Learn about Historic Dumfries with Midsteeple Quarter: High Street Stories
Wednesday 10th February, 2021
It’s the last week of the Midsteeple Quarter Crowdfunder and today we’re sharing with you the last of our Learning Resources! Today we’re exploring Dumfries High Street and thinking about what it was like to live there many years ago - what kind of people would live there? What would they do? Where would they shop?
High Street Stories
Many of the buildings Midsteeple Quarter own, or are trying to buy, are hundreds of years old. They have an amazing history and have previously been shops, a printers, a newspaper office and homes to many Doonhamers over the years.
You can find out more about the histories of some of the buildings on our website. They’ve been shops, printers’, pharmacies and homes.
1. Whose Hoose Is This?
Write a short story – no more than 500 words – about an imagined inhabitant of one of the High Street buildings from its past. What is life like in the Queen of the South? You can write in Scots, English or a mixture of the two!
2. Telling Tales
With so many links to printers, newspapers, publishers and even typewriter shops, this part of time was once filled with the written word. Imagine you write for The Dumfries Courier & Herald and it still operates from 111 High Street. Create a front-page article about the Midsteeple Quarter and the campaign to buy the buildings.
RECLAIM THE HIGH STREET!
Midsteeple Quarter Crowdfunder now LIVE
Our Crowdfunder to raise money to go towards the purchase of the remaining three High Street buildings within the Midsteeple Quarter is now LIVE! We are urging local people, Midsteeple Quarter followers and local businesses to support us to purchase 109, 111 and 121 High Street. All these buildings, including upper floors have been mostly abandoned and un-used for several years.
Thank you for any support you can give to the project – the future of our town depends on ordinary folk being prepared to make a difference!