Saughton

and

Balgreen

1.

George Smith
 British Columbia, Canada

-  Saughton House

-  Saughton Hall

2.

Ken Smith
 Calgary, Alberta, Canada

-  Saughton Hall

3.

Matt Rooney
 New Cumnock, Ayrshire, Scotland

-  Saughton Prison

       -  Picking Potatoes

       -  The Journey Home

4.

David Welsh
East Lothian, Scotland

-  Move from Pilton

-  Tony Demarco's

-  Local Shops

-  'Busy Bee'

5.

John Lenaghen

-  'Busy Bee'

6.

Lilian Young
New Jersey, USA

-  Street Parties

-  Saughton Loan

-  The Services

-  Memories

7.

Roger McDermaid
Corstorphine, Edinburgh

-  Saughton House

-  Fire

8.

Arch Stratton
Brampton, Ontario, Canada

-  80 Calder Road

-  Around Saughton

-  Do you remember me?

9.

Lilian Young
New Jersey, USA

-  Saughton Loan

10.

Robbie Mason
Lasswade

Question

-  Stenhouse Greyhound Track

10.

Reply 1

David Brown

Reply

-  Stenhouse Greyhound Track

11.

Malcolm Millar
 Liverpool, Lancashire, England

-  Congregational Church

12.

Tricia Dick (née Martin)
Burnie, Tasmania, Australia

-  99 Whitson Road

-  My family

-  Koala Bear

-  My friend Catherine

-  Food Deliveries

-  Fishing

-  Bonfires

-  Memories

13.

Rosalind Gibb
Edinburgh

-  Saughton Park

 

Recollections

1.

George Smith

British Columbia, Canada - Dec 2004

Saughton House

The building behind the three-arched bridge in the engraving above is Saughton House.  It was demolished to make room for Broomhouse primary School.

Saughton Hall

There was also a Saughton Hall, which stood in 98 acres of land, built around mid-1600s, or perhaps developed from an even earlier building.  It was purchased by Edinburgh Corporation in 1900 to be developed as a public park and housing.  The building became derelict and dangerous and was demolished in 1952.

Further details can be found in a Historic Monuments (Scotland) report of 1929 which also includes a floor plan of the building.  The report records that the property remained in the family of Robert Baird (who was knighted in 1695) from 1660 until the early 19th century.

It then became The Institute for the Recovery of the Insane, described as "a private lunatic asylum exclusively designed for the reception of Patients of the higher ranks".

Saughton Hall

Thank you to George Smith for providing the details above, and also for his reminiscences of the 1930s.  George describes Saughton Hall as:

"a derelict building which teased my juvenile imagination.  It was turreted and reminiscent of Dracula or perhaps The Munsters. I know it was owned by the Baird family (my mother was a Baird).  The building  was used as accommodation during the 1908 Exhibition."

George Smith, British Columbia, Canada - Dec 2004

 

Recollections

2.

Ken Smith

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Saughton Hall

Ken Smith of Calgary, Alberta, Canada  recalls a story of an apparition:

"a 'white lady', which caused a stir at a concert in the park some time just before Saughton Hall was demolished by the Royal Engineers and the Fire Brigade in 1952"

Ken Smith, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Feb 2005
Ken is not related to George Smith, above

 

Recollections

3.

Matt Rooney

New Cumnock, Ayrshire, Scotland

Saughton Prison

Thank you to Matt Rooney for the following recollections.

Matt wrote:

Picking Potatoes

"My recollections of Saughton, while working as a driver for William Stewart's coaches of Dalkeith, were of  arriving at the prison very early to collect a few prisoners and their warders and take them to the  'tatties' .
The furthest we went was round about Berwick.  The prisoners were sort of trustee's, or they didn't have long to go before the end of their sentences, so they were allowed out to work on selected farms, where they helped to lift the tatties,
I do remember taking one of the trustees into a local village for messages for the farmer's wife.  The farmer fed them each day.  All I had to do was drop them off, and either myself or another driver would collect them and take them back to Saughton."

