Edinburgh History - Bingham Recollections

Recollections

recorded by

Lesley Conway

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia):

Lesley Conway wrote:

Bingham

From around 1945 then

Greendykes

"My mother, Lena Mary Conway (nee Moran), was born in Fountainbridge on 6 December 1927. She is now the eldest living member of the Moran clan.

She now lives in Sydney, Australia, after first immigrating to Melbourne, Australia in 1960."

Lesley Conway: April 25, 2007

Lena Mary Conway's memories (recorded for her by her daughter, Lesley Conway, now living in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia):

Move to Bingham

"Around 1945, I moved from Niddrie to 31 Bingham Broadway."

Smitten

My elder sisters, Rose and Isa, met Micky Conway at a dance. He was such a good dancer. They walked all the way home with him and he came into our home to help hang some pictures.

He was working away when this wee thing (me) came into the room wearing a yellow jumper and a towel around my head. He was immediately smitten.

The very next day, I was waiting at Surgeons' Hall for a bus and Mick Conway was already there 'Oh, Lena, fancy seeing you here?'. Of course, it was all contrived. He was on a mission to woo me.

Marriage

"I used to go dancing with Dad, and every Friday night I went to the Empire Theatre, and had a fish supper afterwards."

I got engaged on my 21st birthday, December 6, 1948, and married the following year on April 22. Dad converted to Catholicism and I was married in St Pat’s, the Catholic Church in the Cowgate. My wedding reception is held in the Gas & Fuel Social Rooms on Candlemaker Row.

I didn't have a honeymoon but took the usual Bank holidays in July and visited Coventry."

More moves

"I later moved several times. After my marriage, I lived:

- at 6 Drummond street, right at the top of the stair.

- with my parents, after our first child was born.

- at my mother-in-law’s place, I think at Craigmillar Castle Grove

- Easthouses, Danderhall, and finally, in a “pre-fab” at Greendykes

Greendykes

Then, in 1960, I emigrated to Australia."

Lesley Conway recording the memories of her mother Lena Mary Conway: April 25, 2007

Recollections

Rob Cleary

Johannesburg, South Africa

Thank you to Rob Cleary for sending his memories of Bingham.

Rob wrote:

Friends

"I’m Rob (or Rab if you come from Edinburgh). I'm now 50 years old and living in Johannesburg South Africa. I was brought up in the Jewel cottages just across the road from Bingham. My friends who lived in Bingham were Gordon Prior, Fay Miller and the Glasgows."

Tunnel

"I remember the tunnel that Mary mentions (above) as I used to stand beside it to catch the No 4 bus to take me to London Road."

Burn

"I have many many great memories, I have to say. There was a burn that used to run through Bingham. It was the boundary between the Jewel & Bingham.

I used to fish there for tadpoles, as a kid. I can remember the man on the bike who would sell onions 'Onion Johnny' and the rag & bone man.

My gran used to tell me stories of during the war where she found incendiary bomb tale pieces in that burn, she used to keep them on the mantle piece."

Rob Cleary, Johannesburg, South Africa: August 1, 2008

Recollections

Richard Robertson

Thank you to Richard Robertson who replied to Mary Frances Merlin (2 above) and also sent this photo of Bingham Place:

Richard wrote:

Bingham Place

"Hi Mary. It was nice seeing the photo of you in the 'Planny' as we called it then.

I'm also from Bingham Place. I stayed in No 23, right across the road from where your photograph was taken. We moved to Bingham about 1967/8.

This is the only photo I could find from my time in Bingham Place. My house is directly behind the people in the photo, who are:

- my sister in law, Kate Hogg.

- my older brother Wullie."

Richard Robertson: August 19, 2008