Recollections

6.

Margaret Calder

Craigmillar, Edinburgh

Thank you to Margaret Calder who posted this message in the EdinPhoto guest book:

Margaret wrote:

Craigmillar Primary School Reunion?

"I'd like to hear from anyone who attended Craigmillar Primary School from 1959 until 1966

I've been trying to trace primary school friends to arrange a reunion.  We all lost touch after going to all different secondary schools.

It would be nice to hear from someone.

Margaret Calder, Craigmillar, Edinburgh:  Message left in Edinphoto guest book, July 21, 2008.

Contacting Margaret

If you'd like to contact Margaret Calder, please email me, then I'll pass on your message to her.

Thank you.    -  Peter Stubbs:  July 22, 2008

Reply

Thank you to:

-  Richard Dickson, now living in Canada for emailing me on July 24, 2008.

-  Thank you to Archie Ferguson who emailed me on December 13, 2008.

I hope you have both now been able to contact Margaret by email.

-  Peter Stubbs:  December 13, 2008

Recollections

7.

Graeme Fulton

Thank you to Graeme Fulton who wrote:

Poem

"I lived with my parents at 9 Craigmillar Castle Grove from the mid-1960s to early-1970s. I have only good memories of Craigmillar.

Like Helen, I was disappointed to see it deteriorate.  That prompted  me to write this poem back in 1996.  It may prompt more memories now:"

Craigmillar Memories

"What happened to Craigmillar?
It'll never be the same,
When doors wur aye left open
And neighbours hooses yae treated as yer ain.

If it rained and yer washing wis left oot
The neighbors brought it in,
And tae borrow a cup o sugar wis
Never classed as a mortal sin.

In the streets the bairns awe played taegether
We played oor simple games,
Peevers, kick the can, gurders and
Even chuckie staines.

In the back greens, that's wur we held oor concerts
And joined in tae Mr Beaumonts  sunshine show,
We told a joke or sung a song
even the Mums would have a go.

I loved to hear the yell
Frae the toffee appleman,
And as bairns gathering roond him
Like a gathering o the clans

Fur tuppence you got yer apple
Then you went hame,
What happened to Craigmillar?
It'll never be the same.

And let's no furget times wur hard and
Money wis always tight,
As most o the weeks wages wur spent
by the end o' Saturday night.

But you never heard o' muggings, drugs or
Stealing oaf yer ain,
A'body wis in it taegether wur
Awe classed as the same.

I think people's too greedy noo
Wanting fancy cars, hooses and claes,
We'll never turn the clock back
Tae the guid auld days.

Some might think I'm wrong and
I'm just no being fair,
But I don't think it's just Craigmillar
It's happening everywhere."

© Graeme Fulton

Graeme Fulton, Ormiston, East Lothian, Scotland:  July 15, 2009

Recollections

8.

Jimmy Cunningham

Gracemount, Edinburgh

Thank you to Jimmy Cunningham who wrote:

Craigmillar and Australia

"I lived in Craigmillar, on and off, in the 1960s and 1970s.

My mum and dad, Chrissie and Davie Cunningham, along with myself and 4 brothers Tam, John, Davie and Andy emigrated to  Sydney Australia for nearly three years during that time. We were called the '£10 Poms'.  It took us a whole month on a liner to get there.

We had to stick it out there for nearly three years in order to return for the £10 fare.  We could have returned sooner but we would have had to pay the full fare which we could not afford

Before we went, we lived in Craigmillar Castle Terrace.  When we eventually returned to Edinburgh, after failing to settle in Australia, we came back to Craigmillar Castle Avenue, with very little money and a trunk containing all our belongings."

Guiders

"When we lived in Craigmillar Castle Terrace, I spent a lot of my time with my school pals, James Rutherford, Steven McDonald and Charles McCourt, collecting wood and any kind of wheels to make guiders. (wooden carts on wheels)

With a bit of rope and our feet to steer it we would run across Craigmillar Castle Road to the far end of the Terrace and back again, taking turns to either push it, or sit on it and steer for hours after school."

Ice Cream Van

"Another game we used to play was to hold on to the back bumper of the ice cream van for as long as we could after it pulled away to go to its next call. (We did this for a dare.  The  idea was to see who would be the last person to let go of the van.)

One day I held on for too long as the van picked up speed. I got too scared to let go and held on.  It dragged me right across the main junction. I remember shouting but the driver could not hear me because of the chimes.

My shins and knee's were in one heck of a mess when the driver did stop, and I still have the scars to this day."

Sugarally Water

"Does anyone from Craigmillar remember Sugarally Water?

We could never afford to buy bottles of proper juice or lemonade.  Mum used to give us money to go down to the chemist for what I can only call thick pieces of what looked like licorice sticks.  We would snap them into bits and pop them into an empty juice bottle filled with water.

The bottle had to be kept in the dark, always under my bed, and the licorice would eventually dissolve into the water. The bottle needed to be vigorously shaken regularly to speed up the process. Lets just say that after a week the contents were very dark and flat and it had a taste of its own. But we made it week after week.

The bottle would then be left beside a goal post usually a jumper, and was always emptied during a long game of football.

Does anyone know exactly what was in the sticks we bought from the chemist to make the drink?"

Rag & Bonne Man

"I remember there used to be a rag and bone man.  He would come around collecting old clothes either sounding a horn, shouting or ringing a bell, to let people know he was in the area.

If you handed over one item of clothing such as a shirt he would give you a balloon. More clothes than that would mean something like a lucky bag or bigger bags of sweets.

One time, when he came to the street I grabbed a scarf from the hall (that was not to be given to him) and got the usual balloon. My mum went 'radge' at me and ran down the street after him, taking the balloon with her to get it back."

Fish & Chip Van

"I can also remember a mobile fish and chip van, regularly parking on the junction of Craigmillar Castle Terrace where it met Craigmillar Castle Road.

A mobile fish and chip van with all that hot fat sloshing about while it drove from one stop to another!  I doubt it would be allowed today."

Other Families

"Family's we remember from that time at Craigmillar are:

-  the McCartneys.

-  the Poultons.

-  the Rutherfords.

-  the Henrys.

-  the Brennans.

-  the Handrens.

We would love to find out how they are doing now, and if they remember us."

