Edinburgh Recollections

Recollections

John Clark

Canada

Thank you to John Clark who wrote

"My place of birth was 28 Candlemaker Row, directly above Greyfriars Pub, and looking on to the cemetery at the back."

Dundee Street

"When my Dad went off to war, we moved to 146 Dundee Street in the basement area. There was gas lighting and no bathroom, but I could climb out of my window into the big backgreen for the daily fitba, or all the other games. It was fun to go into the air raid shelters, and years later to play in them.

Around 1948. we moved one stair over to No 148. This was on the third floor, and looked over to Dalry railway station, and further over to Donaldsons Hospital.

We had electric lights too. However the mice and the cockroaches were just as bad. It was something you learned to live with."

North Merchiston Primary School

"During this time, I was at North Merchiston Primary School. I loved my school, and I fell in love with one of my early teachers, Miss Jameson. She was beautiful. I have often wondered if she is still alive. I would love to know."

North Merchiston Boys' Club

"I spent nearly all of my youth with my same buddies at North Merchiston Boys Club - later to be girls also. Our hero and our mentor was Stanley Boss Nairn, everyone called him 'Boss'."

Games

"The club taught us a lot about life, and how to enjoy it. We exercised vigorously every day, and table tennis, floor hockey, basketball, etc was a nightly event.

We entered drama festivals, had a Christmas pPantomime every year, and we just plainly enjoyed our life."

Excursions

"We would go for weekends to Dalguise House, up near Ballater, such lovely country.

We would be taught everything about drama, even the correct make up to use and how to apply it. Weekends hiking over the highest parts of the Pentlands with our Bivi tents, a whistle and compass and flashlight. It was always raining, but that didn't bother us."

Football

"On a Sunday morning, all of us guys would gather at 'the Pend', next to number 148, and take the tram to Colinton terminus, then walk up the hill and over to the army football pitches and play football all day, sometimes even in the moonlight if it was such a night."

Employment

Edwardson & Son

"When I left school, I worked for Edwardson & Son as an apprentice electrician. Our shop was at the end of Albion Road which suited me fine, as I was a Hibee man, (unlike all my pals)."

Hibees are supporters of Hibernian Football Club (Hibs). Hibs' ground is at Easter Road. Most of the people living in North Merchiston would have supported Heart of Midlothian (Hearts) who played locally. Hearts' ground is as Tynecastle, Gorgie. - Peter Stubbs

Royal Engineers' Club

"In 1956 My Dad took on the job as Clubmaster of the Royal Engineers Club at 78 Great King Street. I learned a lot about looking after a bar from these days."

Patrick Thomsons

"Soon afterwards, I worked for the House of Fraser, based in Patrick Thomsons on the Bridges.

I met my wife-to-be there. Her name was Betty Curran. She came from Loanhead and worked as a seamstress at Patrick Thomsons. Her whole family is here in Canada now.

I did my National Service in Cyprus from 1958 till 1960, but I came home on a leave in early 1960 and was married."

Home

"When I came out the forces, we bought a house in St Stephens street for £650. When we planned to emigrate to Canada in 1963, we sold the house at a loss. A real estate agent told us these houses were due for demolition. I found out a few years ago that our flat would sell for about £180,000!"

John Clark, Canada: February 5, 2008

Recollections

Bob Wyllie

Brussels, Belgium

Thank you to Bob Wyllie who wrote:

The Terraces

"I was brought up in in the 1940s in the Terraces; that's the late C19 housing development that is laid out like a fishbone with the spine in line with the west end of Bonaly Road (now re-named Harrison Gardens) in Merchiston.

The lateral 'bones' are respectively:

- Hazelbank Terrace

- Hollybank Terrace

- Almondbank Terrace

- Briarbank Terrace

- Alderbank Terrace"

The Square

"Halfway down the central spine (officially called Shaftsbury Park although few were aware of that, we just called it the lane) it opened out into a large square appropriately called 'The Square'.

That's where we built huge bonfires on Guy Fawkes Day and Victoria Day. When we were collecting old wooden junk for the bonfire we also mounted raids on on bonfire heaps elsewhere, such as down Robertson Avenue in Dalry, to steal their fuel. The Dalry boys naturally made counter-raids."

Meggetland Playground

"Our favourite playground was in Meggetland. In those days the NE corner of Meggetland had not been developed into playing fields like the rest of the area. It was a few acres of brambles, gorse, and elderberry bushes.

To reach it from the Terraces you had to climb over the railings at the back of Alderbank Terrace, onto the edge of the old Suburban railway cutting.

Then, depending on your age and agility, you either scrambled down the steep sides of the cutting, crossed the railway lines, and scrambled back up the other side, or ran with perfect balance across the large water-main pipe that spanned the 40-foot-deep cutting. If our mothers could have seen us!"

Railway Cutting

"That playground is long gone. A rail link was built from the Suburban railway cutting up to old Caledonian Railway yards to the north of Meggetland and used up the land.

