Edinburgh History - Fountainbridge

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Recollections

George Smith

British Columbia, Canada

George wrote:

Palladium Theatre

"The Polish Army gave us kids a concert in the Palladium Theatre and we were all presented with a Polish Eagle lapel pin which we wore with pride 'till we lost them. The eagles were made of lead."

Looking at a recent map, it appears that the Palladium Theatre was at the end of the triangle between Bread Street and East Fountainbridge shown now as Main Point.

The Palladium brings back memories of variety shows and the long-term headlines at this second-rate theatre: such as 'Dave Willis, a right Patter Merchant'

Near the Palladium was the Blue Halls cinema. Why the 'Blue Halls'? I never found out."

The Palladium' at East Fountainbridge was opened as a circus in 1896 and used mainly as a circus until 1911.

It was used as a picture house from 1911 until 1932.

It was used as a theatre from 1933.

It was demolished in 1984.

[Edinburgh Theatres, Cinemas and Circuses 1820-1963 - George Baird]

Stables

"There were multi-floored stables near the Palladium, possibly at High Riggs, where horsed for the Christmas shows at the theatre and Waverley Market were housed.

I had a Glasgow born colleague whose conversation stopper was "I slept with Roy Rogers' Trigger". It seems his family flat was above the stables used by Trigger during Roy Rogers' visit to Edinburgh."

Sean Connery

"My own show stopper is 'Sean Connery was my milkman.' He delivered our milk, but I was never aware of it, though my younger brothers remember him.

I understand there is some sort of commemorative plaque, to indicate his birthplace - difficult I imagine as I think the building in a street (name eludes me) across from McCowans' toffee factory near the Palais de Dance has long been demolished.

As far as I remember, the flat was over 'Asa Wass' rag and bone store."

See Jock Noble's comments below for the location of Sean's house - Peter Stubbs

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

Recollections

Jock Noble

Sean Connery

"Sean Connery did indeed live in Fountainbridge but not above Asa Wass. He lived further down the road, near the S & N brewery.

I had a school mate who lived in the same building it was 176 Fountainbridge.

My mate's mother would say "I bumped into Tam today" meaning Sean Connery, I don't know where the "Tam" came from but it certainly made her day."

Stables

"I myself lived round the corner, just off Grove Street, in Brandfield Street, opposite the stables where the milk horses where kept.

During the Tattoo the visiting performers would house their llamas and camels and other exotic animals alongside the milk horses. It was truly a great place to be brought up."

Asa Wass

'Rag & Bone Man'

"I remember my brother and myself would climb over into Asa Wass and purloin a few items of scrap, then take them back the next day for a few coppers. Such was life in the "bridge".

Jock added:

"This is the first time I've visited this site and the memories have come flooding back I will be a regular visitor from now on."

I look forward to reading more memories and adding them to the web site.
- Peter Stubbs

Jock Noble: January 29, 2007

Recollections

Bryan Gourlay

Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Bryan wrote:

Palladium Theatre

"It was good to see George Smith's recollections of the Palladium in east Fountainbridge, which I'm sure had a stage door at the rear in High Riggs.

The two performers I can remember seeing there were Lex Mclean and, would you believe, Dickie Valentine.

Lex McLean was a well-known Glasgow comedian who used to come to the Palladium for about six weeks at a time, accompanied by some variety acts nobody had ever heard of. Lex changed his routine every Wednesday and Saturday, and would have his audiences (sometimes very small) rolling in the aisles for the princely sum of 3s 6d.

Dickie Valentine was a heart-throb and pop star of the 1950s, whose career eventually flagged so badly that he was reduced to performing at the Edinburgh Palladium instead of the grand London Theatre of the same name.

I seem to remember that, before it was demolished, the Palladium, or part of it, became a Reo Stakis steakhouse for a while."

Bryan Gourlay, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland: January 30, 2007

Recollections

Tam Lennox

Tam wrote:

Asa Wass

"I lived at 161 Fountainbridge which was Asa Wass Pend. Other lads of my age who lived there in the 1940s were Matty McIntosh, John Clark and Dominic Scot whose family owned the Chip Shop almost on the entrance to the pend.

Fountainbridge was a tough place to be brought up in and we also used to get in Asa Wass's Scrap Yard and sell him his own scrap back next day.