Jimmy Cunningham, Gracemount, Edinburgh:  August 26, 2009

Reply?

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

-  Peter Stubbs:  August 26, 2009

Recollections

9.

Jimmy Cunningham

Gracemount, Edinburgh

Thank you to Jimmy Cunningham who wrote:

Barber's Shop

"Does anyone remember a barber in the 1950s-60s, somewhere in Craigmillar or Niddrie, called Gaegi? His name was pronounced 'Gaygie', but I'm not sure of the spelling.  My brothers seem to think he might have been Hungarian or Polish, or at least East European.

My brothers and I would say when we went for a haircut:  'I'm am going for a Gaegi' or 'I'm going for a Gaegi Special'.  Still, today, when we meet each other, we will say: 'Where did you get the Gaegi?"

Jimmy Cunningham, Gracemount, Edinburgh:  September 28, 2009

Reply?

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

-  Peter Stubbs:  September 28, 2009

Recollections

10.

Davy Turner

Craigmillar, Edinburgh

Thank you to Davy Turner who replied to 9 above.

Davy Turner wrote:

Barber's Shop

'Tannery Gaygie'

"In reply to Jimmy Cunningham's query  regarding a barber called Gaygie, I remember him as being called Tannery Gaygie as he used to charge a tanner (sixpence)* for a bowl crop cut.

He never had a shop, as far as I am aware.  Some local kids used to go to his house in the Niddrie / Wauchope area, if i remember correctly.

I only went the once, thinking I was being clever as my dad had given me a shilling** to get my hair cut at the local barber.  I decided to get my hair cut at Tannery Gaygie's and pocket the  other tanner.

Big Mistake!  Needless to say, it was my first and last attempt at pulling the wool over my dad's eyes."

Davy Turner, Craigmillar, Edinburgh:  October 1, 2009

* Sixpence = 2.5 new pence = £0.025.          ** A shilling = 5 new pence = £0.05

Recollections

11.

Jimmy Cunningham

Gracemount, Edinburgh

Jimmy Cunningham replied to 10 above.

Jimmy wrote

Barber's Shop

"David Turner's comments about 'Tannery Gaygie' ring a bell.  I have heard my elder brothers use that expression.

I am also pretty sure that Gaygie could only do one style, and yes that was a bowl cut."

Jimmy Cunningham, Gracemount, Edinburgh:  September 28, 2009

Recollections

12.

Carol Lamond

Argyll, Scotland

Carol Lamond wrote

The Lamond Family

Granny

"My Granny Lamond and my father, Jimmy Lamond, lived at 10 Harewood Drive in the 1960s and 1970s, having moved there from Loanhead.

Neighbour

"Upstairs lived an elderly woman called Mrs Trotter, who used to sing  'And it's Oh that I'm longing for my ain folk'."

Father

"My father Jimmy (born 1931) was the youngest of a family of five with an older brother and three older sisters: Willy, Cathy, Ellen, Dorothy.  Dad was in the Merchant Navy and was also a coalman, amongst other work.

He has not told us much about our family, but I do remember him telling me that as a young boy he used to hide the shilling pieces down the windowsill when the gas meter was emptied and counted, to be retrieved later."

"Although I never knew my Grandad William, who died before I was born, I was always told that his policeman's hat remained on the door to scare would-be burglars.

The funny thing is I think he was a gardener and had served in the army in India, but had never been a policeman."

The Family

"Does anyone have any memories of my family?  I live in Argyll now, although as a child I lived in Magdalene Gardens, Edinburgh."

Carol Lamond, Argyll, Scotland:  October 6, 2009

Reply to Carol

If you'd like to send a reply to Carol, please email me, then I'll pas on her contact details to you.   Thank you.

Peter Stubbs:  October 6, 2009

Recollections

13.

Johnni MacKenzie-Anderson
(aka Johni Stanton)

Craigmillar, Edinburgh

Thank you to Johnni MacKenzie-Anderson who wrote:

The Mighty Block

"We would take the road from Craigmillar Crossroads, along Peffermill Road, turn left up Bridgend into Old Dalkeith Road, continue up to Edmonstone, then turn left along towards the road up to where the City Bypass is now.  We'd then turn left again, up the Wisp Road, continuing down to the Wisp Crossroads, then turn left along Niddrie Mains Road and back to Craigmillar Crossroads.

For a bunch of 10-year-olds who just built their first bikes from parts scavenged at the City Dump on Old Dalkeith Road, that was a good long trip round the 'block'!"

The Dump

"Getting to the dump was, in itself, an adventure.  You had to go through the 'Danger Woods', skirting the 80 ft drops along the cliff top, toward the woods next to the Inch area, while also trying to avoid being seen by farmer AND Dump workers, 'cos they chased you away!

Not that they ever succeeded, since all the kids in my street (Craigmillar Castle Terrace) had bikes that we built from those scavenged parts, from frames to wheels!"

Johnni MacKenzie-Anderson (aka Johnni Stanton): November 9, 2009

Recollections

14.

Jim Salkeld

Sighthill, Edinburgh

Here is another reply to the question in 10 above.  It comes from Jim Salkeld who wrote:

Barber's Shop

"I remember Gaegi, the barber at Niddrie, very well indeed.  His name was William Gay and he lived in Niddrie Mains Drive where it cut across the top and lower half of Wauchope Road.

I was born and brought-up at 4 Wauchope Road and lived in 12 Wauchope Road after I was married.

I lived in Niddrie for 37 years, then moved to the west side of Edinburgh in 1988.  I have many fond memories of Niddrie and Craigmillar.  It was a great place to live."

Jim Salkeld, Sighthill, Edinburgh:  March 7, 2010

Recollections

15.

Georgina Lynch

Murrayfield, Edinburgh

Thank you to Georgina Lynch who replied to Jimmy Cunningham's message in 8 above.

Georgina wrote:

Ice Cream Van and Chip Van

"It was great to hear of all these stories of Craigmillar and how there were visits by the rag and bone man, the ice cream van with the boys hanging off the end of them - great times for reminiscing.

I also remember the chip van and how it went on fire one day directly outside our house (10 Craigmillar Castle Terrace) and my dad going off to help douse the flames.  The smell lingered in the air for weeks afterwards."

Games

"Does anybody remember:

-  the peevers?

-  kerby?

