Tain Museum Image Library

Picture No 343. Courtesy of Tain & District Museum.
Year: 0
Catalogue No. 0231

The Grove, Tain

The Grove is situated off Cunarder Lane (which links the High Street and Kirksheaf Road). This picture was taken before part of the grounds were used for the existing Post Office car park. It is currently owned by the Arthur family. Shona Arthur's father, Alex Macleod ("Dow") was a photographer and used parts of the building as a shop and a studio. He also rented out part of the building to a dentist, David Geekie whose son still lives in Tain. Past owners of The Grove were Mrs Murray Cameron (Mary), Kate Mackenzie, James Cree (Road Surveyor) and Dr. Kennedy.
Picture added on 07 February 2006.

Comments

My great great grandfarther was the Dr Kennedy mentioned. I wud be grateful for any up to date pictures of the Grove.

Added by Jason Kennedy on 08 May 2007.

My grandparents are Shona and Jim Arthur (current owners), so I'll see what I can do.
Added by Andrew Mackenzie on 29 May 2007.

I am Dr Kennedy's great grand daughter and I have photograph of a tea party in the Grove garden, taken when they lived there. I also have a painting of Mrs Kennedy sitting in the garden under a Gean tree. Is it still there? The painting is by my great aunt Janet C. Kennedy who taught Art in Tain for many years and was a well known character in the town. If the current owners would like copies I will send them to you.
Added by Louise Dickson on 30 May 2007.

I think it would be lovely to get a photo of a tea party in The Grove garden AS IT ONCE WAS . I genuinely regret having to confess that during the last few years the garden has been allowed to run wild. My husband and I have never been gardeners and since he is now eighty and I am --sshh!--77, we don't even have the energy to keep the weeds down as we used to do.
Added by Shona Arthur on 09 June 2007.

For Andrew, Good to see your name there! Love, Grandma
For Jason, You might be a bit disappointed by up-to-date pictures of The Grove, but if you would still like one, I'll be happy to send or e-mail one to you.
For Louise: see separate 'comment'
Added by Shona Arthur on 09 June 2007.

Louise, I'm sure the museum would love to have a copy of the painting. Janet Kennedy was a great friend of Rosemary Mackenzie (nee Munro), who founded the museum, and her mother who was also an artist and came to Tain to teach art at the Academy. The Munros lived a couple of hundred yards along at Alderbrae.
Added by Estelle Quick on 10 June 2007.

I will copy as many pictures as possible and bring them to Tain when I am coming North in September. I brought the general pictures I had of Tain to the museum some years ago but kept the family relevant pictures.
Louise
Added by Louise Dickson on 12 June 2007.

Not only David Geekie but his sister June (Walker) still live in Tain.
Added by Shona Arthur on 23 June 2007.

Could anyone give me any details about James Cree (Road Surveyor) who lived at the Grove Tain. We know he was appointed Road Surveyor for Ross-shire in 1930.
Added by Rhona Munro on 19 April 2010.

As far as I know The Grove was being run in the 1930s as a 'Board Residence' ( I am quoting from an advertisement in a tourist book of the 1930s called ' The Book of the Highlands' ), proprietor Mrs. Mackenzie. Perhaps James Cree was one of the paying guests....?
Added by Shona Arthur on 25 April 2010.

Another advert, dated May 1935 states "Mrs Mackenzie is no longer in The Grove which has been sold." Perhaps James Cree bought it from her?
Added by Margaret Urquhart,Tain & District Museum on 25 April 2010.

Thank you for your comments - I will try and look into it a bit more.
Added by Rhona Munro on 25 April 2010.

We have a fairly comprehensive list of ' dispositions' of The Grove, including those transacted in the 1930s, but Mr. Cree's name does not appear on any of these. Shona Arthur
Added by Shona Arthur on 25 April 2010.

Alas! The owners, who always expected to live out their days in the Grove, have had to move out. The deterioration due to old age, their own and that of the house, has made staying in it no longer a viable option.
Added by Shona Arthur on 27 July 2010.

My name is Sasha and I once lived in Tain down by the shore. Sometime around 1996/7 some nasty
men scared me away, and I found a nice car to live under. The car owner's name was Jim a very nice
gentleman who didn't mind me staying there. The name of his house was called The Grove and it was
a lovely place with green grass and lots of voles for me to eat, with great big tree's for me to climb and
nice and quiet, away from all the noisy traffic. A kind lady called Shona who was Jim's wife was there
too and I'll always remember my happy times there before my owner found me and took me away on
a long journey to live with her and my other friends on the Isle of Skye. I'll always remember the
beautiful place called The Grove.
Added by Sasha on 27 June 2011.

Thank you for those kind words, Sasha. Trust you are continuing happy on the Misty Isle. Shona
Added by on 27 June 2011.


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