Edinburgh History - Recollections - Working for Fell & Mathieson, Plumbers, Corstorphine

Recollections
1.	Jim Thomson Australia	- Plumbers: Fell & Mathieson
2.	Maxine Adam Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada	- Cinema: The Astoria
3	Betty McGill Edinburgh	- Cinema: The Astoria
4.	Ian Thomson Lake Maquarie, New South Wales, Australia	- Rest & Be Thankful - Edinburgh Zoo
5.	Ian Thomson Lake Maquarie, New South Wales, Australia	- Buttercup Farm
6.	Frances MacRae Corstorphine Trust, Edinburgh	- Year of the Homecoming, 2009
7.	Bill Scott Alnwick, Northumberland, England	- Buttercup Farm
8.	Ian Thomson Lake Maquarie, New South Wales, Australia	- Buttercup Farm - Plumbers - Fell & Mathieson Bike - Fell & Mathieson Barrow
9.	Ian Thomson Lake Maquarie, New South Wales, Australia	- Fell & Mathieson - As a Young Apprentice - Davey Fell - On the Tenements - Corstorphine: 1940s + 1950s
10.	Tony Bowden Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England	- Buttercup Farm
11.	Tony Bowden Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England	- Buttercup Farm - Question: 1936 photo
12.	Bill Scott Alnwick, Northumberland, England	- Buttercup Farm - writing a book
13.	Ian Thomson Lake Maquarie, New South Wales, Australia	- Fishy Tamson - Harvey, The Grocer - Dick, The Butcher - Corstorphine High Street - The Farm
14.	Ian Thomson Lake Maquarie, New South Wales, Australia	- The Scarlet's Farm - Travel by Tram - Tradesmen - Return Home - Takeover - Football
15.	Ian Thomson Lake Maquarie, New South Wales, Australia	- Corncrakes - Tomatoes from the Gyle - Doctors - Carrick Knowe Houses
16.	Ian Taylor South Glasgow, Scotland	- Buttercup Dairies
17.	Stuart Burgess Devon, England	- Corrie Woods
18.	Bill Hall Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland	- North Clermiston Farm
19.	Bill Scott Alnwick, Northumberland, England	- Buttercup Poultry Farm
20.	Avril Finlayson Smith Alnwick, Northumberland, England	- Buttercup Poultry Farm
21.	Bill Scott Alnwick, Northumberland, England	- Buttercup Poultry Farm
22.	Ian Thomson Lake Maquarie, New South Wales, Australia	- Buttercup Farm, 1949
23.	Jim Thomson Australia	- Plumbers: Fell & Mathieson - Bike - Dave Fell - Bob Sutherland - Corstorphine
24.	Ian Thomson Lake Maquarie, New South Wales, Australia	- Plumbers: Fell & Mathieson - Bike - Raleigh
25.	Ian Thomson Lake Maquarie, New South Wales, Australia	- Buttercup Farm - Plumbers - Fell & Mathieson Bike - Fell & Mathieson Barrow
26.	Ian Thomson Lake Maquarie, New South Wales, Australia	- Corstorphine Road - Pinkhill - Football - Golf Course - Today

Recollections

Jim Thomson

Australia

Thank you to Jim Thomson, now living in Australia, who wrote:

Fell & Mathieson

Plumbing and Photography

"I served my apprenticeship as a young tradesman with Fell & Mathiesion (Plumbers), St Johns Road, Corstorphine.

I married and moved to Australia where, after a few years, I set up my own business. After a number of years. I took a strong interest in wildlife photography, which I still do to this day.

I often think of my early days as a plumber in Corstorphine and my boss with his push bike loaded with tools, putty paint, etc, I can assure you I was well trained by Dave Fell and it has stood me in good stead all my life.

I am now 80 and still active with my photography.

I often wonder what Corstorphine is like now"

Jim Thomson, Australia: April 19, 2008

The Bike

The bike that Jim mentions is now in the Corstorphine Trust Museum at the Corstorphine Heritage Centre. Here is a photo that I took of it in March 2011.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: April 12, 2011

Recollections

Betty McGill

Edinburgh

Thank you to Betty McGill, Edinburgh who wrote:

Cinema

The Astoria

"In answer to Maxine, yes I remember the Astoria very well. My boyfriend and I used to go there once a week. It's gone now, replace by a frozen food store.