-  concerts in the back greens?

-  pole swings?"

Georgina Lynch, Murrayfield, Edinburgh:  September 5, 2010

Recollections

16.

Tam Ford

Mid Calder, West Lothian, Scotland

Thank you to Thomas Ford who read Carol Lamond's Recollections 12 above and replied:

10 Harewood Drive

"Carol mentions a Mrs Trotter of 10 Harewood Drive.  That's my uncle's mum (Arthur Trotter).  He's 80 now.

I only know that he lived at No.10 because my dad, Tam Ford of Harewood Drive got the No.10 plate from  the stair when they were knocking it down.  He gave it to Arthur who now lives in Australia."

Tam Ford, Mid Calder, West Lothian, Scotland:  September 7, 2010

Recollections

17.

Wullie Jennings

Oxford, Oxfordshire, England

Thank you to Wullie Jennings who wrote

Neighbours

"I lived in Craigmillar Castle Terrace and Road from 1955 until 1975. It was a great place to have grown up in.  At least you knew your neighbour's then, unlike today."

Chip Van

"Georgina Lynch (15 above) is right about where the chip van caught fire.  When the van turned left into Craigmillar Castle Terrace the cooking fat, which was heating up as the chippie drove to his pitch, must have overspilled onto the engine.

I believe that it was, in fact, an old bus.  All that was left of it was the chassis.  This ended up down in Duddingston Road West, just past the little house, by the old railway line."

Ice Cream Van

"The ice cream man who used to do the rounds in Craigmillar was known as Rudy, but I believe that his correct name was Antonio Capavani (or something like that)."

Wullie Jennings, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England:  January 8, 2011

Recollections

18.

Mike Thomson

Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Thank you to Mike Thomson who wrote about the fireworks factory that used to be near Craigmillar Castle.  He hopes that others will remember this factory and be able to tell him more about it.

Mike wrote:

Fireworks Factory

Research

"I'm from Aberdeen, but  I studied in Edinburgh during the 1960s and ever since then Edinburgh has been a 'home from home'.

For some time I've been researching a subject that's been touched on by one or two of your contributors in their recollections of the Craigmillar area - the fireworks factory that was at one time situated in one of the old quarries by Craigmillar Castle.

I was able to gather enough material to write a fairly sketchy article for a magazine called 'Fireworks' a few years ago, but I have a long way to go yet. 
Yes, there's a magazine for firework professionals and nostalgia-wallowers alike!

1950s to 1970s

"Under Hammond's youngest daughter, Violet Thomson, shop fireworks were apparently being made in the 1950s and the firm remained active until at least the early 1960s, but how active, and making what, is not clear.

Violet apparently went on working until well after what we would consider retirement age; she did finally give up some time in the 1960s and died in 1970, but I have never been able to find out when the factory closed.  The company's name appears in the Edinburgh Directory up to 1973, but by that time it was long gone.

When I lived in Edinburgh in the late-1960s, I never heard Hammonds fireworks mentioned, and nobody I have spoken to since in Edinburgh has any recollection of them.  In the 1950s and maybe even in the 1960s some were made for export under the name Victory Fireworks, but whether these were also sold here under that name no-one seems to know."

Directories

"Interestingly, in the Edinburgh Directory from 1954 onwards the company is no longer described as firework manufacturers, and I wonder whether this is a clue.  In the face of huge competition from the major manufacturers and their very aggressive marketing tactics, smaller firms were badly squeezed and some disappeared or were taken over."

Questions

"Could it be that Hammonds decided to go over to export work and perhaps other lines of non-firework pyrotechnics, putting the local sale of Hammond shop fireworks much further back in the past?  It's only a conjecture.  Is the answer out there?

Might any Edinphoto contributors remember Hammond fireworks, or be able to shed and light at at all on this rather obscure corner of the city's history?"

Danger Woods

"The Edinphoto recollections of 'Danger Woods' are interesting.  It was dangerous, all right.  Apparently the little sheds that made up the closed firework factory were left full of chemicals, some highly hazardous, and these were disposed of underground when the the site was cleared for a rubbish dump in 1970."

Explosion

"Years later, in 1982, the whole lot went up in an almighty explosion which is thought to have been caused by the formation of hydrogen which eventually ignited.  No doubt those who were resident in Craigmillar at that time will remember it well.  Certainly, it can't be said that Hammond's didn't go out with a bang!"

Mike Thomson, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland:  January 27, 2011

Reply to Mike?

If you remember anything about the fireworks factory, please email me, then I'll pass on your message to Mike.    Thank you.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:  February 4, 2011

Recollections

18.

Reply 1.

Johnni MacKenzie-Anderson
(aka Johni Stanton)

Craigmillar Archives Trust, Edinburgh

Thank you to Johnni who wrote:

Research

"I did some research into the fireworks factory last September.  It was my playground in the 1960.  I'll be happy to share my memories of it later.

-  I found two Hammond adverts on this page on the Fireworks Ads web site. 

-  I found an article about the 1982 explosion in the New Scientist."

-  I'm in the process of procuring some photos of the factory workers in the 1890s.

-  I'll be happy to share my memories of the factory once I've attended to the needs of the Craigmillar Archive Trust."

Johnni MacKenzie-Anderson (aka Johnni Stanton), Craigmillar Archives Trust
February 4+5, 2011

Recollections

18.

Reply 2.

Johnni MacKenzie-Anderson
(aka Johni Stanton)

Craigmillar Archives Trust, Edinburgh

Thank you to Johnni who added:

Danger Woods

"I played in the Danger Woods a lot, like  -  a real lot!  -  and can tell you that the factory ceased production around 1950 and was mostly dismantled then.

The huts in the woods were used mainly for storage for many years after 1950.  From the mid-1950s onwards, they were constantly broken into by some local youths for bonfire fireworks.

They didn't get their hand on actual fireworks, only the gunpowder cubes (hundreds of them) which did all sorts of colourful fireworkey things.

My wee brother, Martin, who was around eight at the time, did manage to find a Verey pistol and some bullets.  That caused a stir in our street, before we all fled at the first sight of a cop on the horizon!

The huts were bulldozed and the collected remnants of gunpowder transported a short distance to the local dump.  One of our Archives researchers, Andy Wanstell,  was a policeman at the time and he remembers the explosion since he was one of the first on the scene!   I've got him doing some work on it."

