:: We Dundee

We Back Dundee as a City of Culture

2791

PEOPLE AND GROWING

Dundee Rep hosts a constant flow of high quality performance arts and is outstanding. Dance, mime, song, drama and comedy feature strongly. Community involvement – including youth and disabled – makes me feel fortunate and proud that we have this facility in the city.

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> The City's history really means something to its inhabitants, to Scotland and to the wider world.

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> People come to the city after often having heard negative comments about it, only to discover a warm welcoming people friendly city with a "small town feeling". It's not just a destination it's the ideal location to base yourself in, being less than two hours public transport from Scotland's three largest city's. As well as other highlights such as Stirling, St Andrews and Glen shee and Braemar. Why not have a homely base instead of packing and unpacking every day, and enjoy a plentiful selection of affordable accommodation.

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> It always amazing how diverse Dundonians are, in their language, there fashion, their backgrounds, their views and there lifestyles. The rich tapestry of people in Dundee means there is a place for everyone to feel at home and that is something that always surprises me about the place.

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> The wealth of great private and public golf courses, that are very well designed and challenging, including the links course at Carnoustie and the beautiful landscaping of Downfield Golf Club. International visits could purchase special passes during the year of culture to Dundee private and public clubs in order to play golf on them all - a passport - could be offered.

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> It actually is a surprisingly sunny city with sunny people and sometimes sunny, but always brilliant, inner-city walks.

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> we have the closest 2 football teams in the world. and dundee united are the only team in europe to have beaten barcelona everytime that we have played them in europe

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> Voices in Harmony is a choir operating out of Whitfield Community Centre. Membership is around thirty plus and growing. The choir sings acappella and is led by Sarah Harrop who is very enthusiastic and inspirational.
Gigs are performed across the city including Marryatt Hall. Recently the choir worked in collaboration with Dundee Rep to perform "This Town" in Verdant Works.

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> If you see Dundee in sunshine, it is a lovely place. Yet seeing it when it rains and all is grey and the Tay river whirls with the wild currents, that is what summons the bitter-sweet nostalgia of the past, of the industrial times and streetcars passing through the city center.

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> As Tony Blair said "Education, education, education." what a wonderful place to study. Why is the ISIN project not being backed by a city full of engineering and education?

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> The strong community spirit is a key feature of Dundee. I am constantly amazed at how the city has developed creatively building on the legacy of jute, jam, journalism, whaling, ship building etc. Learning from the past ... Looking to the future

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> Dundee has a great bunch of people aiming to make interesting, challenging, creative things happen. Anyone can get involved, join in or make things happen for themselves, which is what makes it such a brilliant environment.

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> the tay

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> So much within the city and so much around the city - a diversity of countryside - river, beach, hills etc. - just minutes away. Wonderful!

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> You can cycle from one end to the other along the coast using very little road..

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> It's forty years since I left Dundee after graduating. I still hold very dear memories of the Deep Sea fish restaurant on the Perth Road. Fifteen years after leaving, on a visit to relatives, my wife and I went to the Deep Sea. It wasn't open so we joined the queue - and got chattinng to the folks in the queue, several of whom knew relatives of mine. And the, the staff remembered us in the restaurant. My wife, who hails from Surrey, still thinks Dundee is the friendliest palce we're been to.

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> Dundee has changed itself so much in the last 20 years - from a city where you had difficulty finding a decent restaurant to an city full of fascinating museums , a pedestrianised centre with quirky statues and restaurants that serve good food. A wonderful site overlooking the wonderful river Tay!

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> The pride of being home to 'the world's worst poet' William McGonagall. Taking a walk by the riverside you get to see the immortal words of the sage like McGonagall carved in stone next to his beloved 'silvery Tay.'
A city with a sense of humour.

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> Reading Rooms in Dundee - different from everywhere in the city, hidden gem.

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> How, nearly twenty years since it changed beyond recognition, I can still hear the noises, smell the smells and feel the atmosphere of The Shed at Tannadice.

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> Dundee has something for everyone! Its a collective of things that makes the city great. There are plenty parks, ponds and the beautiful 'Silvery Tay'. Its a convenient and enjoyable place for families, couples, students and anyone who gives it a try! Easy to commute to and from. Ninewells is a fantastic teaching Hospital that is often in the news with the latest in science and technology.

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> I came here over 30 years ago to go to University and loved it so much I stayed. I am now proud to call this my city and my home. So much has changed, so many amazing things to learn about - who knew the reverse gear was invented by a Dundee man and that Dundee woman once owned a huge tract of Texas?!

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> its friendliness and fun

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> The Caird Hall was the place where I went to to escape from being homesick when I studied there. Beautiful music was always a way to forget my woes. The building itself was something to admire.

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> Old buildings

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> There is a great history of cultural strengths. There is terrific access to the arts to all segments of society, not just the affluent. This has always been a priority in Dundee and long may it continue!