A few years ago I walked along the footpath which has replaced the Caledonian line, west of Merchiston station.

From the bridge that crosses the Suburban cutting, I saw down there, crossing the lines, the biggest dog fox I've ever seen in my life. There must still be enough cover and refuge for them there. That seems to me a good thing."

JK Rowling

"I learned recently that JK Rowling was living in Hazelbank Terrace when she wrote her first Harry Potter book. That should put the old place on the map!"

Acknowledgement: Brussels, Belgium: August 24, 2008

Recollections

Bob Wyllie

Brussels, Belgium

Thank you to Bob for writing again from Brussels to tell me:

The Terraces and Railway

"Google Earth images show the still-existing pipes over the railway between the Terraces and Meggetland that I wrote about. The one on the left is the Tinny Lizzie, the one on the right is the slightly narrower Skinny Lizzie, definitely not for beginners.

I see the remnants of the old waste land is still there, and I am sure the kids still play on it, or at least I hope so."

Acknowledgement: Brussels, Belgium: August 24, 2008

Recent View

The Google Earth image that Bob refers to above showed a close up view of the two pipes crossing the railway.

Here is a wider view, looking to the NE across the Terraces. The two pipes leading across the railway tracks to the waste railway land at Meggetland can be seen at the bottom of this view.

The top two-thirds of this view includes several other features mentioned by Bob in 4 above:

- the terraces, Alderbank Terrace, etc.

- the central spine, Harrison Gardens

- the square

Please click on the thumbnail image above to enlarge it and see more detail.

Recollections

Richard White

Leicester, Leicestershire, England

Question

Richard White, now living in Leicester, wrote:

What happened to Hutchison's Garage?

"Can you help me? I'm trying to find out more about Hutchison’s Garage that used to be on Angle Park Terrace.

The garage was very popular with 1930s sports car enthusiasts. They called the owner ‘Henry Hutch’.

I don’t know if it carried on after the war. Maybe the building is still there, even though the business has now gone.

Richard White, Leicester, Leicestershire, England: January 13, 2009

Richard emailed me again, telling me more about his interest in Hutchison's Garage:

Aston Martin

"Fifteen years ago I bought a 1934 Aston Martin and set about tracing its history. It was first owned my William McKill in Broughton. He traded with Hutchison's and probably sold it to them in 1936. The next owner I traced, Gordon Gillies, also traded with Hutchison's. I think it was the ‘place to go’ for aspiring motor sport drivers.

I thought that my research had ground to a halt years ago then, out of the blue, came a photograph of my car that had been taken around 1938. It was parked next to another Aston Martin at a house in Hawick owned by the Innes family.

Hutchison's Garage

I now have some quite interesting information and photos, and I feel that a pre-war photo or even personal recollections of Hutchison's would be a nice element in the history of my car.

I've made enquiries about possible advertising by Hutchison's in the local newspaper, but have not got any results. I’d hoped to find an advert that may have been for my Aston. Maybe I was looking in the wrong places or else they may not have advertised because they depended upon word of mouth in their client group at the time.

It would certainly be very interesting to make contact with anyone who remembers the company and lived in Edinburgh at the time.

I've visited Scotland several times in the Aston with my daughter. The first trip was in 1998 when Sarah was just 11 years old. We met David McKill, the first owner’s son, on one occasion."

Richard White, Leicester, Leicestershire, England: January 14, 2009

Reply to Richard

If you can help to answer Richard's question above, please email me, then I'll pass on your message to him.

Thank you. - Peter Stubbs: January 13, 2009

Answer to Recollections

Answer

Thank you to Les Veitch, Corstorphine, Edinburgh who wrote to answer Richard White's question: "What happened to Hutchison's Garage?"

Les wrote:

Hutchison's Garage

"I think I can provide some further information on Hutchison's Garage and Showrooms in Angle Park. I lived two doors away at No 15 from 1942 to 1988 and well remember the sleek Sunbeam Talbots and Aston Martins which they sold.

Their showroom was at 8-13 Angle Park with their garage for servicing and repairs at the other end of Angle Park. It was quite large, stretching from Angle Park and down over a ramp to a rear entrance in Ardmillan Place (this narrow road splitting Angle Park in two and running from Henderson Terrace up to Angle Park.

Howard-Johnson Cars

During the late-1960s and early-1970s the head salesman was a Mr Howard-Johnson with whom I became friendly through his ex-RAF career.

Eventually, he and his son opened their own car salesroom called Howard-Johnson Cars in Ferry Road, Leith. It is still in operation today

Fisher's Garage

In the late-1970s, Hutchison's was taken over by Fisher's, another car distributor, who specialised in Alfa Romeos. They traded there for some years before moving to premises in Peffermill Road.

Olympian Pine

After Fisher's moved, the premises remained empty for some time. They were looked at by prospective buyers for a mini- market but, I believe, permission was not forthcoming, and eventually it became a pine furniture showroom and is currently still there, called Olympian Pine. The frontage remains much the same as it was back in those Hutchison days.