Johnni MacKenzie-Anderson (aka Johnni Stanton), Craigmillar Archives Trust
February 4, 2011

Recollections

18.

Reply 3.

Mike Thomson

Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Thank you to Mike who replied:

Early-1950s

"Thank you to Johnni Stanton for coming back so quickly.  It certainly settles the question of what happened to Hammonds and why the trail goes cold after the early 1950s.  I knew that the company had got going again after the second world war.  For a time, they made jumping crackers for another firm in exchange for some other type of firework but that ended about 1951 when, it is said, they 'got into difficulties'."

Even if Hammonds made it into 1951, that must have been their last season.  No wonder the Edinburgh Directory doesn't carry any entry for firework manufacturers after 1953.

 Interestingly, the site is shown as an 'explosives factory' near the top-left corner of this 1955 Bartholomew map:

 ©

 It's rather amazing that the authorities should have allowed those sheds, full of what were pretty hazardous chemicals, to just sit around like that - and for years and years too.  I don't, somehow, think they'd allow it now!"

World War II

"Hammonds was a very small firm and, very likely, it would not have been able to compete with the major manufacturers.  We have no idea what, if anything, they produced during the war.

Firework manufacturers had to store any finished stock for the duration.  Some concerns would have been on 'war work'; others would have had to suspend operations.  If this was the case with Hammonds, maybe they never were able to build up a market again.  Even if they had, they would have come up against such a deluge of restrictions and safety regulations that it seems difficult to see how they could have survived."

Mike Thomson, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland: February 5, 2011

Recollections

18.

Reply 4.

Ian Hammond Brown

Thank you to Ian who replied:

Family

"I read with interest the comments above about the Hammond fireworks factory. I grew up with tales of this factory from my Grandmother Rebecca Hay (née. Hammond) who was related to the family. I believe Thomas was her uncle.

My Gran used to tell me about:

- my great uncle, one of Thomas' other brothers who apparently blew his arm off in an explosion, while he was experimenting with a new idea for a firework, when the business was based at Powderhall in Edinburgh.

-  how, when she was young, she would be treated to fabulous fireworks displays on bonfire night made for the family. 

When I was younger I also remember being shown photos of the factory and workers and my Gran showing me a small handwritten notebook that contained 'recipes' for fireworks. Unfortunately, after she died in 1991, aged 89, I don't know what happened to the book or photos"

Any More Information?

"I would be interested to discover more about the history of the family business."

Ian Hammond Brown, Composer, Lyricist:  May 15, 2011

Recollections

18.

Reply 5.

David Thomson

Thank you to David Thomson who replied:

"It's nice to hear of the interest in Craigmillar."

Flares

"It is my belief that near the end, Hammond's Firework Factory produced flares for the RNLI."

Explosion

"When the factory closed the contents were dumped in one of the quarries and in the 1980s, there was a problem with internal combustion which caused an explosion."

David Thomson, Broughton, Edinburgh  October 4, 2011

Recollections

18.

Reply 6.

Mike Thomson

Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Thank you to Mike Thomson for writing again.

Mike wrote:

Hammond's Fireworks

Hammond's at Craigmillar

"I've just been catching up with the latest contributions from Ian Hammond Brown and David Thomson on the Hammonds firework business at Craigmillar.  These are most interesting. 

Hammond's at Powderhall

"The location of Thomas Hammond's factory at Powderhall appears to have been a piece of ground between what was to become Powderhall Stadium and the Water of Leith.  It can be seen on old maps and it seems to approximate, since the area's redevelopment for housing, to the area bounded by Powderhall Road, Powderhall Brae and Powderhall Rigg.

I don't suppose disastrous industrial accidents were exactly uncommon in the 1870s, but given that Thomas Hammond's activities had just about blown up half the Canongate the last time things went wrong, one might wonder whether the loss of a limb by a member of his family in a further accident might have kept the city authorities in mind of the dangerous nature of his business and directly or indirectly resulted in his move to Craigmillar."

Pyrotechnics

"David Thomson's observation seems to confirm that Hammond's carried on their traditional lines of pyrotechnic business outwith the making of shop fireworks.  It also seems to tie in very neatly with Johnni Stanton's recollection of the finding of a Very pistol in the defunct works."

Advertisements

"Hammond's are known to have advertised their own brand of Victory Fireworks in places like The Scout magazine and the Games and Toys Yearbook up to 1952 - perhaps 1953.  After that there is no further mention of their own product and it looks as if that was the point when the making of their own shop product ceased.  Yet the company was not wound up.

It continued with Yearbook entries under 'amorces', 'fireworks' and 'indoor fireworks and sparklers' until 1970 when Violet Thomson died."

Signal Rockets

"The Edinburgh Directory has no mention of Hammonds as firework manufacturers after 1953, but a general entry for them continues in the alphabetical section.  So they were still selling something, and members of the Hammond family recollect having had fun with ships' signal rockets during the 1950s and 1960s.

It seems that Violet Thomson continued as a dealer in pyrotechnics of one kind or another, even if only in a small way, more or less to the end of her life"

'Fireworks Magazine'

"I am writing this up for 'Fireworks' magazine, and I hope that the information given by the New Scientist's account of the explosion of the dump of ex-Hammonds chemicals might enable the experts who read it to tell us more about what the factory was producing latterly.

It is already clear that many of the chemicals involved were used to make pyrotechnic colours, which would certainly bear out the idea of flares."

Mike Thomson, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland: November 28, 2011

Recollections

18.

Reply 7.

Davy Turner

Craigmillar, Edinburgh

Thank you to Davy Turner for writing again.

Davy wrote:

Hammond's Fireworks

The Fields and Huts

"I remember playing in the Hammond Firework Factory fields in the mid-1960s with my pals:

-   Mathew (Matty) McCabe

-  Roddy Bannon and

-  Davy Delamar.

The huts were ramshackle and easy to gain access to."

Firework

"On one occasion, we were rummaging round the back of one of the huts when we found a large ball-shaped firework along with some cubes of gunpowder.

We we took them across to the quarry on Craigmillar Castle Road to set them off.  Mathew put a match to the fuse on the ball shaped firework but it did not go off, and after a few minutes he decided he was going to give it a kick.

