The Rolling Stones, Springhill School and sunbathing: Memories of June days in Aberdeen in archive photos
Our eclectic monthly round-up of archive photos takes us back to The Rolling Stones' performance at The Capitol in Aberdeen 60 years ago, the last day of Hilton School forever and bygone views of Holburn Street.
Kirstie Waterston
When looking back at June memories in Aberdeen over the decades, it doesn’t get much better than The Rolling Stones playing The Capitol in 1965.
The Aberdeen concert came at the height of the Stones’ notoriety when their ‘bad boy’ reputations melted the hearts of girls – and enraged polite society – everywhere.
It was a welcome return to Aberdeen for The Rolling Stones who’d played to a frenetic audience at The Capitol in 1964.
The Rolling Stones squeezed Aberdeen into their demanding tour
The Rolling Stones had a relentless year-long tour schedule in 1965 barely taking a day off for 11 months, performing at least 223 times.
They even managed to fit in a court summons for “insulting behaviour” at a London service station, after which Glasgow’s Stipendiary Magistrate James Langmuir branded the band “complete morons who wear their hair down to their shoulders and wear filthy clothes”.
1964: Pop fans at the Capitol, Aberdeen, going wild for The Rolling Stones, Freddie and the Dreamers, Millie, Dave Berry, Peter and Gordon and Mark Peters. Image: DC Thomson
But such pearl-clutching from the authorities only fueled the band’s popularity among teenagers, and buoyed a very demanding tour.
The band kicked off 1965 with two shows in Belfast on January 6, before taking in Australia, Scandinavia, America, Europe and the length of Britain before finishing up in Los Angeles on December 5.
Luckily for fans in the north, The Rolling Stones managed to squeeze two Aberdeen gigs in one night into their packed programme.
‘Girls wept, waved, sobbed and raced down the aisles and struggled with police officers’
On June 17, the Stones arrived at The Capitol with a bang, quite literally, when their Austin Princess car collided with another on Justice Mill Lane.
But the band bared noticed as they raced out to the safety of a cordon while police held back screaming fans.
The Taylor family, who were occupants of the other car, weren’t even there to see the Stones, they were visiting friends.
The Capitol Cinema on Union Street, Aberdeen, as it looked in 1980. The Rolling Stones played there in 1964, 1965 and 1982. Image: DC Thomson
To make matters worse, their teenage son Charles claimed to be a Beatles fan.
Inside, the Rolling Stones had little time for preparation and were practically bundled onto stage to face their fans.
Girl leapt onto seats and “wept, waved, sobbed and raced down the aisles” where they struggled with police and ushers.
More than a dozen police officers mounted guard at the stage approaches, deflecting several attempts by frenzied girls desperate to touch their idols during hits like “The Last Time”.
Mick Jagger ‘echoed frenzy’ of Aberdeen audience
The Press and Journal reported how “the steady half-hour scream ripped through the entire Stones show making everything unintelligible except the throbbing boom of the bass”.
P&J reporter Julie Davidson was lucky enough to get backstage with The Rolling Stones in June 1965. Image: DC Thomson
P&J reporter Julie Davidson said the band seemed unperturbed by the experience, and only Mick Jagger seemed to “echo the frenzy of the audience”.
She added: “His long graceful body twitches, his rubber legs scissor in that odd, fluid erotic little dance, he wields the mike like a sword, nurses it like a baby and the audience throw themselves into fresh hysteria.”
“It’s all a little unreal, like a surrealist impression of hell.”
Julie was even lucky enough to interview the boys backstage during the interval, where Brian Jones waved a cheerful hello, and Keith Richards stood up to greet her.
Brian said they didn’t mind the screaming because fans in England didn’t shriek any more, while Mick Jagger waxed lyrical about a fry-up they had in Laurencekirk on the way up the road.
