Dundee’s Lost Tales – Life in the 1900’s
In the thirties, Dundee was home to a skating rink
Snowstorms, theatre and a record breaking policeman. These are some of the highlights experienced in the early to mid 20th century, all in Dundee.
The great snowstorms of 1905, 1923 and 1957 have mot since been rivaled.
‘Telegraph poles bent at right angles’ and ‘snow so thick it covered up sheep so that only their noses were visible,’ are, although exaggerated, testament to the intensity of the storms. The Biggarsburg passes were closed and motorists were stranded for up to 30 hours.
despite the snowstorms notoriety, what really got people talking was…wait for it, fashion.
The America Recolution seemed to have influenced the younger generation. In a bold fashion statement, young men parted their hair in the middle and slicked it with Brilliantine. The women wore bobs with head bands and scandalously covered their legs in ‘holeless hosiery’ and sleeveless (GASP) tops.
Talking about American influence, a prestigious theatre company, Leonard Rayne, enjoyed regular visits from leading ladies like Muriel Alexander and Marda Vanna. Sadly Hollywood killed of the theatre. Dundee Pictures Ltd secured a contract with MGM and 20th Century Fox. They also boasted about having ‘the cheapest seats in Natal’.
And in the thirties, Dundee was home to a skating rink. Adjacent to the present day Spar, it featured a record breaking stunt. Angus McIntyre, a policeman managed to skate non-stop for 24 hours.
Usefule information time: The pole that held the skating rink’s roof up, has since been turned into a kitchen table.
