Similar view today Craigie

Kenneth Baxter has sent in the photograph on the right and explains: “I thought this image might be of interest. It is a view looking down Reform Street, Dundee, from the High Street in 1922.

“In many ways the same view today is not that much different, in spite of nearly a century having elapsed since this picture was taken. However, the forms of transport seen here have vanished from Dundee.

“At this time, the trams were the main form of public transport in the city and one can be seen in this picture. Also no motor vehicles are visible, but two horse-drawn carts can be seen.”

Memorable service

“As lockdown seemed to be losing its grip, I phoned our church elder to ask what was happening with our church services,” writes a Craigie regular.

“His reply was a disappointment: ‘There’s no likelihood of a Sunday service in our church in the near future.’ September was the only possibility mentioned.

“For a lifelong church-goer such as me, Sunday without morning service is not Sunday. Churches I have attended since 1933 are: St David’s (North) Church, Dundee; Carlisle Church of Scotland; Crown Court Church, London; Moseley Presbyterian Church, Birmingham; Kingussie Parish Church; West Associate Church, Peterhead; a Protestant church in Graz, Austria; Kinnoull Parish Church, Perth; and Army church services in Catterick, Loughborough and Cyprus.

“The quaintest was a Church of Scotland in Madeira. It looked like a Scottish church, built as it was in traditional granite. Its interior was also authentic, with solid wooden pews, pulpit, communion table and many plaques on the walls commemorating Scottish exiles.

“That’s where the Scottish connection ended. The minister who greeted me at the door was Portuguese. He was chatting away to parishioners who all seemed to be Portuguese and the whole service was in Portuguese. And if you haven’t sung The Old Rugged Cross in Portuguese, you haven’t lived.

“All our church elder could offer recently was the online service broadcast by our church since lockdown began. That’s no use to me, as online and I are not compatible.

“Are there any churches in the Perth area currently holding traditional services? I should be delighted to attend if I knew where and when any such services could be found.”

Still have book prize

“I reckon that Margaret Jamieson must have been at ‘Cleppie’ a year ahead of me,” says Donald Abbott of Invergowrie. “Her piece brought back memories, particularly of some of the superb teachers – Mrs Mathers (infants), the kindly Miss Wemyss from Birkie, Mr Ritchie (depute headmaster,) Miss Isa Fisher, Miss Sharp, Miss Penny and

Miss Robertson from Newport-on-tay, not forgetting the janitor Mr Abernethy.

“Later, Alex Spence was to see us and others from neighbouring schools through the six months wait from the spring ‘Quali’ before we set off for Morgan Academy. During his tenure we spent a week in ‘camp’ at Belmont Estate.

“Who could forget Charles Ramsay the headmaster, who played the organ at Dundee Congregational Church. I still have my book prize from Miss Robertson from Cleppie days. What grand memories Margaret Jamieson resurrected, including the walk to school from my Woodside Terrace home.”

Bike as evidence

“Eric Niven’s photograph of his bike, in the Sidlaws, evoked strong memories of cycle visits to Perthshire trigpoints,” emails Malcolm Cameron of Guildtown.

“During such trips, I, too, would snap my trusty Dawes Roadster as evidence of my presence. I have enjoyed many cycle runs over the lovely Sidlaw hills and as recently as last week tackled Ballo Hill, my personal Alpe d’huez.”

Picture: University of Dundee Archive Services. Reform Street, Dundee, in 1922. Read more at the top of the left-hand column.

“This tortoiseshell butterfly was in my garden enjoying the flowers on the hebe,” says Tricia Brown of Meigle. “I thought your readers might like its colours, which are so lovely, particularly the blue round the edge of the wings.”