The Blue Lagoon

The front part of the garage at the far end of Angle Park became a pub called the 'Blue Lagoon' and remained so for many years before becoming the 'Caley Sample Room'. It remains so today

The lower part of the garage which backed onto Ardmillan Bowling Club (founded 1884 and celebrating its 125th anniversary this year) was eventually developed with flats and town houses, built in keeping with the buildings already in the area."

Les Veitch, Corstorphine, Edinburgh: July 25, 2009

Recollections

George T Smith

Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

George T Smith wrote:

Garage

Angle Park Terrace

"I have some memories of a largish garage in Angle Park Terrace which, when I was at Boroughmuir between 1943 and 1948, seemed to sell Sunbeam Talbot cars. I remember being impressed with the lines of the first post-war Sunbeams that I saw there on my way to and from school.

I believe that the garage was taken over in the late 1950s or early 1960s by a very sporty garage owner who formerly operated from the small lock-up garages in the mews near Dewar Place. My car was an ex-Dundrod 500 competitor, a Kieft. He managed to keep it roadworthy. I think he was English and competed in the Bo'ness hill climb on several occasions

I think his car was an early Mini with two engines- an early form of four wheel drive. I also recollect a souped-up Fiat 500 near his garage. It is all a long time ago so these memories are pretty dim."

George T Smith, Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada: February 5, 2009

Recollections

Bob Sinclair

Queensland, Australia

After reading John Clark's comments (in 2 above), Bob Sinclair wrote:

North Merchiston Boys' Club

"Thanks to John Clark (2 above) for reminding me about North Merchiston Boys' Club. It was just across the road from my uncle's abode.

I used to travel from Pilton up to the club and had to change buses at the West End. One November it was such a bad mist that the bus stopped at the bottom of Comely Bank, just at Flora Stevenson's, school, and the driver said that he was going no further. I walked the rest of the way through Dalry and Gorgie and up past the cemetery by the railway bridge and, of course, got there late. And at the end of the evening, I had to walk all the way back to Pilton!

The club had good facilities where you could do gymnastics on the ground floor or go and play table tennis or play basketball in the basement. Half way down the stair you had a library and could sometimes get a cup of tea (though I'm not sure if that was official).

I can remember going with the club to the Waverly Market and to a camp up near Perth where we were camped out under the stars.

The club also organised some long distance runs of a few miles. You were set off in pairs about 100 yards apart. The lad I was running with and I set of in about the 7th pair and just ran at a reasonable pace. At the end we found out that the first pair off had beaten us by about 300 yards. We should have tried harder!

The club also put on entertainment for the parents, but I only got involved once. That was enough for me."

Bob Sinclair, Queensland, Australia: January 18, 2010

Recollections

10.

Helen Glacken

Bristol, Avon, England

Here is a message that Helen Glacken left in the EdinPhoto guestbook.

Helen wrote:

Home and School

"I lived at 20 Watson Crescent and went to North Merchiston School for a matter of months before it closed. Then I went to Bruntsfield and Darroch. Schools.

What I have seen so far on the web site has brought back happy memories.

Friends

Does anybody remember:

- Maureen Keppie from Watson Crescent

- Katie Thomson from Watson Crescent

- Carol McKay from Bryson Road

- Lorna Christie from Tay Street.

Helen Glacken, Bristol, Aon, England: Message posted in EdinPhoto guestbook: February 24, 2010

Reply to Helen

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

Thank you. - Peter Stubbs: February 26, 2010

Recollections

11.

Elizabeth Raeburn-Fellows

Thank you to Elizabeth Raeburn-Fellows who wrote:

Memories of North Merchiston

"Our family, the Raeburns, lived at 2 Ogilvie Terrace, just off Shandon, from 1903 (when the tenements were built) until 1958. I lived there as a small child.

I remember:

- the Italian Ice Cream Parlour / Fish & Chip Shop by the Shandon bus stop at North Merchiston Station

- the putting green and park facing Ogilvie Terrace

- the canal at the top of Ogilvie Terrace

- North Merchiston Cemetery

- Craiglockhart School

Elizabeth Raeburn-Fellows: June 15, 2010

Recollections

14.

Janis Cameron

Western Canada

Janis Cameron added:

North Merchiston Club

"I also remember going to a gymnastics show with North Merchiston Club. I think the show was in Peebles."

Shops

"There are two little stores that I remember from the time when I lived 7 Ritchie Place. They are:

- Mason's on Watson Crescent and

- Laidlaws, Bryson Road, where we got hot buns on a Sunday."

Emigration

"My mother used to work at Martin's Bakery on the corner of Dundee Street and Yeaman Place and my father worked at Bruce Peebles.

After my mother passed away in 1965, I emigrated to Canada with my father and sister."

Janis Cameron (maiden name), Western Canada: July 16, 2011