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Buildings Around Edinburgh
Middleton House
Near Borthwick Castle.
About 14 miles SE of Edinburgh. |
Middleton House
postcard posted 1961
©
Reproduced with acknowledgement to
Phil Wilson, Aberdeen.
Postcard: publisher and photographer unknown
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Middleton House
Recollections and News |
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1. |
Phil Wilson
Aberdeen, Scotland |
1961 |
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2. |
John Gray
Portobello, Edinburgh |
Early-1960s |
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3. |
David
Procter
Cape
Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada |
Postcards |
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4. |
John Cassidy
Glasgow, Scotland |
1971 |
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5. |
Phil Wilson
Aberdeen, Scotland |
Middleton House 'For Sale' |
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6. |
Susan McCaig
Gorebridge, Midlothian, Scotland |
Grandfather - Head Gardener
Mum + Aunt
Recent Visit |
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7. |
Jim Patience
Alberta, Canada |
1948/49 |
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8. |
David Procter
Cape
Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada |
1974 |
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9. |
Frank Ferri
Newhaven,
Edinburgh |
c.1945/46
- 3 months |
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10. |
Frank Ferri
Newhaven,
Edinburgh |
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Recollections
1.
Phil Wilson
Aberdeen, Scotland |
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Thank you to Phil Wilson,
Aberdeen, Scotland, for providing the picture above, taken from a postcard
that he posted from Middleton in 1961.
Many school camps were held at
Middleton House, about 12 miles SE of Edinburgh. The postcard above
refers to Middleton House as being the property of the School Camps
Association.
Phil wrote: |
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1961
"Here is a card that I sent from Middleton,
where my grandparents had a country cottage retreat, just outside the Camp
grounds, in 1961.
Now that the land is in private hands again, I guess
that public access is more restricted.
My Dad, brother and I used to go to a particular
pond on the river there to fish occasionally, and we used to see rabbits
on the lawn outside the House, and bats at night.
Despite the amateurish looking appearance of the
card I think it would probably have been sold in the local shop, which
used to stand on the old road at Middleton crossroads. I think there used
to be a PO next door, from where I would have sent it.
I believe it's an international conference location
now. At least it was the last time I was near it."
Phil Wilson, Aberdeen, Scotland: May 21, 2006. |
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Recollections
2.
John Gray
Portobello, Edinburgh |
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Thank you to John Gray who
wrote:
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Early-1960s
"I remember Middleton Camp circa
early-'sixties.
We
went from Brunstane Primary School. I guess i was about ten at the
time. We stayed for three days and two night and slept in army-style
bunk beds.
In
the daytime, I remember us playing war games against other schools.
This, of course, would not be allowed in today's lily- livered society, in
case someone got a skint knee and sued the school !!.
Anyway,
I vividly remember, after being captured by the 'enemy', being made to eat
a cream cracker with soap spread on it. I can still taste it as i
write this !!"
John Gray, Portobello, Edinburgh: June 16, 2007 |
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Recollections
3.
Alex Jackson
Edinburgh |
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Thank you to Alex Jackson,
Edinburgh, for sending these recollections of school camps at
Middleton.
Alex wrote:
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Postcards
"Here are 3 Valentine postcards of Middleton Camp.
©
©
©
I remember the war games that John speaks of,
and can recall being told in the Assembly Hall that the Queen had given
birth to a boy to be called Andrew.
The cards have February 1960 written on the
back of them and tie in with the Duke of York's birth."
Alex Jackson, Edinburgh: June 24, 2007 |
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The same cards were presumably
sold to the campers for several years. The numbers on the cards
indicate that the photographs were, in fact, taken in 1951 and 1952.
- Peter Stubbs; June 27, 2007 |
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Alex continued
"The 'X' marked on the 3rd card would have
been my mother marking the dorm that I stayed in. I would have been there
in my last year at Abbeyhill Primary School.
There must have been many children from
Edinburgh primary schools who would have stayed at Middleton Camp in the
'50s and '60s."
Alex Jackson, Edinburgh: June 24, 2007 |
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Recollections
4.
John Cassidy
Glasgow, Scotland |
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Thank you to John Cassidy,
Glasgow, for leaving this message in the EdinPhoto guestbook.
John wrote:
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1971
"Thanks for sharing the photos of the
residential school. I was at the Gorebridge Residential School
in 1971 for 3 weeks with other schools.
I had a great time. I also remember the wasps
all over the place and the visits to the lily pond.
I often wonder if the school is still there."
John Cassidy, Glasgow, Scotland: April 15, 2008 |
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Update
5.
Phil Wilson
Aberdeen, Scotland |
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Thank you to Phil Wilson for
letting me know that Middleton House (re-named Middleton Hall) is now
up for sale.
Phil Wilson,
Aberdeen, Scotland: June 8, 2008 |
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Middleton House 'For Sale'
Here is how the property is
described:
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Middleton Hall, Middleton, EH23 4RD
Offers Over £3,250,000
A quite outstanding
residential estate in a superb parkland setting just 14 miles from
the centre of Edinburgh.
