B R O U G H T Y   M E M O R I E S

If your ferry memory has not been added to this page, please re-send.

Isobel Mackie, 9/7/02

Hi all, my happy memories of broty' are the chalet on a saturday. My best friends were margaret chivers, margaret beatson, and sandra johnston. We had a reunion recently, and said we would do it again, but haven't got round to it yet.i used to work in the hap on a sunday where we met every sunday.i live in monifieth now but used to live in woodhaven place barnhill. If anyone remembers the chalet nights i would love to hear from them at isobelmackie@aol.com.

I agree with everyone, broughty ferry is a great place to visit. I love going in for a coffee with my friends.

Cassandra Crichton,  Australia, 5/7/02

I am actually trying to track down some information on the Crichtons of Dundee.

I am a direct descendant to Thomas Crichton  -born 1712. Thomas Crichton was born around 1712 and his sons John and Archibald were fairly famous - so I am led to believe.  John was a Lithotomist and renowned doctor, while his brother was almost as famous and I know he died in his house at Broughty Ferry.  Also one of their ancestors was an Anne Saunders who was a writer from Broughty Ferry and I have one of her letters Circa 1840 written about the Crichton Family.Don't know if you have any info,but didn't think it would do any harm to ask.

David Rastall, Frederick, Maryland, USA,22/6/02

Reading all the letters from people who remember Broughty Ferry as young children makes me want to add my contribution.  I attended Mrs White’s Nursery School, then after that the “wee” Grove Academy during the years 1947 to 1951.  We first lived in Dundee, at 16 Duntrune Terrace.  We emigrated to South Africa in 1952, and for six months or so before we left I lived with my mother in the Woodlands Hotel in Broughty Ferry while my father was getting thing settled in Johannesburg.  My memories of Broughty Ferry are few but very clear -  for example I remember the Caronia docking there.  I also remember nearby Kinnoul Hill. Oh, don’t get me going

 Robert Ness, 28/5/02

came across your website while browsing the net and the childhood memories just came flooding back....I had a lot of holidays in Broughty ferry when I was a wee lad. I stayed in the "links cottages"with old granny henderson......the wee shop on the corner was a treasure trove to me I can still smell the sweetness of it. I'm now 58 and can still see it all...great!
                         keep up the good work great site!

J Chong, Singapore, 10/5/02

Hi I am from Singapore - a far away land. Glad to drop a few lines here. I was in Broughty Ferry for 3 days (one and a half year ago) and loved every minutes here. Vividly remembered one of the evening - it was raining lightly and was admiring the castle near to the river; the lovely swans; the rainbow; the beautiful breeze; the simple meal by the water front ... Similarly unforgettable was the morning walk - the sun rise; the rabbits; the refreshing smell of the plants; the railway tracks ... Thanks for the lovely memories... it will always linger in my mind. Beautiful Broughty Ferry!- I will remember you from across the miles.

Heather Regester, formally Brunton, 8/5/02

My name is Heather Regester, formally Brunton. I spent about 8 years in the Ferry around 1955-63.  I went to the Eastern Primary school and then on to Grove Academy.  While at the Grove my best friend was Mary Davidson (we lost touch many years ago).  My father & mother Rod & Mary Brunton owned and operated The Heather Home Bakery at 326 Brook Street.  My brother Rod was a policeman in Dundee.  I would love to hear from anyone who might remember me or my family.  I now live in California and my Email address is heatherregester@cox.net.    It was so nice to find this site on the internet and I look forward to more updates and picture of the Ferry..  

Stephen Mansfield, Glasgow, 2/5/02

Broughty Ferry, the happiest and shortest lived times of my life. We moved from Newport on Tay to a new house in Fairfield Drive off Strathearn Road around 1959. My first school was Grove Primary in 1960 but had to uproot to Glasgow the next year where I still live. Still think of the Ferry though and my best friend Grant Maxwell. I have a school pic from 1960 on my web site http://stephenmansfield.co.uk  Love to hear from anyone in the photograph. Great site. Stephen

Heather Regester, Goleta, California, 11/4/02

My maiden name was Heather Brunton and we lived in Broughty Ferry for about eight years between 1955 & 1963.  My father & mother owned and operated the Heather Home Bakery at 326 Brook Street.  I attended Eastern primary school and then the Grove Academy.  I would be interested in hearing from any-one who remembers my family.  My Email address is heatherregester@cox.net.   I really enjoyed seeing the pictures on this site.

Alec Lilburn, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, USA, 6/4/02

 I went to the Eastern, the Grove and lived in the Sandy Hole and Campfield Gdns. Ferry was the BEST place to grow up, unfortunately no interesting jobs once one has grown up. The Ferry has changed a lot and not for the better, I still have lots of family there. Left about ‘69 to work in London then onto California. Been here for 21 years. Can contact me at aleclilburn@pobox.com

Pat Fawcett, Corby Northants 27/3/02

Visiting this site was a nostalgic experience, I went to Eastern primary and the Grove Academy. We lived in the flats on Queen Street and in a prefab in Barnhill..I last visited Broughty Ferry six years ago. It was great because it had not changed and I left in 1962..Visiting Barnhill was different, when did the prefabs disappear ? I love the site and hope it encourages visitors to the Ferry it is a great experience.

