How much has Broughty Ferry changed since 1997?
The DC Thomson archives team has dug out a varied selection of photographs and they are sure to spark a memory or two.
It was a watershed year.
Tony Blair won victory for Labour in the general election and people will remember where they were when they heard Princess Diana had died.
All but a few Dundonians knew the princess, but the shocking manner of her death stirred up a powerful emotional response in many of them.
Computer game Grand Theft Auto was released by DMA Design in Dundee, and the bill to establish a Scottish Parliament was unveiled by Donald Dewar.
A pint of lager would cost you £1.83.
The average house price was £59,000.
Changed days.
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.
Feeding time
Anyone for lunch?
A man standing on the edge of the water feeding a group of swans and seagulls from a carrier bag at Broughty Ferry harbour in January 1997.
William Ree
William Ree and Partners has been providing plumbing services since 1947.
The new showroom, in Brook Street, was advertised as the ideal place to go if you were looking for a new bathroom or bathroom upgrade.
Doc Ferry’s pub
The former Smugglers Bar, in Union Street, reopened in January 1997 with a new name and under the charge of Dennis and Anne Docherty.
Business has continued to be good, from the morning coffee regulars to the evening trade, which has made Doc Ferry’s a popular meeting place.
Barnhill rock garden
Council cutbacks at the Barnhill Rock Garden saw the removal of 16 flower beds.
Around 150 Broughty Ferry residents voted to fight to save what was left, which eventually led to the establishment of the Friends of Barnhill Rock Garden.
Eastern Primary School library
Eastern Primary School pupils were enjoying the delights of books in a new environment in March 1997.
The library was funded by a spring fair and a sponsored “readathon” completed by the pupils that raised some £3,700 towards the costs.
Walker’s Bar
Do you remember Walker’s pub in Erskine Lane?
Walker Enterprises of Carnoustie had taken over the former Rajah Indian restaurant, which was next door to the Broughty Castle Inn.
Barnetts Mazda
Barnetts, founded in 1939, was originally a removals firm that started a garage to service their own trucks.
Barnetts is a dealer for Mazda in Broughty Ferry, where a full range was on show in 1997 with prices from £8,800 to £28,610.
Iceland
The Iceland store in Brook Street was being sold in May 1997.
The store was initially opened as a Lowfreeze outlet established by William Low and is now occupied by Hosies, which stocks kitchen appliances.
Line dancing
Summer is here and it’s gala time again.
Instructor Irene Gunn was resplendent in cowboy hat and boots and leading a large crowd through a line dancing session at Castle Green.
Downfield Musical Society
Downfield Musical Society man their bottle stall on Castle Green at the start of Broughty Ferry gala week in July 1997.
The famous tradition of the gala week has been bringing family fun to Broughty Ferry for over 100 years and is Tayside’s longest-running summer festival.
Gift Emporium
The Gift Emporium opened in Brook Street and promised a “treasure trove of ideas for guests hunting for wedding gifts”.
You were assured of finding “not only a quality gift but something that little bit different from a wide variety of ornaments, gifts, planters and occasional furniture”.
Millars
The fate of Broughty Ferry clothing store Millars was hanging in the balance after being put on the market in June by its new, Aberdeen-based owners.
Pauline Esslemont said the move came about after an unsolicited offer was received for the Broughty Ferry store.
She said the interest had prompted the company to put the store on the open market to assess its value.
End of an era…
Construction started on 15 flats on the site of Carbet Castle.
Carbet Castle at the foot of Camphill Road in Broughty Ferry was built in 1861 for jute manufacturer Joseph Grimond.
The castle was demolished in 1984 after falling into a dangerous state.
Staying on track
Broughty Ferry Community Council threw its weight behind a campaign to save the railway station and fight Railtrack’s proposals to demolish the buildings.
However, despite the community council advertising the meeting with the station plans top of the agenda, only a few members of the public attended their monthly meeting in the library.
They wanted to pull down the A-listed building.
It’s the final photograph in our look back to 1997 in Broughty Ferry.
So did our pictorial trip back in time jog any memories for you?
Let us know.
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