Just as he stood up to move towards it it blew up with the biggest explosion i had ever heard in my life.  It sent a cloud of thick black smoke mushrooming high into the air - a terrifying experience"

Davy Turner, Craigmillar, Edinburgh:  May 31, 2012

Recollections

18.

Reply 8.

Jill Strobridge

Liberton, Edinburgh

Thank you to Jill Strobridge who wrote:

Fireworks Factory

R.I.P. Stone

"Recently someone from Bridgend, Liberton found a stone carved 'R.I.P.' beside a ruined building in the woods near Craigmillar Castle.  They reported it to the Greater Liberton Heritage Project group, so we went to have a look at it.

I think the ruined building is part of the fireworks factory complex (probably the magazine) but the 'R.I.P.' stone is a mystery.  It might be a woodland burial, but we also wondered if, perhaps, someone carved it as a memento to the factory itself.

Several people (above) still remember the Fireworks Factory.  I wonder if anybody might:

1)  have some further information about this stone  AND / OR

2)  be able to confirm what the ruined building is."

Jill Strobridge, Liberton, Edinburgh:  August 9, 2014

Reply to Jill?

If you have any views or information about the 'R.I.P.' stone or the ruined building mentioned above, and would like to send a message about it to Jill, please email me to let me know, then I'll pass on Jill's email address too you.

        Thank you

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:  August 9, 2014

Recollections

18.

Reply 9.

Jill Strobridge

Liberton, Edinburgh

Thank you to Jill Strobridge for sending me further information about the 'R.I.P.' stone found beside what may well have been the old fireworks factory at Craigmillar.

Below is a note that Jill has prepared for the Greater Liberton Heritage Project web site.  However, she is waiting to see if she gets any response her Replies 8 + 9 here before site before adding her note to the Greater Liberton Heritage Project site.

Craigmillar Fireworks Factory

 and an inscribed stone found in
 Quarry Wood, Craigmillar Castle

The Carved Stone

"A stone measuring 60cms x 30cms x 20cms deep set directly on the ground surface has been reported to the Greater Liberton Heritage Project.  It was found at the NE point of the Quarry Wood at Craigmillar Castle

Grid ref:  NT 28587 70857 (N55°55.528’  W003°08.664’).

Photo 1.

RIP stone found in Quarry Wood, Craigmillar

©  Jill Strobridge, Liberton, Edinburgh

"The stone has been carefully worked and may have originally formed a lintel to a nearby structure or could have been brought from Craigmillar castle. All the faces have been smoothed and on the N facing side there is a raised chamfered panel 25cm x 45cm.  There is no inscription on this panel but on the uppermost surface of the stone the letters RIP have been professionally carved, centrally positioned 10cm from the top edge and 20cm from each of the side edges.

The inscription measures about 9cm in total – with each letter about 3cm high and 2cm wide.   Its date is unknown and although it might mark the site of a woodland cremation burial there is no known record of anything of this sort having occurred.    It lies about 3.5m SE from the entrance of a small ruined stone building that is probably the remains of the powder magazine, part of the Fireworks Factory sited in this area from the 1880s until its demolition by the army in 1970."

The Ruined Building

©  Jill Strobridge, Liberton, Edinburgh

Photo 2.

S and W wall faces

©  Jill Strobridge, Liberton, Edinburgh

Photo 3.

 RIP stone in foreground

©  Jill Strobridge, Liberton, Edinburgh

Photo 4.

S and E faces

©  Jill Strobridge, Liberton, Edinburgh

Photo 5.

From the Rear

"The ruined building alongside the RIP stone is a small stone built structure comprising a single square room about 3.00m x 2.50m internally with walls 0.40m thick.  The walls are built of mortared rubble, mostly thin slabs of pink sandstone interspersed with large square shaped blocks.   The entrance, set in the SE corner at the junction of the S and E walls, measures 1.10m wide and a slab of wood set into the lower course of the wall alongside the entrance may have supported a door.

The building still stands about 15 courses high (1.5m at the front and 1.35m high at the back) but is being steadily demolished by vandalism.   There are no signs of any windows although originally there might have been openings higher in the wall of which no evidence remains now.   The rear of the structure appears to be buttressed against a spur of bedrock about 1.60m wide that supports the middle of the back wall however the bedrock has been quarried away on either side to leave two cells at the rear of the structure.  The cell on the W side of the bedrock buttress measures 1.50m square and the one to the E is approx 0.50 x 1.50m.  These might have been storage rooms or simply the gap between the structure and the vertical bedrock face.

An earth and stone bank about 0.30m high and about 0.60m wide on the S side of the structure lies 1.50m away from the face of the S wall and appears to be in situ.  It extends the full length of the structure with a curve at the W end suggesting it originally turned N to parallel the line of the W wall but all further trace of it has vanished below soil collapse.  

Its E end is intersected by a tree which makes it difficult to say how much further it extended but a narrow line of stones and the slope of the land suggests it turned N similar to the W side and ran parallel to the E wall of the structure."

The Map

"The gap on the E side between the wall and surrounding bank is also about 1.50m so this bank probably represents the outer enclosure wall depicted on the OS '25 inch'. 1893/95 map.*

This Ordnance Survey map* shows a 'Magazine' depicted as a square enclosure with a central building at approx NT 286 708.   At this date the building is still roofed.

"It is very likely that this small square building with its surrounding enclosure is the Powder Magazine shown on this OS '25 inch' map.* "

Jill Strobridge, Liberton, Edinburgh:  August 11, 2014

Reply to Jill?

If you have any views or information about the 'R.I.P.' stone or the ruined building mentioned above, and would like to send a message about it to Jill, please email me to let me know, then I'll pass on Jill's email address too you.

        Thank you

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:  August 13, 2014

Recollections

19.

Elliot Laing

Broxburn, West Lothian, Scotland

Thank you to Elliot Laing who replied:

The Tablet Man

"Does anyone remember the 'tablet man' coming round.  This was my dad.  He used to sell tablet, toffee doddles, toffee apples etc. He went around Craigmillar and Niddrie in his small van selling his tablet between about 1956 and 1960.

He then stopped, and started again with a small ice cream van from which he also sold his tablet and sweets in the 1960s.

