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St. Nicholas Bells
14 St. Nicholas Bells, 1887. The great fire of 1874 swept through the East Kirk of St. Nicholas, totally destroying the oak and lead steeple and sending the great bells crashing to the ground. A decade later, the citizens of Aberdeen combined to replace the bells with a great peal of bells cast in Belgium. The bells arrived at Aberdeen Station on May 11th 1887 and were paraded through the city with great pomp and ceremony. Statue of Queen Victoria
73 A photograph showing the statue of Queen Victoria at the junction of Union Street and St. Nicholas Street. The building in the background is the Clydesdale Bank that stands next to M&S today. This fine Italian renaissance style building was originally constructed for the Town and County Bank and opened for business in May 1863.
The statue of Queen Victoria was made from marble and was sculpted by Banff born Alexander Brodie (c.1829 - 1867). The origin of this statue is closely related to another Aberdeen monument, the 1863 memorial statue of Prince Albert by Baron Marochetti, now standing, or rather sitting, in the area in front of the Central Library.
Marochetti's statue was augurated by Queen Victoria herself on 13th October 1863 and this was said to the first time the Queen had appeared at a public demonstration following the death of Albert in 1861. The Marochetti statue was the subject of great local controversy and there were various plans for an alternative, superior, memorial to the late Prince Consort. It was at a related meeting that a chap called Alexander Donald, from the Royal Tradesman of Aberdeen, moved "That a colossal statue in marble, of Her Majesty, be erected at the corner of St. Nicholas Street."
The endeavour was taken on by a variety of prominent citizens and funding was raised by public subscription. Brodie, the selected sculptor, worked on an 11-ton block of Sicilian marble for two years to complete the statue. The finished piece is 8 foot 6 inches in height and, at the request of Queen herself, depicts Victoria in Scottish regal attire. The statue stands on a substantial plinth of pink Peterhead granite.
The statue was unveiled and inaugurated on 20th September 1866 by Albert-Edward Prince of Wales, later to be King Edward VII and the subject of another of Aberdeen's notable statues. During his speech at the ceremony, the Prince said "Gentlemen, it has afforded me the greatest satisfaction to attend here today, by the wish of Her Majesty, and at your invitation, for the purpose of inaugurating a statue of the Queen, my dear mother. Her Majesty has desired me to express to you how much she appreciates the motives which have led the people of Aberdeenshire to give this lasting evidence of their attachment and loyalty to her person, of which she has so many proofs, and whose sympathy in her great sorrow has touched her so deeply."
During his visit, the Prince of Wales also received the Freedom of the City and attended the Royal Horticultural Society's Autumn Show, which was then going on in the Music Hall. An extensive account of the unveiling, the Royal visit and the town's celebrations is given in the Aberdeen Journal of 26th September 1866.
After some time at this location, the statue's marble began to show weathering due to the frost and so it was moved to the vestibule of the Town House in 1888, where it remains to this day. It stands at the foot of the building's splendid main stairway. The plaster model of Brodie's statue has also been on display in the Music Hall for many years.
A new bronze statue of an older Victoria, by sculptor Charles Bell Birch, was erected at the St. Nicholas Street location on 9th November 1893 and "the Queen" became a regular meeting place for generations of Aberdonians. To make way for the extension of Marks & Spencer, the 1893 statue moved to its current site at Queen's Cross on 22nd January 1964. Victoria now stands looking east towards Balmoral. Woodside electric tram
137 The inaugural procession on 23rd December 1899 for the electrification of the Woodside tram route, the first in Aberdeen to be modernised.
Lord Provost John Fleming is at the helm, with Tramways Convener Alexander Wilkie standing next to him, and Councillor Alexander Glass has his foot on the platform.
Next to Fleming and Wilkie, and above Glass, appears to be Alexander Lyon, provost between 1905-1908. Baillie James Taggart, also later to be provost, is the right-most figure in the back row on the roof of the car. Two to the left of Taggart may be James Walker, provost between 1903-1905.
James Alexander Bell, City Electrical Engineer for Aberdeen in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, is the bowler hatted figure on the stairs above Lord Provost Fleming.
