Eastgate ( Of Old )

[Scarlet Pimple]

Absent friend---when you mentioned the Homes and the Allen brothers memories came flooding back. In the Royal Academy in my time in the early fifties there were two roustabouts named Johm Homes (or Holmes) and Willie Allan, reputedly from the Ferry but origin truly unknown. John and Willie were there for nothing but a a good time and both terrorised Boosey the music teacher to tears which at first we all found diverting and funny until THE GENTLEMAN BURST INTO TEARS ONE DAY AND WENT BERSERK RUSHING UP THE LANE BETWEEN THE DESKS AND SMACKING WILLIE SO HARD ON THE HEAD THAT IT NEARLY KNOCKED HIM OUT BUT HE HARDLY FLINCHED. They were not violent but just totally disruptive ansd were thrown out of class many times. IO got the impression that both were quite bright but just could not be bothered applying themselves. I wonder if there is any connection with your "brothers"?

The Borestone is interesting to me since one day in the dim past  ( well, only some 53 years ago)  I and some other teenagers cycled up to the Borestone and I suggested that henceforth we should form a cycling club named the Borestone Cycling Club. I think the view from the Borestone turned my head or something making me feel expansive. There was muttered agreement but nothing concrete came of it so that bright idea was consigned to the waste bin ..sigh... :016:

I remember the ice cream shop on Greig Street  where I had quite a few delicious cones.

This is a great memory lane thread..Charles your knowledge and memory is stupefying.... :016:

[canuck]

Latviaman, Laura Pagliari did indeed marry a singer named Drew Ross who sang with the ''Flock'' Tommy Torrance who stayed in Heatherly Crescent played lead guitar. Alistair (beanz) MacBean played bass and George MacDonald was on drums, Beanz and George stayed in Laurel Avenue. I believe Drew originally came from ''out of town'' out Bunchrew/Kirkhill way. The Flock were very popular, had a big following in the late 60's/early 70's.

[Guest Atholl]

There were the Pieracinis (spelling?) - Charlie, as in 'Charlie's Cafe' (who I worked for after school) and his brother Claire who ran 'Charlie's Chip Shop' on Grant St. (I was in school with Clair's son Martin in the 70's.) Also, I remember Mike Persikini, who used to have the chip shop on Well's St.

I got Martins job when he left .. worked at Charlies circa 1979/80 my first job (after school and all day Saturday). I remember stashing a Radio in the Store at the back to keep tabs on the 1980 Scottish Cup final between the Old Firm...  whenever I think back with nostalgia I remember the smell of Coffee in the store and the Sections of Pig ready for slicing hanging up on hooks ..

and Charlie shouting at the top of his voice on a busy Saturday afternoon "BROTHEL ... GET THOSE TABLES CLEANED.."

[SMEE]

Am 36 and my memories of Eastgate are limited. I remeber Boots Corner :021: and the traffic going thro eastgate and inglis street. Hanging about the back of Woolies on a Sat (if Caley were away) was the in thing to do in late 70/early 80s. TORS record shop on raining stairs. About time we had one of the same idea since vinyl is coming back!!

Sat shopping was a lottery on high st in them days for near getting hit by cars. Moving further down to Tomnahurich street............best pies I ever had...Munro's the bakers, roughly where bookies is now.

And in 80s, Mama Mia's takeaway, which we would frequent on our way home from Baths for a 50p special of the day.

Wm Lows (excellent curried pies) next to where primark is now before they moved to the now Tesco Metro.

Templetons where poundstrecher is now. Fine fare on Academy street (opposite where traffic comes out of queensgate) and their green sausages!

I recall thursdays for the cattle mart at queesgate. I dont really remember anything prior to eastgate Centre opening for that area. Wasnt it smeone from high scool who designed the logo for eastgate thro a competition?

[Charles Bannerman]

Strange thing about Boots' Corner is that I passed it so often (up to four times a day to and from school for a start) but on no occasion was I ever aware of the activities for which it was notorious!

[SMEE]

Was it not more a case of it being an urban myth?

[Charles Bannerman]

Smee... this is what I've never been sure of!

[SMEE]

I honestly dont know the truth about boots corner,as I was a mere tiddler in them days.... however av heard theres few "boots corners" these days dotted across Sneckie.

i suppose its part and parcel with being a fast growing city.

