Daly's Corner Quiz

Original & Best

13th April 2021

A. What was the full Christian name of Ena Murray one of our more competent former teachers?

a) Alexandrina

B. Where was the bungalow called "Elwyn"?

a) It was at 58 Countess Road. The house was originally named Marlind when it was built in 1936, subsequently renamed Elwyn and finally renamed "Glendevon" in 1953 by the lady in “A” above. It has passed through several owners since then but has retained the name Glendevon.

C. Which harrowing event occurred on the East side of our Boroughdales in September 1940?

a) Uxoricide – the murder of a wife! On discovering the infidelity of his wife with a fellow soldier, confirmed by his reading of many love letters concealed in her handbag, Alexander McWilliam grabbed a hatchet and swung it at her head. Five blows rained down on her with the inevitable result. Tried before the Lord Chief Justice on the bench, the jury found father of three, Alexander McWilliam of No. 5 Boroughdales, guilty on a reduced charge of culpable homicide. He was sentenced to seven years.

D. Who was buried, exactly 19 years after John Wesley, in the City Chapel, St Luke's, Shoreditch?

a) Dunbar's Methodist Divine, Thomas Rankin (*7/12/1735-17/5/1810). Father Adam Rankin, mother Isobel Purves, grandfather Adam Rankin and grandmother Mary Duncan. (*Date of baptism rather than birth).

E. Why was 2 Clyde Villas named "St Julians"?

a) Jimmy and Pamela Mason and family moved into 2 Clyde Villas in the early 70s. During his National Service Jimmy had been posted to St Julians, on the coast north of Valetta, in Malta, and had enjoyed his time there. The family subsequently spent many happy holidays there over the years. It was an appropriate choice of name for their new home. Just prior to the new owners moving in, in 1972, a downstairs bedroom floor had to be lowered. Lo and behold, the builders unearthed an early medieval burial cist at least a thousand years old.

Daly's Corner Quiz

Original & Best

13th March 2021

A. What amazing feat was accomplished on Dunbar's East Links in June 1983?

a) On the 23rd of June that year, with around nineteen hours of playable light available, a local ex-army Major and Chemist Shop owner John W Stephenson completed ten rounds on this once famous seaside course, playing with the same ball throughout and breaking eighty each time (as verified by local members acting as caddies). John started at first light - 03:15 am - the first four rounds took just the wrong side of seven hours. The following two rounds, caddied by farmer Mike Robertson, took nearly 4 hours and the caddie for part of the final round, as night was beckoning, was George Campbell Hogg.

As part of the proceedings, apropos the charitable aspect of the endeavour, £400 was raised for the benefit of RSPCC!

B. When was the extension to the South-West/High Street side of the Railway Hotel (originally, we're told, named Black's Railway Tavern on Church Street, then "Jacksons" on Queens Road, soon followed by Mayne (hotelkeeper)?

a) During 1911/12 just prior to the Wartle (in Aberdeenshire) loon Beattie taking over stewardship. (Successors to Jake Beattie post-1930 were - John Ronaldson, Walter Hughes and James Galbraith Forsyth, the latter selling on to Bowie Bros (Builders), Eyemouth whose bar manager was Alistair Dodds.)

C. Where, locally, is the name Countess Park still in use?

a) On the identifier plate of the enclosed sub-station within the Primary School Boundary on Countess Road.

D. Which two houses on the town's Bowmont Terrace were constructed with a more resolute material than those on the remaining two terraces?

a) Nos. 1 and 2 (1 is now 1A and 1B, 2 is now 2 and 2B) were built c1880, entirely using top quality whinstone. The remaining ten on the upper two terraces probably had their front and side elevations constructed of whinstone but their rear, seaward sides were definitely built with non-red sandstone.

E. Who was the Dunbar Provost who facilitated the purchase, for the sum of £1800 (provided by the Bowe family), of a parcel of land outside the Eastern boundary of Winterfield Farm, for the potential creation of our Public Park?

a) Robert Aitken (Snr) in May 1924.

