3.

Greyhound Racing

Alex Dow, Fife, Scotland replied::

Puddockie

"A small burn used to run across the middle of the track to Puddockie - The Water of Leith.

The dogs would slow up slightly as they crossed the two patches of softer ground, where the culvert was leaking."

Alex Dow, Fife:   March 30, 2006

4.

Greyhound Racing

Bryan Gourlay, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland wrote

Water Rats

"I was interested to see the comments about Powderhall.  I lived right opposite the entrance to the track, in Logie Green Road, up to the age of five. The punters used to sit on our garden wall waiting to get in, much to my mother's annoyance.

I'd totally forgotten the Water of Leith was called Puddockie there. I used to look over the wall, fascinated by the water rats which were as big as cats.

Bryan Gourlay, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland, March 31, 2006

Puddockie

Thank you to Jim Callender, now living in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada, for sending me the photograph below, taken at Puddockie.  Please click on the photo to enlarge it and read more about it.

©

Jim Callender, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada: April 9, 2007

5.

Place Names

Stewart Dickson, who now lives in Craiglockhart, Edinburgh wrote:

Friends

"I've always had an interest in the history of the area and have spoken to older people who have lived in the area all their life.  I have a photo of myself and friends with fishing nets at Puddockie circa 1966.  We all lived in the area, Beaverbank, Logie Green, Broughton."

Books

I had a small A5 book some time ago.  It was independently produced and covered Broughton, Canonmills and Powderhall.  I've also read Cassell's 'Old & New Edinburgh' and found that names I thought we, as kids, had made up would seem to be much older.

Dizzy or Dissie

The area next to Broughton Road Bowling Green was called the Dizzy or Dissie.

Hundred Walls

The Gardens at the back of East Claremont Street backing on to Broughton Road were the Hundred Walls.

Sandy Hills

The now enclosed hill behind Broughton Road was the Sandy Hills.

Cat Weasel

The old water tank that sat next to Broughton Swing Park was the Cat Weasel (after the 70`s show).

The Ditch

The site of the Vogue Furniture car park was the Ditch.

The Shovel Works

Behind the now Tesco was The Shovel Works.

Stewart Dickson, Craiglockhart, Edinburgh: August 7 + 8, 2007

6.

Growing up at Broughton

Thank you to Donnie Graham , now living in Zwickau, Germany, who wrote:

Friends

"I see Stewart Dickson has written in about his memories of place names.   In the 1960's. as boy I lived next door to Stewart in Beaverbank Place.  As I remember, we played a lot together as kids."

Shovel Works and Tunnel

"My adventures of growing up there were sneaking into the Spade and Shovel Works (now Tesco).   Myself and others would go through the tunnel to Scotland Street coal yard.  Half way through, someone would shout: 'There's a Train coming!'  Then we'd run like hell.  I think, actually, it had been disused for years."

Broughton Swing Park

"In the Broughton swing park they use to have old Parky, who sat in small shed in the corner of the park.  In winter he would never come out, preferring to huddle round his stove.

Puddockie and Cemetery

"I also remember fishing with nets at the "Puddockie".  Sometimes we would venture into Warriston Cemetery and try to find the grave of the 'Red Lady'.  It was good fun.  I think it's great to reminisce about the unique place where you once grew up."

Donnie Graham , Zwickau, Germany, November 12, 2007

7.

Growing up at Broughton

Thank you to Gerrard Grannum, now living at Liberton, Edinburgh, who wrote:

Move to Broughton Road

"When my  Grandfather died in 1949 we lived at Albion Road.  We had to leave there because the house was rented and the landlord had allocated it to other tenants.

With the money that was left to my Mother from her Father's will she bought a flat at 109 Broughton Road for £350.00d. I lived there from 1950 to 1994,   I got married in 1993 and moved up to Howden Hall Road, Liberton in 1994."

School

"As a youngster, life was one long adventure.  I went to Broughton Road Primary School at the top of the hill (I now know it as Broughton Point ) and I learned to swim at the school as there was a small swimming Pool in the basement area.

'The Dizzie'

"Opposite the school there was a Gents Public Toilet and to the right of it was the Public Bowling Greens (still there) but to the left of the toilet was our adventure area called 'The Dizzie'.

