TELE-TAXIS CARD - 1970

69333 was the only taxi service number I knew from memory back in the 70's & 80's.
Even when in an alcoholic stupor, somehow I still managed to remember it, which saved a lot of blurry-eyed fumbling about with phone books in phone boxes!
The card is older than when I started calling up Tele-Taxis mind you, dating from around 1970, when I was still in primary school!

CITY CENTRE POINT DUTY - EARLY 60'S

This is policewoman, Sarah Christie, on point duty at the junction of Nethergate & Union Street in the early 60's.
I can remember the police in the 60's directing the traffic at Arbroath Road/Princes Street crossroads and Seagate/Commercial Street junction, so I'm guessing these were occasions when the traffic lights weren't working. Or unless it was before traffic lights were introduced?!!
So just as Sarah brings the traffic to a halt, it's time for me too to put the brakes on the present car topic that's been running the past few days and prepare for a different kind of trip - a journey back in time to the terminus of Dundee's music scene!

BROUGHTY FERRY CAR RALLY - 1970'S

Here's a vintage car rally that took place in Broughty Ferry sometime in the 70's.
Not sure if the cars were owned by locals or came from all over the UK, but they seemed to have pulled quite a sizeable crowd.

RETRO CARS ON PARADE

Just as a wee reminder, I stitched this slide-show together featuring many of the cars that were on the go in the 60's and early 70's.
Being schoolboy age at the time, much of my knowledge on cars from this era was gathered by trying to avoid them all when playing futba in the streets and down at Craigie lock-ups.
I can still name lots of them from memory - Minx, Consul, Herald, Corsair, Imp, Elf, Zephyr.... all of which crop up in the video below along with around 40 others, including the quirky bubble car!
See how many you can name (I don't have a list by the way)!
My neighbour a couple of doors along from me in Kemnay Gardens had a Zephyr and he used to speed into the culdee about 60mph then slam on the brakes to a scary sudden stop. It was like the batmobile zooming into the batcave (they used to speed the film up for that bit)!
When I was around 12 (1970ish) he once took me to a match at Muirton in his Zephyr and drove all the way at 100mph.
Dundee to Perth in 2 minutes!!

LOCHEE HIGH STREET TRAFFIC - EARLY 70'S

Another line of period cars, this time along a segment of Lochee High Street in the early 70's.
My attempt to name some may not all be 100% accurate so feel free to correct me (without swearing!)...here goes...Morris 1100, Humber Sceptre, Austin Maxi, Morris Traveller, 3 Mini's and 2 Vauxhall Viva's..not too sure of the remainder but it's a typical everyday display from this time zone.
I can name the shops though because I have an early 70's directory by my side.
Left to right - Kosto (newsagent) complete with Pola Cola sign above the door - Gall & Co (drapers) - Miss D. Fenton (fish merchant) - D. Webster & Co (butcher) - J. Milne (confectioner) - W. Low (supermarket) - Idea For Living (household accessories) - C. W. Carr (shoe retailer) - Forbes Johnston (chemist) and Alex Munro (butcher) with the canopy.

CITY CENTRE TRAFFIC - 1960'S

In contrast to yesterdays empty road along Hawkhill, here's a couple of pictures from the 60's showing a traffic packed High Street and Murraygate.

This was the era of Anglia's, Hillman's, Sunbeam's, Wolseley's and such like, and I'm sure some of you will be able to identify a few retro classics in there.

That's a Zodiac parked outside DM Brown's doorway.

Even the bus is in on it with an advert for SMT, who were Vauxhall and Bedford dealers.

The top picture comes from the "Dundee And Round About" book I featured last year, dated 1964, and even back then they were discussing the pedestrian v traffic battle, with the forecast being a victory for pedestrians!

Underneath it is the Murraygate when it too saw plenty vehicle action.

You can make out a beer lorry delivering fresh barrels to The Old Bank Bar.