Daly's Corner Quiz

Original & Best

13th February 2021

A. What was the former name of Viewfield now on the town's Countess/New Road?

a) New Field.

B. Where in Dunbar's mid-nineteenth century, once oblong square, was Ogilvie’s Close?

a) Please see below.

C. What were the former names of the following East Links villas viz: Cruachan, Tulliallan and Greenore?

a) Blanerne, Kilahara and Isa Villa, whilst Selee and Aberford have remained unchanged. Cruachan is the battle cry of Clan Campbell and the house was renamed thus by the Wood family on 5/11/70.

D. Whilst the existence of a Carmelite Priory at Abbeylands is dubious at best, where was there certainly a small Carmelite (friars?) cell?

a) At a spot near the present Newtonlees.

E. Who, a dairyman's son from Dunbar, rose through the ranks in the frozen food industry?

a) Ian Melrose, son of Tommy and Stornoway-bred Dolina McKinnon, became one of the high-heid yins at Birds Eye Foods, even advertising their products on commercial television.

Daly's Corner Quiz

Original & Best

13th January 2021

A. What is the connection with the track above and a night out here in early May '64?

a) Madras-born Randolph Peter Scanland (aka Pete Best) with his band The Pete Best Four* played at our Cavern (aka the Vicky Ballroom) on the 2nd of May 1964. He was replaced, in a unanimous decision of all the other Beatles, by Rory Storme and The Hurricanes ex-skinbeater Richard Starkey. However, he got a fair whack of royalties from the Beatles Anthology 1, post its release in the 1990s. Strangely "Love Me Do" and "PS I Love You" on some versions used Scots skinsman Andy White.

*aka The Pete Best Allstars.

B. When, in the Breezy Burgh’s history, did the population rise by 5000?

a) Over the period 1960 to 2010.

C. Where in our town were the two (non-simultaneous) Rope Works?

a) See maps below.

            

D. Which house on our once proud High St was formerly The Corn Bank?

a) Number 9 High Street which is now called Barnlea.

E. Why was Selee, on the town's East Links Road, so called?

a) It was re-named (anagrammatically) by the Eeles family who owned it.

Daly's Corner Quiz

Original & Best

13th December 2020

A. What was the connection with a Sunday Night in May 1964 at the Vic and late 1920's cinema?

a) Two of The Bachelors early hits played here, on their 1st of 3 appearances in the town, Ramona and Diane, had strong associations with films released at the tail-end of the 1920s.

B. When were the Edinburgh Road Corporation Houses built?


a) They were completed by 1925 and included Numbers 1 to 20 Boroughdales, odd numbers on the east side and even numbers on the west, with upper and lower dwellings.

C. Where in the Boroughdales scheme of things was Florence Villa?

a) Number 4 Lammermuir Crescent.

D. Who were the ministers of the two Secessionist Churches in the first quarter of the 19th Century?

a) Alexander Jack at the first one located on the High St./Church St. and Alexander Bain at the second one located at East Links Brae, who lived in one of the Kirkhill Cottages at East Links.

 E. Whose signature/autograph is featured at the top of this Quiz and why did their appearance at our Hallowed Hall not go down a storm?

a) Billy J Kramer's. His live appearance here in '64 was a joy not to behold.

Daly's Corner Quiz

Original & Best

13th November 2020

A. When was the largest crowd at Old Countess Park and who were Dunbar United’s opponents?

a)   i) The opposition were Armadale Thistle.

     ii) The date was Saturday the 28th of February '53

 & iii) The crowd was 5,300. The match was a 5th round tie in the Scottish Junior Cup.

The game itself was a replay having braved a 3-3 draw the previous Saturday against Dale at Volunteer Park. The Seasiders, courtesy of two goals by centre forward and Belter Shuggie Gillan, progressed to the quarter finals for the first time in their history. Unfortunately,after a 3-3 home draw in the quarter final, they lost the replay with Vale of Leithen. Left back on the day was ex-Chesters Farm and Garvald schoolboy Nick* Lindores and right winger was oor ain Boroughdales boy, Johnnie Hannan, who went on to become the club’s leading goal scorer of all-time. He scored 211 goals in a 12-year career ending in 1957. To those who were there and can recall those distant days this was our best ever team!

