I’m just back from 12 days in Denmark and Sweden with the Ambassador Cruise line which sailed from Dundee.
When travelling it’s impossible not to compare life here with other cities and countries; that’s how we learn what we’re doing right, what we’re getting wrong, and what we might do to improve things.
In both Scandinavian countries I saw hardly any graffiti, no beggars, and no buskers, and the levels of street cleanliness was miles ahead of our increasingly tatty and dirty thoroughfares.
The one big difference I also saw was that many more folk live in their city centre areas.
Unlike cities like Dundee and other UK towns, I found Copenhagen and Aarhus in Denmark, and Stockholm in Sweden were all busy vibrant city centres heavily populated with people living downtown.
That sustains a café, club, and restaurant culture, and genuine feel of being cities which are built for both work and play.
I firmly believe we need to bring back that sense of busyness and vitality to Dundee city centre which at nights is often like a ghost town.
It would be a huge economic and social boost to the city if we could convert empty space above shops and business premises into living accommodation, and if we made a determined effort to bring back such a sense of life and energy to the centre of town by substantially increasing the numbers of folk living there.
More city centre residents would bring buzz back to Dundee
Older Dundonians still wax lyrical about the great bustle and throng which historic areas like the Overgate, Scouringburn, and Hawkhill, once teemed with.
If we could re-create that today with a large city centre population with modern housing facilities it would recreate that sense of buzz which older Dundee folk still get dewy eyed about.
It was very interesting hearing the views of those on the ship who’d visited the city on previous cruises.
The folk I spoke to were all enthralled by their visits to the RRS Discovery, and Verdant Works was a big hit too.
There was a sense that both attractions told a story about the city and its people, both in the remarkable quality of the construction of the ship, which Scott and his crew sailed to one of the planet’s most inhospitable places; and in the hard manual graft and tough conditions which the city’s jute workers endured for low wages.
The V&A though, while impressing in design, was found by many to contain too little of interest in too large a space.
Arrival in most ports which by nature are industrial unattractive places isn’t a cruise highlight, and owners Forth Ports should improve the makeshift marquee facilities with a permanent more hospitable structure to welcome visitors to the city.
Sprucing up the facilities with a proper terminal building might attract more cruise ships, generating increased tourist income.
There were also lessons to be learned not just from our European neighbours.
The last stop before Dundee was in Tynemouth just outside Newcastle.
It’s a pretty little town with lots of bohemian cafes and shops and a great indoor market at the Metro station selling everything from Newcastle Utd merchandise to second hand Levi’s, to fresh roasted coffee and artisan bread.
It was choc-a-bloc with many of the 1,200 cruisers as well as customers from all over Tyneside.
It reminded me of the glory days of Dens Road Market, and Lorne Street Market where I once had a stall selling cheesecloth shirts and T shirts; it rekindled my memories as a once budding Del Boy.
A similar attraction would be a great asset to Dundee.
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