Roderick Kackenzie, Doha, Qatar, 24/02/2002

I was brought up in the ferry till my family moved to Douglas in 1955 when I was 9. We lived above Corbets paper shop in 302 Brook Street. My father was a Hairdresser in Draffens of Dundee and my Mother was a Home help. I loved my time in the Ferry especially the long summer holidays. I left the area 1962 to join the Royal Navy and have only been back a few times since. I now live and work in the Middle East with plans to retire on the beautiful Island of Corfu but I am still a Ferry boy at heart. e-mail roddymckenzie@hotmail.com

Mike Farringham, Glamis, 04/03/2002

My mother was a Broughty girl (Taymouth Place) and I lived in Forthill from the ages of three till seven (1941-1945) attending the "wee" Grove for primaries one and two. I still have a lot of (jumbled) memories from all these years ago. Whyttocks Cafe, Miss White's Nursery School, Miss
Mann at the Grove, my first girl-friend (four years old) dying from diptheria, the Regal Cinema (terrified by the witch in Snow White), the Broughty Picture House, the pavement artist outside the Post Office, Reid's the grocer, Bowman's the stationer, the Polish soldiers, seaplanes on the Tay, the air-raid sirens, the whale-bone arch, the playground fight with a  "friend" (iodine in the scratches from the Jannie, a sweet from Miss Mann), buying Oxo cubes in place of the unavailable sweets, and a German bomber shot down in flames during the night at Forthill (is this a figment of my imagination?). Still a favourite location.

Sheila Fleeton (was Cameron), Australia, 17/02/2002

Hi there, Wonderful to see your web site. I was brought up essentially in Broughty Ferry and went to the Grove Academy. My name then was Sheila Cameron and I lived with my parents brother and sister in Castle Street B/Ferry I am interested to catch up with anyone from the period from 1955 -1967. I lived in South Africa and now am resident in Australia. My e-mail address is: newlife@shoal.net.au 

F W Brand 7/2/02

I have many fond memories of growing up in the Ferry, and here is just a few.
I was born in Castle Street, in1934, and remember the pierrot show `s on the beech, at the Castle end of the beech next to what was the shelters and the toilets, and also Baptist Church sing songs, where crowds of people gathered to sing songs and listen, (Jesus wants me for a sunbeam.)
The sand then was about five or six feet below the prom wall, you had to go down the steps or jump of the wall to the beech.
And during the war when a merchant ship was sunk at the mouth of the Tay, carrying food and supplies, and they were washed up on the beech, and the local folk were all down there prams and wheel barrows, collecting what they could load up and take away, and I can remember the police visiting all the houses and knocking on the doors and trying to retrieve, the butter, oranges,flour,and eggs, and so on that was collected by the residents, but by this time it had all been hidden away.
We as kids, used to have boxing matches in the drying greens, tying rope round the four poles, and obtaining boxing gloves, that we were giving as Christmas presents, then as the
people passed on there way to the Chalet Ballroom on the esplanade, the would stop and watch, that's when we would go around with the hat collecting, what pennies we could, finishing up in the fish and chip shop close by.
I can remember the big guns mounted next to castle, pointing up the tay, and the barbed wire in the front of them on the beech, and the search lights, in the night sky.
We used to go to Castle Roy, with all the family, and listen to the pipe bands, and the lucky dips, that were barrels of sawdust, with gifts, wrapped in parcels, to pull out the barrels.
I could go on a lot more, with stories of the Ferry, but, I think this is a good time to thank you for a very interesting web site, and long may it continue, because of the great interest it gives to many ex ferry folk, thank you. BGRANDAD@aol.com 

Anne Dagen, 1/2/02 

Several people on the memories page asked about the tail end of fishing in the Ferry. I remember Chick Webster who, I think, made his living fishing from a small boat in the late 50s - early 60s

Pat Turner, 26/1/02 

How totally wonderful to have found this site. My dad was born in Broughty Ferry, 3 Derby Place, and I have heard many stories. Is Dalgety's Imporium still in Dundee? I am of Brown, Campbell, Dalgety lineage and am doing ongoing research. Anyone wishing to exchange information may contact me: mommat35@hotmail.com I too think a group mailing list would be a wonderful idea.

Thomas Henry Frederick Walton 5/1/02

To Whom it May Concern My name is Thomas Henry Frederick Walton and I live in Chilliwack British Columbia Canada. I was born in Winnipeg Manitoba in 1943. My father died six months before I was born and I was raised by my grandmother and mother. My grandmother spoke often about Broughty Ferry and Scotland and hopefully I will be able to visit in the not too distant future. My grandmothers name was Jean Hodge Patterson. She died in 1969 at the age of 92 or 93. I*m not sure what year she immigrated. She married a man named Sparkes. Would you be able to find out if she is still on the birth registry? Any information would be appreciated. Thank You Tom My mailing address is: 44697 Kimberly Place Chilliwack, BC, V2R 3H1 Canada

James Aitken, Sunshine Coast Queensland Australia, 31/12/2001 

Love the site.........so many nostalgic memories of days gone by. What a pity I didn't appreciate more the lifestyle we enjoyed as kids. I went to Grove Academy for a year in around 1947/48 before being transferred to England with my father's job. I lived in Broughty Ferry but cannot remember the street name. I have looked at some online maps but they are not detailed enough. Is it possible for you to include a detailed street map of BF so that us expatriates can track down some of the features that are hidden deep in the memory banks. I am amazed at the number of 'Ferrians' that are scattered all over the world.......just shows we were an adventurous lot......but then again that is a Scottish trait from past centuries. Best wishes for 2002 and congratulations on a site that obviously brings a lot of pleasure to a lot of people. James Aitken Queensland Australia

F W Brand, 29/12/01

Hello, I would like to say how pleased I am to find your site, and what a wonderful job you do in bringing so many people brought up in the Ferry together again, keep up this wonderful web page, I log in on a regular basis to see if there are any names, or comments of interest to read, thank you.
I was born in the Sandy Hole 1934, in a family of seven, started school at the Little Western, and then on to Eastern, and so on to the Grove, leaving in 1949.
I have many good memories, as well as sad ones, but certainly unforgettable ones
I leave you my e-mail if any one is still about who I grew up with in these days.

BGRANDAD@AOL.COM 

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