1950s – Online Casino Real Money NZ

Toad Hall addendum to “Scarfie Flats of Dunedin”

flatnames — Sun, 08 Mar 2020 03:00:22 +0000

Its the fate of authors investigating and relaying stories from the past; details will be missed, stories will be untold and some facts may be incorrectly reported. So much of this kind of research relies on finding people, or being found. It relies on getting in touch with, or hearing the people that lived there at the time, or who knew someone (who knew someone) but sometimes that just doesnt happen at all, or in the case of Toad Hall, didnt happen in time.

In September 2019, Jim Scott submitted reminiscences about his time at Toad Hall, a time that began in late 1958. The story of Toad Hall features on pages 54-59, 22 and 238 of Scarfie Flats of Dunedin and describes the beginnings of the flat in the 1960s. Many thanks Jim, for getting in touch and contributing to the story of Toad Hall. Scarfie Flats of Dunedin was a snapshot in time, its great to continue the story here, online.

Toad Hall origin story

After three years of residence in Knox College, we five: John Allen [Medicine], George Salmond [Medicine], Fred Strange [Medicine], Jim Scott [Dentistry], and Lachie Watson [Law], left at the end of 1958 to “go flatting”.

John & George (he had a car!) were deputed to scout for a flat. They somehow secured the tenancy of 22 Pitt Street: rent payable immediately. The back story was that until recently it had been occupied by two sisters. One had died, and the distraught survivor kept her sister with her for several days.

Photo of 22 Pitt Street, 1959

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Toad Hall, 1959. Playing darts on the front porch. Jim Scott Collection.

" data-medium-file="/1833daf28b5283f1a3d468bc8edcdf40/2020/03/file1090.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="/1833daf28b5283f1a3d468bc8edcdf40/2020/03/file1090.jpg?w=830" class="wp-image-4940 size-large" src="/1833daf28b5283f1a3d468bc8edcdf40/2020/03/file1090.jpg?w=830The Shambles, Scarfie Flats of Dunedin, pp. x-x.

Shambles (1950s and 1960s)

flatnames — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 01:02:34 +0000

Where Scribes Bookshop is now, on the corner of Great King and St David Streets in Dunedin, there was once a notorious flat, called the Shambles. It was well known for it’s parties and as a location to go to continue drinking once the pubs had closed.

It’s not entirely clear from where the name of the flat originated: it may have been the shambolic nature of the place itself, or it may, as has been suggested by a former resident, been named for a place in Manchester of the same name.

Shambles is an old name and derives from Viking word Shamel apparently meaning ‘bench’, ‘booth’ or ‘shelf’ and the name is found in many places in the UK where there are market places.

The most famous example such a place is the Shambles in York which is allegedly mentioned in the Doomsday Book, one of the few streets that is. This would make it over 900 years old.

This is a quintessential medieval street with upper storeys of buildings stretching out across the street precariously towards each other. The street was once a flesh market (hence also being known as Flesshamel) that is, a street of butchers. Livestock were slaughtered in the streets and it’s been suggested that it is this resulting mess that provides the word shambles with its contemporary definition. In fact the OED gives three definitions: 1) a mess or muddle, 2) a butcher’s slaughterhouse, 3) a scene of carnage.

Reports about the Shambles in Dunedin, of parties and exploding pans of golden dough boys from the 1950s and 60s, suggest the OEDs third definition may be most approprite for explaining the name of our Great King Street residence.

880

flatnames — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:24:52 +0000

There are now 880 members of the Dunedin named student flats group some new flats from the 1960s Free Latvia, Nightmare Abbey, The Department of Slovenic Studies, and The House at Pooh Corner.

I’m really keen to hear from people fro the 1940s and 1950s who may remember named flats a couple I know of are The Lighthouse (Heriot Row) and The Jam Factory (Filleul Street).