Edinburgh History

Recollections

Betty McGill (nee Harvey)

Edinburgh

Thank you to Betty for leaving a message in the gust book.

Betty wrote:

Queuing for Teabread

"I was brought up in Hutchison Road.

Does anyone remember queuing at McVities in Dalry in the dark early mornings for auld teabread, as my dear sister and I did with our pillow slips to put the bread and buns in.

These were hard times but as children we never noticed it. I am now 76yrs young !!!!! and am enjoying reading all the happenings of days gone by but not forgotten."

Betty McGill (nee Harvey), Edinburgh: December 26, 2007

Recollections

John Clark

Ontario, Canada

Thank you to John Clark who wrote:

Old Radio

"I was fascinated with Frank Ferri's account of the old radio days.

I remember also that heavy accumulator I had to carry back to the shop and have it exchanged for one that had been charging.

Our shop was at the junction between Dundee Terrace and the approach to Ardmillan Terrace. I forget the name.

We had to change the big Ever Ready, battery probably about once a year too."

Radio Programmes

"The radio programmes were great:

- Mrs Dales Diary

- Dick Barton

- ITMA

- Family Favourites

- Saturday Night Variety Show featuring, among others, 'Tosh the Spiv'.

I can remember so many more, but my poor old head just cannot bring up the names. I'm almost in tears right now just reminiscing about these great, great old days."

Reminiscences

"Thank you, all of you contributors for making my life so much happier through reminiscences."

John Clark, Ontario, Canada: May 8, 2008

Recollections

Bob Henderson

Burdiehouse, Edinburgh

Thank you to Bob Henderson who wrote:

Radio Programmes

"Here are a few more radio programmes to jog John Clark's memory

- Ray's A Laugh

- Take It From Here

- Workers' Playtime

and my all-time favourite:

- Valentine Dyall as 'The Man in Black' billed as 'Your Favourite Story Teller'.

He told mainly creepy stories like 'The Monkey's Paw', etc."

Bob Henderson, Burdiehouse, Edinburgh: May 20, 2008

Recollections

Harry Woods

Pembroke, South Wales

Thank you to Harry Woods for leaving a message in the EdinPhoto guest book.

Harry left Edinburgh in 1965 to live in South Wales, but still has good memories of his youth in Edinburgh during the war years when he lived in Whitson Road. Harry attended Balgreen School throughout the war years.

Harry wrote:

Whitson Road

"I just spent an hour reading comments re Betty Harvey.

I used to go for bread with my brother and mates from Whitson on the bus every Wednesday and Saturday, so we must have stood in the same queue. It's nice to remember those days."

Harry Woods, Pembroke, South Wales: July 3, 2008

Recollections

Betty McGill

Pembroke, South Wales

Thank you to Betty McGill who wrote:

Ronnie for Radio

"Can I add that I think the radio shop that John Clark of Canada was referring to in 2 above was called 'Ronnie For Radio'.

I used to work in that shop. I was 15 yrs old. People would come in with their accumulators to be charged.

Sometimes, the acid would spill over from the new ones on to my overall. They were covered in burn holes, and the taste of it was horrible as it got on my fingers.

So, I've lots of memories to share with Harry Wood or others, if anybody would like to email me."

Betty McGill, Edinburgh: July 4, 2008

If you'd like to contact Betty, please email me, then I'll pass on her email address to you.

- Thank you. Peter Stubbs: July 3, 2008

Recollections

Jim Cairns

Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland

Thank you to Jim Cairns who followed up "Recollections 5' above by writing:

Radio Programmes

"Can you imagine nowadays what would happen if you were caught sending your children to carry heavy glass batteries, full of acid to the local shop to change them?!!

Your contributors mentioned old radios, and old radio programmes. I remember:

- 'Down at the Mains'

- 'Tammy the Troot' read by Lavinia Derwent

- 'The MacFlannels'

- Jimmy Logan, whose catch-phrase was 'Sausages is the boys!' on a programme I can't remember the name of.

Readers may enjoy this Whirligig web site. It's a terrific site that gives information on old radio programmes, and lets you hear clips of many of them. There's also a TV section on the site."

Jim Cairns: Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland: April 22, 2009

Recollections

Danny Callaghan

Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland

Thank you to Danny Callaghan who wrote

Bobbie's Bookshop

"Bobbie's Bookshop was, I think, at 181 Dalry Road. I stayed in a flat almost above it, on the corner of for West End Place and Dalry Road from 1964 to 1970. The flat was No 5. There was a butcher below as well.

Bobbie's was a Book Exchange. It was very popular. You took back books you had read and got credit, then you selected other books. Who says recycling is new?

Bobbie's was also a newsagent. I remember that Bobbie did not open to sell newspapers on new years day 1967. It was a Sunday. He was blacklisted by the Sunday Mail and Daily Record who refused to supply him papers for a long time. Most of the locals supported him and switched to buying other papers - the Record's loss."

Danny Callaghan, Falkirk, Stirlingshire: November 4, 2009

Recollections

Dave McKinlay

New Zealand

Dave McKinlay left this message in the EdinPhoto guest book

Rab Turner

"I'd like to contact Robert [Rab] Turner, originally from Prestonfield. He would be about 69 years old now. He worked in Binns workshops Caledonian Crescent .as a carpet & lino layer from about 1955 up until I left for New Zealand in 1965.

