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Railways Where is it? No 5 |
Victoria Day - Where is it?
Perhaps Granton or Newhaven
© Reproduced by courtesy of Phil Wilson, Aberdeen
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Question February 2006 |
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Thank you to Phil Wilson, Aberdeen, Scotland. for sending the photograph above. Phil wrote: Where is it? "I've been trying to work out where the railway line in the above photo could have been. It must have been within walking distance of Victoria Park, Leith, as my mother and brother had been there on the same day (Victoria Day, 1948). It's also unusual as people seem to be able to walk across the line. Could it have been down at Granton, or near Newhaven?" Phil Wilson, Aberdeen: February 19, 2006
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Victoria Park Victoria Park lies to the south of Newhaven Harbour. It can be found upper-centre on this 1925 map of North Edinburgh. This is a large map, so it may be slow to load, and you will probably need to use the scroll bars to scroll across and down the map. Map of North Edinburgh |
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Please e-mail if you can help to answer Phil's question. Thank you. - Peter Stubbs |
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Answers February 2006 |
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Thank you to the following for sending me more details about this photo. I received the first three replies below, all within 24 hours of adding the picture to the web site. |
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1. |
Edinburgh |
- Probably Granton |
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2. |
Cowes, Isle of Wight, England |
- Granton Middle Pier - Earlier Photograph |
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3. |
Bonnyrigg, Midlothian, Scotland |
- Granton Square |
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4. |
Silverknowes, Edinburgh |
- Granton Middle Pier - Other Granton Trains |
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5. |
Aberdeenshire, Scotland |
- Brotchie's Coal Merchants |
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6. |
Michigan, USA |
- The Couple in the Photo |
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7. |
- Brotchie's Coal Merchants |
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8. |
Granton, Edinburgh |
- Granton Harbour - Middle Pier |
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Reply 1. Patrick Hutton Edinburgh |
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Patrick wrote: Probably Granton "It's probably Granton. There are no rails at Newhaven harbour. The wall at the back looks like that in the pic of the steam loco shunting wagons onto the pier ~ 1955. 1955 I think part of the line was not set into the road between the pier road crossing and the West Shore Road crossing - which would be where the photo was taken. I will look at some other pics at home." Patrick Hutton, Edinburgh: February 20, 2006 |
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Reply 2. Walter Lyle Hume Cowes, Isle of Wight, England |
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Walter Lyle Hume, Cowes, Isle of Wight, wrote: Granton Harbour - Middle Pier "They are always easy, if you know! I recognised it instantly, situated on the left-hand side at the entrance to Granton Harbour Middle Pier. During my immediate post-war years with the Northern Lighthouse Tenders, the Pharos was based at Middle Pier and the May was based at the shore end of the West Pier. Sweet Shop We used to call at the wooden shop immediately behind the baby's head, known as 'Koskie Joes', a sweet and newspaper shop, to pick up a paper. Taxi Office The smaller wooden hut to the right of the shop was a taxi office, operated by Peter King*, employed with Granton Harbour as a Crane Driver. *Actually Hugh King: See notes from Grant King (below). |
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"This photograph was taken circa 1938, looking from the shoreline of Granton Western Harbour towards Granton Middle Pier.
© Reproduced with acknowledgement to Walter Lyle Hume, Cowes, Isle of Wight, England The steam trawler in view is the Moray GN105 owned by Arch: Brown. On the right-hand side of the photo there is an old abandoned fishing boat. This was behind the kiosk." Walter Lyle Hume: Cowes, Isle of Wight. February 20, 2006
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Walter added "I regularly visit the site and find it very interesting. I could do with more of these 'Where is it?' photographs". Walter Lyle Hume: Cowes, Isle of Wight. February 20, 2006 |
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Walter: Here are a few more "Where is it?" photographs. I added them to the web site in 2005. Some have been answered; others have not yet. - Peter Stubbs |
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Reply 3. Ian McInnes Bonnyrigg, Midlothian, Scotland |
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Ian wrote: Granton Square "Can I suggest that the location of the picture is at Granton Square, to the west of the middle pier. The wall in the background was curved round a coal yard and the train lines also followed this round to the middle pier. The wooden buildings at one time provided a small shop, boot maker and taxi office and you did indeed have to step over the rails at this point to cross into Granton Square / West Harbour Road." Ian McInnes, Bonnyrigg, Midlothian, Scotland, February 20, 2006 |
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Reply 4. Kenneth Williamson Silverknowes, Edinburgh |