This inauguration is detailed in an article titled 'Electric tramways in Aberdeen: Opening of Woodside section' in the Aberdeen Journal of 25th December 1899, page 7. It details the celebratory tram trip shown here and a luncheon in the Town and County Hall that followed. Newhills Parish Church
174 This picture shows the present Church of Newhills as it would have been at the time of its opening in June 1830.
It was built to replace the old kirk, endowed by George Davidson of Pettens in 1662, the ruins of which can still be seen among the tombstones in the churchyard.
After a decline in membership in the 1940s and 1950s, the church benefited from the building of a private and a council housing estate in its area. Membership of the church and its organisations increased till, in 1978, it was reported to be one of the most vibrant and successful in the Aberdeen Presbytery.
The external appearance of the church is little changed but a huge congregational effort in recent years has resulted in the building of a two-storey extension housing a number of meeting rooms plus toilets and kitchen facilities.
The road seen in this picture is now used by a large numbers of vehicles en route to Kingswells and the west of Aberdeen. Clifton Road, Aberdeen
213 This view from around 1910 shows Clifton Road looking south at its crossroads with Leslie Road and Hilton Street. Clifton Road runs north from Kittybrewster to Woodside, which was a separate burgh form Aberdeen until 1891. It was originally call Tanfield Road but was renamed in 1894. These mainly granite terraced houses were being built during the 1890s. On the left of the photo are the premises of A.M. Black, grocer. This corner shop, at 104 Clifton Road, was run by Miss Agnes M. Black and Miss Margaret Black between 1902 and 1940. Their home was at 1 Leslie Road. The windows contain adverts for Rowntrees Chocolates and Fry's Pure Cocoa. Victoria Park
241 In 1871 Aberdeen Town Council decided to convert nearly 14 acres of Glennie's Parks, which had been used for cattle grazing, into a public recreation ground - Aberdeen's first public park.
Aberdeen's lack of a public park up to this point had become a contentious issue. For example, newspaper reports indicate that those opposed to the Municipality Extension Act of 1871 (which extended the boundary of the city, brought the functions of the Police Commissioners under the Council and incorporated the gasworks) repeatedly suggested that the expense involved in the new bill would be better used in the creation of a much wanted public park.
It is not unreasonable to suppose that this debate, and criticism of the Council, hastened the creation of Victoria Park. While work likely begun in 1871, it was not until March 1873 that the Improvements Committee of the Council recommended that the new park should be called "Victoria Park". At the same time, they also outlined a series of 13 rules and regulations for agreement by the full Council. There does not appear to have been an official opening for the new amenity.
Glennie's Park was not the only site considered for Aberdeen's first public park. Interest in such an undertaking was increasing at the same time as work was underway to divert the River Dee and improve the harbour. The new ground created in this latter project, encompassing the old, more northerly course of the river and the Inches, was a much proposed location for a park. Following the creation of Victoria Park this newly leveled ground was instead given over for buildings related to the expanding fishing industry.
A nurseryman called Robert Walker (1848-1930), originally from Perth, was chosen out of 450 candidates to be the city's first public park keeper and appointed to Victoria Park. He was likely largely responsible for the park's initial layout and appearance. His Press & Journal obituary (21/04/1930, p.6) suggests that prior to his appointment the site was "little better than a waste space".
Walker subsequently laid out Westburn Park, Stewart Park, Union Terrace Gardens and the Promenade. He also advocated and pioneered the planting of street trees. He served the Corporation for 46 years, retiring in 1919, and must be considered one of the unsung heroes of Aberdeen history.
This photograph, taken around 1900, shows one of the main paths leading to a large granite fountain, which was designed by J.B. Pirie. It is built of 14 different types of granite and was presented by the granite polishers and master builders of the city.
Since the park is almost in the city centre, it is an oasis of peace with its mature trees and, in spring, there are masses of flowering bulbs scattered through the grass. Royal visit by Princess Beatrice
315 A photograph showing Princess Beatrice at Aberdeen Music Hall to open a bazaar in aid of the Sick Children's Hospital.
The bazaar took place in the Music Hall on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th October 1898. Princess Beatrice, then known as Princess Henry of Battenberg, opened the bazaar the day before on Friday 28th October.
The opening ceremony was covered in the Aberdeen Journal of 29th October 1898, page 5. The article states that Beatrice arrived by train at the Joint Station before travelling to the Music Hall from Guild Street by the horse drawn carriage that we can see here.