Corstorphine though, like everywhere else, is a now a very busy thoroughfare with heavy traffic !!!

It still has its little park though."

Betty McGill, Edinburgh: July 2, 2008

Thanks for the comments, Betty. Corstorphine also still has:

- Edinburgh Zoo on Corstorphine Hill, with some new enclosures and others planned.

- The old tower on Corstorphine Hill. It is open some summer weekends and gives good views around Edinburgh.

- The Dower House, now re-named the Corstorphine Heritage Centre, at the edge of St Margaret's Park. The history of this house can be traced back to 1587

Peter Stubbs: July 3, 2008

Recollections

Ian Thomson

Lake Maquarie, New South Wales, Australia

Thank you to Ian Thomson, Lake Maquarie, New South Wales, Australia who wrote about Corstorphine Hill.

Ian wrote:

Rest & Be Thankful

"Three years ago, one Sunday morning, my daughter and I walked a trail through Corstorphine Woods which has never changed in 60 yrs. It winds its way to the Rest & Be Thankful, one of the finest views of Edinburgh, to the right is the zoo fence.

It was a trip down memory lane for me. As a boy in the 1940s, I use to play all over the woods, sledging in winter."

Edinburgh Zoo

From the tower, entry to the zoo was either through loose pailings or by tunnelling under.

There was a disused quarry in the woods. I wonder what the history of this is.

Also, do readers remember when stray bombs hit the zoo during the war years, with a number of animals escaping? We were in our Anderson shelter in the garden. I can remember that night clearly.

I look back at my childhood with fond memories."

Ian Thomson, Lake Maquarie, New South Wales, Australia: July 7, 2008

Recollections

Ian Thomson

Lake Maquarie, New South Wales, Australia

Ian Thomson wrote again, after reading about Dr Lindsay Lennie's research into the Buttercup Dairy Co shops.

Ian wrote:

Buttercup Farm

"In 1949, when I started my apprenticeship as a plumber with Fell & Mathieson, my first job was at Buttercup Farm, at the top of Clermiston Hill, Corstorphine. Our firm did the plumbing on the farm.

Old Bob Sutherland and I used to travel along St John's Road, Corstorphine and up the Clermiston Hill, sometimes pushing the old iron barrow.

The farm was on the left, now long since gone. Old Mr Ewing lived in the big house on the farm. He must have been near 80, or so it seemed to me just turned 15. He was a small, well dressed man.

On Saturday mornings, after a week's work he would make his rounds, giving the tradesmen £1 each and the apprentices ten shillings each. Needless to say, we were all peeping around corners awaiting his arrival.

Buttercup Farm was used for storage of goods, and for horse stables. I also remember the Buttercup Dairy Co shop at the bottom of Easter Road.

Ian Thomson, Lake Maquarie, New South Wales, Australia: November 14, 2008

Recollections

Frances McRae

Corstorphine Trust, Edinburgh

Frances MacRae, Archivist at Corstorphine Trust left the message below in the EdinPhoto guestbook. If you'd like to contact the Corstorphine Trust after reading her message, here is the address to send your email to:

Corstorphine Trust

Frances wrote:

Year of the Homecoming

2009

"2009 has been designated the 'Year Of The Homecoming'. Here at Corstorphine Trust we are planning a week long series of events from 29th June-4th July, 2009

As part of this week we intend to have a display in the Dower House (headquarters of The Corstorphine Trust) featuring people/families who were born in Corstorphine, who now live in other parts of the world. If you would like to tell me some of your memories of Corstorphine I would be delighted to include them in our display."

Frances MacRae, Corstorphine Trust, Edinburgh
Message posted in guestbook November 18, 2008.

Recollections

Bill Scott

Alnwick, Northumberland, England

Buttercup Farm

Growing up on the Farm

Thank you to Bill Scott for contacting me and telling me his Internet pages that give

- a short history of Buttercup Dairies and founder, Andrew Ewing.

- some photographs associated with the Buttercup Dairy Company.

Bill describes in these pages how, in the 1950s, he was born and brought up on Buttercup poultry farm, on the hill at Clermiston, by his parents, grandparents and other family members who lived on the farm.

He mentions that Inverarites Estate, Fox Covert and Clermiston were all neighbours to Buttercup Farm.

