Aberdeen reminiscences (mostly shops)

[Kiltie]

OK, before I get on to the main subject, I'm trying to remember the name of a tea room above what is now the Trinity Centre. As I recall, it sounded like a foreign / exotic name. Any ideas?

Right then ...

• Isaac Benzie's
• Watt & Grant
• Gordon & Smith (grocer at the top of Union Street)
• The Rubber Shop

... more later.

Eric

[Kiltie]

JohnS said:

What was the name of the ice cream shop on King Street, close to the Pittodrie Bar?

Garcone's?

[Kiltie]

Semi hemi said:

How about the original location for Shirlaws? before the Green.

I remember it being in a wee cobbled street off King Street down the side of a bingo hall (previously cinema). Fredrick Street maybe?

Cheers,

Eric

[Kiltie]

Semi hemi said:

... Champers ...

Now there was a great Saturday night! ... nae doubt dancing to "Relax!". Used to go there with the wife (now of some 21 years), long before we were married.

Cheers,

Eric

[Kiltie]

stiglet said:

Call - "Happy Trails"

... some of my purchases included; a pair of cowboy boots, some "Kicker" shoes and ... perhaps ... ... some clogs.

Cheers,

Eric

Edited by Kiltie on Saturday 8th August 12:38

[Kiltie]

Semi hemi said:

By the way Kiltie, Do you not bother reading emails from the Acergy Petrel?

Not if they're only DPR's ... I have people to read those emails for me.

Cheers,

Eric

[Kiltie]

Semi hemi said:

How about the Reggae Disco in St K's

... yes, I have vague memories

I remember a rammy there one night when the Fife biker lot came up (Satan's Slaves?).

Cheers,

Eric

[Kiltie]

Semi hemi said:

onlynik said:

ViperScot said:

shoggoth1 said:

'Ma Camerons' anyone?

Still very much open, as far as I'm aware.

Yes, but remeber when it wasn't owned by Belhaven, and was actually a good bar.

A bit like the Prince of Wales in that respect. A good bar left to rot.
Belhaven suck

I remember when boozers mostly had two taps; Tennent's Lager and McEwan's Export. It was a real big deal when the PoW got Theakston's Old Peculier.

Ma's was owned at the time by the father of a school-friend of my wife. Steph will tell you a story about going in there to meet me and being told by her friend that her dad had chucked me out about half an hour beforehand for; "dropping tampons in people's pints".

I'm sure it must have been hilarious at the time.

Cheers,

Eric

[Kiltie]

Invisible man said:

I remember the Oriental Emporium

Oh aye, down in the Castlegate.

Eric

[Kiltie]

Naso Grande said:

What about Brian Sherrif's in John Street? Anybody remember the fire they had and the sale afterwards?

I do indeed remember some cheap Airfix kits which had a definite smokey odour.

Prior to that I remember loving buying those boxes containing hundreds (or maybe tens) of tiny plastic army figures and setting them up in a battle scene at home.

Cheers,

Eric

[Kiltie]

offshorematt2 said:

... and The Toy Bazaar on Correction Wynd (before it moved and went 'upmarket')...

These were vital visits in keeping me quiet while trawling round town with my mum

I remember my dad used to use a visit to The Toy Bazaar (or Fred White's as believe it was otherwise known) as a bribe to; "be a good boy at the dentist" (the dentist was a complete bastid!).

In the window (aye, this is Correction Wynd) they always had a display of these little insects and the like with magnets on the bottom. The display was fascinating for a kid as they must have had a revolving magnet beneath which made all the little creatures move around in their boxes. When you got them home however ... big disappointment!

Pablo16v said:

Fine Fare at the Brig o Dee.

What a squalid place that was ... but ... do you remember the greyhound track which was on the site behind it? (I personally don't).

Cheers,

Eric

Edited by Kiltie on Sunday 9th August 19:40

[Kiltie]

Semi hemi said:

Also from a "Boutique" (prob aberdeen 1st) called the Time Machine upstairs on the corner of Crown St/Windmill brae.

Nah nah, fit aboot "Mr Bojangles" in Crombie Court! I remember buying a brown and white shirt there with a massive collar.

Latterly, my favourite became a shop on Upper Kirkgate but I can't remember the name. I think it was under the same ownership as Phillip King.

Cheers,

Eric

[Kiltie]

Kiltie said:

... I'm trying to remember the name of a tea room above what is now the Trinity Centre. As I recall, it sounded like a foreign / exotic name. Any ideas?