Both sides of the street are crammed with cars, and yet the sign at the foot of the lamppost says "No Parking"!!

Click on the images to have a closer look.

Photos by DC Thomson.

BLACKHEATH PLACE / HAWKHILL - LATE 70'S

Following on from yesterday's disappearing streets, here's another one that no longer exists - Blackheath Place. This was on Hawkhill between Annfield Road and Ure Street, pretty much opposite Mid Wynd.
The wire fence, bottom left, was a car park area.
In fact, everything in the picture has now gone. The same location doesn't look anything like this now.
A nice touch with the Players No 10 advert though. It's like someone being granted their final request to have a cigarette before being executed!
There's a possibility the photo was taken in the early 80's, but I've settled for late 70's. Bit of a guess.
And no traffic...unlike the items next!

DOWN WILLIAM LANE - EARLY 70'S

Last year I posted an image of William Lane looking up the steps to Victoria Road.
Well here's the opposite view, this time from the steps looking down towards King Street.
Everything in the picture has disappeared, with the exception of the building with the roof ladder across the other side of King Street.
The photo was taken by my brother around 1973ish.
The previous item on William Lane is in the November 2010 archive, if you want to have a dip and compare scenes.

THAT OVERGATE SCULPTURE - 1985

This concrete piece of 60's abstract public art also doubled as a climbing frame for kids to play on. Not sure if that was the original thinking behind it but it seems like an obvious additional use.

It was the work of Dundee artist, Iain Eadie.

The other thing about the 2 photos is you'd never guess they were taken on Christmas Eve!
There's no sign of any festive decoration at all.

The images were captured on 24th December 1985 by Neale Elder.

DUDLEYS AD - 1966

Time to close the wardrobe door on another delve into Dundee's past fashions.
So one final aspect of the fashion trade was the essential Dry Cleaners, and here's an advert from 1966 for Dudleys, who not only supplied a same day dry cleaning service but would do your alterations for you too.
There were quite a few Dudleys in town back then - as well as the 3 listed in the ad - Whitehall Crescent, Overgate & Reform Street, they also had premises in Roseangle, Castle Street, Wellgate, Princes Street and up the Cleppie.
I like the Mod girl in the ad with the square earring, but the square with her gives me the creeps!

BEAUJANGLES ADS

I used to think that when Mr Beaujangles opened in the Wellgate in the late 70's, they vacated their shop in the Overgate. 

However, as the above ads prove, both stores were on the go at the same time. Not only that, but they had introduced a 3rd shop in Commercial Street by this time too.

Mr Beaujangles had a good run in the 70's, being the fashionable young stud in town, but by 1980 he got himself a lass and they became an item - "Beaujangles" - they done away with the word "Mr" in the title as a consequence of adding a female clothing range to their stores.

Wonder if it's Beau Derek in the ad?!

The 2 ads are dated 1980 & 81.

Going back to the 70's though when Mr B was still unattached, the shop also advertised on screen, and below is one such ad - featuring a caged go-go dancer!

CAIRDS AD - 1971

Here's Cairds in Reform Street giving us their sales pitch, emphasising being "up-to-the-minute" with their fashions.
I don't recall them being particularly trendy, but on offer for the gals was a department called "Honey", which according to the ad was "packed with swinging fashions"!!
The guys had a place called "05ive". It looks like a misprint to me, but if that's what it was called then it sounds like a shop you'd go for hip-hop gear nowadays!
An international range of menswear is what they really had though.

MILLARS AD - 1971

I don't know anything about Millars, who were based at 115 Nethergate on the corner of South Tay Street in 1971.

I'd have been 13 in '71 and so didn't venture as far along as this when shopping in the city centre.

Judging by the ad, they seem to have been a typical gents tailors rather than a place for teenagers anyway.

Meanwhile, their shop in Gray Street in the Ferry also catered for the ladies.

