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Past Times

Dundee in the 1990s: William Low supermarket, a fun run and power boats parade

So how did Dundee look in 1994?
Graeme Strachan
Spay can art team in Kirkton in August 1994. Image: DC Thomson.
Spay can art team in Kirkton in August 1994. Image: DC Thomson.

Join us on a pictorial trip down memory lane back to 1994 in Dundee.

We’ve rewound the clock and opened DC Thomson’s archive to venture back 30 years.

The Channel Tunnel opened and the National Lottery was launched.

It was the Britpop era with the likes of Blur, The Charlatans, Echobelly, Oasis, Shed Seven and Suede providing a changing of the guard in the pop charts.

Not immediately though,

Wet Wet Wet stayed at number 1 in the singles chart for 15 weeks.

A loaf of bread cost 50p.

A litre of petrol was 51p and you would pay £1.41 for a pint.

So how did Dundee look in 1994?

Grab yourself a cuppa and enjoy having another browse back through the ages courtesy of The Dundonian, which appears in the Evening Telegraph every Wednesday.

Some of these photographs have not been seen for years.


William Low

Majorettes at William Low in Kingsway.
Majorettes at William Low in Kingsway. Image: DC Thomson.

Operation Shipshape was launched to raise funds for the restoration of the Discovery and William Low supermarket decided to sponsor the campaign.

Stars and Stripes baton twirlers from Cupar and head of appeal Henny King were photographed celebrating with Kingsway store manager David Patterson.

Power boats parade

Power boats parading at the Overgate.
Power boats parading at the Overgate. Image: DC Thomson.

Some of the world’s fastest boats were taking part in the Power Boat Championships in Dundee in July 1994.

A total of 17 boats, drivers, engineers. mechanics and support crew members were led through the city centre by a massed pipe band.

Reach for the stars

Young astronomers workshop.
Young astronomers workshop. Image: DC Thomson.

These youngsters were taking part in a young astronomers workshop at Mill’s Observatory in July 1994 which was led by Brian Kelly.

Mills Observatory were also showing television footage of the Moon Landings from 1969 to mark the 25th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission.

Cooling down

The summer of 1994 was particularly warm. Image: DC Thomson.

Ross Johnson is cooled down by Morgan Dewar at Baldragon View.

The hot weather in July 1994 also brought bees out in force with firefighters from Blackness Road called to remove a swarm of 20,000 from the city centre.

They settled high on the corner of a building.

Shopmobility launch

A group at the launch of the new scheme. Image: DC Thomson.

Disabled people were able to shop more easily after the introduction of Shopmobility to the city centre in July 1994.

The scheme was launched at Gellatly Street car park where disabled people could park in reserved spaces and borrow wheelchairs to use.

Windy City

Rehearsals for the show which took place in autumn. Image: DC Thomson.

Downfield Musical Society would stage the British amateur premier of Windy City.

It would also be the first time the show had been staged in Scotland and the society hailed permission to put the show at the Whitehall Theatre on as an honour.

Oscars Nightclub

Oscars Nightclub in Brown Street in July 1994.
The Brown Street nightspot. Image: DC Thomson.

Oscars Nightclub in Brown Street in July 1994.

It was fondly remembered as Dirty Oscars having previously been called Dirty Den’s in 1988 after first opening as the Fountain back in December 1983.

Sweep the leg

Dundee Kung Fu contest. Image: DC Thomson.

A Dundee Kung Fu contest was taking place in August 1994.

Kevin Geddes topped the children’s section and Alan McGowan won the small children’s section with team-mate Laura Geddes third.

Strathmartine tidy up

School kids from Strathmartine. Image: DC Thomson.

Smiling faces all round and no wonder.

Dundee Environment Team presented Strathmartine Primary with the Tidy School Award in the village school section.

Sky high

Skydivers over Dundee.
Skydivers over Camperdown Park. Image: DC Thomson.

Skydive Scotland completed a parachute jump in August 1994.

They dropped in from on high and were among the attractions at the seventh Vintage Vehicle Rally which took place at Camperdown Park.

Dundee Royal Infirmary

The children’s hoist at DRI. Image: DC Thomson.

A children’s hoist was presented to Dundee Royal Infirmary in September 1994.

It was purchased to allow children to be moved smoothly and safely following the donation of £3,900 from Radio Tay’s Caring for Kids.

Dundee Half Marathon

Children taking part in a fun run in Dundee in October 1994.
Children set off in October 1994. Image: DC Thomson.

Almost 1,200 runners took part In the ninth annual City of Dundee People’s Half Marathon and Children’s Fun Runs.

Although the showery conditions made it awkward for spectators, the light drizzle was ideal for the participants.

Gardening time

Primary 3 pupils from Douglas Primary School in 1994.
Primary 3 pupils from Douglas Primary School. Image: DC Thomson.

Douglas Health Centre which was so plagued by young vandals it had to erect a 12-foot high security fence around the building.

But the damage had already been done to the small garden outside the waiting room.

It had little shrubs in it which all got pulled out,

Pupils from Douglas Primary were asked to recreate the garden in September 1994.

It was hoped their hard work would stop vandals from coming back.

It’s the final photograph in our look back to 1994 in Dundee.

So did our pictorial trip back in time jog any memories for you?

Let us know.

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