A tale of two Dundees
A Longforgan man who visited a very different Dundee thousands of miles away has briefed Lord Provost John Letford on his findings.
Mr Forbes and Mr Letford.
- By Graeme Ogston
- Published in the Courier : 09.11.10
- Published online : 13.11.10 @ 02.43pm
Sandy Forbes (69) travelled to Dundee, North Dakota in the United States while he and his wife Frances were visiting family in Minnesota.
He presented Mr Letford with a book on the history of the other Dundee along with a plaque commemorating his visit.
He said the American Dundee could not have been more different from its Scottish counterpart.
"There's no comparison at all," he said.
"It's hard to describe how desolate it was.
"There was one little wooden school that had been abandoned since 1948."
Mr Forbes was greeted by around 20 people in the other Dundee, which is an administrative district rather than a town.
He said, "They were very polite, interested and generous.
"They listened to my talk on jute, jam and journalism, and I was interviewed on local radio."
He presented local representatives with a plaque of the City of Dundee Coat of Arms, and a tie and scarf, courtesy of Mr Letford.
Mr Letford said he would write to representatives in Dundee North Dakota to thank them for their hospitality towards Mr Forbes.
He said, "It's a fascinating story of how they started off with so few people.
"Sandy showed me photos of some of the residents wearing kilts, so it's an exciting relationship between the two places."
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