THE "K" SUEDE SHOES TEST - 1970

This demonstration showing that "K" Suede Shoes were waterproof, took place in one of Patterson's shoe shops in April 1970.
You should be able to see the tray of water they're stomping about in!
The twa lassies are Barbara Lindlay and Mary Elliot.
Not sure which of the Patterson's shops it was as they had branches in Kirk Style, Lochee High Street, Brook Street in the Ferry, 2 in Albert Street and a wholesale place in Bank Street.
Take your pick!

2 DRAFFENS ADS - 1971 & 1966

As you can see in the top item, by 1971 the store had technically become known as Draffens & Smiths, but everyone, as far as I know, still continued to refer to it as good old Draffens.

Although the store retained it's old traditional feel, it also tried to keep pace with what was happening in the world of fashion, and so on the first floor there was a department called "Best Of Both Worlds" which catered for the fashion-conscious female. Then on the 2nd floor they had a place called the "Style 71 Boutique", a shop for young trendy teenage girls.

Meanwhile, back in 1966, the date of the other ad, as well as supplying more general info about Draffens, they also feature a couple of dress designs as examples of what their fashion departments had on offer.

I forgot all about Guinea's until I saw their prices - the Hardy Amies cocktail dress on the left cost 24 Gns, and the blue lace chiffon gown was 23 Gns.

Click on the ads to read the large version.

CATCHHAND ADS - 1970's



The top ad is dated 1973 and the one below it is from 1977.

Catchhand and 1973 went together well. Their shop in Kirk Style was doing a roaring trade with certain urban types who liked to be seen wearing Ben Sherman shirts, Sta-Prest trousers and Harrington jackets. A young teen street-wise crowd in fact.

I think they were struggling a bit with their slogan mind you!

If you were "With It", it meant you were trendy, up to date with the latest fashions - but the way they've worded it does seem rather clumsy.

Anyway, you get the gist of it.

1977 next and time to grab a bargain in the sales with their £3 reduction offer on Brutus and Jet jeans.

MENZIES ADS - 60's / 70's



Menzies had a couple of shops in town in 1962, these being in Princes Street and the Wellgate.
One of their ads from that era, the top one, is for "Y-Fronts" - yours for 6/11 - approx 35p in today's money.
The "Y" of course is upside down, so you'd have to be doing a hand stand to read it as that!
Maybe they should have called them Mercedes-Fronts!
A shop in Kirk Style and one in the Nethergate had been added by the time the 1971 ad (centre) was published. These shops just mainly for general clothing.
Smart shirt - not so sure about the Toblerone hat!
A short while after 1971, they opened yet another city shop, this time in the Murraygate, and by March 1977 (the date of the final ad) they had a trendy boutique at that location called "Unit One". This place had a more youthful outlook, with bomber jackets, jeans and so on.

SLIC CHIC BOUTIQUE AD - 1978

So then, who shopped in this wee kinky corner of town back in 1978?
It's the Slic Chic Boutique advertising their rather specialized stock - exotic underwear.
Here's me thinking the Albert Street area was more of a string vest type of neighbourhood too!

LILIAN'S BOUTIQUES - 1973

There were 2 of Lilian's boutiques in town in 1973 - the one in Panmure Street specializing in French perfume, and the other in Whitehall Crescent that stocked Mary Quant designs.

To give you a reminder of the kind of fashion that was on the go in 1973, below is a news item featuring the latest creations on show in Paris that year.

I'm not particularly impressed with what's on offer in the Paris collection mind you. Most of it looks a bit on the corny side to me.

Even the hot-pants don't look anything like the proper ones the girls on Top Of The Pops used to wear.

The Oxford Bags being about the only item on the footage I think that look ok.

ALEX SMITH'S AT NIGHT - 1964

On a rainswept night in April 1964, Alex Smith's store in Commercial Street is illuminated and some of their Spring collection is on display.

Photo by DC Thomson.