Date with History: Crowds took to the streets to celebrate black-out relaxation

CROWDS gathered on The Mound on the evening of September 17, 1944 to celebrate the relaxation of the war-time blackout.

Spilling on to Princes Street, there was great excitement as the Lighting Sub-Committee of the day decided to lift the ban on Princes Street and Great Junction Street as an experiment.

Introducing low-power restrictive lighting instead, onlookers were hopeful the rest of the city would gradually be illuminated, even if only with the dullest of lamps.

Tram and bus drivers told reporters the introduction of restricted lighting would make their job much easier during the "dim-out" hours, but believed an increase in the power of their regulation headlamps would help even further.

They said they could now see intending passengers at stopping places much better.

Making her way along Princes Street that evening was a young woman pushing an invalid bathchair.

"I bet that woman has not been able to come out a night since the introduction of the blackout," remarked one onlooker.

Musicians staged an impromptu concert at the corner of Princes Street and St David Street to mark the occasion, beginning with a rendition of Keep the Home Fires Burning as a curtain-raiser.