DD9 Connections Issue No. 12

Brechin Now and Then

Our Macmillan Coffee morning on 28th October raised over £270 so a big thank you to those who braved the awful weather or sent a donation in lieu of donning wellies and sou’westers.

Following the piece in Issue 10 about photos of days gone by in Brechin we have been back to Airlie Gardens using the photos which Greg found during his research. He posed some questions too to jog memories of buildings now and then – could we remember what used to be where Boots is now? There were also fascinating pages from the Brechiner – names of businesses long gone and 1980s Christmas grocery prices from the Co-op. How things have changed!

We’ll be making this a regular session at Airlie Gardens and we plan to visit St Drostan’s Court in January. Other topics to explore are ‘Industries and Employment’ (Dukie’s, the Cannery), ‘Street Names and their history’ ( Boyd-Orr Avenue) ‘Pubs, Clubs and Restaurants’ (The Eagle Inn, The Steak House, the Crown Hotel) ‘Farms and Farming Families’ (too many to mention).

We’ll keep working with the folk at Airlie Gardens to fill up all those empty premises with shops and businesses from the past. Anyone remember the Penguin Cafe and the Viennese Cafe? Kings Launderette? Cross the Newsagent? Kay’s Garage? Collie’s Garage? George Steele’s – electrician
and TV engineer?

That’s just to get you started! What we’re really desperate to find out – what was at 24 St David’s Street before our Jenner Centre, Santander Bank and the Alliance and Leicester Building Society?

If anyone has stories and memories they’d like to share – and make sure they’re not forgotten – pop into the Jenner Centre on Mondays and have a blether. Or ask us to join in with your group to help stir up the memories.

Moira Robertson,
Trustee