The route travelled and much of the surrounding area were specially decorated for the occasion. The various businesses and buildings along the route decorated their own premises and many of these decorations are described in the newspaper report.
The city gardeners Peter Harper of Duthie Park and Robert Walker of Victoria Park were tasked with creating floral displays. Harper decorated the interior of the Joint Station and the Music Hall, while Walker decorated the route between the two.
The special royal train arrived at the joint station a couple of minutes before its scheduled time of 12:15pm. Beatrice was greeted at the station by a large civic and military reception and crowds of onlookers.
The newspaper report indicates that travelling in the horse drawn carriage with Beatrice was Miss Minnie Cochrane and Lord William Cecil, both were royal courtiers. The man sat in the carriage is therefore most likely the latter.
Following the opening ceremony, Beatrice was entertained at a luncheon at the Palace Hotel by the directors of the Royal Aberdeen Hospital for Sick Children.
Beatrice and her party returned to Balmoral on a train leaving the station at 2:45pm.
The newspaper also tells us that Messrs. Walker & Company, cinematographers, Bridge Street, filmed the procession as it passed along the railway bridge on Guild Street. Assistant photographers with still cameras captured the rest of proceedings. This photograph was likely taken by one of these assistants.
A sign for Walker & Company can be seen hanging above the Music Hall entrance. This dates the image as belonging to this later royal visit by Princess Beatrice. She previously visited the city on 27th September 1883 to open an earlier bazaar for the Children's Hospital and to open the newly created Duthie Park Gaelic Chapel, Belmont Street
322 The Gaelic Chapel was founded in the 18th century in response to the increasing numbers of Highlanders who came to the city in search of work.
At first, they held services in the East Church of St. Nicholas but, in the 1790s, they obtained ground in the area between Belmont Street and Back Wynd, now known as Gaelic Lane.
The opening services in the new church were conducted on 30th August 1795. In 1843, at the Disruption, the whole congregation followed their minister, Rev. Hugh Mackenzie, into the Free Church.
By 1882, the church had become old and dilapidated and needed so much renovation that the congregation decided to move. The property was disposed of and was used as a printing office by G. & W. Fraser for a number of years.
The congregation moved to a church on Dee Street which had become vacant on the disbanding of the United Free Methodists and it was named St. Columba United Free Church.
In 1907, they amalgamated with the High United Free Church and moved to their church at the junction of Belmont Street and Schoolhill.
Comparing the scene shown here and large scale historic maps suggests that this is likely a view of the rear of the Gaelic Chapel buildings, looking north, potentially taken from the back of a building on Union Street. Aberdeen Bathing Station
356 The Beach Bathing Station opened on 13th July 1898, replacing an earlier bathing establishment. This image shows the western, landward, side of the Victorian red brick building with its prominent chimney stack that stood 70 feet high.
At the time of opening the pool was described as the largest in Scotland. It measured 90 feet by 35 feet and 3 to 7 feet in depth. The pool was salt water up until 1958 before changing to freshwater.
Facilities included a water chute, a 9 foot diving board and a spring board at pool level.
Despite a renovation in 1964 its gradual deteriorating condition and decline in use led to its closure in July 1972 and the building was subsequently demolished. The Pleasure Park, Aberdeen Beach
397 A postcard showing John Henry Iles' Pleasure Park in the 1930s. The park's esplanade site, south of Wellington Street (roughly where Amadeus nightclub/the Range and part of the Queen's Links carpark would later stand), was leased to Iles by the Council in 1929. Illes was an amusement entrepreneur originally from Manchester.
The park's biggest attraction, in all senses, was the Scenic Railway roller coaster shown here. Iles was involved in several amusement parks around Britain and during a visit to New York he obtained the European rights to the design of the latest roller coasters. He subsequently erected his Scenic Railway in Aberdeen in 1929.
The roller coaster rose to 100 feet in the air at its highest point and was popular with holiday makers and locals throughout the 1930s. The local press recorded 21,000 children, between 3 and 14 years of age, carried on the ride during a special children's day that was held on Saturday 20th August 1932.
Part of the message written on the back of this postcard by a young visitor to Aberdeen reads "This picture shows you the scenic railway which I have been on and liked very much".
