Portobello

in the

1960s

Thank you to Eric Gold, known to many as Eric McKenzie, East London for telling me the following story from the time when he was living at Craigmillar. 

"When my mother took me and my family to Portobello on the hot sunny school holidays from Craigmillar.  It was like a dream come true, all the shows and a trip on the famous Skylark pleasure boat.

The Cadonna family ran the donkeys and the Amusement Park.  My PT teacher, Mr Cossar, used to work for the Cadonna family and was in charge of the donkeys and the Skylark.

On the beach at Portobello we would queue up for the donkey ride as there must have been about 12 donkeys, maybe more  -  but Jock, I will never forget him.  He was a light grey donkey with black patches.

I said to Mr Cossar, "Can I feed him?" and he said, "OK but watch your fingers," I fed him sweets and my candy floss and Jock and I were friends, so I thought, and I had  a great ride on him thinking I was the Lone Ranger.

But about 2 weeks later I was there again with a carrot for Jock. He ate it but caught my finger in his mouth, but my mother pulled me away from him very swiftly as Jock would have taken my hand off."

   ©

"My fault really, and as Mr Cossar was fair and square and said to my mum, "Eric can have the rest of the season free sailing on the Skylark, but don't tell anyone as I am his PT instructor at school in Leith."

So all in all it was Jock that done me a favour as it was through the Skylark at Portobello that gave me the urge to go to sea. Not forgetting Mr Cossar too.

I did bump into Mr Cossar in Princess Street years later and we spoke about Jock and the Skylark which cruised the Forth.  Sometimes it would pass Granton, what a treat.

He did ask me what I was working at, and I said that I'm a first class waiter aboard the Queen Mary, He jokingly said "You can work for me on the Skylark (ha ha ha)."

He was the Best PT teacher ever in Edinburgh as he would do other schools too, and had a great sense of humour."

Portobello

Bathing Pool Pool

Portobello Bathing Pool, or Open Air Pool, beside Portobello Power station opened in 1936.  It finally closed in 1980.

©

Thank you to Carole Irwin for adding the following comment to the EdinPhoto Guest Book in March 2006.:

Carole wrote

The Waves

"Oh joy !!  What memories I had from the open air swimming pool !!    It's where I learned to swim !!.  Long summers, penny biscuits, swimming all day...

You could even bring a favourite record to be played over the P.A.!!

Oh joy!! i remember a lovely chap called Ned who was a channel swimmer !!.  I also remember the famous announcement every hour..'

'THE WAVES WILL BE ON IN 5 MINUTES TIME'

Heaven... "

George Smith replied to Carole Irwin's message above.

George wrote:

Reply

"Carole Irwin's memory of "a lovely guy called Ned" was possibly  one of Ned Barnie whom I remember inspired us Boy Scouts with a  demonstration of swimming at Dalry Baths where he swam underwater for  over a length.

I wonder if anyone else remembers being taught to swim  by Nancy Riach sometime in the 40's.

She was an Olympic competitor  at, I think, the Munich Games. The training pool was in the basement  of a primary school whose name I have forgotten but it was near  Boroughmuir."

Portobello

Bathing Pool Pool

Question

Carole left another message in the EdinPhoto Guest Book in September 2007, asking a question about the pool.

Carole wrote

Pool Manager

"Does anyone remember the Manager of Portobello Open Air Pool?  His second name was Wilson and I remember he had a daughter who was my 'Summer Pal'.

He went on to become the Manager of the Royal Commonwealth Pool in the '70s.

Can anyone help?"

If you think you may be able to help to answer Carole's question, please email me and I'll pass on your message to her.

Thank you.    - Peter Stubbs:  September 18, 2007

Portobello  Open Air Pool

The Pool

©

Miles Cumming, Edinburgh wrote:

Cold !!

"I remember well my visits to the pool.  It was the anticipation which was exciting as a child.  I can vividly recall the sight that greeted me after emerging from the darkness of the changing rooms - the brightness of the sunlight and blueness of the huge pool before me...

On my final visit I had learned to swim, but the water was just too COLD!!"

Miles Cumming, Edinburgh, June 5, 2007

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