The Journey Home

"Another time I was at one farm and the prisoners and the warders were late in finishing up for the night.  I had to take a shortcut along Princes Street, which was normally taboo at that time as the route was mapped out to avoid the City at all costs, but it was unavoidable.
Now the buses that we the Drivers drove were the old type with wind-down handles for the windows, so we were told by the boss to unscrew these, so that the prisoners couldn't open them.  But, within 2 minutes of knowing that they would be going along Princes Street they had all the windows open and were whistling at all the girls and ladies in the street.
Fortunately, none of them attempted to escape, as they could easily have disappeared into the crowds.   Needless to say, that never happened again."
Matt Rooney:  New Cumnock, Ayrshire

 

Recollections

4.

David Welsh

East Lothian, Scotland

Thank you to David Welsh who wrote:

Move from Pilton

"My family moved to Saughton Mains Loan from the Pilton prefabs in 1966 and lived there until 1981 when I got married."

Tony Demarco's

"There was a great bunch of kids there and we spent our nights sitting on the wall outside Tony Demarco's chippy which, when it opened in 1971, charged the princely sum of 11p for a fish supper and 4p for a bag of chips.

Tony is my cousin and I occasionally got treated to a freebie if I was lucky."

Local Shops

"The local shops which have now been pulled down to make way for houses included:

-  Joe Massey, the baker.

-  Walsh's newsagent, where my mum worked for a while.

-  Gavin, the butcher."

Busy Bee

"Once I got to 18, I worked in the Busy Bee pub along with several colourful characters.  The pub is still there, although looking a little run down these days."

David Welsh, East Lothian:  April 18, 2008

 

Recollections

5.

John Lenaghen

Thank you to John Lenaghen who wrote:

Busy Bee Pub

Saughton Mains Congregational Church

"The building that the Busy Bee pub now occupies started off its life as Saughton Mains Congregational Church.  It was built in the very early 1950s.

The Minister who started up the church was the Rev Stanley Perkins.  He resided with his wife, Amanda, in Saughtonhall Drive, Saughtonhall.  As far as I can remember he was the only minister who was resident there, and I know the building was still being used as a church in November 1959."

Community Hall

"It had it's own Girl Guide company.  I cannot remember any other organisations attached to it, but it was the Community Hall for the residents of Saughton Mains in the 1950s.2

Community Hall

"I'm not sure when it closed, as I left the district about this time. It lay empty for a while before the Busy Bee took it over."

John Lenaghen:  November 22, 2009, 2008

 

Recollections

6.

Lilian Young

USA

Thank you to Lilian Young who wrote:

Street Parties

"Watching the coverage of the Royal Wedding of William and Kate and seeing the street parties all over the country brought back memories of the street parties we had in Edinburgh for VE Day and VJ Day."

Saughton Loan

"At the end of the war, my family lived at 12 Saughton Loan.  All all the ladies decided to pool resources and have a street party to celebrate.    Tables and chairs were in the middle of the roadway, and bunting and flags hung everywhere.   Children were decked out in their Sunday best and the tables were piled high with cakes, cookies, sandwiches and urns of tea.    We had music and danced all over the place, and at night we had a huge bonfire."

The Services

"Someone had baked a cake and men who were home on leave were in uniform of the army and air force, but we had no sailor, so my Aunt Dorothy dressed her small son, Norman, in a sailor suit and he was held in the middle and helped to cut this cake."

Memories

"Unfortunately we have no photos of this cake cutting or party, but we do have wonderful memories of a time when neighbours got together to celebrate.   I wonder if anyone else recalls the Victory parties?"

Lilian Young, USA:  May 3, 2011

Recollections

7.

Roger McDermaid

Corstorphine, Edinburgh

Thank you Roger McDermaid for writing again with more memories of Corstorphine.

Roger wrote:

Saughton House

"Up to age of 7, I lived in Chesser Cres, across the road from Saughton Park .

I remember the old house in Saughton Park being a rather spooky sort of place.  I was a bit frightened of it when I was young.  I just felt a sort of uneasiness about it.  I used to imagine faces at widows."