                                                          (Team on the Day)

(Ritchie, Hastings, Lindores, Inch, Todd, Mowat, Hannan, Paterson, Gillan, Burnett and Dryden)

*Nicknamed after a farmyard pet! – His name as christened was William Robert Hope Lindores.


B. Where was the Entry Lodge for our Railway station of 1845 vintage?

a) It was located just off the old Spott Road near the Cemetery gates, on the right-hand side looking towards the bridge. It was occupied by Peter Jeffrey and family for many years. It has now been demolished. Its sister house was the Stationmaster's House, now the Station Yard micropub.

C. Which gravestone within the Kirkyaird has been replaced by a wall memorial?

a) Inside the Anderson enclosed Lair A4 there was formerly a gravestone on the North side facing South commemorating the life of “Colonel” James Hamilton (son of a local Doctor and upstanding Wesleyan) and his wife Marion Elizabeth Anderson. Around the year 2007 it was removed and replaced by a wall memorial.


D. Who were the father and son who, within a decade, son first, gained the Dunbar Golf Club “Battle Medal” (a mounted version of Cromwell’s Battle of Dunbar campaign medal)?

a) D. R. Bowe in 1934 and D. L. Bowe in 1941.


E. Why did disc-jockey Stuart Henry spend so little time aboard MV Comet (Radio Scotland - 242)?

a) Mal-de-mer and attending Clan Balls.

Daly's Corner Quiz

Original & Best

13th October 2020

A. What was the name of the “tattie boat” operated on the once-weekly Dunbar to London run by John Hutchison Bowe during the 1890s, ofttimes with a weight of goods of 1500 tons?

a) The SS Adam Smith.

B. What is the link with the F. W. Wood painting above and our once proud castle?

a) "Black Agnes” Randolph's mausoleum is located within the grounds of Mordington House featured above.

C. Where precisely off Dunbar's coast is Geordie's Hole?

a) Geordie's Hole is located SE of Vaults (at coordinates of N 55° 59.750'  W 002° 28.190')

D. Where were Blue Gates, the Showfield and Haremires (not to be confused with Harestanes)?

a) The first two are features of Lochend and Hallhill lands
i)The Blue Gates opened into the estate at Lochend/Hallhill Cottage.
ii)The Showfield was to the South of Lochend Wood, propinquous to the ancient Anglian Burial ground, close to what is now the “Bill Torry Memorial Garden”.
iii) Haremires is on the other side of the A1.

E. Which “Sweetie Shop” was at 35 High Street, in the first quarter of the Twentieth Century?

a) "Cruikshank’s."

Daly's Corner Quiz

Original & Best

13th September 2020

A. What was the difference in numbers between the warring factions at The Battle of Dunbar on 28th of April 1296?

a) According to English chroniclers of the day the Scottish army numbered 40,000 but the figure was probably closer to 4,000, with Warenne’s and Warwick’s English army of 10,000 nearer 1,000. Contemporary accounts tended to exaggerate the strengths of armies to make the victors more victorious, the defeated ignominious. It is thought that each army at Dunbar, and in other conflicts, was a tenth of the figures given by the chroniclers, something which many modern historians agree with. Whatever the exact strengths of the Scottish and English armies were, the Comyns outnumbered Warenne and Warwick by around four to one.

B. When did the group, featured on the track above, appear here in Dunbar?

a) Simon Dupree and The Big Sound appeared, with stand-in Reg Dwight (Elton John) on the piano, on Friday the 14th Apr 1967, at our Victoria Ballroom.

