Friends of Dundee City Archives

Editorial

 

The past few weeks have been a very busy time for some of the volunteers. The Family History Fair was held on the 13th September in St Andrew’s Parish Church Halls.  Both the St Andrew’s Hall and the Glasite Hall were filled with stalls run by family history societies and Local History organisations from across Scotland. Also a stall selling old postcards of various places, also stalls by the National & Local Registrars, Archives & libraries departments. It was a busy day with many people browsing around our stall, asking enquiries and chatting, although many browsed through the books published by the FDCA unfortunately few were actually sold. Thanks to Richard Cullen, David Middleton & John Robertson for helping to run the stall.

Graveyard Walks

The Graveyard walks were very well attended this year with sizable numbers of people turning up to hear Iain Flett, Richard Cullen and Innes Duffus relate the history and bygone stories of the various graveyards.
The Tuesday visit to Roodyards turned out to be a wet and miserable day, but quite a good number of people turned up equipped with ‘brollies’ to hear Richard relate the history of this hidden graveyard.

Open Doors Weekend

The Open Doors Day was again held over the weekend of 20th – 21st September. The Archives were open for three sessions, 10 am, 11 am and 2 pm.
Again the event was well patronised by Dundee folk with many interested people coming in and seeing what the Archives hold and what contribution the Volunteers give to the work of the Archives and in revealing more information to add to the History of Dundee. Thanks go to the Volunteers who gave of their time to come in that day and help.

Forthcoming Events.

Visit to the Strathmartine Centre – 2 Kinburn Place, St. Andrew’s

This will be held on Wednesday the 22nd October, meeting at 5.00 pm.
The application forms for this trip have already gone out so if you would like to go on this trip – please contact Richard or Angela at the Archives.

Archives Film Night

This year the next in our very successful Archives Film Nights will be held in the STEPS THEATRE, Central Library (Note change of Venue) on Wednesday 12th November 2008, 6.15 pm to 8 pm.
Tickets are ONLY available direct from the Archives office – they will NOT be sold at the Theatre on the actual night – so please get your tickets direct from the Archives office.

Scottish Place Names Society

Day Conference in Abertay University, Dundee, 8th Nov 2008, 10.30 am to 4.15 pm, cost is £17 per person (£10 for full time students)

Applications to attend this conference go DIRECT to –
SPNS Conference, c/o Ian Fraser, School Scottish Studies (UoE), 27 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9LD (by 31st Oct). Late applications phone Pete Drummond on 07769680293. (acknowledgements of bookings will not be sent). 

Iain Flett is doing a session on the Baillies, Banks & Battles – street name origins in Dundee. One of the FDCA volunteers, Gillian Molloy, is currently doing very well on the 1870’s Dundee Street Names.
Iain F. has also asked me to remind you that the Libraries are still keen to collect ‘printable’ memories on this subject.    

Burns Musical Night

St Andrew’s Church (Glasite Hall) on Friday 30th January 2009 Time Start 6.45 pm for 7 pm.
Tickets £12.

FDCA Conference 2009

Advanced notice Theme – To and From Dundee (Migration). Details will be intimated in future newsletters.

Lunchtime Lectures 2008-2009

St Andrew’s Church Hall (Glasite Hall), King Street, Dundee, Talks start at 1 p.m. Tea/Coffee/Biscuits from 12.30, (50p).

(These talks are open to non-members. They are free of charge although donations to the Friends are appreciated.)

Date	Topic	Speaker
6th Nov 2008	Food for The Crows: The Life & Death of a Dundee Radical	Dr. Tony Cox
4th Dec 2008	To be Arranged
8th Jan 2009	Half Hour Documentary Film on the Three J's - Jute, Jam & Journalism	Mrs Daphne Barbieri
5th Feb 2009	To be Arranged