Gilmerton Soup Kitchen

Albany Series Postcard

Gilmerton

Thank you to Archie Young for sending me this photograph taken in 1926.

Archie tells me that this photo was taken outside Gilmerton Soup Kitchen, the building that had the 'Saloon' sign outside, near Gilmerton Cross Roads that can be seen on this Albany postcard, posted in 1906

Postcard

Zoom-in

Gilmerton

Saloon

Thank you to John Hadden who wrote:

"It seemed to me that the sign on this zoomed-in image could be 'HAIRDRESSING SALOON'.

I'm pretty sure that the double-'S' is visible towards the right of the top word and the "H" at the other end. About the middle is a hollow looking symbol looks like a "D". The blobs either side of the "D" look very similar to each other which would suggest that they could be the same letter, eg "R".

This seems to leave enough room for the other letters in between. The end seems a bit short to include "ING", but the lip around the edge of the sign could be obscuring most of the "G".

Of course, I could be trying too hard...

John Hadden, Edinburgh: April 4, 2008

Post Office Directories

Thanks for your comments, John.

A search through the Edinburgh & Leith Trade Directories might possibly confirm your suggestions. I believe that the saloon was about on the site where the Royal Bank of Scotland branch was built some time in the early 1900s.

The address of the Royal Bank of Scotland Branch is 51 Drum Street.

Unfortunately the Edinburgh & Leith Post Office directories up to about 1920 don't appear to list the premises in Drum Street. From around 1920 onwards (i.e. the time when Gilmerton became part of Edinburgh) the premises in Drum Street are listed in the directories, but not numbered. So searching for an answer in he directories may be a bit of a challenge.

Peter Stubbs: April 4, 2008.

Gilmerton

Saloon

Thank you to Archie Young who wrote:

"We called this the Mission Saloon. I've found out that the locals called it 'Teapot Lane' so I wonder if this is where they had what they called the ' Soup Kitchen'.

Here's a photo of it, taken in 1926.

Archie Young, Moredun, Edinburgh: April 17, 2008