Quick Search
|
Search Results
You searched for: More Like: 'Inver Hotel - History and sale'
16 items
items as
Fishwives, the Green, Aberdeen
2703 A Valentine's Series postcard showing the view looking westwards from the Green, towards the train station and Bridge Street. This roughly corresponds to the part of the Green, beyond Rennie's Wynd, that now runs underneath the Trinity Centre to the Denburn Road.
This early 20th century image shows a significantly different scene. On the left, a row of fishwives, along the northern wall of Hadden's textile factory, display maritime stock for sale. They are attended by an assembled crowd of shoppers and children.
Beyond can be seen the bridge, known as the Puffing Briggie, that linked the Green and the foot of Windmill Brae across the train tracks. A sheltered railway platform can be seen to its left and a corner of the Palace Hotel is visible on the right. 65 Union Street
2795 John Falconer & Co., Ltd. at 65 Union Street in 1937.
Falconer's was a department store. Adverts described it as a general drapers, outfitters and house furnishers. At the time of this photograph they also had a hairdressing department and a millinery salon.
John Falconer & Co. was acquired by the Scottish Drapery Corporation Ltd in 1929. This company was in turn acquired by the House of Fraser Ltd in September 1952. John Falconer & Co Ltd went into voluntary liquidation in 1952 and from then on operated as the Aberdeen branch of the House of Fraser.
See the House of Fraser Archive website for more on the history of the company.
65 Union Street was a former hotel and was known as 'The Royal Buildings'. Aberdeen Cinemas: City
3431 An Aberdeen Journals Archive photograph of the City Cinema on George Street in 1963. The cinema is showing a war film called Battle of the Beach starring Audie Murphy.
The City Cinema at 197-199 George Street was opened by Aberdeen Picture Palaces on 4th November 1935. The building, the main part of which was tucked away behind George Street, was designed by Thomas Scott Sutherland.
Michael Thomson in Silver Screen in the Silver City explains that until after the second world war, the City's stock and trade was showing second-runs and lesser features from the programmes of up-town cinemas. The City was also popular with Aberdeen's crowds of holidaymakers in the 1930s. See Thomson's book for more on the design and history of this cinema.
The final film shown at the City was Sign of the Pagan on 20th July 1963. The venue was then converted at a cost of £300,000 into a two-floor bowling alley. Originally called ABC Bowl (later known as the Aberdeen Bowl, Super Bowl and Mega Bowl), it opened on 1st May 1964 with celebrity guests Oliver Reed, Jess Conrad and Julia Foster.
The bowling alley, and with it what remained of the City cinema, was demolished in 2007 to make way for an apartment block and the Hilton Garden Inn hotel.
[Information primarily sourced from Silver Screen in the Silver City (1988) by Michael Thomson]
Image © Aberdeen Journals Ltd. The Culter Mills Paper Company, 1981
4277 The dominant brick chimney stack of the paper mills viewed from the North Deeside Road, just opposite the Gordon Arms Hotel now flats.
This image is one of fifteen from a photographic survey of the exterior of Culter Paper Mills and nearby Kennerty Mill undertaken by John A. Souter in the summer of 1981. John kindly donated colour slides of these photographs to Aberdeen City Libraries.
The early history of the Culter Mills Paper Company can be read in the article 'Paper-making on Deeside (1750-1932)' by Alexander A. Cormack in The Deeside Field (sixth number, 1933) pages 36-45. This can be accessed at Aberdeen City Libraries. Bowman & Webster, Cork Manufacturers
164 A receipt from Bowman & Webster, Cork Manufacturers & Bottle Merchants. The document dating from 21st April, 1916 features illustrations of the premises at 8 & 10 South Constitution Street and lists other offices in Dundee and Sevilla, Spain. The receipt is for the purchase of beer corks by the Douglas Arms Hotel in Banchory.
The business of Bowman & Webster had a long history in the City of Aberdeen. It was initially a partnership between Thomas Bowman and Fred Webster. The partnership was dissolved in 1901, with Bowman leaving, but the company retained its original name throughout its history.
Thomas Bowman died suddenly, aged between 40 and 50, on 28th August 1905 and his obituary can be read in the next day's Aberdeen Journal. Like his father and grandfather he had joined the army and served in North India with the Gordon Highlanders.