Andrew Ewing

Bill describes Andrew Ewing (1869-1956) the owner of the Buttercup Dairy Company shops and Buttercup Farm as being a generous man with the demeanour of Mr Chips. Andrew donated all his eggs laid on a Sunday to charity.

Bill later added:

"Since the daily lay was 110,000, I wonder where all the eggs went."

Shops

Andrew opened his first dairy shop around 1904. By the 1920s, he had a chain of 250 Buttercup Dairy Company shops across Scotland and Northern England.

Hens

At its peak around 1930, Buttercup poultry farm occupied 100 acres. It had 6 miles of road and 200,000 hens. It was known locally as 'Hen City'

Acknowledgement: Bill Scott, Alnwick, Northumberland, England: February 3 + March 3, 2009

Recollections

Ian Thomson

Lake Maquarie, New South Wales, Australia

Thank you to Ian Thomson who replied:

Buttercup Farm

"Bill Scott's comments (7 above) on Buttercup Farm bring back memories. My first job there was in the gardener's cottage, down the lane on the right hand side, and also the big white house where Mr Ewing lived.

The hen houses must have been gone by 1949. I don't remember them

Fox Covert and Clerwood were neighbours to the buttercup"

Plumbers

"Fell & Mathieson, plumbers and electricians, were situated in St John's Road, Corstorphine, almost opposite Manse Road, up a lane that opened out to a large yard shared by a grocers, bakers and paper shop.

On a trip back to Edinburgh, I walked up the lane and was surprised to see a new house where the workshop used to be."

Fell & Mathieson - Bike

"I met Bill Mathieson in the 1990s at the Corstorphine Trust, when it met in Dr Cormack's house. He would have been in his 80s then and had retired to a cottage in Manse Road.

Also in the trust was a Fell & Mathieson bike, used by the plumbers as a means of travel to the jobs."

"Many a day we cycled to the farms as far away as Gogar, Ratho and Broxburn. It was a 1-gear bike with box in front, loaded up with plumbing tools etc. The back wheel would rise off the ground, so you had to get on the saddle quick.

In these days, motor cars were few & far between and the Maybury and Glasgow Road was a peaceful spot."

Fell & Mathieson - Barrow

"The big iron barrow which stood in the yard, rain or shine, was a great muscle-builder, pushing it up Clermiston Hill, laden to the guddle.

On the way down we took up a position in front, like a horse, andsparks flew from tackety boots. I would break in to a trot with old Bob Sutherland hanging on to the back, giving my ears a roasting.

The trip along St John's Road was 'stop-and-start' with old bob doffing his bonnet to the customers. He certainly knew how to hang on to the back of the barrow. We always seemed to appear at the workshop one minute before finishing time, 4.45pm."

Ian Thomson, Lake Maquarie, New South Wales, Australia: February 10, 2009

Recollections

Ian Thomson

Lake Maquarie, New South Wales, Australia

Thank you to Ian Thomson who replied:

Fell & Mathieson

As a Young Apprentice

"As a just-turned-fifteen-year-old, gullible I certainly was. In the first year, I was sent by my mate to the chemist shop and spent an hour there awaiting a long stand, and I was sent to the painter's shop for a tin of tartan paint.

Another job we did was cleaning out the big lead-lined cisterns in the attic - dead birds, muck, you name it, then emptying the water out and waxing with candles and a blowlamp to close of any leaks."

Davey Fell

"The first one I did was with young Davey Fell. He had me paddling about inside the cistern without my breeks on, in the middle of winter, too. The older apprentices were the worst, taking a delight in my misfortune,

Davey, at the time, was in his last year and was the despair of his father. He was once caught on the bike coming down Clermiston with two other apprentices on board at a rapid speed. The only trouble was that they ran into the police at the bottom of the hill."

On the Tenements

"I remember working at the tenements in Victor Park, on the roof fixing the leaking rones (gutters). We came through the skylight. Rope was wrapped around me. Old bob in the attic fed out the rope as i eased my way down the slates to the rones. You had to repair the joints, so leaning over was a must.

The order of the day was putty and paint, our favourite weapon for anything to do with leaks. Needless to say, you were looking down 4 stories, winter time too.

Well, it happened. The stone paint slipped from my fingers. I watched, entranced as it made its way down, striking the pavement like a bomb.