I seem to remember he had a huge following. His name is Peter O'Malley.  He is now 85 and in frail health but it would be great to let him read any memories people may have of that time as he made all the sweeties by himself."

Gala Queen

"My aunty, Nessie Robertson was five years older than me.  She was the Gala Queen at Niddrie probably around 1955/56.  Mrs Sommerville (who owned the sweet shop, I think) crowned her.

I remember how we all looked forward to our bags with scotch pies and buns on gala day.  Simple pleasures back then, eh."

Up the Woods

"I also remember going 'up the woods' to play.  This was, of course the Wauchope estate.  We used to think a witch lived in the big house.

Whoever lived there must have been sick of us kids shouting 'Auld granny witchy; yer bums awfy itchy'."

District Nurse

"Does  anyone remember the district nurse in the 1950s, called nurse Elsie Easton?  She knew the name of every kid in Niddries.  How she managed it, I will never know. She was a true gem.  All us kids loved her."

Elliot Laing, Broxburn, West Lothian, Scotland:  March 18, 2011

Recollections

19.

Reply 1.

Helen Quilietti Stanton

Abbeyhill, Edinburgh

Thank you to Helen Quilietti Stanton, Abbeyhill, Edinburgh, who replied to Elliot Laing's comments about 'The Tablet Man' above.

Helen wrote:

The Tablet Man

"Peter O'Malley, the tablet man, used to come round with his van.  I remember him well.  He and my dad were great pals.  My dad was Joe Quilietti.

Could you send on my regards please? It is great to know that Peter is still well"

Helen Quilietti Stanton, Abbeyhill, Edinburgh:  June 14, 2012

Recollections

20.

Alec Gallacher

Leith, Edinburgh

Thank you to Alec Gallacher  who wrote

The 1960s

Shows

"I remember Mr Beaumont.  He would entertain us with shows like The Sandy Club with competitions between Craigmillar and Peffermill Primary schools.  He was a good man.  He cared for the kids and would give sweets to the winner.

The Street

"I remember the coal man in the street who would shout 'Coal', and the rag and bone man who would shout 'Any Old Rags?'   The rags were on us."

Alec Gallacher, Leith, Edinburgh, November 22, 2011

Recollections

21.

Andrew Dorward

Broxburn, West Lothian

Thank you to Andrew Dorward  who wrote

28th Company

Boys' Brigade

Meetings

"I was a lad in the 28th Company Boys Brigade from 1959 to 1962. They met at Richmond Craigmillar Church.

At that time there were about 100 boys in the company section, doing a variety of classes every night of the week, including:

-   first aid.

-  morse code.

-  citizenship.

-  drill.

-  PT.

Pals

"Jackie Leitch was the Captain at that time. My pals were Alex Gunn (Gunney) and George Smith.

Who remembers these good times?

Andrew Dorward, Broxburn, West Lothian: October 24, 2012

Comment

22.

Andy Wanstall

Swanston, Edinburgh

After reading Andrew Dorward's comments in Recollections 21 above, Andy Wanstall sent me this photo of he Boys' Brigade football team, taken around 1960. 

Please click on the thumbnail image below to enlarge it.

28th Edinburgh BB Co. Team

Around 1960

©

Commenting on this photo, Andy wrote:

Scienne

Football Team

Boys' Brigade Team

"Here is a photo of Boys' Brigade 28th Edinburgh Company football team."

Andrew Dorward

"Andrew Dorward (who recently contributed to the Craigmillar Recollections page on the EdinPhoto web site) is one of the players in this team.  He is kneeling in the front row on the extreme right."

Cairntow Park

"This photo was taken at Cairntow Park, Craigmillar, around 1960."

Jackie Leitch

"Jackie Leitch, captain of this team built up a formidable size company, encouraging and passing hundreds of local youths through his ranks.

It's good to hear from Andrew again.   I hope he still polishes-up the Cross Country Gold Medal that he won for the Edinburgh Battalion at Aberdeen. He should have had a Post-Box painted gold for that achievement !!"

Andy Wanstall, Swanston, Edinburgh:  January 18, 2013

Recollections

23.

Mandy Fahey (née Jennings)

Canada

Thank you to Mandy Fahey who wrote:

My Family

"I lived at 27 Wauchope Road, Craigmillar from 1960 to 1968.
    -  My paternal grandparents lived at 30 Niddrie Mains Terrace.
    -  My maternal grandparents lived at 8 Harewood Crescent.

I attended Craigmillar Primary School from 1964."

Christmas Eve

"I remember that on every Christmas Eve, there was a person dressed up as Santa on a cart.  He would go around the streets ringing a bell and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas."

Summer Days

"We would spend many a summer day walking along the Figgy Burn to Portobello, and playing 'hide and seek' on the Hearts' football field.

Mandy Fahey (née Jennings), Canada:  September 7, 2013

Mandy:

Question

Football Field

Can you tell me which football field it is that you refer to as Hearts' football field?   Was it one of the fields in or near Craigmillar, rather than Heart of Midlothians' ground at Tynecastle?

Thank you.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:  September 18, 2013

Update

Please see Mandy's reply in Recollections 24 below

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:  September 19, 2013

Recollections

24.

Mandy Fahey (née Jennings)

Canada

Thank you to Mandy for sending a quick reply to the question that I asked at the end of Recollections 23 above.

Mandy wrote:

Hearts' Football Field

"The Hearts football field was at the bottom end of Harewood Crescent and on Harewood Road. The Hearts club was built in the mid to late 60's. The railway line was next to it."

Mandy Fahey (née Jennings), Canada:  September 7, 2013

Recollections

25.

Patrick McQueenie

('Gadgie)

Edinburgh

Thank you to Pat McQueenie who wrote:

Home

"I stayed at 23 Craigmillar Castle Avenue from the age of 4 until I was 24, then I moved to Greendykes"

Tam Cunningham

"Tam Cunningham is still one of my best mates, even though we don't see a lot of each other.  We grew up together, boy and man and played fitba for Sandy's.

I gave him his nickname, Toto, after a Radge Drummer in a Edinburgh Band, and I still call him Toto or Tote.

Jimmy must have been the youngest and only a Bairn in the family when they went to Oz.  He was about 14 then.  I was sad to see him go and happy when he came home.

