Gallery: 30 archive photos of Inverurie in the 1980s

Inverurie in the 1980s was a town that was growing and changing, welcoming many more homes and shops.

In 1985, the Press and Journal described Inverurie as “full of vigour, optimism and robust growth”.

The population was around 8,840 then, but like many parts of the north-east, oil brought more families to Inverurie. Forty years later, the population is nearly double that.

1984: Inverurie Town Hall pictured against the foreground of the trees near the war memorial. Folk of a certain age might remember the Gordon Arms Hotel function suite, visible on the far left on Station Road. Image: DC Thomson

Memories of Inverurie businesses 40 years ago

But 1980s Inverurie was a self-sufficient town with its own industries, many residents both lived and worked here.

From manufacturing, fabrication, processing, local businesses, and of course Tait’s paper mill, the thriving town had plenty of employment opportunities.

Inverurie Paper Mill, which opened in 1852, was a huge employer. Not just in Inverurie, but across the Garioch.

Even these days in Inverurie most people know someone who worked there until it sadly closed in 2009.

1980: The J.A. Taylor Versatile Steel Works, Inverurie. Forming and rolling work took place at Versatile with a quick turnaround. Image: DC Thomson

Back in the 1980s you might have popped to the Gordon Arms for a pint on Friday night, and your wedding reception was probably held at the Kintore Arms Hotel.

If you attended Inverurie Academy, Mr Hogg was your rector.

And in the late ’80s you’d have been the first pupils to use the new £2 million three-storey block housing the open-plan English department, Home Economics and library.

You may also remember when a pupil brought a live hand grenade to school, which the deputy head bravely put in a bucket in the playing field before it was detonated by the bomb squad…

1989: An infamous day in Inverurie Academy’s history, when 12-year-old pupil Stuart Largue brought a live hand grenade, which he found in his garden, to show his teacher. All roads to the school were cordoned off as the school’s deputy head put the grenade in a bucket and placed it in the playing field while police waited for the bomb disposal experts. The WW2 bomb was removed to nearby wasteland by Royal Army Ordnance troops who carried out a controlled explosion. Image: DC Thomson

A trip down memory lane to the shops of Inverurie in the 1980s

There were no big-name supermarkets then, instead all your grocery shopping was done in the town centre.

Food shopping was done at Low’s (where Boots is now), or if you popped across the Square you could stock up on local produce at The Dairy.

Store cupboard essentials could be picked up at Walker’s (now the Green Grocer) or across the road at the little Fine Fare shop (where Green’s is now).

If you were looking for a gift, chemist Pontings in Market Place was probably your first port of call, or you might have popped along to Inverurie Music Centre to pick up the latest number 1 single.

1989: Inverurie’s Market Square was a busy spot in 1989 – and remains so today. Image: DC Thomson

It was a visit to Benzies if you needed a bike, Land of Nod for baby goods, Patterson’s if you wanted furniture, or Watsons for hardware.

And McPhersons pet shop was always an exciting shopping trip for young children to see the animals for sale.

You’d get wool at Lovies the drapers, and on the other side of West High Street, Duncan and Forbes was where you’d get name tapes for school uniforms.

Late 1980s brought William Lows, Royal Mail sorting office and Gordon House

But not all of Inverurie’s 1980s shops are consigned to memory.

Four decades on, Strachan’s is still the place to go for toys, Bruce’s for shoes, Sinclairs for jewellery and Andersons for carpets.

1987: Gary Butchart, front, manager of William Low’s, Inverurie, outside the new supermarket with staff members. From left: Charles Smith, June Boddie, Evelyn Burns, Valerie Souter, Lucy Fraser, Dorothy Duguid, Lorna Burns and deputy manager Cameron Munro. Image: DC Thomson

Inverurie saw a significant amount of new housing built in the mid-1980s, at Nether Davah and Brandsbutt, but its retail outlook also changed.

A large area of the old loco works yard behind Constitution Street was redeveloped.

In its place, the Garioch Arcade was built, along with the new William Low’s supermarket which opened in 1987.

Another new addition to the town was Royal Mail’s new £400,000 delivery office to replace the cramped sorting facilities behind the old post office on West High Street.

1988: Inverurie’s three oldest retired posties were special guests at the official opening of the town’s new £400,000 letter delivery office in Constitution Street. Inverurie’s postal veterans James Ewen (81), Stephen Anderson (82) and Fred Cowie (76) doff their caps to the new sorting office as local delivery manager Bill Cameron, left, and general manager of Northern Letters Territory John Mackay look on. Image: DC Thomson

Gordon District Council’s new headquarters also opened on Blackhall Road.

The building was necessary after the reorganisation of local government bringing together the region’s town councils to create Gordon District Council.

Region’s district councils were brought together at Gordon House

Gordon House was a modern and purpose-built complex, and a complete change from the town council’s previous ramped offices at 1-3 High Street.

The council’s nerve centre would house the district registrar’s office, offices for all manner of council departments, and had a spacious and flexible council chamber.

It was described as a room with “character and dignity but without ostentation”.