Old Bob had a few choice words for me. Likewise, the boss, when we returned to the shop. Cleaning gear was supplied. The butcher's shop window had turned to stone. After much scrubbing it was presentable, but the pavement remained coloured for a long time after."

Corstorphine: 1940s and 1950s

"When I look back at Corstorphine in the 1940s and early-1950s, some things make me chuckle, like standing in St John's Road, with old Bob and another old timer with our caps on our hearts, after hearing king george had died, or being told by the lady of the house there would be no water for our drums (billycans) for our tea. We even worked Christmas Day.

There was a class distinction in those days. Still, you could enjoy a laugh, watching old Bob perform with the customers that withering smile (he never smiled at us), his cap off revealing a shiny top.

With a different voice, he was from the old school, waistcoat pocket watch, boots you could see your face in, but above all a fine tradesman."

Ian Thomson, Lake Maquarie, New South Wales, Australia: February 10, 2009

Recollections

11.

Tony Bowden

Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England

Tony Bowden added:

Question

Buttercup Farm - Photograph of the Fire, 1936

"I would appreciate it if you were able to ask if anybody has seen or knows where I can get any photos relating to the farm fire in 1936.

My Granny seems to recall the front page of one of the Edinburgh papers showed her Father at the time of the fire in his pyjamas.

If any of your contributors could help it would be much appreciated!

Tony Bowden, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England: February 16, 2009

Answer?

I've had a brief look through the Scotsman Archive and Scran web sites. I've not found the photograph of the fire, but may have missed it because I just use the free service and do not subscribe to the full service from these two companies.

However, I see that the fire was reported in an article in The Scotsman newspaper on July 25, 1936.

If you can help Tony to find the photo that he is looking for, please email me, then I'll forward your message to him.

Thank you. - Peter Stubbs: February 26, 2009

Recollections

12.

Bill Scott

Alnwick, Northumberland, England

Buttercup Farm

Thank you to Bill Scott who followed up his comments (in recollections 7 above) by telling me:

Book

"I am writing a history of Buttercup Farm. I hope to publish this as a book.

I'd welcome any stories or recollections about the Buttercup Dairy Company or Poultry Farm that anybody could send to me."

Reply to Bill Scott

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

Thank you - Peter Stubbs: March 3, 2009

Update - January 2011

Bill wrote on January 3, 2011 to let me know that he hopes that his book on Buttercup Dairy Company will be published in March 2011. Here is a link to his web site about the company:

Buttercup Dairy Company

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: January 3, 2011

Acknowledgement: Bill Scott, Alnwick, Northumberland, England: Feby 3, 2009 + Jan 3, 2011

Recollections

13.

Ian Thomson

Lake Maquarie, New South Wales, Australia

Thank you to Ian Thomson who replied:

Fishy Tamson

"I enjoyed your recent pic of Thomson, the Fishmonger at Old Corstorphine. Your collection of the village brings back memories for me.

My travels as a plumber's apprentice with Fell & Mathieson took me to Fishy Tamson, as we called them, where we did plumbing in the yard at the back in the cleaning bays.

The shop was just past the Harp Hotel on the north side of St John's Road, going into the city. I only vaguely remember the boss, but one thing I do remember when working there was the hit song 'I'm in the Mood for Love'. Everybody was singing it. This was in the early 1950s. It's funny how you associate places with songs."

Harvey, The Grocers

"Not far from Fishy Tamson was Harvey, the grocers, where I worked as a message boy after school for a few bob, biking around Corstorphine or helping in the shop."

Dick, The Butcher

"I moved on to dick the butcher, across the road, received 5 shillings a week - a lot of money for school boy in these days.

Corstorphine High Street

"The High Street, which features in one of your pics, was the main hub of life in the 1940s.

Many a day was spent in the queue for the rations during the war, and who can forget Scobie's sweety shop on the corner of High Street and North Saughton Road, with the fine old church opposite. A wander through the graveyard is the history of Corstorphine.

The 13th boys brigade were in the hall next door with old Captain Knight keeping us boys in order. We had a a good football team too. I was a regular on the wing , but I was asked to leave because of my church attendance."

The Farm

"On the road to Gogar, past St Margaret's Park, the school and the piggery, there was a farm where the finest tomatoes were obtained for 2 bob a bag. That was a Sunday trip on the bike."