Pat McQueenie ('Gadgie'), Edinburgh:  September 19, 2013

In a message to Jimmy Cunningham (another contributor to the EdinPhoto web site and the brother of Tam Cunningham), Pat wrote:

Ask Tam

 "Ask Tam about:

-  Pat.

-  Dougie aka the wee man.

-  Gerry.

-  Phil.

-  the late Gogs and Freddie, sadly missed.

-  Jake Bainey.

-  The Doc.

-  Paddy and Tam Hainey.

-  Dougie Hill.

-  Brennan.

-  Nods Davis.

-  Bimbo,

We were 'The Team fi the Scheme, YNT ya Bass'. 

- Sadly, some are gone and Toto had a sad loss recently.

-  I give Jimmy my best.  I don't know the laddie but his big Bro is ma mate.

-  Also John and Davie, good lads the both o' them.

Craigmillar was tough and hard but the people were the salt o the earth see you Man ma Pinkies in the air Terror.

Pat McQueenie ('Gadgie'), Edinburgh:  September 19, 2013

Recollections

26.

Patrick McQueenie

('Gadgie)

Edinburgh

Two days after sending his Recollections 25 above, Pat wrote again with many more memories of Craigmillar, and mentioning lots of names that others may remember.

Pat wrote:

1950s to 1970s

Memories

"It's funny to see all these posts on yer site:

-  Gaigie, the world famous barber.

-  The Gaff, owned by Harry Polo who had a shoap on the coarner where the auld Polis Station was.   Me and a few of the boys were guests there on more than one occasion.

 -  Ma pub the Whitehouse.  What a battle cruiser it was in it's day.

'A Load o' Brilliant Guys'

"I was fortunate enough to live and grow up in Craigmillar and Misery Mains during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.  I had a  great time and met a load o' brilliant guys who are still ma mates to this day:

-  Jake Williams.

-  Toto (aka Tam Cunningham).

-  the wee man, radge as a brush (aka Dougie Paterson).

-  Bainey (aka Davie Bain).

-  Rab Aien - been in Oz for 37 years, but still keeps in touch.

- The Dray boys, Freddie, Gogs, Gerry and Phil.  Sadly, we've  lost Fred and Gogs but they are fondly remembered.

-  The Doc (John Donoghue).

- Norrie Davis.  Norrie does great work for the Community and is a great guy.

-  Boycey (aka Alan Boyce.)

-  Nuts, (John Bimbo Dailly, hard laddie.)

-  Watty (Toots Linton, tough as leather.)

-  Paddy and Tam Hainey.

-  Eddie Gunn, sadly missed.

-  P J Hendry, sadly missed.

-  Ricky Reilly, sadly missed.

-  Charlie Cain.

-  Georgie Brennan.

-   Billy Ford.

-   Ally Broon.

-   Gordon Conquer, a real barber.

-   Big Jack (aka Kenny Munro, sadly missed.)

-   Mick and Tam Ford.

-   Burksie (aka Michael Burkes, whoat a guy!)

-  Tam and Dennis Ferguson, mental, the two o' them.

-  Davy Fraser, nae fear in him.

-  Norrie Ross.

-  Tam Gilchrist.

-  Terry Irvine, sadly gone.

'Older Guys'

"The following guys were a bit aulder than me but deserve a mention:

-  Waldo Watson, a complete Gentleman, hard as nails.

-  Harkie  (Pano Hawkes, sadly gone but fondly remembered).

-  Lummie  (Les Lumsden).

-  Davie  (Zeke Bolton).

-  Big Billy Macewan

-  Big Jammy Gunn.

-  Hammie  (Davie Hamilton, sadly gone).

-  Alex Cameron.

-  I could go on and on ...

-  Schools + Football

"I and a few o' the guys mentioned went to Peffy or St Francis, then the Marischal and Tony's,  I played fitba' for Peffy and the Marischal. then Niddrie Dynamo and Sandy's.

Aw the guys mentioned in the following fitba' team were and are still mates:

-  Charlie Stuart

-  Ricky Ross

-  Cy Reilly

-  Toto

-  Steve Mcluskey

-  Masel

-  Charlie Cain

-  Charlie Philps

-  Tam Hainey

-  The Wee Man

-  Paddy Hainey

and our Manager, the Late Great Charlie Gilligan, sadly missed.

This Team won quite a lot, but like My Beloved Famous Edinburgh Hibernian, no' as much as we should have.

'The Provie Man'

"I bet a lot o yer posters remember hiding behind the chairs and couch when the Provie Man came rapping at the door.  Jimmy Scholar, if you answered the door yer Ma went Parkers Menage and you got a right good slapping.

I loved Craigmillar as it was, but they have ripped the heart and soul oot o' it, .  It's no' the same now.

Pat McQueenie ('Gadgie'), Edinburgh:  September 21, 2013

Thank You, Pat

Thanks for all your comments, Pat.  What a memory you have for names!

Can you tell me what 'posters' were?  You refer to them in 'The Provie Man' paragraph above.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:  September 23, 2013

Reply from Pat

Thank you to Pat (and also to Bob Henderson) for replying today, telling me what was meant by 'posters' above,  i.e. people who view the EdinPhoto web site and post messages on on it.

That's obvious, now I read the answer.  I should have thought of that myself!

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:  September 24, 2013

Recollections

27

Claire Culley
(née Williams)

North Island, New Zealand

Thank you to Claire Culley who wrote:

Move to Craigmillar

"I am an ex-Craigmillar resident and lived at 3,Craigmillar Castle Avenue. 

I moved to Craigmillar in 1955 as our family was expanding.  At the time my mum and dad had 3 kids and our living space was a bit tight.  We had been living in Hill Square, in what would have been called a 'penny tenement'.  It was a 'single end' consisting of a single room with a sink and a fireplace."

Craigmillar Castle and Woods

"Our house was directly across from the castle and the woods.  Our childhood was spent in the woods making Tarzans and scaling the walls of Craigmillar Castle.

We had great fun getting into the castle without the ticket collector seeing us. 

Fireworks Factory and Quarry

You wanted some info on the fireworks factory

In the 1960s the firework factory, as I remember, was not used. All that remained were little brick huts.  There were doors on them but they were always locked.

There was also a quarry on the left of Castle Brae.  It froze in the winter and we would slide on it. 