Magnificent, fully
restored, 18th century grade 'A' listed mansion house
Galleried reception
hall/drawing room, dining room, family sitting room, music room,
library, billiard room, kitchen/breakfast room, principal bedroom
suite with sitting room, dressing room and bathroom, five further en
suite bedrooms, office/store rooms
Attic playrooms
One bedroom self
contained flat
Storage
Partially converted
separate stable block with stabling for 15 horses and stallion and
foaling boxes
Fully refurbished three
bedroom north lodge
Grade 'C' listed South
Lodge and keeper's cottage to be restored
Sweeping lawns and
Victorian pond
Former walled kitchen
garden
Parkland policies with
broadleaved trees and mixed woodland, all within a walled boundary
Approx. 113 acres (45.73
hectares) in all |
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Update
6.
Susan McCaig
Gorebridge, Midlothian, Scotland |
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Thank you to Susan McCaig who
wrote:
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Grandfather - Head Gardener
"I've just
been just looking at your postcards of Middleton Camp. I
thought I'd take the time to write and say, my grandfather, Mr Duncan, was
the head gardener and caretaker of the camp until i think around the very
late-1960's." |
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Mum + Aunt
"My
mum
was just a child and grew up there but my aunt who was 11 years older was
a nurse there, caring for the kids and my great aunt was one of the cooks,
( She was deaf and wore one of those hearing aids with the big box on the
front and a big wire going into her ear)." |
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Recent Visit
"I used to
love
listening to the stories they all told, it sounded like a great place.
Sadly we visited there a few months ago, to scatter my aunts ashes.
It was her wish and the new owners gave us permission.
it's
still a beautiful
place. There are none of the dorms there now but the pond is still
there." |
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Susan McCaig,
Gorebridge, Midlothian, Scotland:
July 19, 2008 |
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Update
7.
Jim Patience
Alberta, Canada |
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Jim Patience wrote:
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1948/49
"I
was at Middleton House in 1948 or 1949, memory is getting short.
I met
my first love there. Her name was Iris Moffat. I was 11 and
she was 10.
If I
remember rightly it wasn't far from Borthwick Castle."
Jim Patience
Alberta, July 26, 2008 |
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Update
8.
David Procter
Cape
Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada |
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David Procter wrote:
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1974
"I
remember staying at Middleton Camp in 1974, for 4 weeks. I was a
student at Lanark Primary School at the time.
I have
fond memories of the bunkhouse and the fact that boys were very firmly
separated from the girls. I also remember singing 'The Black Hills of
Dakota', very badly!!"
David Procter: August 28, 2008 |
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Update
9.
Frank Ferri
Newhaven,
Edinburgh |
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Frank Ferri wrote:
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Around 1945/46 - 3 months
"I
stayed at Middleton Camp with my young brother for about 3 months circa
1945/46. Father was at sea and mother was unwell, so we were
resident and attended school there.
The
camp Matron was a horror we were all terrified of her. She
skelped us hard.
We
used to go to the man-made pond with the wee island in the middle near the
big manor house, Middleton House, to catch newts. They had their own
chicken/duck farm then"
Frank Ferri, Newhaven, Edinburgh: October 21, 2008 |
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Update
10.
Frank Ferri
Newhaven,
Edinburgh |
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Frank Ferri added more
memories of being a long-term resident at Middleton Camp.
Frank wrote:
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Night
"Long
term residents at Middleton Camp, such as those in temporary care due to
home problems, attended school there. Each dormitory was supervised at
night by at teacher who had quarters in a small room at the entrance of
the dormitory.
We
slept in two-tier bunks. Lo and behold anyone who spoke after lights
out. The teachers were severe about that. They still used the
strap for punishment in those days." |
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Morning
"In
the morning you were to march down to a communal wash room, then to the
dinning room for breakfast.
I
remember on one occasion in the wash room, my wee brother (only aged 6)
was getting major grief from the matron who was shouting and hitting him
on the legs which were sore and saying your legs are ingrained with dirt.
(I knew this not to be true because, in the summer month we would paddle
in the pond, not drying our legs with the result the skin became cracked
developing Hawks (spelling?),
a very sore condition.
Despite my terror of this woman, I ran up to her shouting, leave him
alone, it's not dirt, it's Hawks. At that point I thought my world
would cave in. However for some reason she stopped her abuse and
that was
that." |
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Saturday
"Saturday
was Assembly Day. You gathered in the big communal hall. They
would shout out your name, gave you some money for the Tuck Shop and asked
if you wished to go home for the day. This could only happen if you
had money which they kept and allocated to you, I assume this was left by
relatives who visited from time to time.
If you had
the funds, they gave you enough for return bus fare into the city. I
was only 11 years old but used to do this journey from Gorebridge. I'd
visit my old Italian granny who lived in Montgomery Street and was always
good for a bit pocket money. |
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Recreation Room
"The camp
had a small recreation room for reading, playing board games or writing
letters, which were censored. Being a wee fly man, to avoid
censorship, I'd write a letter home, take to the kitchen and ask a member
of staff to post it for me. I never knew if it was posted or not -
a bit like Stalag 17, if you like." |
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Grounds
"The
positive side was, in your free time, you pretty much had the run of the
camp's massive grounds with woods and the pond to play in, or collect
eggs
from their poultry farm." |
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School Camps
"City
schools used the camp plus another at Broomlee for two weeks during the
school holidays. I think life was a bit easier for them. The big
manse was also used for camps during the school holidays."
Things
could
be tough in them old days." |
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Frank Ferri, Newhaven, Edinburgh: October 23, 2008 |
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