Ian Thomson, Lake Maquarie, New South Wales, Australia: March 23, 2009

Recollections

14.

Ian Thomson

Lake Maquarie, New South Wales, Australia

Thank you to Ian Thomson who wrote again with more memories of working for Fell & Mathieson, plumbers at Corstorphine.

Ian wrote:

The Scarlet's Farm

"Our travels in plumbing from Corstorphine took us to the Scarlet's farm up the Wallyford Brae. I beleive the boss's daughter was married to the son.

Travel by Tram

"So, it was down the alley and on to the tram in St John's Road, not before the purchase of 5 Woodbine 7 pence for old Bob.

The tools etc. were dispatched in the well of the tram, guarded by the conductor. Up the stairs we went. I usually talked Bob into the front compartment with closed glass door where he could puff to his heart's content as we shoogled our way along to the Post Office.

There, we changed trams for Levenhall via Portobello and Joppa. Then we had a slow shuffle up the brae to the big house, half way up the brae on the left, getting there in time for morning tea."

Tradesmen

"Work was in the big bathrooms. The joiners came from Musselburgh. One individual nailed the metal lunch box with my piece (sandwich) to the floor.

Dinner time was always a laugh with the tradesmen. Old Bob had a poor appetite, so i had to help him there. Taking back your piece to the misses was taboo."

Return Journey

"Then we repeated the journey, back to Corstorphine, always arriving around finishing time."

Takeover

"Fell & Mathieson were later taken over by two of there workmen, wee Jock Fairbairn, plumber, and Jimmy Wilson, electrician."

Football

"I met Jimmy on one of my trips back He ran the Edinburgh Electrical Trades Football Team. trades football team, and when I was about 16, they use to play me on the left wing.

I did not hang on to the ball as I was 2lbs lighter than a balloon and there were some burly fullbacks. Two other electricians from Fell & Mathieson played for us at that time, George Laing and Jimmy Kinnaird who I beleive migrated to Canada."

Ian Thomson, Lake Maquarie, New South Wales, Australia: March 23, 2009

Recollections

15.

Ian Thomson

Lake Maquarie, New South Wales, Australia

Thank you to Ian Thomson who wrote again, about four months after telling me some of his memories above.

Ian wrote:

Corncrakes

"I remember the call of the corncrakes around Corstorphine. They are, gone now, taken over with urban sprawl. I believe they still prevail in the Hebrides in these days."

Corncrakes could also be heard in other Edinburgh districts. A book by Ann Mitchell about the area surrounding Calton Hill, published in 1998, was titled 'No More Corncrakes' - Peter Stubbs.

Tomatoes from the Gyle

"To the west of Castle Avenue, Corstorphine, there were fields and farms. Where where the Gyle shopping centre is now, there was a narrow farm road that led to the Gogar tomato houses. In season, the finest of tomatoes were obtained for 2 bob a bag, a Sunday trip on the bike. At Gogarburn, a road to Ratho passed the greenhouses just before Gogar Station."

Doctors

"Dr Cormack, one of the local doctors, lived in a big stone house at the corner of the Manse Road and St John's Road. He was a member of the Corstorphine Trust. In my plumbing days, Iworked in his house.

Our family doctor was Dr Galbraith whose practice was in St John's Road opposite Kirk Loan."

Carrick Knowe Houses

"Carrick Knowe houses must have started in the early 1930s. The Stank was the northern border of the houses, after which were fields to Tylers Acre, further to the north..

On Summer days, in August, us kids would watch the farmer cut the wheat, and do the impossible, catching the hares that shot out, to the east the golf coarse. It was a playground for the kids during the war.

I was interested to read about an old Carrick Knowe person, Jim Dow. He lived in the Terrace. He left with his family for Africa, and went on to be a successful journalist, writer and Editor of 'The Scotsman'. I remember him well."

Ian Thomson, Lake Maquarie, New South Wales, Australia: July 11, 2009

Recollections

18.

Bill Hall

Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland

Thank you to Bill Hall who wrote asking two questions.

North Clermiston Farm

1. "Do you have any photographs of North Clermiston Farm?

The only one I have is from a newspaper cutting that my Grandmother had from when the farm was being pulled down for building new houses. I don't know the date."

2. "Do you know if there is any connection between North Clermiston Farm and the Buttercup Dairy Farm.?"

