The Howden End - 1965 - 1996.

[Charles Bannerman]

I wondered if I should have started this thread in the Olde Inverness section which is going great guns just now, but since it refers to one of ICT's predecessor institutions, I thought I would put it here.

Today's Courier has in its "From the Archives" section a feature on the garden business Howdens which has reminded me of the period (apparently from 1961-65) when Howdens was on the corner of Union St and Church St where that coffee shop is now. Since I was pretty young at the time, this is something of which I was only vaguely aware at the time and of which I have now been reminded.

However what is relevant about Howdens on here is that I never really realised that the company didn't move to Telford St until 1965. I started going to Caley games in about 1964 so this "new place" called Howdens obviously set up shop next door to Telford St Park quite soon after that. On the other hand, a new plant nursery isn't exactly something which would catch the eye of an 11 year old going to a football match.

So the point is that at this stage in the mid 60s the legend of "The Howden End" didn't actually exist and I would suspect that it must have been the late 60s at least before the name caught on. As a result I have discovered today that The Howden End is a rather more recent feature than I actually realised. That will probably be appreciated by the over 60s among ex-Caley fans, but I'm not sure how aware the relative youngsters are that The Howden End had not been a feature since time began and in fact only existed under that name for a relatively small portion of Caley's histort, right at the end.

I suppose this also calls into question just how Immortal any Howden Ender could be

Edited January 23, 2015 by Charles Bannerman

[Yngwie]

What was on that site before Howdens moved in?

[Scarlet Pimple]

Interesting post C.B.

 

I started going to the Caley park about  1953 or 1954. At that time there was definitely a nursery there because I do also remember the Italian prisoners of war that worked there, probably from about 1942 to 1945, to whom my mother would give the odd cup of tea over the hedge separating the nursery from my back garden on Dunain Road.

I also remember the name as always being Howdens and nothing else. Now, maybe some other outfit did own the ground that stretched right up to Fairfield Road and bounded by the Bumbers lane but what their name was I really could not tell.

 

I think quite a few of the prisoners (of which, frankly , there were not that many as I recall) remained residents of Inverness?

A list of names would be great to see and what contribution they made to the town would also be very interesting to learn about.

 

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

The Howden End was immortalised in the early 1970's. I do not know who exactly coined the phrase but it was at a time when the home ends in many of the big grounds had names that linked into the singing sections and the "lads". Cellic had the Jungle and Rangers had the Copeland Road, Aberdire had the Beach End but out of England sprung delightful names such as the Shed, the Kop, the Stretford End, The North Bank etc. if any one person drove the Howden End it was Norman Gordon who designed many of the hooligan type badges which revered the Howden End and songs arose from there. It became our territory, it became our identity, it became a name of pride, family and togetherness.

There was no comparable end or section in the Highlands. Borough Briggs had the side section with it's stoopid fencing separating the two sets of fans although the Staigo were the best organised hooligans. I can't remember when the Jail End came about but we used to stand in on many occasions.

Unfortunately my immortality was cursed on me many hundreds of years ago but my recent life span links me to the most endearing piece of tin wonders EVER. The end however was always the gathering place of the faithful.

The Howden End is in the sky - the Howden End will never die - it will live on for ever.

[lizi]

You been on the electric soup again IHE?    See you tomorrow!.

[dougiedanger]

In other news, the Allied Carpets End may not have always been called that either.

[Scarlet Pimple]

Nope. Now we are in the top tier it probably would now be called the European Bayeux Tapestry end.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

The Inverness Courier Headquarters End and the Travelling Peoples Accommodation End (although that may be apt fer the next home game  )