Edinburgh History - Central Edinburgh in the 1950s - Recollections of Princes Street

Recollections

Bryan Gourlay

Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Thank you to Bryan Gourlay who wrote:

Three Bears

"A very exciting moment for small kids going along Princes Street by bus or tram, on the top deck, was catching sight of the three stuffed bears on top of a fur shop.

They looked like a daddy bear, mummy bear and a small bear on the roof of the shop - I think it was near the east corner of Frederick Street and Princes Street.

They were there for many, many years, in all weathers, and began to look more and more dilapidated as the years went by, and finally disappeared.

It would be good to see a photo of the bears, as they were once one of Edinburgh's best-known 'landmarks'. I'm sure someone must have one?

Bryan Gourlay, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland: August 14, 2006.

Question

Were the bears on Darlings fur shop at 124 Princes Street?

Peter Stubbs: August 22, 2006

Answer

No, not Darlings!

Thank you to Karen Stewart, Livingston, West Lothian (formerly of Edinburgh) who wrote:

Marcus Furrier

"Bryan Gould`s article on 'Princes Street' mentions some fur bears he used to see on top of a shop when he was a child.

I am too young to remember but my mother told me that the bears belonged to Marcus Furrier. I think they were based on the corner of Frederick Street. Salisbury`s bag shop later took over the spot.

On the "scran.ac.uk" web site, there's a photo of the 3 bears from Marcus Furrier being thrown away. It's reproduced c/o Scotsman Publications."

Karen Stewart, Livingston, West Lothian: September 17, 2006

Recollections

Rob Fender

England

There are now coffee shops throughout the centre of Edinburgh - Starbucks, Costa Coffee and many others.

However I must thank Rob Fender for his memories of an Edinburgh earlier coffee shop, situated in Princes Street, close to the old Monsignor (Jacey) cinema, not far from South Charlotte Street.

Robert wrote:

Manhattan Coffee Bar

"I was just scrolling through some of the memories of Princes Street, when I remembered the Manhattan coffee bar on Princes Street. On a Sunday in the late 1940's and early 50's it was about the only place open.

It was owned by a relation of mine, Don Valente, and my Auntie Nell used to serve in. It was particularly popular on a Sunday.

Like many, it has long gone. I wonder if anyone remembers it."

Rob Fender, England: September 26, 2007

Yes, Robert:

Frank Ferri (below) and Bob Henderson both remember the Manhattan.

- Peter Stubbs: August 1, 2008.

Recollections

Frank Ferri

Newhaven, Edinburgh

Thank you to Frank Ferri who also wrote about the Manhattan Café in Princes Street.

Frank wrote:

Question

Manhattan Café

"Does anyone remember the Manhattan Café in the 1950s? It was situated in Princes Street, approximately next door to the old Jacey (Monsignor) cinema, long gone.

Decoration

It was a long narrow Café with booth seating and stools at the counter and uniformed girl staff. It was decorated with etched mirrors illustrating the New York sky line scenes, Empire State building etc, really done up like an American Diner.

American

In the grey days of post-war Britain, we all thought everything American was cool and wanted to emulate things in the movies or the Yanks from Kirknewton Air Base.

Me and my mate used to go posing there in our early teens. A coffee or a coke cost a small fortune to us kids"

Frank Ferri, Newhaven, Edinburgh: July 30, 2008

Recollections

Bryan Gourlay

Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Thank you to Bryan Gourlay who wrote:

Brown Derby Restaurant

"I remember the Brown Derby, a first floor restaurant on the eastern side of Hanover Street on the corner with Princes Street.

It had windows facing on to both streets that gave a kind of panoramic view of East Princes Street Gardens the art gallery, past the bottom of the Mound across to West Princes Street Gardens and the Castle.

I remember having some really horrible Brown Windsor soup and dry bread there, in the 1960s."

Brian added:

"I've just noticed on the Scran web site that Brown Derby was the name of an Edinburgh actor who first performed in Glasgow in the mid-1940s."

Bryan Gourlay, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland: May 8, 2009

Update

Bryan: The building and view through the windows are still thee. You could consider visiting it again on your next trip to Edinburgh. It has become a 'Costa Coffee'.