[Guest Jock Watt]

Strange thing about Boots' Corner is that I passed it so often (up to four times a day to and from school for a start) but on no occasion was I ever aware of the activities for which it was notorious!

What activities Charles ????  Please explain !!!!

[Charles Bannerman]

You know pefectly well!

[Guest Jock Watt]

You know pefectly well!

No, I honestly don't ! :024: :024: :024: :024:

[Charles Bannerman]

Boots' Corner, in the 60s at any rate, had a reputation as the gathering place for the local ladies of pleasure. However I have to say I never saw any direct evidence to this effect.

[Guest Jock Watt]

Boots' Corner, in the 60s at any rate, had a reputation as the gathering place for the local ladies of pleasure. However I have to say I never saw any direct evidence to this effect.

Tell you the truth, I never knew that there were ANY local ladies of pleasure in Inverness!

But then, innocence ruled in the 50s and 60s.

[Kingsmills]

It certainly had that reputation, although I'm bound to say that my research as a curious teenager uncovered no evidence to support the rumour.

[Guest sophia]

Although I'm much too young for this malarkey I've identified 2.5 out of the Tenerife Trio, I can't track down the rest!

Tom Anderson (keyboards)

Ted Walker (drums)

Les ??? (guitar)

One of the 3 used to work at a world renowned engineering company formally based in Rose Street.

[Charles Bannerman]

Sophia.... Les Munro perhaps? He was the ex husband of Louise Munro, well known personality with Inverness Opera Company and The Florians and for many years school secretary at Inverness Royal Academy. He used to wear dark rimmed glasses I think. I believe they used to live in the "Electric Flats" in St. Valery Avenue.

Tom Anderson was Head of Music at Millburn for many years and organist at St. Columba High Church. I always thought it was quite ironic that on a Saturday night Tom would be playing in a pub and on Sunday morning in a church just 100 yards away.

I believe it was Ted Walker the drummer who worked at AI Welders.. simply known as "the Welders"... in Rose Street. He lived in the part of St. Ninian Drive beside the garages, away from the main cul de sac. When we were kids we used to wind him up no end by hammering with our heels on the tin doors of these garages. His own kids, who were younger, would be trying to sleep so he went ballistic which of course made us worse. I think he was even playing in that trio in these days... before alcohol ever passed my lips.

I first saw and heard the Tenerife Trio in the days when closing time was 10pm and you really had to deck your last few drinks at enormous speed... before going home because there was nothing else to do in Inverness unless you were going downstairs to "The Caley" which was never a favourite with me.

PS - AI Welders certainly did their bit for the war effort during WW2. They played a big part in the construction of PLUTO ...PipeLine Under The Ocean... which in 1944 carried fuel from the UK to Normandy before the Allies captured a proper port after the invasion.

[Fanoffooty]

Does anyone remember "The Sheiling" gift shop in Eastgate ?( it was an aladdins cave )& i remember the gift shops in the market , where i got my Donny Osmond pendant !

[Kingsmills]

Still plenty of shops in Inverness selling tourist tat.

[Guest sophia]

Charles,

At my Alma Mater at the top of Stephens Brae I often wondered where the 12:30 hooter sounded from. It was indeed from the "The Welders".

Inverness is richer now in many ways but poorer for the lack of quirky things like the 12:30.

[Charles Bannerman]

So did you, like me, ever sit in English Room 7 (where you got the loudest blast, presumably because it was nearest the Welders) and when it went off you realised you only had 15 minutes to go until lunch time?

[SMEE]

Charles,

At my Alma Mater at the top of Stephens Brae I often wondered where the 12:30 hooter sounded from. It was indeed from the "The Welders".

Inverness is richer now in many ways but poorer for the lack of quirky things like the 12:30.

My mates and I were discussing this last week and I am positive it used to go off at 1:30 also. Can anyone confirm this? I am positive it was my signal that Trumpton and Camberwick Green were about to start on tv.

[Guest sophia]

Charles,

I can just about picture the stairs, the library to the left and the assembly hall but for class numbers or even class locations, well I'm afraid my memory bank isn't open.

Hooters:

Yep, I'm told it sounded for the start and finish of the lunch break.

How long is a standard lunch hour nowadays?

[Guest dougald]

I too never knew the delights of Boots corner, perhaps we were more innocent then?

Hitting Inverness soon for my brothers 60th soon would like to meet all you on this for the crack