Asa Wass also owned the tenements in which we lived. Weekly rent ,six shillings. Us kids lived by our wits but none of us were really bad as we were brought up under a strict moral code.

Sean Connery

We all knew the Connery brothers and I was friendly with Neil who was the younger of the two. The elder was Big Tam changed his name to Sean at the start of his film career."

Tam Lennox: February 16, 2007

NOTE:

Sean Connery was called 'Big Tam' because his full name was Thomas Sean Connery.

Peter Stubbs: February 16, 2007

Recollections

John Clark

Canada

John Clark (- incidentally, not the same John Clark as is mentioned by Tam Lennox, above) sends me his recollections of Fountainbridge.

John writes:

Cinemas

"I stumbled upon your site while reminiscing with myself about how proud I always was that I knew the name of every picture house in Edinburgh.

I was from Dundee St. and my haunts were:

- the 'Tiv' (New Tivoli )

- the Haymarket (later changed to the Scotia )

- the Regal (when it was a new release)

Our bunch of guys once went to the 'Blue Doos' ( Blue Halls ). We were abut 16, and we all wore cardies and smoked pipes that night. It was such a laugh, we all thought we were so cool.

I was always proud of the fact that I had been to every picture house in Edinburgh."

Asa Wass

"I always thought that the Edinburgh 'Rag & Bone man' and scrap metal dealer was called Azi Wozzi. I don't know why. It sounds like a Turkish tram driver."

Asa Wass

I have seen several different spellings of Isa Wass or Asa Wass. I expect many people might have spoken of him without ever needing to write down his name.

However I received two e-mails about Asa Wass recently:

1. His great-grandson, Ken Miller, now living in Yorkshire e-mailed me to tell me that Asa Wass was in fact a Quaker who came to Edinburgh from Yorkshire.

2. Joyce, living in Cheshire told me of a ditty that her Edinburgh mother used to understand. She says that the ditty never made much sense to her until she read about Asa Wass. The ditty went:

"Is he as he always is?
Or is he as he was?"

- Peter Stubbs: March 22, 2007

Backgreen Singer

"Do you remember the backgreen singer we called Bing Crosby? He would sing and do a little dance in the backgreens, and our Mums would throw him a penny, sometimes a jam piece."

Three Smells

"You had to live in Fountainbridge / Dundee St. to handle the mixture of three strong smells intermingled:

- McEwans Brewery

- Mackays Toffee Works

- The Rubber Mill.

We were so used to it that it never bothered us, but visitors were sometimes almost sick."

Canal

"The last thing my mother said to me every day I left the house was, "Don't go near that canal". So obviously the first place we headed for was the canal, often with the inevitable falling in."

'The Palais'

"What about the Palais? It was like a shrine, it was like Mecca, well actually it was Mecca, come to think of it.

My Mum wouldn't let me wear a drape suit, or pants that were too tight at the bottom, but I pushed the button as far as I could."

'Empire Theatre'

" My parents bought regular permanent booking at the Empire Theatre for quite a few years - only the cheap seats in the Gods, but they were at the front.

I think I saw every star from Old Mother Riley to Frankie Laine and Johnny Ray.

Remember the guy who used to come around the queue at the back of the Empire and sing his own made up songs. He also sang at the Playhouse."

Gramophone and Mussels

"I remember the old lady who sat playing a gramophone machine. What about the mussel ladies from Newhaven? They were great mussels."

Blue Sun

"Did you see the blue sun we had, some time around 1950."

Blue Sun

Graham Simpson wrote:

"I am particularly intrigued by a comment from John Clark asking if anyone remembers the 'blue sun' in those years.

I remember this very well when I lived in Pilton Place off Boswall Parkway. I've never found anyone else who remembers this and I thought that my memory was faulty.

I am delighted to hear that someone else remembers it. At the time there seemed to have been no official reason given for this phenomenon except that that there was major forest fire in Western Canada at the same time.

Oddly enough I now live in Vancouver and although I have asked people of my own age group about this. No one seems to know anything.

I'd love to hear of anyone who knew me or my family. I went to Broughton Secondary from 1946 to 51."

Graham Simpson, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, September 7, 2007

Blue Sun

After reading Graham's comments above, I checked New Scientist and other reports on the Internet.

