Edinburgh History - Old Town - Operetta House, Chamber Street

Recollections
1.	Graeme Charles Munro Adelaide, South Australia, with reply from George Smith Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, British Colombia, Canada	Grassmarket and Gypsy Brae, Granton Home in the Grassmarket Causeys
2.	Peter Nolan Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada	The Clock Wartime
3.	Peter Nolan Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada	Musicians
4.	Tom Heaney Tenerife and reply from Julie McCusker	Old Pals
5.	Jim Di Mambro South Africa	Tom Heaney
6.	Jim Di Mambro South Africa	Dex Hennant
7.	Jim Di Mambro South Africa	My Great Grandfather Grassmarket Musicians
8.	George Stewart South Edinburgh	Barrie's Mission
9.	Bob Sinclair Queensland, Australia	Daft Jimmy
10.	Mick O'Rourke Clermiston, Edinburgh	My Family Christmas Barrie's Summer Outings
11.	Graeme Charles Munro Adelaide, South Australia,	Barrie's Summer Outings
12.	Margaret Cooper Colindale, North London, England	Return to the Grassmarket Hostels, Tenements and Shops Punters Coal Briquettes
13.	Cathy Luppino (nee Cormack) Pennsylvania, USA	Memories View from the Vennel Steps Bonfires Books
14.	Avril Finlayson Smith Strathdale, Bendigo, Victoria, USA	Living in the Grassmarket Neighbours The Beehive Return Visit to Edinburgh
15.	Cathy Luppino (nee Cormack) Pennsylvania, USA	Grassmarket - No.17 and No.25 Work

Recollections

Graeme Charles Munro

Adelaide, South Australia,

Grassmarket and Gypsy Brae, Granton

1930s - 1950s

Thank you to Graeme Charles Munro, Adelaide, South Australia, formerly of Edinburgh, who wrote after seeing a picture of the Grassmarket in the early 1900s:

Graeme wrote:

Home in the Grassmarket

"I was born in the house just above the carriage roof on the right-hand side in 1936.

I was only four when I left, I am 70 now, and live in Australia. Having been here for 40 years."

Causeys

[Cobble Stones]

"And do you know, the stones in the road were all removed in the late 'fifties and dumped at a place called Gypsy Brae along from Granton Harbour, millions of them for weeks and weeks.

It was my brother's job to make sure the trucks dumped them in the right place. He got fed up with the job eventually and signed on in the army for 22 years.

The cossies were actually white granite."

Graeme Charles Munro, Adelaide, South Australia. 18 August 2005

Causeys

'Causeys' were the granite setts, or cobble stones, that once paved many of the streets of Edinburgh.

Gypsy Brae is now part of Edinburgh's Waterfront development. The road is now closed, but the line of the road can just be seen on the enlargement of the map below, running north-south between the trees to the west of the three gasometers - towards the upper-left corner of the map.

Thank you to George Smith, British Colombia, Canada, for the further comments on 'Causeys'.

Gardens

Causeys or causeway setts were a source of garden paths and patios when they were lifted from the streets.

George Smith, Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, British Colombia, Canada

George has also provided an interesting comment on the causeys in Chamber Street.

Recollections

Peter Nolan

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Thank you to Peter Nolan for sending me his memories of growing up in the Grassmarket. Peter tells me that he was born in 1936, his father's parents were Irish and his mother's parents were Italian.

Peter was born at 54b Grassmarket, Edinburgh, and emigrated to Canada around 1968. Recalling his early years in the Grassmarket, Peter wrote:

The Clock

"When you came down the Herriot Bridge to the centre of the northern side of the Grassmarket, about 20 yards to the left there was a stairway that went up three flights. People lived along that top floor.

At the end of the corridor, there was a wooden ladder where I, as a small boy, would climb up then push open a trap door, then we entered into the clock itself.

It was just a wonderful place to be brought up."

Wartime

"During the War Years the German Prisoners of War would repair the cobble streets in the Grassmarket and many of the mothers in the area would take flasks of tea and sandwiches to the prisoners.

In the middle of the Grassmarket there were two air-raid shelters."

Peter Nolan, Canada,: March 3 + 4 +14, 2008

Recollections

Tom (Tam, Tommy) Heaney

Tenerife

Tom Heaney wrote:

Old Pals

"I was raised in the Grassmarket Edinburgh from 1942 and left there when I got married in 1960. I'm looking for some of my old pals:

- Dougie McCusker

- James Conway

- Jamesie and Eric Thom

- lots of others.

I now live in Tenerife.

Can you help?

Tom Heaney, Tenerife: April 10, 2008

If you'd like to contact Tom (Tam, Tommy) please email me, then I'll pass on your message to him.

- Peter Stubbs: April 10, 2008

Answer 1

Thank you to Julie McCusker, grand-daughter of Dougie McCusker for passing on the sad news about Dougie.

Tom:

You appear to have changed your email address since you contacted me a couple of years ago, so I cannot send Julie's reply direct to you. However, I hope you find it here.