Fred Webster and his son ran the business after the departure of Bowman. A descendant of the family has been touch and explained that both had troubled lives and died relatively young. The business was then taken over by John Webster, Fred's brother, in 1925.
The obituary of Fred Webster can be read in the Press & Journal of 25th June 1924. In addition to describing his successful business and work in Spain, the article describes him as follows:
"A man of genial disposition, Mr Webster was exceedingly popular with all who knew him. He was a keen bowler and a member of the Northern Bowling Club. For many years Mr Webster was a well-known pigeon fancier and breeder, and won prizes all over the country, including Crystal Palace, and his services were often in request as a judge."
Before taking over the business, John and his wife had spent twenty years living and working in Canada. Fred willed the company to a daughter of John's called Evelyn. John successfully ran the business as its Managing Director until his death on 8th November 1961, aged 78. He was a life-long member of the Thistle Swimming Club and lived at 122 Desswood Place.
John's son, Edwin John Webster, then ran the business until it closed down in the later 20th century. The growing influence of large brewers made business and survival more difficult for local companies involved in the licensed trade.
Edwin John Webster died, aged 78, on 30th September 1990.
Many thanks to Michael John Webster (from Angus), son of Edwin, for providing us with additional information about the family and business. Treasure 117: Estate Sale Catalogues
340 On display is a collection of local estate sale catalogues. During the 20th century many large estates were sold and the pattern of land ownership in Scotland changed. The division of estates at the time of sale lead to an increase in the ownership of smaller areas. Economic depressions and increased taxation were among the reasons behind the break up and sale of estates, particularly the imposition of death duties, also known as inheritance tax.
The catalogues typically include the following information:
1) The location of the estate and area that it covered in acres
2) The details of the sale of the estate
3) A description of all the properties and other assets on the estate
4) Descriptions of sporting activities usually shooting and fishing taking place on the estate which could be rented out
5) A list of individual properties on the estate; the current tenants and the rents that were paid
6) A list of burdens - these were often financial responsibilities shouldered by the owner of an estate that were transferred to the buyer at the time of sale
7) Photographs of properties and sometimes individual rooms within the main country house on the estate
8) Maps of the estate showing the lots if the estate was to be sold in parts
These catalogues provide a fascinating resource for anyone interested in family or local history as they provide detailed information about individual estates and the people that lived and worked on them.
Learn more about these fascinating documents - including the catalogue relating to the mysterious Slains Castle - in the Treasures from our Collections interactive exhibition on the touchscreen. City Election. At the numerous and highly respectable Meeting of the Burgesses, Heritors, Merchants, and Inhabitants of the City of Aberdeen
508 This broadside likely dates to June or July 1832, as it refers to a city council meeting on 26th June 1832. The meeting was attended by burgesses (a guild of inhabitants of the Burgh), monied people, merchants and general inhabitants of Aberdeen. The meeting was held at the Royal Hotel and regarded the motion of Captain Carmichael. This was likely Robert Carmichael, captain of 42nd regiment, resident of Union Terrace (City of Aberdeen, and its Vicinity, 1831-1832, p. 23).
Alexander Crombie (1762-1840), a highly successful teacher, chaired the meeting. The meeting aimed to pass motions in support of James Hadden, provost of Aberdeen, in anticipation of his election bid for the Aberdeen seat in the House of Commons. This was a new seat, formed after the 1832 Scottish Reform Act.
For the prior three decades, the Hadden family had dominated local Aberdeen politics. However, in the run up to 1832, they were coming under increasing pressure from pro-reform Whigs, notably Alexander Bannerman. Bannerman made a variety of allegations against Hadden regarding his practices in local government. The Tories supported Hadden, but in the end he withdrew from the race, and Bannerman was elected to the new seat unopposed (W. Hamish Fraser and Clive H. Lee, Aberdeen 1800-2000: A New History, pp. 178-180).
The motion of the meeting suggested supporting Hadden, celebrating his work in the local council over the decades. The motion was carried. In his speech after the motion, Hadden professes support for necessary reform of the structure of burghs (constituencies), associated with the forthcoming Scottish Reform Act. The meeting thus formed a committee for arranging Haden's election campaign.
This broadside was printed by J. Davidson & Co. of Aberdeen. |