Apparently the 'blue sun' was seen throughout Edinburgh from 3pm, when the clouds lifted, until sunset on September 26, 1950. The sun had returned to its normal colour when it rose the following morning.

The phenomenon was also seen over other parts of Scotland and in Northern England. It provoked a flood of enquiries to the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh. It was attributed to particles in the atmosphere caused by extensive fires burning in Alberta, Canada, on September 23, 1950.

- Peter Stubbs: September 7, 2007

The Royal Observatory, Edinburgh subsequently confirmed that the blue layer was caused by a smoke layer at a height of between 30,000 ft and 45,000 ft which cut off the red light from the sun, but allowed the blue light to pass through.

[Evening News: date not known.]

Bob Wright, Inverness, wrote:

"My specs are almost identical to those of Mr Simpson of Vancouver (above) with whom I would like to communicate. I'll ask if he knew Annie Pryde. She was my register teacher."

Blue Sun

"With regard to the blue sun, I was standing outside Messrs Trail & Fletcher's premises in Rose Street when the sun appeared to be blue.

We all thought that the bomb had been dropped. That night there was also a Blue Moon. I've often wondered if the expression 'once in a blue moon' derived from previous occurrences of fires in Canada, as certainly that expression was in use before that particular event."

Bob Wright, Inverness, Inverness-shire, Scotland: December 2, 2007

Valerie Turner, Australia, wrote:

Blue Sun

"I also saw the sun when it was 'blue' back ing the 1950s. I saw a message from someone called Graham who thought perhaps he had dreamed it, but no! I saw the blue sun also."

Valerie Turner, Esk, Queensland, Australia: January 2, 2008

Elizabeth Bell (nee Gall), who emigrated from Edinburgh to Australia in 1958, wrote:

Blue Sun

"I was intrigued to read that someone else had seen that blue sun! I was working in Holyrood Road the day of the blue sun. My grandchildren just looked askance when I first spoke about that."

Elizabeth Bell (nee Gall), Australia: March 31, 2008

Galloping Horse

"Did you see the horse that galloped down Yeaman Place, and right through the pailings into the area below, resting in Mr Aitkens' living room?"

Chimneys

"Do you remember the big chimney being demolished at the Subway?

What about chimney sweeps, with their call up the lum, AAAH-EEEEEEEEEEH.

Chimney Sweeps

There are more recollections of the chimney sweeps and their cries on the Reminiscences page for East Preston Street

- Peter Stubbs: March 22, 2007

Thank you for this opportunity anyway, to think back and smile, it's nice."

And more ...

"There are probably a thousand more things I could talk about, but I don't think you have the space.

I'm always happy to create the space.

- Peter Stubbs: March 22, 2007

Thank you for this opportunity anyway, to think back and smile, it's nice."

John Clark, formerly of Dundee Street, Fountainbridge, now living in Canada: March 19+ 20, 2007

Recollections

Rosemary O'day

now Rosemary McCann

Leith, Edinburgh

Thank you to Rosemary O'day (now Rosemary McCann) for sending me her recollections of Fountainbridge.

Rosemary wrote:

Move to Fountainbridge

"My grandad, Johnny O'day, and my grandmother, Catherine Gallagher Mcleod, stayed at 2 Prospect Terrace, Dumbiedykes. I was brought up in Elder Street.

Until I was about 3yr old, we stayed above a pub. We then moved Fountainbridge Terrace. You had to go to the bottom of the street and turn left.

It was a very frightening place to be at night as you had to walk a bit down a lane and there were stairs going up, past the big rubbish bins to the right where you could often see rats etc.

And walking along the terrace was just as bad as it ran alongside the canal. I stayed at the end stair top flat. My father, Peter O'day, worked in the rubber mill, then in Murches' Dairy. My mothers name is Mary ( Mollie as everyone called her)."

Favourite Places

"I certainly remember Asa Wass (ha, ha), our favourite place.

I also remember big tam, Sean Connery. I used to go to his mum's and run errands for a little sweetie money.

And the Palais - yes the hot spot to be on a Saturday afternoon for the dancing and fun.

Canal Rescue

"My father saved the life of a boy, John Blyth. He was drowning in the canal. It was in the paper at the time. My dad was a big man (cuddly) but managed to squeeze through a missing railing and jump in the canal to pull the boy out."