C. Where, apart from the obvious, did DRFC play some matches in The Breezy Burgh?

a) The Paddock at Parsonspool, Slaughterhouse Field (aka Laundry Park) at Spott Road, Stark’s Field by Friarscroft, Duffers’ Park at Dunbar Golf Course and possibly on Winterfield Golf Course near where the Quartermaster's Store/Factory was located. When DRFC ran to 3 XVs they also used Sailors Park near to the old Gasworks (now the Grammar School playing field).

D. Who was the Annie in George A. Grahame's Shop (now the Laundrette) at 36 Countess Road?

a) Oddly enough it was Annie Young not Annie Grahame. Annie Young, who lived a wee bit further along at 39 Countess Road on the railway side, was Victor Young the Co-op butcher's sister. Furthermore, in local parlance, the cattle underpass/tunnel opposite, now relabelled ECM8/083 Bleachfield, was nicknamed “Annie Grahame's Brig”. Also, during the war years not only did we have a new fortified Dunbar West signal box reconstructed in 1942, a few hundred yards along the up-line, there was also an air raid shelter built beside the 'tunnel", nearby to the Countess Road houses.

E. Why are two houses on diagonally opposite sides of Countess Road named after locations in Glendevon in Perthshire?

a) “Glendevon” on the north side at the junction with Countess Avenue is named after the picturesque Perthshire glen near Auchterarder from whence the quite respected primary school teacher Ena Murray hailed. She moved to Dunbar, with her 2 sisters - one of whom became matron at the Battery Hospital - in the late 1920s. Firstly, the trio resided at 2 Boroughdales then they bought a bungalow in the mid-40s on the town’s Countess Road and renamed it Glendevon. Her brother David was the manager of the Aerated Water Works (Lemonade Works).

“Tormaukin”, diagonally opposite on the south side of Countess Road, is named after the eponymous Hotel, situated in Glendevon near Gleneagles, where the then house-owners spent their honeymoon, and which in turn is named after a hill also beside Glendevon. Coincidentally, the lady of the house's maiden name was MacLennan and her sister married a Mr Lees, and she is now living at the house called “Lennanlea”. This family came from Sutherland via Duns to West Barns.

Daly's Corner Quiz

Original & Best

13th August 2020

A. What was the name of the watering hole at The New Inn Barracks?

a) The Lauderdale Arms.

B. When was The Carmelite Priory at what is now Abbeylands founded?

a) AD 1263. There is more than a little dubiety about even the existence of a Carmelite House and its history being muddled with that of the Christiana de Brus founded Trinitarian set-up on Friarscroft.

C. Where was the Holy well nearby to the Silver Sands?

a) There was reputedly a Holy Well with associated Spout at Catcraig.

D. Which of the sons of Margaret Stobie Drysdale and Davidson Keith was buried at Montrose?

a) Alan Davidson Keith – youngest and fourth son b18/5/1885, d22/2/1928.

E. Why, when and by whom was the cattle underpass at The Hully, which might have become Bridge ECM 8/082, stopped-up?

a) It was stopped-up because of the risk of flooding further down the line. Increasing amounts of water were leaching into the bridge from the Lochend side. During 1996 Scotrail/Network Rail employed contractors to pump many tons of liquid concrete into the underpass and topped it off with scree.

Daly's Corner Quiz

Original & Best

13th July 2020

A. What connects the above with that instrumentally memorable night at “The Vic” on 11/4/64?

a) Matthew James Bellamy (9/6/78) is the lead singer, guitarist, pianist and main songwriter-cum producer in the multi-facetted rock group Muse. Muse were formed in Devon c.'94. He was born in Cambridge and had an elder sibling Paul. George Bellamy his father was born in Sunderland on the 8th of October 1940, he is described as a musician and singer but his claim-to-fame was being rhythm guitarist with the Tornados. He joined this instrumental group after answering an advert in the music press placed by the legendary Joe Meek. Bellamy left the group in 1963 (spinal issues) so he and Heartthrob Heinz -bass guitarist- had left the band by the time they reached the Breezy Burgh in April 1964. With the leaving of Clem Cattini in 1965 no original group members remained.

