Daly's Corner Quiz
Original & Best
13th April 2022
A. What was our town's Cutch House?
a) A facility for barking sails and cables. The fabric would be boiled in cutch, or bark, and dried prior to use. This was a means of preserving, hence all the brown sails!
B. Where was the Cutch house located?
a) At the end of Castlegate en-route to the New Harbour. See red box in the photo below.
C. When was the groyne/brander first laid down on the east of the East Beach, only yards west of Woodbush?
a) 1908
D. Which High Street Closes were either side of Gibson's?
a) Bookless' and Simpson’s Closes.
E. Who built the second phase of developments on our North East High Street?
a) Pearce of Berwick who also built Parsonspool, New (Countess) Road Bungalows (half of them) and many more.
Daly's Corner Quiz
Original & Best
13th November 2021
A. What was the record number of goals scored by a DUFC player in a season?
a) 31 goals (in 38 appearances) in season 1953/4 were scored by John McKeown.
B. When was the Allans'-built Primary School on Lammermuir Crescent opened for business?
a) The new Primary, built to accommodate 500 pupils, was ready for access in school year 1951/2.
C. Where was former Dunbar United star Johnny Hannan born?
a) John Alexander Hannan was born on the 17th of June 1923 at 136 High Street. However, the trio of brothers and their parents soon moved to No. 9 Boroughdales then up the same side to the larger No. 1 where he spent the rest of his life.
D. Which three of our town’s Closes feature in the above photo of Nos 117 to 129 High St., from the late ex-Burgh Surveyor Duncan Murdoch's portfolio?
a) (From l-r) Brown's (ex-Thomson’s), Johnston's and Forrest.
E. Who was the Dunbar RFC forward who suffered a broken neck during a 2nd XV match at Winterfield?
a) John A. Craig, 23-years old second row forward incurred this severe injury in a match c1964; his modified stretcher/gurney was a door from the nearby Craig-en-Gelt Hotel. The good governance of Dr Alfred Corden ensured the best possible outcome was achieved. John endured a few weeks in hospital after the incident and married his loyal sweetheart, Ann Cowe, not long after.
A. What is the connection with the King/Goffin track above and our Victoria Ballroom?
a) On Saturday April the 4th 1964 a 24-year-old Bermondsey Boy, Jimmy Justice, (born James A B Little) who trod the boards in our former Army Gymnasium, was the main attraction here in Dunbar on that Spring evening. From the Spring through to the Autumn of '62 he had three hits in the Top Twenty and the above was the biggest seller (in Britain). However, he was possibly more successful in Sweden, parts of Europe and Australasia. recording more than 50 songs on Pye; an anthology of those was released on 2CDs in 2001!
B. When was the last case of matricide in our Breezy Burgh?
a) On May 19th 1989 Douglas Parr (43) murdered his 'nagging', widowed mother Beatrice (65), wife of the late Robert. Strangely, he confessed in the Royal British Legion to former Leith Policeman (Sergeant) and ex-Dunbar Constable Charles Ross who instructed Parr to give himself up. He duly did so and in The High Court, Edinburgh, later that year, (31st August) a jury took less than half-an-hour to find Parr guilty and the Judge committed him to a life sentence.
C. Where exactly did this murder take place?
a) In a cottage on the former Common Close, off Castle Street.
D. Which of the following statements about oor toon, meteorologically, is correct?
i) Dunbar is/was the sunniest resort in our Kingdom.
ii) Dunbar " the warmest " in our Kingdom.
iii) Dunbar " the driest " in our Kingdom.
a) There is a very slight possibility it is (i) but a quite definite probability it is (iii). Our town averages just under 1,450 hours of sunshine but averages 22.50 inches of rain per annum.
E. Who was the daughter of Daniel Muir who died in April 1832 and was buried on 6th April in our Parish Kirkyaird - possibly interred with her mother and grandmother (Janet Kennedy) in Lair A214?
a) Jannet, daughter of Muir and his first wife Eleanor “Helen” Weatherley Kennedy of Warenford, Northumberland. Helen (daughter of a William and Janet Kennedy) was born on 28th August 1800 and died in July 1832. Helen’s mother Janet had the Meal shop on the High Street, now John Muir House, and died in February 1829. Helen was buried on 1st August 1832 and earlier she married Daniel Muir at Berwick-upon-Tweed on 7th October 1829.
Daly's Corner Quiz
Original & Best
13th June 2021
A. What year saw the retirement of Provost Brand?
a) 1890. Humbly serving the Council for 30 years, 21 of those as head.
B. When the Episcopal Church of St. Anne was dedicated in 1890 which structure did it replace?
a) An iron building on Baker's Croft at Westgate.
C. Where, traditionally, was the nearest Mile stane to oor toon's centre, bearing in mind a Lang Scots Mile was nearer 2000 yards?
a) Although there was once a mile stone propinquous to the Thistle Inn by Broxburn, closer to home there was also one on the Edinburgh Road due south of Knockenhair. However, the closest to the town centre was atop what is now Bowmont.
D. Which bungalow on the then New Road (now Countess Road) was called "Craigavon"?
a) Hildaville (#52) now owned by widow Ethel Kelly. It was re-named after Hilda, wife of Erin Deans (of Erinalls fame), the pair were aunt and uncle of Davy Deans, Palace of Pleasure owner from 1956 and sometime Scotland Rugby team squad member. It was originally owned by Arnold Togneri Snr.
E. Who ran the Savoia Cafe?
a) Owned and run by the Greco family it was located at 146 High Street.