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Kenneth wrote: Granton - Middle Pier "This is Hardies Newsagents beside the Middle pier at Granton. I think there may have been other businesses besides the newsagents but we were only concerned with the sweets, money permitting. I was brought up in this area. As a child we used to cross the railway line to buy sweeties, you would never get away with this now. Granton Trains Trains used to pass taking coal up to Granton Gas Works as well as going along to the West Pier to collect esparto grass and also the Ruberoid Company just below the Gas Works. Sadly, everything is long gone now and flats are appearing on the pier and in the old NB yards. The Caledonian Goods building still stands and is used by a scrap dealer. Waugh's Scrap Yard I spent a lot of my childhood here watching trains and fishing although you were never allowed to fish off the West or Middle Piers. Eastern Breakwater There was also a ship breaker's yard called, I think, Brechins in the area were I saw steam trawlers being broken up. Once the wooden building was demolished the shop was transferred to a corner of Granton Square besides HMS Claverhouse (formerly The Granton Hotel). The shop is now a takeaway called 'Jaws'. I still pass this area regularly and regret the passing of the railway." Kenneth G Williamson, Silverknowes, Edinburgh: April 19, 2006 |
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Kenneth added: Brotchie's Coal Merchants "I used to work as a coalman when I was about fifteen for Brotchie's coal merchants where the houses are being built at the entrance to Middle Pier from Granton Square. I couldn't help notice how good the old Caley Goods Shed looks. I'd love to see inside." Kenneth G Williamson, Silverknowes, Edinburgh: April 21, 2006 |
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Reply 5. Grant King Aberdeenshire, Scotland |
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Grant wrote: Granton - Middle Pier "It's a bit late in the day as picture has been well identified. Just a couple of points for Walter Lyle Hume. If my memory serves me right, the taxi office was run by Hugh King. Peter King was actually West Pier Manager / Foreman." Grant King, Aberdeenshire, now working in Trinidad: October 23, 2006 |
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Thank you to Grant King, for also sending me information about the dredger, Rockchime, in October 2006. |
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Reply 6. Deano Griffin Michigan, USA |
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I thought I was unlikely to receive any more comments about this photo. Then a message arrived from Deano, Michigan, USA, telling me about the lady in the background. Deano wrote: "That's my Mom, Margaret." Deano Griffin, Michigan, USA: March 24, 2008 |
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Deano explained: The Couple in the Photo "My Cousin, Alan, found your web site. He e-mailed me and told me to have a look at this picture. He said the lady with the man could pass as either his mother or mine, as they both look alike. Alan also asked his Mom, Betty, to look at the picture." Betty's Comment "Right away she said: 'That’s Oor Margaret and she's wearing my wedding suit'! Betty informed us that Margaret went to a dance that day (Victoria Day, 1948) without informing her that she was going to wear Betty's suit." My Mom "My Mom married Bobby Griffin (not the man in the photo) who she met while he was in the Air Force stationed at Kirknewton." Deano Griffin, Michigan, USA: March 26, 2008 |
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Deano added: Relations "My Grandmother, Elizabeth Heron, lived at 29 Boswell Loan, Granton, along with her 5 girls: - Mary. - Sally. - Annie. - Betty (Alan's Mom - see above). - Margaret (my Mom). If you possibly knew any of the people above, please feel free to contact me at" Deano Griffin, Michigan, USA: March 26, 2008 |
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Contacting Deano If you would like to contact Dean (Deano) Griffin, please email me, then I'll pass your message on to him. Thank you. - Peter Stubbs: March 26, 2008 |
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Reply 7. Johnny Hands |
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Thank you to Johnny Hands for responding to Kenneth Williamson's comments in Reply 4 above. Johnny wrote: |
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Brotchie's Coal Merchants "I know its 5 years since some of the messages above have been posted, but I read Kenneth's input and was greatly interested. My maternal grandfather was David Brotchie. I believe that the Brotchie Coal Merchants' business was started by his father. Any information would be gratefully received Johnny Hands, June 2011? |
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Reply to Johnnyrotchie Brotchie If you'd like to send a reply to Johnny, please email me, then I'll pass on your message to him. Thank you. Peter Stubbs: June 12, 2011 |
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Reply 8. James Nerve Granton, Edinburgh |
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Thank you to James Nerve for also sending a reply about this photo. James wrote: |
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Granton Harbour - Middle Pier "This photo was taken at the entrance to Middle Pier, Granton Harbour, beside: - The Coal Yards - Hugh King's Taxis - The News Agent - The Barber- The Cobbler The company beside the entrance to Middle Pier now is: - Len Lothian. My Home I was born at 20 Lower Granton Road. James Nerve, Granton, Edinburgh: September 18, 2014 |
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