Neighbours

Our neighbours then were:

-   Browns (two families)

-  Williamsons,

-  Mclachlans

-  Scotts

Tam Ford lived around the corner.  If that's the same person as wrote Recollections 16 above, he had a brother Michael and sisters Madge, Maureen and Nancy.

'Auld Ned'

My father was well known as 'Auld Ned' because he had a rifle for shooting rabbits and the kids were scared of him. Those were the days!

Snow

If we had a good fall of snow we would meet in the backgreen and build a wall from Oxo tins and all the kids would make snowballs and try to knock down the walls.

Ice Cream Man

There was another ice cream man as well as Rudy.  He was named 'Arcari'.  They used to have a race around the streets as the earlier one usually got the sales - but, Rudy also sold a selection of chocolate bars so if you had more money to spend you would wait for him."

Greengrocer and Pig Man

TI also remember:

-  a greengrocer, Eddie Flynn, who came round in a van

-  a pig man who came round looking for slops.  This and this would have been an early form of recycling as he took away veg scraps and tea leaves etc.

Our Family

We were the Williams family.  There was seven kids in the family:

-  Marion

-  me [Claire]

-  Jake

-  Chris

-  Wilma

-  Victor   and

-  Audrey.

Leaving Craigmillar

None of us live in Craigmillar now and I have moved the furthest away.  In 1979 I met a kiwi lad in Edinburgh and moved to New Zealand in 1980.  I'm still living there now.

I was also very good friends with the Jennings family:

-  Wullie (who wrote Recollections 17 above)

-  Margaret

-  Liz

-  Rebecca

-  Francis   and

-  Andrew.

Claire Culley (née Williams), North Island, New Zealand:  November 13+17, 2013

Recollections

28

Yanawen McMahon

Canberra, ACT, Australia

Yanawen McMahon wrote, telling me that she would like to learn more about her father and, if possible, discover where he is living now.

Yanawen wrote:

Questions

Patrick Thomas McMahon

Life in
Niddrie, Edinburgh

"My father, Patrick Thomas McMahon, was born in Edinburgh, and grew up in Niddrie with his 5 or 6 brothers and sisters, including:

-  brothers, Dennis and Michael.

-  sister, Winifred.

My father is still a bit of a mystery to me.  I'd like to learn more about his life in Edinburgh, but he never spoke of it to me, and I've not now been in contact with him for over ten years.

Does anybody  remember anything about him that they can tell me?"

Life in
Australia

"My father left Edinburgh in his 20s, around the 1960s, and emigrated to Australia, making a new life for himself there.  He would now be in his 70s and, I expect, still living somewhere in Australia.

Does anybody know where he is living now?"

Yanawen McMahon, Canberra, Australia,:  April 7 + 14, 2014

Reply to Yanawen

If you think you might be able to answers the questions that Yanawen asks, please email me, then I'll pass on her email address to you.  Thank you.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:  April 17, 2014

Recollections

29

Yanawen McMahon

Canberra, ACT, Australia

I was pleased  to receive another email from Yanawen today, following up his message above.

Today, Yanawen wrote:

Success!

My Family

"In April 2014,  you posted my query in Recollections 28 above.

In January of 2016, I had contact from a cousin in Perth, Australia, saying he came across my post.   I wanted to let you know that the posting was successful."

Yanawen McMahon, Canberra, Australia,:  May 26. 2016

Recollections

31.

Claire Culley aka Williams

Craigmillar, Edinburgh

Thank you to Jill Strobridge who wrote:

Craigmillar

The Castle

"I moved to Craigmillar in 1955 as our family was expanding.   At the time my mum and dad had 3 kids and  we had been living in a single end in Hill Square, Edinburgh.  We moved to 3, Craigmillar Castle Avenue.

Our house looked directly across from  Craigmillar Castle and the woods. Our childhood was spent in the woods making Tarzans and scaling the walls of the castle. We had great fun getting into the castle without the ticket collector seeing us."

Fireworks Factory and Quarry

"In the 1960s the firework factory, as I remember, was not used. All that remained were little brick huts that had doors on them but were always locked."

There was also a quarry on the left of Castle Brae.  It froze in the winter and we would slide on it.

Our neighbours then were:

-  Browns (2 families),

-  Williamsons,

-  Mclachlans,

-  Scotts."

Neighbours

"Tam Ford mentions in Recollections 16 above that he lived at 10 Harewood Drive lived around the corner from us.  If that's the same Tam Ford as I remember, he had a brother Michael and sisters Madge, Maureen and Nancy."

'Auld Ned'

"My father was well known as 'Auld Ned' because he had a rifle for shooting rabbits and the kids were scared of him. Those were the days!"

Snow

"If we had a good fall of snow we would meet in the backgreen and build a wall from Oxo tins, and all the kids would make snowballs and try to knock down the wall."

Ice Cream Men

There were two ice cream men  -  Rudy and Arcari.  They used to have a race around the streets as the earlier one got the sales.

Rudy also sold a selection of chocolate bars so if you had more money to spend you would wait for him."

Other Street Traders

"There was also a greengrocer, Eddie Flynn, who  came round in a van.

I also remember a 'pig man' who came round looking for slops.  This would have been an early form of recycling as he took away veg scraps and tea leaves, etc."

Our Family

There was seven kids in our family.  They were:

-   Marion,

-  me,

-  Claire,

-   Jake

-  Chris,

-  Wilma,

-  Victor

-  Audrey.

None of us live in Craigmillar now.  I have moved the furthest away.

In 1979 I met a Kiwi lad in Edinburgh.  I moved to New Zealand in 1980 and am stlll there.

I was also very good friends with another contributor to this page[ Wullie Jennings].Not him but his sisters Margaret,Liz and Rebecca and his younger sister Francis and brother Andrew.Our family were the Williams.Claire Culley aka Williams"

Claire Culley, Craigmillar, Edinburgh:  17 November 2013

©

Notes and Maps showing areas
of Craigmillar and Niddrie

Recollections

Craigmillar 1940s + 1950s       Craigmillar 1960s + 1970s        Craigmillar 1970s + 1980s

Craigmillar Castle        Craigmillar Castle Estate        Niddrie      Edinburgh

Photos

Niddrie and Craigmillar Photos       Edinburgh Photos