Severe winters

“I have memories of three bad winters in Dundee – 1959/60, then 1978 and 2010,” says John Stoa, our gardening columnist. “I worked at Dawson Park as an apprentice gardener, but lived in St Mary’s. Although I usually cycled to work, the winter of 1959/60 was so bad that I could not even get a bus.

“I walked to Beechwood to get a bus to the town, then another bus to Dawson Park. It was a Saturday morning and when I arrived I got a severe reprimand for being late. (I had to turn up as there was no pay if you didn’t.)

“Then foreman Wullie said: ‘Let’s go. We have pitches to mark out at Claypotts park.’ I replied: ‘Wullie, it’s blowing a blizzard, nobody will turn up.’ He replied: ‘The team paid for the pitch so it is an essential task.’

“Out at Claypotts, in the blizzard, I shouted to the foreman: ‘Wullie, I canna see the lines’ and he shouted: ‘No need to see the lines, you know what a football pitch looks like.”

“In disgust and to help get rid of numerous bags of sawdust I gave the penalty spot a huge bagful so the team could see it sticking out above the snow field.

“Then in 1978 I worked in Darlington Parks, but came home to Dundee for Christmas. Severe winter arrived with deep snow. There were no trains or buses and all roads were blocked, so I got an extra week up north. We were stuck indoors at Kinneff Crescent, in the Brackens, but father-in-law suggested trying to find a path down to the Nine Maidens pub. Although nobody could get to work, the pub was packed.

“The year 2010 was hard to beat for deep snow that took ages to melt. I’ve attached a photograph to show our City Road allotment.”