Do You Remember The Old Telford Street ?

[Guest Glen Mhor]

The Telford Street of 30 years ago or so seems like another world looked at from 2007.

Do you remember the old businesses, the shops, the characters ?

Greigs Garage, Frozen Foods, Ross's Shop, Mackinlay & Birnie's distilleries, Macvinish the builders, Ness Motors. All gone.

Now sadly gone too -  Cabers Mackenzie, Wattie Philips, Ronnie Slucock.

[canuck]

How many of our ''users'' remember the old Canning Factory on Telford St?

[Scotty]

The Telford Street of 30 years ago or so seems like another world looked at from 2007.

Do you remember the old businesses, the shops, the characters ?

Greigs Garage, Frozen Foods, Ross's Shop, Mackinlay & Birnie's distilleries, Macvinish the builders, Ness Motors. All gone.

Now sadly gone too -  Cabers Mackenzie, Wattie Philips, Ronnie Slu****.

I remember Frozen Foods, the Distilleries and various other things from there but most of all from that list I remember Wattie very well, a good family friend and a great guy ....... sadly missed

[Charles Bannerman]

My mother used to get her groceries delivered weekly by Willie Ross who had the shop up by the canal. He would phone her for the order and a couple of hours later it would be delivered personally. Each month when she paid the bill there would be a box of chocs thrown in as well. Willie was our family supplier of MacKintosh's Lemonade... remember the Queens Cup?

But eventually, despite the personal service, Willie just couldn't compete with supermarket prices and we had to get our stuff from  the Coop.

On a Saturday when Caley were at home, Willie would come out of the shop for a wee while and watch the game standing on the wall at Greig's garage.

[caley100]

I seem to remember Caledonian Mcbrayne had a yard there, sort of beyond Greigs, was that part of the distillery or was it there at the same time?

[SMEE]

Macbraynes yard, wasnt part of the distillireies and was on Carse road along with Hall And Tawse's yards. Nobody has mentioned the old Laundry that burnt down beside Greigs Garage.

[SMEE]

There was also the day when the other side of the telford st bridge consisted of a couple of police houses and the muirton motel and not much else other than balnaftack farm up at the top of the hill. now.......... its houses all the way to loch ness road

[old caley girl]

I  lived in Telford St from 1975 - 1989. Well remember frozen foods, greig garage, the distillery etc. Still feel sad when I drive up Telford St and look at Currys etc

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Jhesus - What memories - I think that I have staggered, pissed and spewed in most of them - including oldcaleygirl's feckin garden.  :rotflmao: :rotflmao:

I used to walk down Kinmylies Brae (and feckin really struggle back up it) - remember how steep that was or through the fields from the Leachkin to avoid the dangerous winding corners of Balnafettack. Those were the days when ya feckin needed a bottle of Pomagne on the journey.  :rotflmao:

[canuck]

At the other side of the Telford St. Bridge, behind the prefabs was the ''Lion's Gatie'' or'' Tarnies'' where we used to knock the ''chessies'' off the trees and build tree forts. It was a wonderful place to play war games or cowboys and indians - very popular spot for us Dalneigh kids. I'm sure Jock Watt, Alex Mabon and some of our older ''users'' will remember the "lion's Gatie""

[Guest eliza]

In my far distant teenage days I remember getting in free to Caley games, because I chatted up the bloke in the turnstiles and helped him count the money - I remember him as John Pirie, and he was a Postie (wonder if he is still around?).

Years later, I worked part-time in the Bar of the Muirtown Motel - when it was Scottish Brewers - those were the days!  Polite in Upstairs! and the Bothan Bar, and "what do you want?" in the Public Bar.  Great days and very happy memories.

Who can recall the days of the Motel?

[canuck]

I remember the Muirtown Motel  very well,  a lovely young lady called Liz ( I don't want to mention her surname) also worked part- time in the bar. I found out  a couple of years ago that one of her workmates at her present full- time job has a brother who emigrated to Canada, and in fact worked with me directly at Boeing Toronto, small world!

John Pirie was indeed the name of the man at the turnstiles at  Telford St. park. I worked with him for many years as a ''postie''  I remember him as being Caley and Rangers ''daft!''

[Guest eliza]

Canuck - are you who I think you are!?  We had a mutual very tall friend?

Watching ICT in the SPL makes a big change from watching the Gellions team at the Bught!

What happy memories!  and I still have the photo of you and your mates, which you sent back with your mate's sister after her visit a couple of years ago!

What a small world!  We must email soon and catch up on the news!

[DJS]

Many memories for me reading all this as I spent the first 14 or so years of my life in one of the police houses just on the far side of the bridge.  I can still remember most of the people who lived in the prefabs there too.

Ross's shop was a regular haunt for sweeties and the like as was Donnie Matheson's filling station by the Muirtown Motel.

The aroma from any distillery I pass these days takes me back to the smells of growing up just across the canal from Glen Mhor and Glen Albyn.

I seem to remember MacBraynes had a depot up by the top locks at Muirtown where they kept their distinctive red and green buses.

[Guest Glen Mhor]

Aye, the top Muirtown Locks where the Scott II was moored when not taking people on cruises on Loch Ness.

Another ship with Muirtown connections was the Maureen Mhor, a luxury yacht (like a small liner) which was owned by a millionaire Niall Hodge who made his fortune out of plant hire with the company Scottish Land Developments in the 1950s and 1960s. Its master was a Henry Patience from Avoch who joined British Waterways when the Maureen Mhor was sold in South Africa when Mr Hodge died. It was a beautiful ship and I think it was built on the Clyde.