Semi hemi said:

That place was called the Trinity Restaurant and was in the Old Trinity Trades Hall that had sat vacant after the the "incorporated Trades" moved to Holburn St/Gt Western Rd
You accessed it the same as going up to Littlewoods Cafeteria but on that floor you went of to the right to the Cafe and straight on and up a short flight of steps into the Restaurant
if you look at the Gable end that juts out from Pizza Hut and you see the Mock Tudor Stone work, that is the Trades Hall, the tall ecclesiastic looking windows overlooking Union St are still there I think over the entrance to The Mall

I think you're right and I've been getting confused. Steph just remembered the name and it was the Mitsuko (SP?) where was that then?

I also remember the Faroes (top of Union Street?) ... having a glass of warm / non fizzy coke and a rowie on a Saturday morning with my dad.

The other tea romm which springs to mind was above Jamieson & Carry. My brother Sam can remember watching steam trains disappear under Union Bridge from there.

Cheers,

Eric

[Kiltie]

Semi hemi said:

Kiltie said:

Semi hemi said:

How about the original location for Shirlaws? before the Green.

I remember it being in a wee cobbled street off King Street down the side of a bingo hall (previously cinema). Fredrick Street maybe?

Cheers,

Eric

Close enough, Princes Lane

OK, bike shops ...

• Shirlaw's (or Roy's ripp offs) as has been discussed.
• McGowans.
• Furneaux - I remember the name but can't recall much more.
• What's now H&S in Jopp's Lane - used to be run by Frankie and his loon Gary.
• There was a repair / dealer near the Haudagain.
• Now, here's a cracker, a bike breakers off Auchmill called Deny Aitken's.

Cheers,

Eric

Edited by Kiltie on Sunday 9th August 20:40

[Kiltie]

ViperScot said:

Many, MANY years ago their used to be a horse racing track on the Queen's Links...

Didn't know about Queen's Links but, just a few minutes walk from my hoose ...



... and while we're at it ...



Cheers,

Eric

[Kiltie]

TWJPToyota said:

Have you had stopped wearing the Brown and White shirt.

Certainly not Trevor, it remains as a favourite in my wardrobe.

Cheers,

Eric

[Kiltie]

JohnS said:

Harriet Street bar was one of our haunts when we were students. Now a car park

Indeed, big Jim behind the bar (full ginger beard).

Six pints of export, a couple of games of darts and a mince toastie - the perfect lunchtime!

Cheers,

Eric

[Kiltie]

Semi hemi said:

Gramrugby said:

Hedgehog Pie, Gully Foyle ?. The Croft at the Treetops Hotel on a Sunday night ?.
I can remember the pretend "Hells Angels" who used to take the bus there since so few of them had bikes.

Other bands I remember, The Facells, Pigg, Pyramid, Pallas, Treble Chance, Rue-De-Remarx, Sitting on the Fence, Hard Road, Zanussi & the fridgedairs, Old Blind Dogs, the 30 Footers, Mojo Pep.

Good pub venues now gone. included, the Highland/Shielings in Dee St, The Croft, Upstairs in The Harriet,The Albyn at Queens Cross above Dizzy's, The Drift Inn. the Bowl, The Bobbin Mill, The Jug (C.T. that was the bar above Prince Regent)Queens Hotel, The Hayloft.

Was The Croft the one at the Treetops?

The Albyn was brilliant. Kind of ironic a pub changing in to a bank, it's usually the other way round these days.

I liked The Bowl but remember, as a teenager, being a wee bit in awe of the scary bikers.

I actually use The Bobbin to this day (occasionally) but, to be frank, the attraction is to letch at young student lassies more than anything else.

I remember being chucked out of the Queen's Hotel by Iain Donald himself. I went to the public phone, called reception and asked them to put a tannoy announcement in the bar asking got "Mr Ben Doon".

The Jug was actually underneath the Prince Regent (stairs to the right of the main building).

Cheers,

Eric

[Kiltie]

Semi hemi said:

duka said:

Semi hemi said:

... Barneys ...

My stag night ... April 1988 ... around midnight ... recently chucked out of Barney's ... I'm slouched in the gutter in Bon Accord Terrace ... cuddling a bottle of champagne ...

Constable : Come on sir, get up and go home.

Kiltie : Officer, I'd love to but, honestly, I can't fking stand.

... and fair play, the coppers knew I wasn't a trouble maker, just pished, so they picked me up and put me in a taxi.

What does hack me off though is the fact that my brothers and supposed pals remained inside drinking 'til closing.

Cheers,

Eric

[Kiltie]

Gramrugby said:

... the Jug was above the Prince Regent ...

Nup, I'm not having that, I distinctly remember walking downstairs and there weren't any windows in the place.

Cheers,

Eric