Peter Stubbs: May 10, 2009

Recollections

David Bain

Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England

Thank you to David Bain who wrote:

Brown Derby Restaurant

"The Brown Derby was a restaurant on the corner of Hanover Street and Princes Street. It was on the first floor on the East side as I remember.

I think it probably closed in the late-1960s or early-1970s when fashion moved away from table service with smartly-dressed, uniformed waitresses to eating with your fingers from a cardboard box."

David Bain, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England: May 8, 2009

Recollections

Bryan Gourlay

Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Thank you to Bryan Gourlay who wrote:

Brown Derby Restaurant

"When we were looking at the Brown Derby a couple of weeks ago I knew I had seen a good photo of it. Guess where? Under our noses all the time. On the EdinPhoto web site, no less.

(Please click on this thumbnail image above to enlarge it.)

Here it is, in all its splendour, having a busy day during a procession along Princes Street in the 1950s. I think this stretch of Princes Street looked a lot better then than it does now."

Bryan Gourlay, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland: May 31, 2009

Question

Brian added:

Tailors

"I'm now trying to remember who were 'The Shilling Tailors', the shop below Brown Derby Restaurant - Montague Burton's?"

Bryan Gourlay, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland: May 31, 2009

Answer

Henry Price

The company below the Brown Derby Restaurant was, in fact, 'The Fifty Shilling Tailors', Henry Price, a company founded in Leeds in 1905, which had stores throughout Britain.

In 1958, the company was sold to UDS (United Drapery Stores). They re-named it, John Collier.

Peter Stubbs: May 31, 2009

Update 1

Brian added:

Fifty Shilling Tailors

"I’d forgotten about the 'Fifty Shilling Tailors'.

I got my first made-to-measure lounge suit from John Collier in Leith Street, next to Jeromes and Fairleys nightclub.

I can well remember the old black and white John Collier TV advert of the time:

'John Collier, John Collier – the window to watch!'.”

Bryan Gourlay, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland: June 1, 2009

Update 2

Tony Ivanov added:

Fifty Shilling Tailors

"Brian Gourlay writes about getting his first made-to-measure suit from John Colliers in Leith Street.

In 1963, when I was seventeen, I too got my very first made-to-measure suit from this same shop. I somehow managed to keep this suit for about twenty five years before I got rid of it.

Surprisingly, I still wore it on the odd occasion up until then as it still fitted me. It wasn't that I hadn't any other suits. I just didn't want to discard it, but my wife insisted it had to go.

The quality and workmanship of made-to-measure suits back then was far superior to what's available today."

Bryan Gourlay, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland: June 1, 2009

Recollections

Gus Coutts

Duddingston, Edinburgh

Thank you to Gus Coutts who wrote:

Book Shops

"There were two Menzies' book shops in Princes Street. The one at the east end traded as Elliot's Bookshop and the one at the west end traded as The West End Bookshop."

Cinemas

"There were 3 cinemas in Princes Street in addition to The Monseigneur / The Jacey. They were:

- The Picture House.

- The Palace.

- The New."

All these cinemas opened between 1910 and 1913. Brendan Thomas in his book 'The Last Picture Shows, Edinburgh' gives the following addresses and and closing dates:

- The Picture House (111 Princes Street) closed 1923

- The New (56 Princes Street) closed 1951

- The Palace (15 Princes Street) closed 1955

- Peter Stubbs

Snack Bar

"Does anybody have any recollections of Mackie's Snack Bar in the late 1950s. It was a great meeting place after school and on Saturday mornings.

I remember, after I started work, you could buy a three course meal there for 2/3d (real money): 11p (in today's money)"

Hairdresser

"I've no doubt plenty people will remember Lorimer's hi-speed men's hairdressers in South St Andrew Street."

Lorimer's in South St Andrew Street was 'just round the corner from Princes Street'.

- Peter Stubbs

Gus Coutts, Duddingston, Edinburgh: June 7, 2009

Recollections

Donnie Graham

Zwickau, Germany

Thank you to Donnie Graham who wrote:

A Rat's Tail

"I thought I'd write in to find out if anyone has heard of, or knows about, this phenomenon.