A famous person who visited the Muirtown locks was Peter Twiss, the famous test pilot who moored his yacht there for some repairs before setting off down Loch Ness.

Another ship with Muirtown connections was the Christian Bach, a schooner brigantine,  which was moored in the lower basin for a long time. Its owner/captain was a Chris Henderson from Port Lincoln, South Australia. I don't know what happened to him or the ship but I heard it might have ended up in Denmark. One thing I do recall about this ship was Selina Scott of Grampian TV did an interview with one of the crew who'd been bitten by a shark but not in the Muirtown Basin - I hope !

Still on a nuatical note - does anybody remember when the Round Britain Powerboat Race called at the Locks in 1968 or 1969 ? A rather good film of this race was made by Ford (I think) and was shown repeatedly when the BBC were testing out colour TV and Muirtown featured in part of it.

[DJS]

Oh yes, I remember the Maureen Mhor.  It wouldn't have looked out of place at Monte Carlo.  Other vessels that were regularly seen were the waterways work boats Wee Jean and Lochalsh.  Then there was the big lock lifter which was broken up latterly at South Kessock.

The 1969 Round Britain Powerboat Race is a vivid memory.  Muirtown was very exotic for a couple of days with all these speedboats sponsored by big companies like Bovril and Spam.  Believe some of them went aground around Fort George.  Funnily enough it's back in 2008.

Click Here

[SMEE]

There must have been another power boat race in the canal since 69 as I distinctly remember going to see them in muirton basin. Could have been early 80s. Also....i seem to remember a tall ship-esque type thing in the 70s, also in tha Basin

[Scarlet Pimple]

A power boat race in the canal ?--was it wide enough for two speedboats?

The prefabs above the bridge-- I remember them well. I knew a boy named Don Callum, had lovely parents, who lived in one of the prefabs. Don was heaftier than me and was feeling his oats I think and anticipated  a victory and kept pushing me to don the gloves. Finally I agreed and being of a lighter frame I kept his hefty punches at bay by dancing around. Then I gave him a flick on the face and to my utter astonishment he burst into tears whereupon mum came out and started laughing which made matters worse and that ended the soft shoe shuffle. Maybe I picked up some resin from the  adjoining tree and when I rubbed it in his eyes maybe that made them water . :015: Anyway, we remained pally thoughand no harm was done.

I remember having a meal once in the Roadhouse across the bridge and I remember IHE telling us  that he whizzed down the Leachkin brae without brakes on his bike--that must have been a sight for sore eyes LOL .

By the way, I was reading that the Council or some other official body has decided to  build a road tunnel under the canal to obviate road line-ups and congestion when the bridge has to be opened for a ship  but the article did not mention where--Telford street or up by the Cemetery--does anyone know the location?  Will start in a couple of years' time , maybe 3. :014:

[SMEE]

As far as i know pimple...........the bridge/tunnel will be out holm mains way, as thats where the new road is waiting to be built. also....the new road is due to come out at the old torvean quarry area

[Charles Bannerman]

The new section of road is due to link the present distributor road (which would be realigned) with the A82. Thuis link up would take place near Torvean. The two options discussed at the Council on Thursday were a high level bridge and a much more expensive 0.9km tunnel (?100M). By I think 41 votes to 21 the Council went for the tunnel. It so happened that earlier in the day Holyrood announed the canelleation of EARL (Edinburgh Airport Rail Link) and perhaps HC thought it might get its hands on a slice of the ?600M that won't be spent on that.

[SMEE]

The Council opted for the tunnel? WOW! Wonders will never cease. Its the way to go. :021:

[canuck]

Words cannot explain how much I enjoy this site! if I replied to all the entries that I recognize and remember I would be on this computer for hours and definately have a callus on my right finger (singular!)

Eliza I remember you very well, I am still in contact with our mutual friend. It is hard to believe it was in the mid 70's when we shared the same social circle. Incidentally I was at the same game when Jimmy Davidson continued playing with the severe head injury - what a change from modern day players (actors) I still love the game of football and the era whilst playing for the Gellions at the Bught (and in Spain)are days I will never forget.

Ed Waiter,We find out that through corresponding to this site we realized that I was best man at your wedding! and now have made contact after ''losing touch'' for about 35 years! Who is going to ''turn up'' next?'

I  will be coming ''home'' around the middle of April 2008 for a family celebration, hopefully I will get to meet many of our users either before a game at the '' Innes'' (where incidentally, Tommy Cumming and I played for the same domino team for years) or at a game, home or away. I will ask my Niece L.G. to be kind enough to set something up.

[Tichy_Blacks_Back]

Mr SP - my grandmother used to live in one of the prefabs - I was very young when she moved but do I remember them.  I also think the Mr Don Callum you refer to may be my uncle.  He married my father's sister - I will do some checking to see if I am correct  :024:

What a small place sneck can be....  :004:

[Tichy_Blacks_Back]

The new Telford Street (Retail) Park

[img width=500 height=332]http://www.scotaviaimages.co.uk/gallery/albums/scotavia/Inverness%20Muirton%20basin%20and%20locks.jpg

Photo from Scotavia Images

[Scarlet Pimple]

Tichy Black

What a thrill, not to mention a surprise, to read your post.

If Don Callum is indeed your Uncle please try to get him to become a member on here and I would love to hear from him by email. He will get a surprise too when he finds out who lurks under Mr Pimple's cloak? Just tell him I lived at 46 Dunain Road at that time. :021:

He was a well-built lad , that I do recall ,as well as the fact that his Dad was also called Don--does that resonate with you..?

I have lost touch with almost every person that I knew as a teenager in the fifties so it would be great to start finding out what happened to many of them

Cheers

Roderick