Here is what she wrote to you:

"I'm sorry to say(if it is the same person as you asked about) but my grandad died a few years ago from cancer of the throat. I'm sorry to be the barer of bad news, but my grandad lived a good, happy, and how can we say it semi- healthy life, and when he passed away he had his family round him.

Anyway, I wish you all the luck for finding the rest of your old friends."

Julie McCusker: January 19, 2010

Recollections

Jim Di Mambro

South Africa

Jim Di Mambro read the message from Tom Heaney and wrote:

Tom Heaney

"I remember Tom singing in the clubs and he should remember me, Jim Di Mambro, Butch and The Bandits.

Tam also used tae collect money for some clothing shop. I would love tae here from him.

If ye read this Tam, please email me."

Jim Di Mambro, South Africa: May 29, 2008

Here is Jim's email address for anybody who would like to contact him.

Recollections

Jim Di Mambro

South Africa

Jim Di Mambro read the recollections from Peter Nolan above, then replied::

My Great Grandfaither

"My great grandfaither, one Antonio Tommasso, he lived in the last stair (I think) before you would turn left intae the Cowgate. He went thro three wives and sired 33 bairns.

Grassmarket Musicians

Regarding the photie of Peter Nolan's father's band, my auld man knew Sammy Pacitti. I don't know if Peter Nolan would have known any of the Tommasso or Di Mambro families."

Jim Di Mambro, South Africa: June 5, 2008

Recollections

Bob Sinclair

Queensland, Australia

Thank you to Bob Sinclair who wrote:

Daft Jimmy

"I remember Jimmy Millar, if that was his real name. He was sometimes referred to as Daft Jimmy.

Jimmy was well known around the vicinity of Greyfriars, Chambers Street and the Grassmarket, and was well known to those in the Grassmarket mission. Like many others he was taken in every now and then and deloused and bathed, fed, and let loose on the streets again.

The students knew him and were fond of him to the extent that the put him up as a candidate for the Rector of Edinburgh University. He was put up against either James Robertson Justice or Sydney Smith or somebody of that stature. He did lose but had a lot of support from the students.

He was well known for kicking his feet out sideways and announcing "They're aw in there". Not only did he do it when passing Greyfriars Kirkyard but in many other places in his travels. The students were kind to him and slipped him a comforter - usually a fag"

Bob Sinclair, Queensland, Australia: December 1, 2009

Recollections

10.

Mick O'Rourke

Clermiston, Edinburgh

Thank you to Mick O'Rourke who read the comments about the Grassmarket Mission (Recollections 8 and 9 above) then added his own memories of it:

Mick wrote:

My Family

"I was raised in the Market during the 1950s and early-1960s.

My family were the Flynns and Devlins. Both families lived at 17 Grassmarket, next to the Vennel. Most of the Flynns went to America

My uncle, Jimmy Devlin, was very well known. He was the superintendent of The Victoria Hostel for men in the area of the West Port now known as Webster's Land. The hostel was for working single men. At that time, most were Irish."

Christmas

"I went to many Christmas parties at Barrie's Mission. We got a good scran and a wee present. Barrie's Mission was in the Grassmarket, opposite the Castle Trades Hostel.

Ah done well at Christmas. There was also a pairty in the Sacred Heart, Lauriston Halls.

Barrie's Summer Outing

"We went on the Annual Bus Outing, run by the Mission. If memory serves, we went to Spylaw Park, Colinton. But for us, it was the end of the earth!

The outing was a real highlight for the bairns of the area during the summer. This is the song we used to sing on the bus:

'Ah'm no gaun tae Barries trip, Ah'm no gaun again.

Ah'm no gaun tae Barries trip. it ayeways comes oan rain'

Mick O'Rourke, Clermiston, Edinburgh: July 25, 2010

More Memories

Another contributor to the EdinPhoto site, Jimmy Kelly, also remembers Barrie's trips to Spylaw Park or Colinton Dell. In his recollections of growing up in Dumbiedykes, Jimmy remembered the same verse that Mick O'Rourke remembered above.

Recollections

11.

Graeme Charles Munro

Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Graeme Charles Munro has now been living in Australia for 45 years, but he tells me that he still remembers the words of the song sung on Mr Barrie's Grassmarket Mission outings.

Mick O'Rourke gave these words in 'Recollections 10 above:

'Ah'm no gaun tae Barries trip, Ah'm no gaun again.

Ah'm no gaun tae Barries trip. it ayeways comes oan rain'

Mick O'Rourke, Clermiston, Edinburgh: July 25, 2010

However, Graeme added:

Barrie's Summer Outing

Verse 2

"The song actually had two verses.

The second verse was:

'Ah'm no gaun tae Barries treat, Ah'm no gaun at a'.

Ah'm no gaun tae Barries trip. its always cauld wi' snaw'. "

Graeme Charles Munro, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia: June 20, 2011

Recollections

12.

Margaret Cooper

Colindale, North London, England

Thank you to Margaret Cooper for posting a message in the EdinPhoto guestbook.

