Edinburgh History - North Edinburgh

Recollections
1.	Brendon Hume Haxey, North Lincolnshire, England + reply from Karen Lury Glasgow, Scotland	- Resident - Other Residents
1.		- William Merrilees
2.	Brendon Hume Haxey, North Lincolnshire, England	- Home for Cripple Children
3.	Brendon Hume Haxey, North Lincolnshire, England	- William Merrilees
4.	George T Smith Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada	- William Merrilees
5.	Evelyn Boyd Southgate (nee Browne) Croydon, Surrey, England	- Resident - Other Residents
6.	Evelyn Boyd Southgate (nee Browne) Croydon, Surrey, England	- Operation - Memories - Outings - Miss McGregor - Visiting Days
7.	Elizabeth Raeburn-Fellows	- Christmas 1954 - Do you remember?
8.	Evelyn Boyd Southgate (nee Browne) Croydon, Surrey, England + reply from Peter Stubbs Edinburgh	- 1952 - Scran Photos
8.		- Scran Photos
9.	Evelyn Boyd Southgate (nee Browne) Croydon, Surrey, England	- Quarantine
10.	Helen Sims	- Christine Nisbet Pollock - Names - Chief Constable Merrilees - Children's Home - My Mother's Memories
11.	Evelyn Boyd Southgate (nee Browne) Croydon, Surrey, England	- Quarantine

Recollections

Brendon Hume

Haxey, North Lincolnshire, England

Brendon Hume wrote:

Resident

"I am from Auld Reekie, Cumberland Street, Stockbridge, but owing to my disability, a club foot, I spent a few years in Challenger Lodge, Boswell Road, Granton. Challenger lodge is now a hospice.

I remember:

- being taken on trips to the Rosebery Estate at Cramond with Inspector William Merrilees of the Lothian Police.

- being taken to Niddry with the Edinburgh Taxi Drivers day out.

- a visit by Issy Bonn, a show biz star of the day.

- a visit to see the Hibs team with my hero Gordon Smith.

Other Residents?

I am now in my 71st year and would welcome information about any other residents from Challenger Lodge, or about the cubs at Wardie Church."

Brendon Hume, Haxey, North Lincolnshire, England: September 9, 2009

Replies

If you'd like to send a reply to Brendon, please email me, then I'll pass on your message to him.

Thank you. - Peter Stubbs: September 12, 2009

Update 1

Thank you to Walter Lyle Hume, now living in Cowes, Isle of Wight, England, for contacting me. I've now passed on Walter's message to Brendon.

- Peter Stubbs: September 13, 2009

Update 2

Dr Karen Lury wrote:

William Merrilees

"I'm trying to find out more about a visit that William Merrilees made to Challenger Lodge in 1961. I 'm an academic at Glasgow University looking at children in amateur film in Scotland.

There is a short film called 'The Chief's Half Day' that seems to show William Merrilees donating the dog that played Greyfriars Bobby to the children at the Lodge.

If Brendon or anybody else had any memories of that visit or of their experiences in the home, I would love to hear them. There are a number of children in the film as they greet 'Uncle Willie' in front of the lodge.

The film ends with Matron (?) taking the dog in"

Dr Karen Lury, Glasgow, Scotland: April 1, 2010

If you'd like to send a reply to Karen, please email me, then I'll pass on your message to her. Thank you.

Peter Stubbs: April 1, 2010

Recollections

Brendon Hume

Haxey, North Lincolnshire, England

Brendon Hume wrote again:

Home for Cripple Children

"In a previous email from someone - I cant remember who! - the sender stated that a girl was an orphan in Challenger Lodge (pre-changing to a Hospice).

As far as i am aware to 1948 Challenger Lodge was a home for cripple children only. I stand to be corrected If am wrong."

Brendon Hume: January 8, 2010

Replies

1. Challenger Lodge, at 15 Boswall Road, was bought by the Edinburgh Cripple and Invalid Children's Aid Society in 1929 to replace the society's children's homes at Nellfield and Viewforth in Edinburgh.

I believe that this remained a children's home in the care of the society until shortly before the premises opened as St Columba's Hospice in 1977, but I don't know what the 'rules for admission' were for the children.

2. If you have any information that you'd like to send to Brendon, please email me, then I'll pass on your message to him. Thank you.

Peter Stubbs: January, 2010

Recollections

Evelyn Boyd Southgate (nee Browne)

Croydon, Surrey, England

Evelyn Southgate wrote:

1942 to 1951

"I was born in Edinburgh in 1942. Ibecame aware that I was in the Children's Home at about the age of four. I remained there until I was nine years old, when I was fostered to a retired couple who moved to Cornwall.

I had no parents or family and so i suppose I was an orphan though I never thought of myself as such! I always wondered why everyone else seemed to come and go but I always seemed to remain there."

