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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Dumfriesshire => Topic started by: dotty on Thursday 11 June 09 20:45 BST (UK)

Title: Friars Vennel Dumfries
Post by: dotty on Thursday 11 June 09 20:45 BST (UK)
Does anybody know of a site that has photos of the Friars Vennel Dumfries.
My gggrandfather lived there and its name is intriguing me

Dotty
Title: Re: Friars Vennel Dumfries
Post by: Gadget on Thursday 11 June 09 21:47 BST (UK)
I had a coffee in a cafe there a few years ago - I'll see if i can find anything. It's a small  lane connecting Irish street with the river walkway (can't remember the name of that one!)

If you Google it (Friars Vennel +Dumfries) and then click images , masses of piccies come up  :D

Here's one:

http://www.fotothing.com/photos/c4b/c4be24d549ec4d134195f56c94053995_cd6.jpg

Gadget
Title: Re: Friars Vennel Dumfries
Post by: dotty on Thursday 11 June 09 22:06 BST (UK)
Many Thanks

Dotty
Title: Re: Friars Vennel Dumfries
Post by: csc on Friday 12 June 09 06:47 BST (UK)
when i was a child  many years ago friars vennel on a saturday was one of the busiest streets you can imagine you could hardly move for people  it is changed days now all the good shops from years ago are gone  sometimes the river nith would flood it would be half way up the vennel and everybody would be out clearing up  sometimes things from the past were better than now  csc
Title: Re: Friars Vennel Dumfries
Post by: dotty on Friday 12 June 09 08:05 BST (UK)
It  looks as if it has been an interesting street.We must stop off next time we are retuning to Lancashire now I know I had ancestors born there.

Dotty
Title: Re: Friars Vennel Dumfries
Post by: *sparkle* on Wednesday 24 June 09 09:43 BST (UK)
It was a very interesting street. Even as recent as 20 years ago when I was wee, my favorite place of course was Newalls toy shop at the bottom of 'The Vennel'!

My ex husband also ran a clothes shop there in the early 90s. It was the reason we met as I would walk past him every day after my lunchtime shift as a waitress!

But its a very quiet street nowadays unfortunately...

Tx
Title: Re: Friars Vennel Dumfries
Post by: stoop on Wednesday 24 June 09 14:07 BST (UK)
I am going back now to the late fifties, when my mother worked as a waitress in an Italian ice cream parlour called Fuscos, it was always a treat to go there. Regards stoop.
Title: Re: Friars Vennel Dumfries
Post by: dotty on Wednesday 24 June 09 19:10 BST (UK)
Must visit one day.

Dotty
Title: Re: Friars Vennel Dumfries
Post by: MrsL on Tuesday 07 July 09 14:50 BST (UK)
I remember Fuscos very well, went in there after school on teh way down to Whitesands for the bus back to KPD; I went to the Academy.  The Vennel is indeed a shadow of its former self, which is sad; various pubs down there,a good bakery and a wool shop, surplus shop.  Lillte boutique in the 70s called The Hobbit too. I remember the flooding too - all teh buses shifted up or down accordingly, and The Vennel closed.
Title: Re: Friars Vennel Dumfries
Post by: winonpens on Friday 05 June 15 11:28 BST (UK)
I used to regularly visit Fusco's in Friar's Vennel 1969/70. It was owned by the father of one of my school friends at St. Joseph's. The girl who served me coffee was the very first time I'd asked a girl to go to a disco. It was also the very first time I'd played a record on a juke box. Bob & Marcia's Young Gifted & Black! Fusco's was on our way to the buses 
Title: Re: Friars Vennel Dumfries
Post by: imchad on Friday 05 June 15 11:44 BST (UK)
Friars Vennel is named after the track used by the Grey Friars from their friary to the river. It was in the Church of the Grey Friars that Robert the Bruce slew his rival, the Red Coymn on 19th February 1306. That event was possibly the most important event in the political history of Scotland. It kick-started the Scottish wars of independence, put Bruce on the throne of Scotland and led to the treaties of Edinburgh and Northampton where King Edward III agreed to Scotland being an independent nation.  see www.brucetrust.co.uk
Title: Re: Friars Vennel Dumfries
Post by: dotty on Friday 05 June 15 14:24 BST (UK)
Thanks to todays contacts-really must go one day.

Dotty

Title: Re: Friars Vennel Dumfries
Post by: Skoosh on Friday 05 June 15 15:20 BST (UK)
Robert the Bruce murdered the Red Comyn in the Greyfriars Priory, Dumfries, presumably this Vennel was near there.

Skoosh.
Title: Re: Friars Vennel Dumfries
Post by: imchad on Friday 05 June 15 16:55 BST (UK)
Sorry, I meant to say that Bruce slew the Comyn on 10th Feb 1306. I must have hit the wrong button.