Overcrowding

"Things were tough back then, living in a 'single-end' as they called them. You ate, slept, and lived in one room.

Then, I remember, my mum got the room through the wall from us as she was overcrowded. So at night us kids went over the landing to bed."

Rosemary McCann (nee O'day): Leith, Edinburgh: August 26, 2007.

Recollections

Charles Newton

Vietnam

Thank you to Charles Newton, Vietnam, for sending me his recollections of Fountainbridge.

Charles wrote:

Move to Fountainbridge

"I was born in 1946 in a prefab at Pennywell. I was nine months old when we moved to a basement in Gardner's Crescent. My mother Jeanne was seventeen and my father Joe eighteen.

My earliest memories (which are very clear) are of Freer Street Terrace where we lived from my being two till I was ten years old. There was a time when my brother Joe and I knew the area like our own back green."

Canal Rescue

"I well remember a boy falling in the canal because I was standing in the clay sink getting bathed by my mother (Jeanne) when it happened.

Mr Dixon from the flat above us jumped out of his window directly into the canal to save the lad."

De Marco's Ice Cream

"Tony De Marco's ice cream van used to park beside the canal, right outside the entry. My dad (Joe or Sonny) used to drive it for him on occasions."

The Green Man

"Does anyone remember the Green Man who used to live under the path between the tenement and the canal? Man, were we scared to walk along there at night!"

Houses

"I learned to change my first gas mantle then and believe me I have never forgotten. It was a scary place, both in the house (single end) and the building itself.

You had to do it or remain petrified of the dark for the rest of your life - especially when the Green Man was on walkabout. :)

Aye, five in a bed and running freezing water, mice everywhere. Sharing the only toilet with four other families was fun too ....."

Scrap Yard

"Isa Wasa was doon the road from Murdochs the newsagent where we used to change the accumulators for the radio.

I'm guilty of the same crime as the other lads - nicking his scrap and reselling it to him the next day. I'm totally convinced that he and his guys knew what was going on ...."

Good Luck!

Well gid luck tae all o' ye whairiver ye'z are.

Slanje

Charles Newton, Vietnam, Message left in GuestBook, November 25+26, 2007.

Recollections requested

Alan Forrester

Thank you to Alan Forrester who wrote:

Canal Walks

"I am currently planning a walking project which will begin in April. It will consist of a series of canal-based walks in Edinburgh so I am keen to find any old photos, memories, etc of the canal – Tollcross to Wester Hailes.

Can anybody help? I would be most grateful."

Alan Forrester: January 25, 2008

If you would like to contact Alan, please e-mail me then I'll pass your message on to him.

Thank you. - Peter Stubbs

Recollections requested

Raymond Faccenda

Thank you to Raymond Faccenda, now living in Newcraighall, Edinburgh, for the memories below.

Raymond wrote:

Ice Cream Shop

"I was part of the South Side community from 1972 until 1990 and have many fond memories of my childhood in Fountainbridge

My father (aka Tom Boni) and my mother, Lena, owned the ice cream shop at 134 Fountainbridge, next to Mackay's sweety works, and across the road from Asa Wass's pends."

Bakery

"Also across the road was Aitken's home bakery. They made awesome pies!"

Murdoch's Paper Shop

"A few doors up was Murdoch's paper shop where they did indeed recharge the accumulators for the wirelesses, as electricity had not yet reached many of the tenements in this area.

Murdoch also sold the mantles for the gas lights in the houses."

Milk Horses

"There were stables down in Grove Street, along from the Clan House, and the milk horses stayed there overnight. Early In the mornings the float drivers, including one Tam Connery, would come to the stable to collect their horse and walk it up to the dairy at Gardner's Crescent, where the horse and cart were joined up, then away they went till the run had been done and the process was reversed. Drop the float at Gardner's Crescent then walk the nag down to Grove Street."

In the photograph above, one of the horses is returning from Gardener's Crescent to Grove Street Stables, this time with its cart. This photo was taken on January 26, 1985, the last day that St Cuthbert's used horse-drawn floats to deliver milk in Edinburgh, after 125 years of operation. - Peter Stubbs

"Tam Connery let me walk the horse a few times and I still remember having this huge smelly animal drooling over my hand and feeling its warm breath on my face. (I'm talking about the horse, not Tam Connery.)"

