Donkey Derby 1969

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down south
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Donkey Derby 1969

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Before the days of the Highland Games, for a few years around the turn of the 60s -70s the big local early-summer fete was the Donkey Derby on Laighdykes playing fields, put on in aid of local charities by the Round Table. The donkeys I imagine were the ones that usually gave rides on the beach,hired for the occasion; the jockeys were local teenagers ( preferably the ones with riding experience....) in colourful home-made silks, and local businesses sponsored the event as "owners". As well as the races there were refreshments, and stalls selling produce and jumble; and in later years an increasing number of other sideshows, turning it into a general fete and entertainment - the programme I have here mention such things as Target Golf, Beat the Goalie and Pets' Corner, as well as balloon racing and a Prize Draw.

Here's a few photos from the 1969 event. First a general scene of the crowds:

Donkey Derby 1969; view towards hills.jpg


And some action from the races:

Donkey Derby 1969; crowds watching race.jpg

The first of these shows quite a number of spectators who might be recognisable; who knows , maybe even Meekan's Dad may be there ! The second is a close-up of the same race. At the front on the right is Marion Dodds; the girl at the back looks a bit like Elise Millar, but I don't really know if it was; the one in the middle is a very familiar face from the year ahead of me at school, but I never knew her name.

Donkey Derby 1969; Marion and others.jpg

Susan
Last edited by down south on Tue Jul 11, 2017 3:11 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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little plum
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Re: Donkey Derby 1969

Post by little plum »

D.S. were the photo's taken at the playing fields across from the academy.?
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Re: Donkey Derby 1969

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Yes,that's right Little Plum. In the first picture you're looking towards Sorbie Road and the High Road, and in the background on the left you can just see the pavilion and beyond it the old Academy primary building. In the other pictures the racetrack is running along beside the old Caley railway line ( which I think had just finally closed to goods traffic ) , and beyond are the houses of Franklin Road. I suppose technically speaking that's not Laighdykes; but in the next two years the event did take place on the other part of the fields, just at the back of Jacks Road School.

A few more 1969 pictures. In this one again we're looking towards Sorbie Road:

Donkey Derby 1969; view towards Academy.jpg


The houses of Mitchell Place at the back in these. The boy on the donkey in the first picture was Stephen Robertson.

Donkey Derby 1969; Stephen on donkey.jpg

Donkey Derby 1969; view towards Franklin Road.jpg

Susan
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Re: Donkey Derby 1969

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And the last batch.

Another race scene here: the girl on the right I think is Michele Harris, haven't a clue about the others.

Donkey Derby 1969; Michele in race.jpg


Another familiar face whose name I never really knew :

Donkey Derby 1969; lone rider.jpg


And finally a view of the balloon stall :

Donkey Derby 1969; balloon stall.jpg


Susan
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