Recollections

2.

John Gray

Portobello, Edinburgh

Thank you to John Gray who wrote:

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

Recollections

3.

Alex Jackson

Edinburgh

Thank you to Alex Jackson, Edinburgh, for sending these recollections of school camps at Middleton.

Alex wrote:

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

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

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

Recollections

4.

John Cassidy

Glasgow, Scotland

Thank you to John Cassidy, Glasgow, for leaving this message in the EdinPhoto guestbook.

John wrote:

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

Update

5.

Phil Wilson

Aberdeen, Scotland

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

Middleton House 'For Sale'

Here is how the property is described:

Update

6.

Susan McCaig

Gorebridge, Midlothian, Scotland

Thank you to Susan McCaig who wrote:

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."

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)."

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."

Susan McCaig, Gorebridge, Midlothian, Scotland:  July 19, 2008

Update

7.

Jim Patience

Alberta, Canada

Jim Patience wrote:

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

Update

8.

David Procter

Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada

David Procter wrote:

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

Update

9.

Frank Ferri

Newhaven, Edinburgh

Frank Ferri wrote:

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

Update

10.

Frank Ferri

Newhaven, Edinburgh

Frank Ferri added more memories of being a long-term resident at Middleton Camp.

Frank wrote:

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."

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."

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.

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."

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."

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."

Frank Ferri, Newhaven, Edinburgh:  October 23, 2008

Around Edinburgh

Recollections