The 1930s and 1940s
In 1930, my Father, Douglas (Doug) Dundas (shown to the left) married my Mother, Jane (Jean) Stewart.
I was born on 19th January 1932 at home - 69 Hilltown, Dundee.
In 1933, my Father was one of the group of unemployed people who went on the 'Hunger march', walking from Scotland to London.
On January 4th 1934, my sister Marlene was born followed two years later by my sister, Thelma on 19th April 1936. My youngest sister, Agnes (Anne) was born on 29th April 1941.
Memories - 1930s
In the late 1930s, we had a 'holiday home' - a hut on a farm at Auchterhouse, Angus. I can remember my Father taking Marlene and I on a tram to the terminus at Lochee, then we had to walk the rest of the way - a distance of approximately eleven miles. I was seven and Marlene five at the time. I remember one Sunday afternoon arriving at the hut and Father realising he had left the key at home! We were left sitting at the bottom of the road for several hours while he went back for it.
In 1939, Marlene and I were in Kings Cross Hospital in Dundee with Scarlet Fever. We heard the first sirens as War was declared.
Memories - 1940s
In 1942, we moved from Dundee to a farm - West Scryne - between Carnoustie and Arbroath, Angus. I can remember going to Kirriemuir in the farmer's car with Marlene to pick potatoes. I was nine and Marlene seven. On the way home, we would sometimes go through Forfar to buy 'Forfar bridies' (a bit like a Cornish pasty). They were lovely; we usually managed to eat a whole one each!
Our Father was a cattleman on the farm and I used to rise when he did at 4am to get the cows in for milking. I remember when one cow had a calf, Father would take the little calf back to the field in a wheelbarrow and I'd get to ride on the cow's back.
In 1943, we moved to another farm - Balkemback at Tealing, Angus. Part of the farm was on the Sidlaw Hills. The highest one - Craigowl - was right behind our cottage. The cottage had no sanitation, water or light. The toilet was in a small shed round the back of the house. Water we had to fetch in a bucket from a spring at the end of the garden. Power and light were parafin. We had a small stove which used to flare up when lit and make me run outside in fright. The only light source we had was by a Tilley lamp (shown in the photo to the right).
Mother would cook on the parafin stove or on the kitchen range. We would take turns to shake the flaggon in which the cream off the milk was saved to make butter. I can still taste it now; lovely!
We were there during the bad winter of 1947. The snow was really deep, drifting up to the roof of our cottage. We had to dig a tunnel to get out. Bread was rationed that year too and we would have to walk the eight miles to Dundee to get as much bread as we were allowed. We also had the coupons for the other families who lived on the farm. One time, we got a 'lift' on a snow plough! When you are young, it's all very exciting!
In May 1947, we were allocated a council house in Kirkton, Dundee - one with upstairs! We thought we were the 'bees knees'! It had three bedrooms and a bathroom. After the outside toilet, this was indeed luxury.
Now, at that time we had a dog called Spotty - seen in the picture to the left. She was expecting pups at any time, so I had to carry her in a basket on the bus to Downfield and walk to Kirkton to the new house. Two hours later, she had four pups and we had to go to a neighbour and ask for some milk for the dog. What a start! Borrowing on our first day there. We would bring friends round to stay overnight and in the morning, Mother would go round the bedrooms counting heads to see how many there would be for breakfast.