Burdiehouse Schools

[old and new]

and

Southhouse School

Recollections

1.

Alexander Collins

Swansea, South Wales

Thank you to Alexander Collins, Swansea, South Wales, for allowing me to reproduce this photograph.

Alex wrote:

Old Burdiehouse School

Class Photo

"I recently came across this old school photo in my father's belongings.  It is marked on the back:

 'This photo of our class, taken in the year 1952 at Old Burdiehouse School.  We have all our happy memories.'

I cannot see my father in the photo and I believe it was given to him by someone named Francis."

Alexander Collins, Swansea, Glamorgan, Wales,  February 12, 2008

Recollections

2.

Joan McEwan (née McBride)

Australia

Thank you to Joan McEwan who left a message in the Guest Book, and added:  "Please feel free to contact me by email."

Joan wrote

Family

"I just found this site and it brought back memories of Burdiehouse Primary School.  I attended the school from 1949 to 1954.  My name was pronounced Joanne and I have now lived in Australia for the past 38 yrs.

My sister, Sadie attended the school from 1948 to 1952 and my brother, Charlie attended from 1950 to 1954."

Teachers

"I only recognise Mr Mckenzie.  A memory of him is when he tried to head an empty can and cut his forehead.'

Another teacher was Miss Cunningham.

The Headmaster was Mr Symington."

Joan McEwan (née McBride), Australia:  Message in Guest Book: June 3, 2008

Recollections

3.

William (Wassal) Wylie

Australia

Here is a message that William (Wassal) Wylie has posted in the EdinPhoto Guestbook:

Remember Me?

"I'd like to hear from anybody who remembers me from Burdiehouse School, including Joanne McBride who wrote Recollections 2 above.

I've lived in 'sunny oz' for the past 42 years."

William (Wassal) Wylie:  Australia:
Message and email address posted in EdinPhoto Guestbook,  August 10, 2012

Recollections

4.

Joan McEwan (née McBride)

Australia

Thank you to Joan McEwan for writing again.

Joan wrote

Schools

"When my family moved into Burdiehouse Loan, about 1948, I was 5 years old.  We children, too young to go to old Burdiehouse school were bussed each day to Prestonfield primary school, then when Southhouse was built we went there.

-  Miss Henry was our teacher at Prestonfield

-  Miss Cummings was our teacher at Southhouse.

When we were a bit older, we went to old Burdiehouse.

-  Our teacher there was Mr McKenzie.

They then built the new Burdiehouse school,  down in the dip, and we were the first classes there.

As far as I can remember, Southhouse school then became a special school."

Old Burdiehouse School

1953

    ©

"The only pupils that I can remember from this photo are:

-  Leonard Doig

-  Craig Sutherland

-  Dorothy McLean

and, if I'm not in the photo, maybe:

-  Ena McLean"

Joan McEwan (née McBride), Australia:  Message in Guest Book: June 3, 2008

Recollections

5.

John Rattray

Edinburgh

Thank you to John Rattray who wrote

Southhouse School

"I've just had a run to Southhouse and was surprised to see that what we knew as the new school has been demolished and is now just waste ground."

Old Burdiehouse School

Class Photo

"I had a phone call from my friend in Canada.  He remembers some of the people in this photo:

©

We are both going to try to get in touch with 'Wassal' who wrote Recollections 3 above.

I am so pleased to have found your site and with a bit of luck may be able to get in touch with some more of the people in the photo"

John Rattray, Edinburgh:  January 17, 2014

Recollections

6.

Bob Henderson

Burdiehouse, Edinburgh

Thank you to Bob Henderson who wrote:

Old Burdiehouse School

Class Photo

©

More Names

"Although they are all a few years younger than me, I think I can add a couple of names to this photo.

- TOP ROW (RIGHT): Billie Ramsay. I'm not 100% sure of this one. Billie lived four doors up the hill from us.

- MIDDLE ROW (RIGHT): One of the McLennan boys, Michael I think. Michael lived next door to me in the Avenue

Bob Henderson, Burdiehouse, Edinburgh:  January 27, 2014

Recollections

7.

Gordon Wright

Barnton, Edinburgh

Thank you to Gordon Wright who wrote:

Pupils

Old Burdiehouse School

Class Photo

      ©

"In the back row of this class photo, second in from the left, is Alec Bauld.

In the back row, second in from the right, is Alec Mclean brother of the twins in this other photograph:

Southhouse Primary School

Class Photo

   ©

In the middle row at the end in front of the teacher , as Bob Henderson suggests is my pal Michael (Mick) Mclennan.  I wonder if Bob knows what happened to Michael or the whereabouts of my other pal Brian Love He lived directly opposite Michael and Bob in the Avenue.

I recall Bob Henderson`s family.  They all had really bonny red hair.  At one time,  even the dog was dog was red.

Large Families

"Many of the families in Burdiehouse and Southhouse had five or six kids then. The Baulds (above) had about 14 or 15.  Mum was a tiny wee lady.  Dad was a miner as were his sons and many of the young lads round the estate

In writing these notes, I've just realised that Wassal Wylie had twin sisters as well, so that was three sets of twins.:

-  the Wylie sisters in the Avenue.

-   the Mclean sisters in the Drive.

-   the Beveridge sisters in the Street.

-  none in the Broadway (though the Baulds may have had twins. I'm not sure, and with 15 kids I bet they were not sure either!)"

My Brother

On Christmas Eve 2011 we went to see my dear brother Hugh (Shug) Wright he was in Fairmilehead Hospital suffering from Pancreatic cancer. 

During our visit, once or twice a nurse spoke to me very kindly.  My sister later said It was one of Brian Love`s sisters - perhaps Doreen Love.

Sadly my brother died January 2, 2012. At the funeral I met Charlie McBride and his wife.  He's the brother of Joan McEwan (née McBride). 

I knew Joanne, her sister Sadie and their pal Moira Smythe.  Her brother had been a well known boxer Jackie Smythe.

Gordon Wright, Barnton, Edinburgh:  June 23, 2014

Groups  -  School Classes