We played Japs and Commandos, and we stored all our old wood, chairs and any other rubbish that was for the Bonfire which was burnt on the road at the junction Broughton Road and East Claremont Street."

Our Gang

"Our gang consisted of myself Gerry Grannum, Jimmy Henderson, Davie Alexander, Kenny Johnston, Jim Black and a couple of others whose names escape me.

We also kept feral pigeons there in cages we knocked up from old wood and chicken wire.  The pigeons we collected from the old Chancelot Flour Mill which dominated the landscape with its large clock tower."

Water of Leith

"During the school summer holidays the Water of Leith from Puddiekie to the dam at Redbraes was our happy hunting ground. If we weren't fishing for minnows and sticklebacks there was always a wooden raft we would be playing on."

Conkers

"Warriston Cemetery was where we got our conkers from in the autumn. Hendo and I who were the tallest of the gang would climb up an old chestnut tree near to the top and start shaking the branches and the conkers would rain down like hailstones."

Apples

"Across the road from my stair entrance were the back gardens of East Claremont Crescent and most of them had apple trees in growing in them - too good a temptation for a youngster to resist.

Invariably I always got caught or a nosey neighbour who live on the first flat of my stair and face the front would see me and tell my Mother and when I got home I would get a good hiding from my Dad."

Here ends part one of my boyhood tale.

Gerrard Grannum, Liberton, Edinburgh:  November 19, 2007

8.

Growing up at Broughton

Thank you to Tommy (Campbell) Lawson, now living in Bribie Island, Queensland, Australia, who wrote:

Musselburgh, Broughton, Puddockie, RAF, Australia

"I was born in Musselburgh (High st), lived in Edinburgh. and attended Broughton High School and was evacuated to Dollar during the war years.

I joined the RAF in 1947.  After demobilisation, I lived in Blackpool for a couple of years then migrated to Australia in 1952. 

In Edinburgh, I lived in Logie Green Road with my family, close to Powderhall Dog Track!!!  I used to paddle around in Puddockie in the Water of Leith near Logie Green Road.  We had a shop in Logie Green Road and later in Rossie Place.

I'd love to hear from anyone of that era.  My Edinburgh friends were   George Reid, Doug McCaskill and Kenny Laird, now all deceased.  I last visited Edinburgh in 1981.

Tommy (Campbell) Lawson, Bribie Island, Queensland, Australia:  March 26, 2008

Contacting Tommy

If you would like to contact Tommy, please email me, then I'll pass your message on to him.

Thank you.    -  Peter Stubbs

 9.

A Walk through St Mark's Park

Thank you to David Mitchell, Brunstane, Edinburgh, who wrote:

St Mark's Park

"There was a cycle track in St Mark's Park in the early 1960s. There were no facilities, just a modest sized oval dust track, but it attracted a good number of cyclists and spectators.

As children, we would trudge across the park on a Saturday evening, laden with leeks and potatoes from our dad’s allotment which was in the shadow of Chancelot Mill."

Cycling

"We were always glad to stop for a few minutes to watch a race or two.  It gave us time to retrieve the socks that crept off our feet as we marched along in our wellie boots."

Football and Greyhound Racing

"Sometimes there would  be a football match in progress, or if we were lucky, we were allowed to stand and watch the greyhounds racing at Powderhall, a good view could be had from the footpath at the bridge over the Water of Leith.  The best bit of the race was watching the man at the finish dropping a large box over the mechanical hare to stop the dogs from finding out that it was stuffed."

Tadpoles

"In the spring, while we watched the greyhounds, our Dad would go down the slippery descent down the side of the bridge to the river and fill a jam jar with pondweed to take home to feed to our tadpoles."

Bakery

"No matter how tired or burdened we were, we never objected to the short detour to the Redbraes Bakery in the lane at the top of Broughton Street.

Here we descended into the warm, flour-dusted bakehouse where the baker would fill brown paper bags with hot rolls.  The smell of the fresh bread powered our journey back up McDonald Road as we were anxious to have our supper while it was still warm."

David Mitchell, Brunstane, Edinburgh:  April 25, 2008