Memories

I recall a long walk to church and turning right out of the home and walking along by the wall surrounding the home's large grounds then crossing several roads.

I also remember:

- the school and the teacher, Miss McGregor who brought along her dog each day

- a huge tree which I loved ---.

- huge grassy areas covered with daisies.

- the playroom covered with broken toys.

- the underground bathroom which gave me the creeps."

Brendon

"I loved it when new people came in who could sing me new songs which I copied as I loved to sing. I don't remember a boy named Brendon, but I wonder if I'm the girl that he remembers."

Evelyn Southgate, Croydon, Surrey, England: June 11, 2010

Recollections

Evelyn Boyd Southgate (nee Browne)

Croydon, Surrey, England

Evelyn Southgate added:

Operation

"I was in Challenger Lodge because of a condition called Nail Patella Syndrome (although I only discovered through the internet that is what I have when I was 59). I was affected by both feet being clubfooted. Also, my knees were affected.

I was operated on Christmas 1951 in Princess Margaret Rose Hospital for Children (as it was then). After that was completed I was ready to be fostered and was taken to be with my foster parents in Cornwall by a Children's Officer from Edinburgh called Miss Boa."

Memories

"I remember:

- We sang hymns every morning, one of which was 'There's a friend for little children above the bright blue sky'

- I was once given a doll as a reward for teaching a child The Lord's Prayer.

- We had porridge for breakfast every day. When I left the home, I badly missed the lumps probably caused when the porridge burned at the bottom of the pan!

- We also had malt and cod liver oil every day, which I loved the taste of. Yuk!!"

Outings

"I always missed the outings because I got so excited that I was sick every single time. They tried not telling me until we were about to go but I'd know something was up because our nicer clothes were laid at the bottom of the bed."

Miss McGregor

"Miss McGregor, our teacher, loved the birds. She hung coconut and suet cake for them in the winter and I was enchanted to see the beauty of nature so close up.

She surprised and worried me when she cried at the news that King George had died, and I was very relieved when she eventually recovered herself."

Visiting Days

"Visiting days were always quite hard for me because I seemed to be the only one who had no visitors. I coped quite well though I found it puzzling."

Evelyn Southgate, Croydon, Surrey, England: June 12, 2010

Recollections

Elizabeth Raeburn-Fellows

Thank you to Elizabeth Raeburn-Fellows who wrote:

Christmas 1954

"I have a letter dated 28th December 1954 from the then Matron Miss C Nesbit-Pollock, of Challenger Lodge, Boswell Road, Edinburgh (The Edinburgh Cripple and Invalids Children's Aid Society), thanking a Mrs. Soanes of NW London for Christmas gifts sent to Jeffrey Bruce at Challenger Lodge.

Miss Nesbit-Pollock has added that during the Christmas period 1953/54 the lodge was under quarantine for an outbreak of mumps, which meant 'the children had to miss a great many things available at this time of the year', but despite this, the children had a 'wonderful time on Christmas Day, with lots of good things from Santa!'."

Do you remember?

"If anyone knows anything about this timeframe at Challenger Lodge, or knows anything about Jeffrey Bruce, I would be interested to hear from them."

Elizabeth Raeburn-Fellows: June 15, 2010

Reply to Elizabeth Raeburn-Fellows

If you would like to send a reply to Elizabeth, please email me, then I'll pass on your message to her. Thank you.

Peter Stubbs: Edinburgh, June 15, 2010

Recollections

Evelyn Boyd Southgate (nee Browne)

Croydon, Surrey, England

Evelyn Southgate added:

1952

"I've realised that since King George VI died in 1952 I must have been at the St Columba's until then. I was nine on 15/12/51 then spent Christmas at the PMR Hospital, and was fostered, once the full leg plasters that were applied after the operation on my knees had been removed. So I suspect I was resident at Challenger Lodge until Spring 1952."

Scran Photos

"I wonder if Brendon has seen the 9 thumbnail photos of Challenger Lodge that can be found on the free Scran Site.

Evelyn Southgate, Croydon, Surrey, England: June 13, 2010"

Scran Photos

Thank you to Evelyn for telling me about the 9 thumbnail images of Challenger Lodge on the Scran web site. Here is a link to the page on the Scran web site.

I've now added three of these images to the EdinPhoto web site. Please click the thumbnail images below to enlarge them.

School Class

1954

Learning Arithmetic

1959

Nativity Play

1960

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: June 22, 2010

Recollections

10.

Heather Sims

Near Basingstoke, Hampshire, England

Thank you to Heather Sims for sending me the two photos below. Please click on the photos to enlarge them.

Heather wrote:

Christine Nisbet Pollock

"My mother was Christine Nisbet Pollock, Matron of Challenger Lodge. She is mentioned in Recollections 7 above.