In Edinburgh in the 1960s, when I was just a boy, my uncle worked as a driver for the corporation, now Lothian Buses. I always looked forward to when he'd come to visit us, as he'd be full of stories from when he was driving his bus and would have us in fits of laughter.

I remember, once, he told my father about the strange experience he'd had on his last shift. Around midnight, he was taking his bus back to the depot, via Princes Street, when suddenly he saw the road in front of him was starting to move. Turning his lights on full, he saw it was rats!

Thousands of them were coming from the direction of the shops, over the road and into the gardens. He said, 'At that point, I just stopped the bus and lifted my feet off the floor of the cab. I was just scared the damn things could get in, somehow!'

Eventually, arriving back at the depot and telling of his experience, another driver said he had heard about that before. It's when they get over-populated, they do a mass move. It happens once every 25 years or so. Maybe that was some comfort to my uncle, knowing that it wouldn't happen again for some time!"

Donald Graham, Zwickau, Germany: June 12, 2009

Recollections

Bryan Gourlay

Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Thank you to Bryan Gourlay who wrote:

Rats

"Donald Graham’s story about the rats reminded me of a similar encounter I had.

In Spring of 1960, I had to be at one of the golf courses in East Lothian for an early start, so my dad decided to give me a lift, in his lorry, down to the bus station at St Andrews square to catch an SMT bus.

On a sunny morning, somewhere between 6.00 and 6.30 am, we went down the Pleasance and, as we drove up St Mary’s Street, we were faced by thousands of very big rats running fast downhill in our direction from the High Street. We were never so glad to be high up in the lorry and, like Donald’s uncle, we stopped and lifted our feet off the floor of the cab, as they swept past us – seemingly coming from Jeffrey Street.

At the time we came to the conclusion they were escaping from a big fire in the Daily Express building, where Jury’s hotel is now, in Jeffrey Street. Maybe they were just making one of their mass moves!

Maybe it was reported in the newspapers at the time."

Bryan Gourlay, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland: June 14, 2009

Recollections

10.

Bryan Gourlay

Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Thank you to Bryan Gourlay who wrote:

Lorimer's Gents' Hairdressers

"Like Gus Coutts (7 above), I well remember Lorimer’s gents’ hairdressers in South St Andrews Street. I went there for a few years when I worked nearby in the 1960s.

It was just downhill from the Milk Bar and you went up several steps to the shop which was set back quite a bit from the pavement – with the prerequisite barber’s pole.

As I recall, it was a fairly narrow shop where you sat along the right-hand wall waiting for your turn to be given the ‘once-over’ by one of six or so barbers clad in nylon, white jackets.

In addition to haircuts, some customers used to get shaved with an open razor sharpened on a leather belt. Other customers used to get hot towels applied to their faces – presumably a sort of steam cleaning?

One of the barbers used to finish off your haircut by wetting your hair then running an open razor all over – presumably to take care of any loose ends.

As George says, it didn’t take long. You had to quickly suss out your position in the queue and be ready to leap into a vacant chair - when it was your turn on the loud shout of 'NEXT'!!.

Lorimer’s was just out of shot straight to the left of the roadwork sign on this photo of South St Andrews Street. 'The Milk Bar was a few yards uphill."

Bryan Gourlay, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland: June 14, 2009

Recollections

11.

Bob Sinclair

Queensland

Bob Sinclair added:

Characters

"I remember:

- (John ?) Cormack: He was one of the Mound personalities. He used to come there on a Sunday. His war cry was 'No More Popery'; he might just have been a protestant.

- Wendy Wood: 'Scotland for the Scots!'. She was a veritable leading light in the fight for Scottish independence.
As I remember she wore a plaid and a big brooch, and was a very clear speaker.

- Preachers: There were also a few people who were always wanting to save you - as one woman put it on a bus, when I was travelling along Princes Street one Sunday: 'Aw them religious mannequins are aye wantin' to save us'.

Whatever, it was good entertainment for a while on a Sunday."

