When Tay Road Bridge operational manager Fiona Fraser issued an appeal for memorabilia earlier this year relating to the history of the bridge, she was contacted by various former workers and residents with stories and anecdotes.
But a fabled record produced especially for the bridge opening on August 18 1966 remained elusive – until now!
Dundee-based Tony Cochrane, who operates a string of Tropicana nightclubs across Scotland and partners in an events company in Los Angeles, was asked by a friend of Fiona’s if he could lay his hands on a copy of ‘The Road Bridge to Bonnie Dundee’ recorded by Dennis Clancy.
By sheer chance, he had a copy languishing in a box he had inherited from his brother-in-law Brian Agan.
And now he has loaned the seven inch vinyl record to the Tay Road Bridge staff who are putting on a special exhibition at Dundee’s Slessor Gardens as part of celebrations on Sunday August 21.
Tony, a former pupil of Lawside Academy with a long history of hosting music events in the city, told The Courier: “Fiona was asking if anyone could source the record for the exhibition.
“I remembered I had seen it in a collection I had bought from my brother in law a long time back before he moved to America. I also found a programme from the bridge opening in same collection.
“There seems to have been two records released to tie in with bridge opening – Dennis Clancy “The Road Bridge to Bonnie Dundee” and there is advert in programme for Peter & Alison “Highway O’er The Sea”.
“When I played it for the first time recently it wasn’t my cup of tea. It’s an out and out Scottish thing. But it’s a good bit of local heritage and good for the city to celebrate the anniversary.”
Tay Road Bridge manager Alan Hutchison described the record as “certainly of the White Heather Club variety”.
He said:”It puts it firmly in the 1960. It came in as part of our request for memorabilia. We had wind of it. It’s so intriguing to have a record made for the Tay Road Bridge. It’s quite remarkable.”
Bunting and flags were out on Thursday to replicate the bridge as it was 50 years ago with the foghorn in the middle of the bridge set off at 12.30pm to mark the time the Queen Mother officially opened the bridge on August 18 1966.
On Sunday August 21 a series of special free fun day events will take place, centred on Dundee’s Slessor Gardens. There will be boat trips and vintage cars coming over the bridge, as well as 30 Harley Davidson bikers and Vespa scooters. Vintage buses will bring people over from Tayport and Newport. A number of survivors involved in the opening of the bridge in 1966 have been invited.
Their memories will be featured in a mobile road show which will also display in Fife.