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> It is not the city people think it is - it is much more: dynamic, cultured, historical, international and at the forefront of research in areas such as life sciences or digital art (including video games). And all of this, near one of the most beautiful countryside and riverside backdrop!

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> Dundee, one of the oldest cities in scotland has such rich heritage, and a fascinating history from back when it was just a small settlement between two hills. So many museums, fantastic art college, theatres, parks, the list is endless. Dundee deserves a bit of respect for the way it has been revitalised over the past 20 years amid the shutdown of industries and the emergence of new industries. People need to be encouraged to look again at Dundee!

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> What i love about dundee is Balgay park, the gorgeous hidden forrest trails, the wildlife living there, An observatory, the ancient graveyard you can explore for days, the haunted bridge ... the rose garden...i could go on. I have spent so many weekends of my life swinging on those brilliannt swings overlooking the gorgeous greenery of the hill. One of the best parks i have ever been to and a real dundee gem.

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> The daffodils

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> The climbing wall in the church-I think it surprises most of the people coming from continental Europe.
But what I like about Dundee the most is the international environment, especially within the College of Life Sciences. We are a bunch of strangers gathered here from all around the world, and we really stick together, we are a family here, far away from home. I lived in Hungary and France before, but nowhere is as easy to find friends as it is in Dundee.

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> I have been coming to Dundee since my students days in the 1980's. My favourite places still include Sunrise from the Law, seeing the city from the Tay Bridge, arriving by train along the river with the Tay silvery in winter sunlight. More recently the upgrading around The McManus gallery and the quality of exhibitions it attracts - I have a particular soft spot for this part of the city as My 5 * Great-Grandfather has a statue there and I recently found out that it was partly funded by the people he employed - inspirational at the time?

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> All dundee's public artwork. My favourites are desperate dan and the dragon. Also some of the buildings in dundee are beautiful like the McManus, the maggies centre and St. Paul's cathedral

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> Dundee is a city of great poets both famous and as yet undiscovered. From the Wedderburns in the Reformation to renowned contemporary writers like Don Paterson, John Glenday and Tracy Herd. I would very much include McGonagall in that list! It's also a place where the Scots language has been celebrated, in the work of Ellie McDonald, Matthew Fitt, and the late Harvey Holton.

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> - Braithwaite's tea and coffee shop in Castle St
- Summer Sunday free brass band concert at Magdalen Green followed by drinks and food from one or more of the many bars and restaurants on Perth Rd
- The brilliant Dundee Blues Bonanza .... It introduced Home Bargains and the TJ Morris Company to the city!

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> The site where Mary Shelley stayed, our public observatory (only two in the UK), our incredible views over the Tay from the Law Hill, our parks, our beach, our football teams.

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> If you open the door into libraries, you will find creative writing sessions for children, adults and young people, manga sessions, video games workshops for young creatives to develop their own games, as well as regular author events.

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> Twenty odd years ago I was first acquainted with Dundee as a part of the design team for the Discovery project and I now have a home just outside of the city. My main responsibility was the design of things on-board the ship itself which included the flock of sheep (not as big as it could have been) on the shore, etc. It was a period of great energy and creativity, but was grounded in solid research.
At that time there was a lot of talk about how good things in the city could be, and most of it has happened plus a lot more. The later things such as the V&A are an extension of that vision for culture whilst not loosing sight of the past. This is the core of Dundee.
The whole place has a 'life' to it and all of its attractions are not only for visitors, but are of relevance to all who live there.
I am thinking in particular of the McManus, the DCA & the Rep'. It has a dynamic student population and a world class Art & Design School in The Duncan of Jordanstone.

The proposed long term plan for the waterfront looks as though it should work well, and take advantage of the truly wonderful river aspect. But whilst I am glad to see the back of the Council Tower, various blocks of flats & the Olympia pool, the Railway station & the ex Stakis/Hilton might be a loss in terms of architectural progression - not all '70ies was bad.

The Unicorn needs to be integrated much more into the scheme of things, it is a gem, and perhaps a museum of transport and the docks, should be considered, in particular as unlike at a lot of other places, the docks still work.

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> I love the setting on the river and the way the sky continually changes but what gets me every time is the unexpected humour of the people.

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> A great place to study and reflect on beautiful Scotland. People are lovely and full of their history too. I back the bid.

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> the flowers....Dundee parks department does a great job with wonderful floral displays throughout the city.

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> A vibrant business community with a ''can do'' attitude that welcomed with open arms MacRoberts as a new entrant to the City earlier in the year.

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> The people are very honest and there is no falseness around them, no pretense
Oh and did I forget to mention the CAHID centre, the best in its field in the uk by far

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> Nobody crowds you here, but nobody goes it alone.

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> The well in the Botanic Garden that never runs dry!

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> Great theatre & love McManus Galleries. Looking forward to continuing waterfront development - city is improving!

<b>Q) What surprises you about the city?</b><br><hr><b>A)</b> For a small city Dundee really punches above its weight in terms of its breadth of cultural activity and ambition and enthusiasm of its creative people.

See All Backers