Roy Rogers and Trigger

"Roy Rogers' horse Trigger was in fact stabled along with the milk horses in Grove Street when he appeared in Edinburgh about 1951.

Tam told me and took me down to meet this film star in the flesh (Trigger I mean), and I can truthfully say this was the first Trigger I had ever pulled!"

Pride in Fountainbridge

"I have many more memories of Fountainbridge, good and bad, as it was not a land of milk and honey, but a hard working area where people did not have much more than their pride at the end of the week. I am proud to have been there."

Raymond Faccenda, Newcraighall, Edinburgh:
Guest Book entry and e-mails, February 12, 2008

Sharing Memories

Raymond would like to share his memories with others. If you'd like to contact Raymond, please e-mail me then I'll pass your message on to him.

Thank you. - Peter Stubbs

Reply

10.

Phil Wilson

Thank you to Phil Wilson, Aberdeen, Scotland, who replied:

Boni's Ice Cream Van

"I see a message from Raymond Faccenda in the Guestbook on February 12, 2008. He mentions that his mum and dad ran 'Boni's Ice Cream'.

You might like to tell him that in among the set of photos by Charles Cushman taken in 1961 this photo with a 'Boni's' ice cream van in the Grassmarket.

Raymond might even be able to see enough to recognise the occupants."

Phil Wilson, Aberdeen, Scotland: February 24, 2008.

I have passed on Phil's message, above, to Raymond Faccenda.

- Peter Stubbs: February 24, 2008

Recollections

11.

Raymond Faccenda

Thank you to Raymond Faccenda, who replied to Phil's message in 10. above:

Thanks for the Link

"I can't thank you enough for the link to the Boni's ice cream van photo (in 10. above). Thanks to Phil Wilson of Aberdeen for pointing us to this little gem."

Boni's Ice Cream

"As it happens my dad, Tony or "Tom Boni" as he was known, owned the ice cream shop & cafe at West Fountainbridge, adjacent to Mackay's sweetie works, while his brother Domenico, or Donald, had his shops in East Fountainbridge, a few yards away from its junction with Lothian Road."

Ice Cream Van

"The ice cream van shown in the photo originally belonged from new, to my Uncle Donald, and was driven both by him and his two sons Serafino (Fino) and Alfredo (Alfie)."

The Suburbs

"There were actually three vans, all identical to the one in the photo, and they sold their famous ice cream out in the leafy suburbs of Stenhouse, Sighthill, Saughton Mains and the Moat Drive/Chesser area.

During the 1950s many of the occupants of the slum houses in Fountainbridge were decanted to these lovely new housing areas, so they naturally patronised my Uncle's vans from which they could obtain the same ice cream they had been weaned on during their earlier Fountainbridge years.

Also, as it happens I still meet my cousin Alfie regularly and we chat & reminisce over a meal, Italian of course. He will be over the moon to see this previously unseen photo."

Raymond Faccenda, Newcraighall, Edinburgh:
Guest Book entry and e-mails, March 1, 2008

Recollections

12.

Caroline O'Neill Kelly Erickson

Caroline O'Neill Kelly Erickson wrote:

Campbell and Kelly Families

"My great grandmother, Mary (Neanie) Scott lived in Brandfield Street. She had one child, my granny Catherine, who married my grandfather Robert Campbell. They had seven children and finally moved out to Broomhouse.

My mum was born to Robert and Catherine. Her name is Kathryn and she is now 56. She married my father Charles (Charlie) Kelly. I remember a lot of the old stories she told me and I was just wondering if anyone had info about my family

My grampa, Rab Campbell told me of how he used to deliver the milk with Sean Connery, and he told me of how he went to a reunion dinner that he arranged in much later years.

Caroline O'Neill Kelly Erickson, Glasgow, Scotland: June 15, 2008

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

Thank you. - Peter Stubbs: June 16, 2008

Recollections

13.

George Clydesdale

George Clydesdale, Edinburgh, wrote:

Sean Connery

"Others have mentioned Sean Connery.

There was a plaque to him in Fountainbridge. Itt was on the wall next to the small Hoover Repair shop, just along from top of Upper Grove, but it has now gone."

Trigger

"As Raymond Faccenda says, Trigger, the white horse of Roy Rodgers