Bill Hall, Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland: May 20, 2010

Reply to Bill

Unfortunately I'm not able to help with the two questions above. However, if you have any comments that you would like to pass on to Bill, please email me, then I'll pass them on to him. Thank you.

Peter Stubbs, May 20, 2010

Bill added:

Our Family at North Clermiston Farm

"My Grandmother, as a girl, lived at North Clermiston Farm around the 1890's.

Her father, Joseph Williamson, had been a Cabinetmaker in Bell's Brae, Dean Village (Water of Leith Village). He did a lot of the internal woodwork and doors on Cabbie Stewart's House on Dean Bridge.

However, Joseph was taken unwell and the family moved:

- first to Drylaw farm, which is now the new Police Station at the top of Pennywell Road

- then to North Clermiston farm where the oldest son Joseph Notman Williamson took up pig farming. This had been the trade of William Williamson my Grandmother's Grandfather!

Emigration

Joseph (elder) died at North Clermiston Farm and the family, headed now by Joseph Notman Williamson, moved out to Edgefield farm at Loanhead to again pig farm.

In 1903 Joseph Notman Williamson emigrated to Australia where he bred pigs and became an orchardist growing apples, a perfect marriage - pork and apple!

Bill Hall, Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland: May 20, 2010

Recollections

22.

Ian Thomson

Lake Maquarie, New South Wales, Australia

Ian Thomson added:

Buttercup Farm

1949

"It's great to see the Buttercup Farm again. The picture of the entrance to the farm in the snow brought back memories for me.

It was the August 1, 1949, the first day of my apprenticeship, that the boss, Davey Fell, told me to go with old Bb Sutherland to Buttercup Farm.

I had just turned 15 and was a skinny bag of bones with new overalls that nearly smothered me and brand new tackety boots.

Bob's tool kit, in a split sack wrapped up with rope, was promptly put on my shoulder, then I was off along St John's Road and up the Clermiston Hill. I was near collapsing by the time we reached the farm and went down to the gardener's cottage.

My first job was laying all the tools out in a neat row on the sack and cleaning them with a wee drop of paraffin from the blowlamp.

Buttercup Farm brought happy memories for me, returning with Bob many times. Old Mr Ewan, I can picture as if it was yesterday. Wouldn't it be great to turn the clock back for one day?

Ian Thomson, Lake Maquarie, New South Wales, Australia: November 23, 2010

Recollections

23.

Jim Thomson

Australia

Thank you to Jim Thomson, who wrote 'Recollections 1' above, for writing again to tell me more about the Fell & Mathieson bike.

Jim wrote:

Fell & Mathieson

Bike

"What a great surprise it was to see the photo of the old bike on the web site this morning. It is fantastic, and it took me straight back to the days with Fell& Mathieson.

Here is the full story of the bike on Clermiston Hill. We were working on alterations on a house in Gordon Road. Bob Sutherland was in charge. He was an outstanding tradesman in the days when everything in plumbing was lead.

On that particular day there were three young guys, Jimmy Wilson, Jock Fairborn, (1st year apprentice) and myself, and one push bike. When Bob said its time to knock off, there was a rush to get the only bike.

I was the driver, Jimmy Wilson was in the basket, and wee Jock was on the back mudguard. Mad! Off we went, down the Clermiston, and near the bottom the brakes failed. Wee Jock was trying to brake with his heel against the rear wheel.

We spun round into St John's Road. Luckily, nobody was injured, but we were just in time for a Policeman to catch us. We were reported to the Boss, Dave Fell, and I recall we all got suspended for a day. The things you do when you are young!"

Dave Fell

"Dave Fell was a great person. Every morning, he would take his bike and go home for his morning tea. He lived at 136 St John's Road, near the bottom of Clermiston Hill.

It would take him ages to get back up the hill, as every few meters he would get of his bike, lift his cap, and pass time with lady customers.

Before my time, Dave Fell and Bill Mathieson came back from the First World War and started up together ,pushing there tools around in a barrow."

Bob Sutherland

"Once the business was established Bob Sutherland came to work for Dave and Bill. He spent the rest of his days working with them.

When I think of Bob, I remember a chap who had boots that you could see your reflections in. He used to wear what I would call a 'railway jacket' over his overalls. He always had a fresh stiff caller on, each day. I don't know about his shirt."