I have two very precious photograph albums of her time there. I'm not sure of her precise dates as Matron. She certainly left shortly before 16th March 1956 when she married my father, and one of the albums contains a newspaper cutting from 29th January 1954, so I think she must have taken up her post some time in 1953."

Names

Sadly, my mother did not write names against all the photos. From those she did name, I have been able to annotate this group photo taken on the steps of Challenger Lodge:

Photo 1

I also have photos of other children, whom I can’t put a name to. I used to love looking at the photos as a child, and my mother would say “that’s little …” but I never thought to ask her to write the names down, and now it’s too late. She died in 1998.

Here is another group photo:

Photo 2

I've not been able to name the children in this one, but one of them could be Jeffrey Bruce, mentioned by Elizabeth Raeburn-Fellowes in Recollections 7 above.

My mother is also in this photo. She is standing in the middle. I think this photo was possible taken a little before Photo 1.

I'm afraid there is no further information on these photos, as to who took them or what the occasions were."

Chief Constable Merrilees

"Chief Constable Merrilees is a name that I grew up with. My mother always spoke very fondly of him. Sadly, I never thought to ask much about him. I just know that he was very good to the children at Challenger Lodge.

My mother’s albums include:

- a newspaper photograph of the Chief Constable with the children as they celebrated their belated Christmas at the end of the whooping cough and mumps quarantine.

- a newspaper photograph of the Chief Constable with my mother and two of the children in a taxi, taken during the Edinburgh taxi drivers’ annual outing for sick, crippled and orphaned children to Gullane.

- original photographs of the children and adults (including Chief Constable Merrilees) on a picnic to Castle Craig in May 1954.

- Chief Constable Merrilees’ obituary in the Scotsman, Thursday August 23, 1984."

Children's Home

"As a child, I never questioned why these children should be in a home. It's certainly something I ask now. In the photos, many of the children look capable of living ordinary lives within a family (although, having no medical training myself, I may be wrong).

Here are a couple of newspaper quotes, the second quote being a little sadder.

"Challenger Lodge accommodates 25 cripple children who, for their complete recovery, may require special care and adequate diet, or who, suffering from some disabling condition, are not fit for everyday life.

Some of the children come from remote parts of Scotland, and owing to their handicapped condition and the distances involved, cannot otherwise receive adequate surgical supervision or education."

"The children come from all parts of Scotland, and some have been completely deserted by their parents. But it is quite evident that they get love and affection at Challenger Lodge from the devoted staff."

I hope Evelyn Southgate ('Recollections 8 + 9' above) was not 'deserted by her parents'. It seems as though Challenger Lodge did give her a happy, if somewhat puzzling, childhood."

My Mother's Memories

"My mother had some sad tales about some of the children, but also some lovely heart-warming ones.

Bob Hope visited the home, and I have photographs and newspaper cuttings of that occasion. But my mother also told a lovely story of Roy Rogers coming to the home to make a little boy’s dream come true. I don't have any pictures of that, nor do I know which of the little boys it was.

I'd love to hear from any of the children who may remember my mother. I've looked at their photographs so many times and wondered what happened to the children. And I would, or course, be happy to share these photographs with them.

I'm hoping to hear from some of these faces from the past."

Heather Sims: September 24, + October 2, 2011

Reply to Heather?

If you'd like to send a reply to Heather, please email me then I'll pass on your message to her. Thank you.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: July 26, 2011

Recollections

11.

Evelyn Boyd Southgate (nee Browne)

Croydon, Surrey, England

Evelyn Southgate added:

Message from Heather

"I took a look at your site today to see if there were any new entries re Challenger Lodge and spotted a new photo from Heather Sims, then I found her lovely message.

Heather's mother may not have known me as I have worked out that I left in the Spring of 1952.

Respite Home

"I've seen Challenger Lodge referred to somewhere as a 'Respite Home for Crippled Children' and this makes sense of my experiences in the home as being intended for short term residential care.

For the time I was there, which includes my earliest memories until age 9, I was the only one who never received visitors and the only one who never eventually left to go home to my own family.

Some of the children were severely disabled physically and came in to be nursed for a while before returning home. Some were resident for the carrying out of operations in Edinburgh and for the subsequent post -operative care

Others came in to receive a course of regular physiotherapy appropriate to their condition. I had a sense of a family institution that came and went while I stood still and this applied to the staff as well as the children. However the teacher, Miss Edith McGregor was a constant and I felt a bond with her.

My Treatment

"I assume that my own mother became overwhelmed by the responsibility of providing for her disabled daughter on her own (she never married) and applied to the Edinburgh Crippled Children Society for help in the form of respite care for me at the home, then succumbed to the temptation to abandon me there.

Those were terribly difficult days and she would have known that I would be well cared for which indeed I was because my disablement was successfully treated and for this I am so very grateful!"

Evelyn Southgate, Croydon, Surrey, England: November 9, 2011