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Recollections
Bruntsfield
To the south of Tollcross |
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Recollections
1.
George Lewis |
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Thank you to George Lewis for sending the following recollections.
George wrote: |
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Royal Blind Asylum
"My father worked at the Royal
Blind Asylum in Gillespie Crescent, Bruntsfield, and was member of
the works brass band. Although sighted I also was am member in
the late 40's and early 50's before joining the RAF."
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Request for Photos
"I can remember playing at various
venues - Gala days and parks throughout Edinburgh. But I
have not been able to
find any photographs Can you suggest where I could try?"
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George Lewis:
1 May 2007 |
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Can You Help?
If you know of any photos of the Royal Blind Asylum brass band,
please e-mail me and I'll pass on your message to George.
Thank you.
- Peter Stubbs: May 3, 2007 |
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Recollections
2.
Mike
Gosport, Hampshire, England |
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Thank you to Mike for leaving a message and question
in the EdinPhoto guest book.
Mike wrote: |
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Warrender Park Road
"As a boy in the 1950's playing in
the Warrender Park Road and Bruntsfield House area,
we noticed crosses engraved on the perimeter wall of Bruntsfield
House along Warrender Park Road, about a
metre above the pavement in three or four places"
Bones
"We were told
that the crosses marked the spots
where human remains were found when the
wall was being built. Bones were found on the other side of
the wall around the bases and roots of the many trees.
These may well have been animal bones,
but as a wee boy it had to be more sinister.
Does anybody have any ideas?"
Mike, Gosport, Hampshire, England: Message in
EdinPhoto guest book: February 8, 2010 |
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Reply to Mike
If you'd like to send a message to Mike,
please e-mail me
then I'll pass on your message to him.
Thank you.
- Peter Stubbs:
February 8, 2010 |
Recollections
3.
Graham Marshall
Southern Spain |
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Thank you to Graham Marshall
for replying to the question about bones in
Recollections 2 above.
Graham wrote: |
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Bones at Bruntsfield
"I too
heard those tales about bones at 'Bones at
Bruntsfield'. Sadly, the truth is more prosaic.
They are still there and are masons'
marks which measured the wall to be paid for.
From memory there used to be
18 marks, not all crosses"
Graham Marshall, Southern Spain: January 5, 2012 |
Recollections
4.
Margaret Cooper
London, England |
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Thank you to
Margaret Cooper for posting a message in the
EdinPhoto guestbook.
Margaret wrote: |
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Bruntsfield Baths
"Does
anyone remember going swimming to Warrender Park
Baths during the 1940s?
A wee bunch of us from Home Street and
Drumdryan Street used to go there,
money permitting.
It was twopence to get in, none of us could swim
but thoughts of 'droonin' never crossed our minds.
It never crossed our parents'
minds either.
So off
we'd go, a wee walk through the Meadows with our
cossies wrapped in our towels, along with our '
shivery bites'. I don't
know if they are still called 'shivery bites' but it was usually a piece
on jam or marg - no butter in
those days - which you ate when you got
shivery.
Mothers
should have been praised in those days for their imagination in cossies
vest and pants sewn together - knitted ones,
would you believe, which when wet came down to
your knees
I
remember falling in once at the shallow end and thought
I was going to droon, but
I managed to get out,
'greetin'. I went to my wee cubicle,
ate my 'shivery bite' and ten minutes
later I was back in for more.
Afterwards the walk home through the Meadows was fun,
quite fearless wee souls we were in those days -
maybe because we had lived through a war."
Margaret Cooper, London, England:
Message posted in EdinPhoto guestbook,
March 12, 2012 |
Recollections
5.
Margaret Williamson (nee
Hay)
Moline, Illinois, USA |
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Margaret Williamson replied to Margaret
Cooper's comments in the guestbook above.
Margaret Williamson wrote: |
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Bruntsfield Baths
"I
remember goin tae the baths at Warrender Park.
Wednesday afternoon was for ladies and Thursday
was mixed bathing,
I got
pushed in and had to dog paddle to the side
,but I lost any fear after that. When
we left the baths, we headed for the chippie,
The Variety it was called.
The chips always tasted so good.
Once
in a while, we would go to the Infirmary
Street Baths, but I always liked
Warrender best.. Aye!
We did have a lot of fun then. Did
ye ken a lassie called Nancy Duncan. She was one
of my sisters' pals."
Margaret Williamson
(nee Hay), Moline, Illinois, USA:
Message and email address posted in EdinPhoto
guestbook, March 13, 2012 |
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