The Scenic Railway was sadly badly damaged by fire on the night of 5th December 1940 and was consequently demolished. Other attractions of Iles' park included rides such as The Caterpillar, The Whip, Water Dodgems, and the Brooklyn Racers (petrol driven cars).
In the background of this image be seen the tower of St. Clements Church and a row of tenements, likely those on Wellington Street. Mannofield and Hazlehead trams
526 The two 1940 streamlined single-truck trams, to Mannofield and Hazlehead, in Castle Street in 1946, with Inspector Barnett regulating The Denburn Valley, showing the Triple Kirks
581 The Denburn Valley, looking North, showing the Triple Kirks. These churches, opened in 1843/44, were designed by Archibald Simpson for three Free Church congregations. Prior to the opening of the Denburn Valley Junction Railway in 1867 the Denburn ran as an open burn. The adjacent grassy area was used as bleaching greens for sheets which had been washed in the burn. Marischal Street
818 In 1766, the Town Council of Aberdeen acquired a property known as the Earl Marischal's Lodging which had laid unoccupied for a number of years. It was then demolished to allow a street to be built to create improved access between the harbour and the Castlegate. It was named Marischal Street in his honour.
This view of the west side shows the properties at No 46 and 48 and an adjacent church. William Kennedy (1759-1836), advocate, lived in No. 46, where he wrote his two volume history of the city - Annals of Aberdeen.
Next door at No. 48 was the home of Dr William Dyce, father of the eminent artist William Dyce (1806-1864). Both of these properties have now been converted into flats.
The church shown on the left was built in 1881 on the site of the Theatre Royal built in 1795. It closed as a theatre in 1872 prior to the opening of Her Majesty's Theatre and Opera House (Tivoli) in Guild Street. This building is now occupied by the Elim Pentecostal Church. Congregational Church, Woodside
822 Congregational Church, Woodside. This is the oldest church in Woodside and had its origin in the early 19th Century, when the people of the district had no place of worship nearer than Oldmachar Cathedral. A subscription list was issued in November 1818, and within a month enough money had been raised to permit building operations to begin. A small thatch-roofed building was erected on the site of the present Congregational Church and although there is no record of the opening services, they must have taken place near the end of 1819. the building was known as the Cotton Chapel. The Pleasure Park
828 The Pleasure Park at Aberdeen Beach. The famous Scenic railway can be seen in the background.
In 1929 the Town Council leased John Henry Iles a piece of ground adjoining the sea front for use as an amusement park. The pleasure park was located on the esplanade south of Wellington Road.
Iles' park included rides such as The Caterpillar, The Whip, Water Dodgems, and the Brooklyn Racers (petrol driven cars).
The greatest innovation, however, was the scenic railway which rose to 100 feet in the air at its highest point.
The local press recorded 21,000 children, between 3 and 14 years of age, carried on the ride on the "Kiddies Day" that was held on Saturday 20th August 1932.
The ride was popular throughout the 1930s. It was badly damaged by fire on the night of 5th December 1940 and was subsequently destroyed.
Note the tower of St. Clements Church and the row of tenements, likely those on Wellington Street, in the background. Phosphate store, Sandilands Chemical Works
857 The new phosphate store (capacity 20,000 tons) at Sandilands Chemical Works, built next to the Garvock Wynd boundary wall. The phosphate rock came into Aberdeen from the Pacific Islands and Russia by ship to be unloaded at International Quay and then transferred to Sandilands by lorry. The lorries then tipped their loads into an underground hopper and conveyor system through a grid opening at ground level. The phosphate was then lifted by an elevator to an overhead conveyor from which it was tipped into the store. The material was then trimmed using a bulldozer. One operator was was responsible for the operation of unloading the phosphate including the trimming operation. The phosphate was removed from the store by means of a mechanical shovel and used in the production of phosphoric acid. Aberdeen Ice Rink
860 This photograph of Aberdeen ice-rink shows a flurry of activity, possibly as a result of the events of 12th July 1940 when an enemy raider was chased over the city by Spitfires from Dyce. The Heinkel eventually crashed in flames over the ice-rink. The rink itself remained desolate after the war, being used as transport depot for a number of years.
