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.
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)?
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."
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.