Gallery: Memories of June days in Aberdeen over the years
1987: Competing in Culter’s Gala wheelbarrow race along North Deeside Road were Gwenda Morrice, Francis Morrison and Ann Murison. The gala fun included a gala parade of floats, vintage cars, the gala queen, a fancy dress parade, races for all ages, caber tossing and an American football display. Image: DC Thomson
1972: In the half-moon gallery, which was an attractive feature of former Melville Free Church in Aberdeen, John McKenzie stockpiles movie stills belonging to James Donald Ltd., who used the building as a store. Image: DC Thomson
1985: Marchburn school Lollipop Lady, Sheila Rollo gives Primary 1 and 2 the “go” as they set off on a sponsored walk round the school, in aid of the Special Nursery Appeal. Pupils hoped to raise £500. Image: DC Thomson
1965: Groundwork beginning to lay the foundations of St Nicholas House in Broad Street, Aberdeen, in June 1965. Image: DC Thomson
1988: Primary 5 at Springhill School were interviewing people for its local study. Pupils interviewed head teacher Isobell Duff and cook, Pamela Cormack, while Diane Cruickshank (10) takes the pictures. Image: DC Thomson
1964: A view of the old Bridge of Dee, Aberdeen, looking north from Kincorth towards Kaimhill, as it was in this picture from June 1964. The volume of traffic was very light with only four vehicles in the photograph. Image: DC Thomson
1971: The Stuart Cadets, all members of the Stuart School of Dancing majorettes, show their paces for the first time to the public at Aberdeen’s Victoria Park. Image: DC Thomson
1973: A view of the grand frontage of St Nicholas Union Grove Church on the corner of Holburn Street and Union Grove. The church united with the West Church of St Andrew in 1973 and was converted into flats by housebuilder Malcolm Allan. Image: DC Thomson
1987: Banff and Buchan’s new MP Alex Salmond pictured in June 1987 after winning the seat for the SNP. Image: DC Thomson
1965: A quiet moment in Holburn Street, which was usually a scene of great activity back in the 1960s. Image: DC Thomson
1965: The Rolling Stones, from left, Mick Jagger, Keith Richard, Charlie Watts, Brian Jones and Bill Wyman, with reporter Julie Davidson in Aberdeen on June 17 1965. Image: DC Thomson
1969: The facade of the New Market, in Market Street, the city’s first covered market built in the 1880s. Demolished in 1971 amidst public outcry including objections from Sir John Betjeman. Image: DC Thomson
1987: Pensioners and mums in an Aberdeen housing estate were fighting for the return of a bus service to their favourite superstore. Dpris Smith organised a petition to Fine Fare asking for free transport to the firm’s Bridge of Dee store. The company removed the service to Torry residents when they opened up a smaller supermarket in nearby Wellington Road. Mrs Smith said: “The Wellington Road store is much smaller. It doesn’t have a cafe or sell gardening equipment or clothes”. Image: DC Thomson
1964: June would normally be a busy month at Aberdeen Beach, but it was deserted here in 1965 during the city’s Typhoid outbreak. Image: DC Thomson
1970: A cracking view of air cadets gliding at Dyce Airport, here Frank Philip signals take off. Image: DC Thomson
1988: School’s out… forever! Robert Gordon’s College heads of department Michael Wilson, left, and Gordon Arthur were to show the lads a clean pair of heels when they retired at the end of the June term in 1988.<br />The school was to lose two of its most senior teachers; Modern Languages teacher Gordon Arthur joined the staff in 1968, while Latin teacher and head of Classics, Michael Wilson, followed four years later. Image: DC Thomson
1953: You’d hardly recognise it today, but take a look at this picture from June 1953 and you’ll realise it’s the junction of Schoolhill, St Nicholas Street, and Upperkirkgate. Boots’ corner shop had just closed and moved to Union Street. Image: DC Thomson
1977: Bambi, a week-old deer, was found cold and shivering at the side of the main Stonehaven road after being abandoned by its mother days before. When his mother still did not appear, the Aberdeen Association for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals were called in and the deer was taken to the city’s cat and dog home. Bambi was adopted by the superintendent and his family, with their pet dog Alsatian called King, keeping guard over his cute new friend. Image: DC Thomson
1988: The last of Hilton Academy’s pupils wave the old school goodbye. More than a few tears were shed at Hilton Academy when the old school closed its doors for the last time. Parents, pupils and teachers fought several emotionally-charged campaigns to save the school, but June 22 marked the end of 56 years of history. The remaining pupils moved to nearby Powis Academy to create the new St Machar Academy. Image: DC Thomson
1970: Hopefully June will look a little like this in the coming weeks… St Nicholas kirkyard was where city workers made the most of the sunshine during their lunch-hour in 1970. Image: DC Thomson
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