Margaret wrote:

Return to the Grassmarket

"I was pleasantly surprised, on my last visit, to see how nice the Grassmarket was."

Hostels, Tenements and Shops

"In the late-1940s, there were many men's hostels, and the residents would all loiter outside looking quite sinister. They were shabby and unshaven. There was no benefit system in those days.

The hostels looked so rough, as if they could be home to another Burke and Hare. All around were tenements. Up the West Port, there were many really rough looking second hand shops.

Punters

"Carry on down the High Riggs to the bottom where, on the corner, there was a large pub where the bookies would hang out taking bets, and where they and their punters would scatter at the first sign of a policeman."

Coal Briquettes

"We used to go to a really tiny second-hand shop next door to the pub to buy briquettes when the coalman couldn't or wouldn't deliver to us - well, we were four flights up.

We kids would trek up there with the old go-kart and get the briquettes. We would get about twelve for a shilling."

Margaret Cooper, Colindale, North London, England:
Message posted in EdinPhoto guest book: August 23, 2011

Recollections

13.

Cathy Luppino (nee Cormack)

Pennsylvania, USA

Thank you to Cathy Luppino (nee Cormack) for posting a message in the EdinPhoto guestbook.

Cathy wrote:

Memories

"I've read with much interest notes posted about the Grassmarket. A few of the names I remember well. My two sisters and their families live Edinburgh and we still blether about old times in the 'Market' .

I worked for The North British Rubber Company in Fountainbridge. (By that time it had been bought over by U.S. Royal.) I worked in the office there, but my Dad worked in the mill, starting as a young boy and retiring in his late years."

View from the Vennel Steps

"My Dad was born in the tenement building next to the wee church at the top of the Kings Stables Road, as seen in the ever-popular photo of the castle taken from The Vennel steps.

I remember the Beehive Inn, right across the road from us."

Bonfires

"Who remembers the big Bonfires between Heriot Bridge and Castle Wynd?"

Books

"If anyone is interested, there are some memorable photos in the issues of the 'Edinburgh Then' books. I think published by the Scotsman.

Someone told me a long time ago that you can take your heart out of Scotland but you can never take Scotland out of your heart. Too true!"

Cathy Luppino (nee Cormack), Pennsylvania, USA
Message posted in EdinPhoto guest book: May 7, 2012

Recollections

14.

Avril Finlayson Smith

Strathdale, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia

Thank you to Avril Finlayson Smith for posting a reply on May 10, 2012 to Cathy Cormack's message in the EdinPhoto guest book. (See Recollections 13 above,)

Avril wrote:

Living in The Grassmarket

"Cathy - I thought you'd be interested to hear that my husband Tom and I lived in 8 Grassmarket in 1957, on the second floor which you can see from many pictures taken of the building.

For a long time ours were the only window that were white. We bought this place from my boss Mr Black of H.G, Black and Sons, China Merchants. His main shop was further up the road.

He bought the 2 warehouses below the flats, so had to take the flats too. One was being vacated by a family of Mum and Dad and 5 children, it was only a room and kitchen. We bought it, then did it all up, hence the nice painted windows."

Neighbours

"I have many happy memories of the people who lived in the Grassmarket. When our son was born, it was amazing the money that was left in his pram when we had to leave it outside to go into shops there, like Gerrys for rolls.

That was the custom in these days to do with a new baby - to put a silver coin in the pram or in their hand, so even with many on the dole there, they were very generous."

The Beehive

"By the way, the Beehive was up the road from this building not opposite. I think it was Baxendales the Ironmongers that was opposite the building."

Return Visit to Edinburgh

"On our first trip back to The Grassmarket, we visited our first home there. It was then one flat, the two separate flats having been made into one and the shared toilet made into a lovely modern bathroom. It was so kind of the owner to let us see through her house.

I hope this is of some interest to you, Cathie. By the way, my Grandpa and an aunt also worked in the Rubber Mill too."

Avril Finlayson Smith, Strathdale, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
Message posted in EdinPhoto guest book: May 10, 2012

Recollections

15.

Cathy Luppino (nee Cormack)

Pennsylvania, USA

Cathy Luppino (nee Cormack) replied, thanking Avril for her Recollections 14 above.

Cathy wrote:

Grassmarket

No.17 and No.25

"I lived at No.25 Grassmarket, which is a short distance from the bottom of the Vennel steps. Gerry Cozzi lived in the first stair to your right from the Vennel. I think that was No.17.

The Flynns and the Devlins lived in that stair too. They were , good friends with my Mum, Dad and Granny. Gerry's sister and family also lived there. Her name was Mrs. Fagan. She worked in Gerry's. Gerry's ice cream shop was between No.17 and No.25. The Beehive was directly across from No.25."

Work

"My Mum and Dad did odd jobs for Mr and Mrs. Fairley, in between the other jobs that they had. People had to work really hard in those days."

Cathy Luppino (nee Cormack), Pennsylvania, USA
Message posted in EdinPhoto guest book: May 11, 2012