He married Thelma and had a daughter, born about 1963. Does anyone know of him or his whereabouts? A reply would be appreciated. Dave McKinlay"

Dave McKinlay, New Zealand: Message posted in EdinPhoto guest book: January 25, 2010

Reply to Dave?

If you'd like to contact Dave, please email me, then I'll pass on your message to him. Thank you.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: January 28, 2010

Recollections

John Clark

Ontario, Canada

Thank you to John Clark for writing again about life in Dundee Street.

John wrote:

Local Shops

"I remember the small shops, the local shops, the shops that kept us alive and well. Where I lived in Dundee Street, Yeaman Place was directly across from my stair at number 146.

At the bottom of Yeaman Place there was 3 or 4 shops next to each other, but the two main shops that kept the whole surrounding community alive was Peter's chip shop and Lawrence the baker.

Lawrence, the Baker

"Every morning, from about the age of 6 or 7 onwards, I would run across to Lawrence the baker and buy 4 well fired rolls. I think they cost about a penny or a penny ha'penny each, freshly baked.

During the summer holidays from school, I would have to hurry, and get my pals out of the house at 11.45am, and break up our Monopoly game, to run over to Lawrence for 2 meat pies, one for my Dad and one for me.

My Mum was at work, and my Dad came home from McEwans brewery along the road at noon. He would open up his pie, take all the meat out (mince) and discard the pastry, then make a bread sandwich with the meat.

What a guy, I loved him. Just before New Year everyone would hand in their ashet pans to Lawrence, and your name would be stuck on the pan. Later, you would later pick up a delicious steak pie for New Year's Dinner.

I don't know if the bakery is still going, but it was a terrific bakery.

Peter's Chip Shop

Oh, my goodness the memories. When I first started going in there for my Mum, again about 7 years old, it was amazing.

I don't know the reason, but chip shops always had very high serving counters. When I went in in the early years, they had to look over the counter to see me. I could barely reach the counter with my fingertips.

Then as the years progressed, I was starting to see what all the big secrets where about. When you went over on a Friday about 5 o' clock, there would be a long line up. We seemed to have more patience in these days, because of the constant hardships of the war.

I think a fish supper was about 10 pence in old money. For our family, I would typically order 2 single fish, and either fourpence worth of chips or maybe sixpence worth. The total would be about one and sixpence."

John Clark, Ontario, Canada: February 24, 2010

Recollections

10.

Alan Stewart

Dumfries, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland

Thank you to Alan Stewart who wrote:

12 Springfield Place

"There has not yet been much mention of Springwell Place on the EdinPhoto web site, so I'm sending this photo of my Gran, Christina Stewart standing outside her home at No. 12, around 1930.

Our Family

My Stewart family were resident at 12 Springwell Place from around 1900 to around 1960. We were quite poor, so there are not many photos around.

No. 12 was a one-bed flat which, even in the 1950s, held three generations of our family for a while:

- my grandparents

- their daughter Jessie and her husband Frank, a Canadian sailor who was on leave from the WW2 Russian convoys when they met.

- their two children.

My earliest recollections are of sitting on my dad's knee in the 1950s, hearing him call an old fellow sitting opposite him 'dad', and saying to him: 'He cant be dad. You are dad'.

He was, in fact, my grandfathers brother, who had married the wife of his late brother Hendry (my grandfather) after Hendry had been killed in the Somme in 1916. He was a bookie's runner amongst other things. He spent most of the time sitting in his chair, smoking a pipe; at least he did when he had visitors."

Alan Stewart, Dumfries, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland: October 28, 2010

Recollections

11.

John Donaldson

Bonnyrigg, Midlothian, Scotland

Thank you to John Donaldson who wrote:

Family

"I resided at 197 Dalry Road, Edinburgh from about 1944 until 1953 and attended Dalry Primary School.

My mother was employed at Dunlop, the Bakers in Dalry Road opposite the Haymarket Picture House. My father was employed at Airlite Engineers in Duff Street.

Request for Picture

I am looking for a picture of the 197 Dalry Road. It was located directly opposite Dalry School. I believe the building was destroyed circa 1977. Does anybody have such a picture?

John Donaldson, Bonnyrigg, Midlothian, Scotland: January 4, 2011

Reply to John

If you know of any pictures of 197 Dalry Road, please email me, then I'll pass on your message to John. Thank you.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: January 8, 2010:

Recollections

12.

Douglas William Garry

Hutchison, Edinburgh

Douglas William Garry wrote:

School Photo

"About a year ago, I submitted this photo of my class at Dalry Primary School in Edinburgh, taken 1956-ish."

Photo

"Shortly after, another photo of a Dalry school class appeared on the EdinPhoto web site, this one taken in1957-58."

Photo

Friends

"Some months later, I spoke to my good friend, Peter Stewart, about how photos and comments on the web site had brought people together.

The following day, he looked up the web site then told me that he had found himself, 3rd from the right in the back row of Photo 2.

After 25-30 years of friendship and working together, we had never realised that we had been at the same school, just one year apart. He had been one year behind me at the school and in my sister's class. How small the world has become!"

Douglas William Garry, Hutchison, Edinburgh: January 23, 2012