This oblique aerial photography looks south west and shows the junction of South Anderson Drive, in the centre, and Ruthrieston Road, in the foreground. The Headland Court housing development is now on the site of the ice rink. Justice Mill Lane
863 Justice Mill Lane, off Holburn Street, prior to the building of the Regent/Odeon Cinema (1932) and the Bon Accord Baths (1940).
This image looks east on to Justice Mill Lane from Holburn Street. The building on the right is one of the old mills that were present in the area. To its left is the premises of James Scott, a tobacconist.
In the near right of the image is the side of 35-39 Holburn, a tenement that likely dates from 1899. The ground floor of this building has been occupied for much of its history, and in this photograph, by the Glentanar Bar.
The Aberdeen Pub Companion (1975) by Archibald Hopkin states that the Glentanar dates from 1909 when Charles Ewen acquired a licence for the premises at 39 Holburn Street.
The structure in the centre of the image is the ornate ventilation shaft of the Aberdeen Cable Subway. It was constructed as part of the Dee Village Electricity Works, at the foot of Crown Street, and dates from around 1903. Culter War Memorial
994 A photograph showing the unveiling of a new panel at Culter War Memorial on Sunday 19th June 1949.
The article 'Tribute to War Dead of Culter' from the Press & Journal of 20th June 1949, page 6, describes the ceremony as follows:
"A panel containing the names of 29 men from the parish who lost their lives in the recent war was unveiled at Culter War Memorial yesterday.
"Relatives of the fallen and representatives of the Boys' Brigade, Girl Guides, Brownies, and the Territorial Army were grouped round the memorial as Mrs Tough, Hillside Road, Culter, who lost two sons in the war, unveiled the tablet.
"The panel was dedicated by the Rev. J. R. Dey, Kelman Memorial Church, who, along with the Rev. T. W. Howie, St Peter's Church, conducted the service"
Culter War Memorial is a tapering, crenelated tower located on a hillock to the west of the village. It is accessed by a footpath that leaves North Deeside Road not far beyond the bridge over the Culter Burn.
Correspondent Brian Coutts has been in touch to inform us that one of the representatives of the Brownies present at the ceremony was Elizabeth McNab.
The abovementioned sons of Mrs Jane Tough of Hillside Road were Driver Frank Tough, Royal Corps of Signals, formerly an employee of Culter Paper Mills, who was killed by enemy action in the Middle East on 24th September 1942, aged 24, and Private Ernest "Ernie" Tough, 2nd Gordons, who died on 5th October 1943, aged 26, while a prisoner-of-war in Thailand. (Source: Press & Journal, 26th September 1946, page 3.)
The former, Frank Tough, is buried at Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial in Egypt and Ernest is buried Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery in Myanmar. (Source: Commonwealth War Graves Commission website.) Allan Park
1033 Cutting the first sod for Allan Park at Cults, 26th June 1897. The park was presented by David Allan of West Cults as a gift commemorative of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.
See the Aberdeen Weekly Journal, 30/06/1897, p. 7, for a full account of this opening ceremony. George Street Electric Tram Service
1069 A photograph of the inaugural procession on 23rd December 1899 for the electrification of the Woodside tram route, the first in Aberdeen to be modernised.
This copy of the image has been labelled as the "Opening of George Street Electric Car Service - 1899." The trams would have travelled from Aberdeen city centre to Woodside along St. Nicholas Street and George Street.
Lord Provost John Fleming is at the helm, with Tramways Convener Alexander Wilkie standing next to him, and Councillor Alexander Glass has his foot on the platform.
Next to Fleming and Wilkie, and above Glass, appears to be Alexander Lyon, provost between 1905-1908. Baillie James Taggart, also later to be provost, is the right-most figure in the back row on the roof of the car. Two to the left of Taggart may be James Walker, provost between 1903-1905.
James Alexander Bell, City Electrical Engineer for Aberdeen in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, is the bowler hatted figure on the stairs above Lord Provost Fleming.
This inauguration is detailed in an article titled 'Electric tramways in Aberdeen: Opening of Woodside section' in the Aberdeen Journal of 25th December 1899, page 7. It details the celebratory tram trip shown here and a luncheon in the Town and County Hall that followed.
Another, clearer version of this image can be found on this website (image reference: A43_14). |