B. When the Searchers appeared in Dunbar in November 1966, arriving somewhat early for their evening performance at our renowned Victoria Ballroom, where did they take High Tea?

a) The St. George Hotel. Instead of having the usual fare of a selection of cakes, scones and tea or coffee they asked the Head Waiter, Jim Herring, if they might have “jam butties” with their tea or coffee and Jim was only too willing to oblige.

C. When did Comus Patricius flee to Dunbar to escape William the Conqueror?

a) 1072.

D. Where are Sicar Rock and nearby Bush of Blackstanes located?

a)  i. Sicar – alternatively Sea Carr - Rock is located 2.4 kilometres ENE of Dunbar Harbour and 1.5 kilometres N of Vowtshore. Its WGS 84 coordinates position is Latitude N 56.01311° and Longitude W 002.47752°.

     ii. Bush of Blackstanes is approximately 1.5 kilometres S by E of above. Its WGS84 coordinates position is Latitude N 56.00183° and Longitude W 002.47017°.

E. Who, as a jockey, went through the card at Beverley in 1901, was second in The Derby in 1902 and second in the Oaks 2 days later?

a) West Barns trainer John McCall's elder son George “Douper” McCall (1880 -1948), born around the time his father moved to the pre-Tilton stables.

Daly's Corner Quiz

Original & Best

13th June 2020

A. What was another name for White Sands near the Meaddies, by Catcraig?

a) Silver Sands.

B. When did Arthur Berriedale Keith – The Chief Ornament of Scottish Learning - die?

a) Arthur, born on the 5th April 1879 in Aberdeen, died on the 6th of October 1944 in Edinburgh and is buried beside his wife Margaret Balfour Allan at Grange cemetery in the Capital. His mother lived at St Margaret’s in Dunbar and he is mentioned on the family memorial in Dunbar Parish Church cemetery. His father Davidson Keith died in penury in London.


C. Where precisely was Dunbar East Signal Box located?

a) It was on the north, “up-line to London” side of the railway line only yards from the entry to what was the Old Goods Yard and approximately 55 yds west of the Spott Road Bridge, reference ECM 8/086.

D. Which three late Dunbar Provosts are commemorated in street names near Newtonless?

a) Brand, Manderson and Sinton.

E. Who was the famous, to some degree, denizen of Deloraine, next to Bowmont Cottage on East Links Road, through the 1980's?

a) Geoffrey, Lord Lane and Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales. The house was built as Geoffrey’s holiday home.

Daly's Corner Quiz

Original & Best

13th May 2020

And here’s to the next decade!

A. What was the former name of Doon Avenue?

a) Apart from sometime being colloquially described as "Kipper Alley" in its early years it was known also as The Boroughdales 'til circa 1932.

B. When was the Apse added to our Parish Church?

a) Post 1897, by Robert Hall of Galashiels after instructions by the late Dowager Duchess of Roxburghe.

C. Where was the sprung-flooring from our Victoria Ballroom (ex-gymnasium) removed to and relocated in?

a) The Calton Studios - now Studio 24 - on the Capital's Calton St. (24-26) EH8 8DP.

D. Which town, apart from being described as “the old place”, was never mentioned within the text of his June 1924 autobiography "Before The Mast and After", written by the shipping magnate Sir Walter Runciman, 1st Baron Runciman?

a) Dunbar, the town where he was born and lived for the first few years of his life and to which he returned on many occasions.

E. Why was one of our legendary old North East High Street Closes known as Johnston’s?

a) Originally it was called Mrs Dr Johnston's Close (see Woods map) after Isobel Howden, (died 7th December 1839), the widow of Alexander Johnston, former naval surgeon, Baillie’s son and general practitioner, who lived at the head of the vennel. Alexander predeceased his better-half, dying on the 28th October 1822. This Close disappeared in the High Street re-developments of the 1920s/30s. To give a rough idea of where it lay it would appear to be virtually equidistant between Brown’s (ex-Thomson’s)/Billiard Hall vennel (next to the Chinese King’s Palace) and what was Forrest Close, a couple of doors north from Lothian Printers.