The communities of Aberdeen all play a vital role in making the city a great place to live, work and play.
Join us as we take a look at some of the well-known places and faces over the years – from Take That to your old neighbours. Have a look and see who, or what, you recognise.
Balnagask
Back to 1967 and a general view of “New Torry” rising between Tullos School and St Fittick’s Road, taken from the roof of Tullos School with Girdleness Road running through the heart of the Balnagask housing scheme.
Odeon Cinema
When Ghostbusters opened at the Odeon in 1984, a policeman was needed to calm the crowd of exuberant children waiting for the doors to open, all desperate for a seat to see the new blockbuster. The normal audience was swollen by pupils who were taking advantage of an extra day’s “holiday” because of a teachers strike.
Guild Street
Circus parades used to be a popular sight on the streets of Aberdeen. Here Billy Smart’s bit top entertainers – including elephants – take a stroll along Guild Street in 1966 while thousands line the street to watch. Leading the parade on elephant-back was local girl Irene Blues. “Mad on animals” from an early age, and due to start a new job in charge of the children’s farm at Aberdeen Zoo, she had written to the PR for the circus asking if she could take part in the parade and ended up with the best seat in the house.
Hazlehead Park
Coming down to land… the RAF Falcons freefall parachute team make a spectacular arrival at Hazlehead Park for the Aberdeen Highland Games in 1986.
Beach Ballroom
Disco fever hit the Beach Ballroom in 1979, with local young folk dancing for a place in the final of the UK disco championship.
Market Street
A view of Market Street in 1959 with Solden’s store and Fullotone Radio & Television store clearly a big draw for shoppers.
Kittybrewster
It’s fade to black for Kittybrewster’s Astoria cinema, as it is demolished in 1967, some 33 years after it first opened its doors.
Stoneywood
They say that people get to look like their dogs, or is it the other way around? Either way, it did not stop Barra, Ronnie Vannini’s six-year-old Afghan hound winning first prize for the best hound in the show at the Bon-Accord Kennel Club’s show in the curling rink at Stoneywood in 1986.
Castlehill
In 1935, the Gordon Highlanders said goodbye to their home at Castlehill Barracks and marched through the city to their new barracks at Bridge of Don, while thousands turned out to watch and cheer.
Spital
Spital Brae looking from its crossing at Froghall Terrace and Merkland Road towards the centre of the city, with the Mitchell Tower in the centre in 1966.
