Joanna Lumley grabbed a trolley and officially opened the new Asda supermarket at Milton of Craigie in January 1990.
The New Avengers actress was described as an “honorary Dundonian” after treading the boards at Dundee Rep in 1985 and 1989.
She cut a ceremonial cake in the shape of the new store with the city’s civic sword after the Cameron Kerr Trio performed Bonnie Dundee.
Lumley headed round the aisles following the ceremony.
She paid checkout operator Maureen Shaw for some groceries.
The multi-million-pound Asda supermarket opened on the site of the former Timex factory in Longtown Road after plans were lodged in October 1988.
It was the second Asda in Dundee.
Asda’s existing supermarket, in Kirkton, opened in April 1977.
Shaken and stirred by Asda’s opening
An Evening Telegraph advertising feature could always be relied upon to remain grounded in reality rather than become carried away by the excitement.
“Readers might be forgiven for thinking they have strayed into some top-secret James Bond-style training establishment, but there’s no three-figure Licence to Kill code here,” it said.
“Instead there are four familiar letters that mean Licensed to Serve – Asda.”
So, absolutely not getting carried away, then.
The Tele highlighted the “classroom” and “Rolls-Royce jet engine” at the Milton of Craigie store as “unexpected facilities”, prompting the Bond references.
The Asda classroom was used to teach the 382 staff and the jet engine was a gas turbine that would be used if the on-site electricity sub-station went down.
But maybe the Bond references were also down to the fact that Lumley starred in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service when George Lazenby played 007 in 1969?
So how did Asda look in January 1990?
You entered the 47,500 square foot supermarket through a pair of revolving doors which were “big enough to take a shopper and a trolley”.
The in-store bakery started at 4am to produce 2,000 loaves for 9am opening.
Just in front of the bakery was the delicatessen.
It served cooked meat alongside a hand-made pizza bar.
George at Asda was described as “the best new clothes shop in town”.
The “excellent range” of clothes, shoes, lingerie and accessories were in colours ranging from the “sophisticated and sober to the vivid and vivacious”.
There were 25 checkouts in operation and 650 car parking spaces in front of the supermarket’s large and striking glass pyramid-shaped entrance.
Opening hours were 9am to 8pm from Monday to Friday and 8.30am to 6pm on Saturday with Sunday opening from 10am to 5pm.
There was also a free bus with departure points from Angus, Dundee and Fife.
Joanna Lumley opened the store at 9am
Cometh the hour, cometh the people.
Shoppers could not wait to sample the delights of the new store.
Over 200 people queued up including three hardy souls from Mid Craigie.
Charles Kelbie, Robert Reid and Gary Reilly arrived at 4.40pm on the Sunday and camped outside in sleeping bags ahead of the 9am Monday opening.
The Mid Craigie worthies were hoping staff would look kindly on their chilly ordeal and give them a free gift or vouchers for being first through the doors.
They didn’t even get a cup of tea.
Asda said it wasn’t company policy to offer special promotional gifts.
Charles, Robert and Gary did have the honour of being the first customers, though.
Joanna Lumley was joined for the opening ceremony by Lord Provost Tom Mitchell and Arbroath woman Helen Shepherd, who won a VIP competition.
Lumley said she was delighted to declare the store open by cutting the cake, which was given to Royal Liff Hospital afterwards for the patients to enjoy with lunch.
She faced a dash back down south after going wild in the aisles in Mid Craigie.
Lumley was due back on stage in Brighton that same evening.
The actress was loudly cheered on leaving the building.
Asda was a one-stop shop for everything.
Dry cleaning and laundry services were offered along with a shoe repair service.
There was a jeweller and video rental shop which gave customers the chance to walk out with a VHS copy of Tango and Cash alongside their weekly shop.
What a time to be alive.
There was also a cash machine and a filling station.
What would you have bought at Asda?
The store was absolutely packed and there was a genuine vibe of excitement.
Luckiest customer?
Patricia Tuddenham from Broughty Ferry won a Ford Fiesta.
She was the lucky winner of a prize draw to mark the first week of opening.
Asda was all about giving back to the local community.
Staff raised enough money through sponsored events over the first eight weeks to provide three new dogs for the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.
What would you have found on the shelves at Christmas 1990?
A box of Milk Tray was £2.99.
A loaf of bread was 52p.
A box of 24 Weetabix was 75p.
A 2lb bag of Asda garden peas was 79p.
After something stronger?
A 12-pack of Tartan Special was £5.99.
A 75cl bottle of Smirnoff Vodka was £8.69.
The Milton of Craigie supermarket became hugely popular.
Staff were hardworking and would always go the extra mile for customers.
They were regularly presented with Above and Beyond the Call of Duty awards.
A move to 24-hour opening in 1998
Remember Reg Holdsworth?
Coronation Street actor Ken Morley arrived at the Milton of Craigie store in September 1995 in a bright pink Cadillac to open a new Speedy Snaps stall.
Business was booming.
The store opened for 24-hour trading in October 1998.
It would average 700 customers per night.
It became really popular with shift workers who would do their weekly shopping.
Taxi drivers would have a coffee and a roll at the café during their breaks.
Asda claimed it was a natural progression in meeting the needs of the consumer.
Fancy a holiday?
Travel Choice opened a shop at Asda in April 2000.
Now you could go from Mid Craigie to the Maldives with your weekly shop.
August 2001 brought the opening of the Fuji Photo Centre.
Comedian Andy Cameron was the special guest and signed photographs.
Things got bigger.
A new extension was completed and opened at Halloween 2001.
Not everything was rosy in the garden.
There were complaints about youngsters hanging about in the evening.
Asda events co-ordinator Christian Croll decided to get the bored teenagers on side by organising a go-karting event in the car park to give them something to do.
They took the chance to burn off some of their energy and have a bit of fun.
It was a great example of engagement.
Talking of which…
Leaving with a fiancée in the trolley
Bruce Hannan arrived dressed in a suit and decided to spring a surprise marriage proposal on his girlfriend Louise Muir in October 2003.
They started working in Asda in 2000 and had been together 14 months.
A crowd of colleagues gathered as Bruce fell to one knee in the supermarket foyer and they applauded when Louise accepted the proposal.
Store improvements have continued including a £1.5m refurbishment that created a redesigned layout and a Click and Collect kiosk in November 2018.
So, 35 years after Joanna Lumley pushed a trolley around the aisles, it remains an absolutely fabulous community asset, and why wouldn’t it be?
Where else would you find a shop that stocks everything from Bond girls to wedded bliss?
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