Shared their shoes

“Though neither an indigenous local nor a historian, as a born and bred Clydesider, an area frequently visited by Lascar seamen, I can perhaps shade some light on your reader’s inquiry,” emails Crawford Taylor of Wolfhill.

“Lascars were simply what is now termed as Asian crew and the term refers to crew from any part of Asia, east of the Cape of Good Hope. It is, therefore, neither a term with affinity to any particular race or religion. Having said that, given India’s former membership of the British Empire and its connection with the Dundee jute trade, the Lascars embarking at Dundee docks would most probably have originated from the Indian sub continent.

“My late father worked in the True-form shop in Argyle Street, Glasgow, between leaving school and commencing his engineering apprenticeship. Lascars were regular customers there. As they entered the shop, the manager and senior staff would beat a hasty retreat to the storeroom, having delegated my father to deal with them.

“They would come in as a group, most often barefooted, and would try on numerous styles but would ultimately always want a pair of the cheapest shoes available and also one pair that fitted each and every one within their group.

“Apparently, they shared the shoes for a day each. Consequently, the shoes would be miles too big for some of them, but this did not seem to bother them. Once they finally agreed on a pair, using their limited English, they tried to barter down the price – which, of course, was not an option – so would often leave without buying anything at all!

“My father said they usually came in, each wearing several hats, one on top of the other, that they had purchased second-hand, from the Barrows, up at the Gallowgate and London Road. These hats would be taken to their home port where, perhaps surprisingly, they were much sought after and could be sold for a handsome profit.”

Arthur Bruce sent in this photograph and says: “Here is a picture I took the other day. It is of Stair Dam, which is at the side of the road between Bankfoot and Dunkeld. It was just so still and peaceful looking.”