Corstorphine

"There are, no doubt, many more stories that could be told about places and people in Corstorphine."

Jim Thomson, Australia: April 14, 2011

Recollections

24.

Ian Thomson

Lake Maquarie, New South Wales, Australia

Ian Thomson wrote:

Fell & Mathieson

Bike

"I did see the Fell & Mathieson bike on a trip back to Edinburgh. It looks and polished now.

I might have spent some time on it in the early-1950s. I'll now show this pic to my grandkids."

Raleigh

"I notice that it is a Raleigh. I bike on a Raleigh here in Aussie, and when I was a boy, I travelled the highways and byways to the Youth Hostels on a Raleigh with 3-speed Sturmey Archer gears.

Many a day, my pal and I would hang on to the back of a timber truck in the highlands as it crawled up the glens."

Ian Thomson, Lake Maquarie, New South Wales, Australia: April 14, 2011

Recollections

25.

Ian Thomson

Lake Maquarie, New South Wales, Australia

Thank you to Ian Thomson for writing again with more recollections of Corstorphine from 1848. Ian was prompted to send his comments after reading reading recollections of his old school, Boroughmuir.

Ian wrote:

Journey to the Butchers

"In 1948, on Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings, I worked for the butchers at St John's Road, Corstorphine.

As soon as the bell went at Boroughmuir school, I was on my way from the English class. Miss Williamson, I think, was my teacher.

Down the stairs, I went, out the gates at Viewforth, stretching my long skinny legs. It was right turn at the lights in Gilmore Place, then left turn and through the rubber mill for the No.1 bus. In those days, the No.1 bus came every few minutes.

I rose just past the dovecot and Sycamore Terrace, ready for a quick exit at the terminus, Scobie's sweet shop, Corstorphine.

It was through the old church, dodging the gravestones, out the back gate into the glebe and up the wee hill to the butcher's shop opposite the Harp Hotel in St John's Road."

Deliveries

"Old Dick, the butcher would have the tyres blown up on the message bike, one gear with box at front.

All the deliveries were wrapped up in white paper with names of customers. I knew them off by heart.

I was no muscle man. If I turned sideways, you would miss me. Up Clermiston Road, Hillview Terrace sometimes beat me, so it was shanks pony and shove.

Saturday mornings were busy, taking in Broomfield and Carrick Knowe."

Sausages and Mince

"If I had time over, I would help Dick with the sausages in the back shop. My efforts earned me two half-crowns ('5 bob').

I finished at 12 o'clock and was on my Raleigh to Carrick Knowe Hill, always with a parcel of mince etc for my mother. Then, I got ready for the football in the afternoon. No wonder we slept soundly at night!"

Ian Thomson, Lake Maquarie, New South Wales, Australia: June 14, 2011

Recollections

26.

Ian Thomson

New South Wales, Australia

Thank you to Ian Thomson who wrote:

Corstorphine Road

"I have just come across one of your old pics of road repairs in Corstorphine Road, near the zoo.

It brought back to me memories from the 1940s"

Pinkhill

"The junction from Corstorphine Road let to Pinkhill Station. The road turned sharp-right, once over the bridge to run parallel with the railway leading to Carrick Knowe. Down a bit on the left was Pinkhill Park, home of Murrayfield Amateur FC. who played in the East of Scotland League during the war years."

Football

"My pals and I would find our way on a Sunday morning for a kick-around with our battered leather ball, which was shaped like an egg with seams coming apart.

Of course, this was subject to dodging Sunday School at Carrick Knowe church, where the Reverend Chalmers was in league with my mother to keep an eye on us.

The football ground had nets up - a novelty in these days.

The groundsman usually arrived, late morning, with a clanging of the gates, signaling that it was time for us to get cracking. We were not popular as we made a mess of his goalmouth."

Golf Course

"Our escape was over the stank, by rope from a tree. The dog had to fend for itself. It stunk like a polecat. This took us into Carrick Knowe Golf Course.

In those days, the east side of the course was used by the home guard. The west side, at Carrick Knowe, became our playground.

Again there was a nasty green-keeper who gave chase. A whack over the ears was the reward, but I was never caught."

Today

"I often wonder what happened to Murrayfield Amateur FC and if the enclosed ground is still there."

Ian Thomson, New South Wales, Australia: September 16, 2011