Bob Sinclair, Queensland, Australia: January 2, 2010

Recollections

12.

Ian M Malcolm

St Andrews, Fife, Scotland

Thank you to Ian M Malcolm for telling me of some of his experiences in and around Edinburgh while he was studying at Leith Nautical College in 1947-48.

Ian wrote:

Speakers at The Mound

"If I didn’t go home to Dundee for the weekend, I sometimes went up to hear the speakers at the Mound where John Fagan was the most entertaining.

John was a champion of ex-servicemen. He led a group of homeless people to Holyrood Palace, demanding that they be accommodated there!

He stood as a candidate in the council elections held on in November 1948, but was defeated

Ian M Malcolm: St Andrews, Fife, Scotland: January 24, 2010

Recollections

13.

Ella Boak

Burlington, Ontario, Canada

Thank you to Ian M Malcolm for telling me of some of his experiences in and around Edinburgh while he was studying at Leith Nautical College in 1947-48.

Ian wrote:

J W Mackay

"When I was 15 years of age I was employed by J W Mackie, in Princes Street, as a Lift Operator along with another girl. These lifts were of the old kind, metal grill doors to close. They were operated by a handle on the inside of the the lift. We had to make sure that when we stopped, the lift and the floor met.

- On the first floor, the Optimists met.

- On the second, the Rotary met.

- On the top floor, was the Rose Garden

The other girl and I were eventually promoted to serving at the counter, learning to do the catering for certain customers and attending to the customers,

We were sent to Mackies other small stores all over the city, Raeburn Place, in Stockaree, Newington, and laterally for me to Goldenacre at Ferry Road and Inverleith Terrace. It was certainly a lifetime experience."

Ella Boak, Burlington, Ontario, Canada: February 19, 2010

Recollections

14.

Allan Dodds

Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England

Thank you to Allan Dodds who wrote:

Brown Derby Restaurant

"Most Christmases, my family would take it in turns to host the Christmas dinner. But one year, for reasons best known to themselves, we went to the Brown Derby Restaurant instead. The food was wonderful, and the service faultless. A tip was left in appreciation."

Allan Dodds, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England: October 2, 2010

Recollections

15.

Bob Lawson

England

Thank you to Bob Lawson who wrote:

Princes Street Characters

"I dip into your site quite often, though I left Edinburgh (Leith, really) more years ago than I lived there. I haven't found any reference on the site to a couple of tramps/eccentrics, who were a common sight in the Edinburgh I knew in the 1950s and 1960s.

At the West End

"The first man was a well spoken Scot, of advanced years, who frequented the West End of Princes Street, often being seen sleeping on one of the benches outside the church at the corner of Lothian Road.

He carried a rucksack, and always wore an army greatcoat and a tin helmet. He could often be seen delving into the waste bins which at that time were commonly attached to lamp posts. Sometimes he picked up cigarette ends from gutters and pavements.

He was reputed to belong to a 'good family' and had chosen this itinerant way of life.

At the East End

"The second was a tall black man, who always wore the incongruous combination of wellington boots and a top hat. He strode around the East end of Princes Street, with an air of self importance.

I've often thought he was the inspiration for a joke some of your readers / contributors may know, but which may be considered somewhat un-PC nowadays."

Who were they?

"I often think of them, and wonder how they arrived at their situations. The old Scot was reputed to have suffered in WW2 which, in the mid-1960s, had been a fairly recent event.

But who was the black guy? Perhaps some of your other contributors could shed some light.

Bob Lawson, England: August 12, 2012

Recollections

16.

Gus Coutts

East Lothian, Scotland

Thank you to Gus Coutts for quickly sending a response to Bob Lawson's question above about the two gentlemen that he remembers in Princes Street in the 1950s and 1960s.

Gus wrote:

Princes Street Eccentrics

"I remember both of the characters that Bob Lawson refers to.

1. The old gentleman's name, as I recall, was McCulloch.

2. The black gentleman was thought by many people to be a punch drunk ex-boxer. I have no evidence that was the case. He always walked with his head held back. and swung his arms."

Gus Coutts, East Lothian, Scotland: August 12, 2012