviously, as their name implies, they must have sold recording equipment, stereos or something like that too.
In fact, it was the name of the place that reminded me of this item below, a piece of newsreel I have from 1979 introducing the Laser Disc. This was technology I didn't indulge in, but it got me wondering, who would have been the first shop in Dundee to stock Laser Discs? I thought it might be an audio/visual store like Dixons or Comet rather than a record shop such as Bruces. Laser Disc content featured bands as well as movies, similar to video releases at the time.
Also, I don't recall video rental stores renting out Laser Discs, they just seemed to go onto DVDs after videos.
Anyway, I'm sure one or two of you out there must have treated yourself to Laser Disc gear, before they ended up in the shed alongside your 8-Track!

DUNDEE PASTEURISED MILK CO

Dundee Pasteurised Milk Co, or as it was more commonly known - the DPM - had premises all over town in the 60's and early 70's. I remember we used to go to their Dairy corner shop at the Craigiebank shops quite regularly back then. In fact, it was very similar to the one in the above photo which was located on the corner of Lochee High St & Bank St.

The picture was taken around 1970ish when DPM had their HQ in Mains Road.

They also had a garage in Strathmartine Road and shops in Reform St, Dura St, 2 in Perth Road, Dundonald St, Princes St, Fintry Road, Union St, Blackness Road, Arbroath Rd & Lochee High St - with the one in Reform St being a cafe.

By 1974, the DPM had completely disappeared off the map!

The advert with the crappy drawing is dated 1968.

FUN IN THE OVERGATE - 1973

It's that Overgate sculpture again!

You may recall I put a couple of pictures up on Retro last month of the same piece of work, but because those photos were taken in the mid 80's, the structure was a bit drab looking and the surrounding shops nearing the end of their lives.

Well in comparison, here's what it was like when it was still kinda fresh - the artwork being put to good use by wee Leigh and co back in 1973.

The b & w shot below them was also taken in the mid 70's and shows the whole structure..

Although it's the work of Dundee artist, Iain Eadie, there's a hint of Ben Nicholson about the design!

According to my 1974 Dundee Directory, the name of the shop in the background was Brentford Nylons - but as you can see, it's actually just Brentfords. The company was technically called Brentford Nylons, so not sure why Dundee ended up with a shortened shop name.

Their slogan at the time was "Quality With A Conscience" - which makes it sound like you'd end up feeling guilty if you bought one of their expensive blouses!

Photos from Leigh, via Marky.

ROCKPILE'S MISSING ITEMS

Rockpile, in Westport, was a popular Record Exchange shop that cropped up on the scene in the early 80's.

In the mid 80's, I used to visit them regularly as one who sold them records when I was gradually offloading the mountain of vinyl I had amassed.

Well now it's confession time - 2 of the albums I passed onto them were missing a couple of items!

The top image is a set of art prints done by Peter Schmidt that were a free gift with an album by Eno called "Before And After Science" which I bought in 1977. The set of four 12 inch prints came in a kind of presentation folder in the record sleeve.

The other photo is of a free bonus album that I got with a record released by Bill Nelson in 1981 called "Quit Dreaming And Get On The Beam".

It turned out that the free album "Sounding The Ritual Echo" was one I played more often than the actual official LP it was with, so just as I had decided to hold on to the art prints when I sold the Eno album to Rockpile, I also opted to keep the free Bill Nelson album, considering it too good to sell!

I do remember peeling the "INCLUDES FREE ALBUM" sticker off the record sleeve before innocently handing over the "Quit..." album!

So if anyone can recall buying either of those 2 albums out of Rockpile - well, I still have your stuff!

If you want to claim the missing items, you'll need to show me your receipt as proof of purchase!

Meanwhile, especially for the person who missed out on it, here's a wee taster of one of the tracks from the bonus album, a track called "My Intricate Image". All the "experimental" tracks on the LP were recorded using faulty equipment Bill had at home!

"Sounding The Ritual Echo" was officially released in it's own right on CD later in the 80's, I think I'm right in saying.