Dark Dundee

Based on the hugely successful city tours, DARK DUNDEE is a fresh, fast and slightly quirky approach to the city’s dark past. And with no shortage of material, this journey through restless and unruly times is both entertaining and informative.Join Louise and Stewart as they take you to meet some of the naughty, rowdy and unruly folk of Dundee; those who swore like sailors and fought like bears - both men and women. These are real-life events that paint a picture of just how dark and gritty life in Dundee could be in the past. There are Meal Riots, Reform Riots, a Coronation Day Riot and many others, when the ordinary folk of the city had just had enough of their lot in life, or got a bit carried away, to the point where they became a serious problem for the authorities.These are the men and women who were part of the vast majority who went about their business trying to make an honest - or otherwise - crust in order to survive the poverty and disease that plagued Dundee over the years.Like Jonathan Haziel, who helped steal a boat from the harbour, filled it with tar, set light to it and then, along with the mob, used it to set light to the city’s Pantheon Theatre for no obvious reason other than it probably seemed like a good idea at the time. Despite his part in the riot and the catastrophic result for the theatre, Haziel’s punishment was a mere 8 months in jail, which also goes to show that punishments in the past were not always as harsh as we may think.It’s a rollercoaster ride through history, so buckle up and put on your battle gloves because it’s going to be a bumpy ride.