Fire

"One day, on way to school about 8.30 in the morning, I crossed over the Gorgie Rd at Robb's Loan to find the house ablaze. There were flames leaping out from the roof and licking out of the windows.

It made for a very eerie sight which, to this day, I have never forgotten.  In fact, I had bad dreams when young about it and the story of Jane Eyre reminds me of this.  That story about the lunatic wife of Rochester always frightened me and, to this day, I cannot watch any film about it.

To my surprise, until I read the articles in your web site, I had never realised that the house had been used as a lunatic asylum.  That now I find very strange as I had this feeling about it.  I was only 6 when it was burnt down .

This is a very true account of what I felt of this place and I don't believe in ghosts but now I'm not so sure."

Roger McDermaid, Corstorphine, Edinburgh:  April 7, 2012

 

Recollections

8.

Arch Stratton

Brampton, Ontario, Canada

Arch Stratton wrote:

80 Calder Road

"I was born in Niddrie Mains in 1944 and lived there until moving to 80 Calder Road, across the road from Saughton Prison, in 1952.

I went to Broomhouse primary School and then to Pentland Secondary before coming to Canada in 1957 at age 12."

Around Saughton

"I remember the Silver Wing Pub being there, and also a small shopping area nearby, with (I think it was called) Tari’s fish and chip shop and a barber whose daughter I met some years later, here in Canada.

Do you remember me or any of my Family?

"I'd love to hear from anyone that knew any of us."

Arch Stratton, Brampton, Ontario, Canada

Reply to Arch

If you'd like to send a message to Arch, please email me, then I'll pass on his email address to you..  Thank you.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:  January 2, 2012

 

Recollections

9.

Lilian Young

Hamilton Square, New Jersey, USA

Thank you to Lilian Young who wrote:

Saughton Loan

"As a young child, I lived at 12 Saughton Loan in Edinburgh.

Our neighbors included:

-  Robertsons

-  McKays

-  Steedmans

-  Duffs

-  MacQuarrie

-  Calquhouns

-  Wallace

-  Greasleys

-  McKinnons

Does anyone recall the Howden/Raeburn/Channon families?

Lilian Young, Hamilton Square, New Jersey, USA:
Message posted in EdinPhoto web site:  May 29. 2013

 

Recollections

10.

Robbie Mason

Lasswade, Midlothian, Scotland

Robbie wrote

Question

Stenhouse Greyhound Track

"I'm having real difficulty finding any information about or photos of Stenhouse greyhound track.  It was near Saughton prison.

Can anybody help?   Any help would be appreciated."

Robbie Mason, Lasswade, Midlothian, Scotland:  September 8, 2013

Reply to Robbie?

If you have any information or photos that you feel might help to answer the question that Robbie has asked above, please email me then I'll pass on his email address to you.    Thank you.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:  September 19, 2014

 

Recollections

10.

Reply

1.

David Brown

Thank you to David Brown for replying to the question that Robbie Mason wrote above.

David replied:

Stenhouse Greyhound Track

"I was very young but, as I recall, the greyhound track was to the south of Saughton Mill, entered about where the carpet warehouse is now. It either doubled up with, or was replaced by, a trotting track - I am sure that the trotting was going on much more recently than the greyhound racing."

David Brown  4 February 2017

 

Recollections

11.

Malcolm Millar

Liverpool, Lancashire, England

Thank you to Malcolm Millar, Liverpool, Lancashire, England for responding to the comments about Saughton Mains Congregational Church in Recollections 5 above.

Malcolm wrote:

Congregational Church

 "I remember Saughton Mains Congregational Church very well as a central hub of the local community.

My parents lived in one of the local pre-fabs in Stenhouse Drive and I was baptised in the Church by the Rev. Charles Paul in 1954. He was succeeded as Minister by the Rev. John Clarke.

 There was a thriving Boys' Brigade group for many years.  My father John Millar was captain in the 1960s.

The Church was a real hub of the local community with:

-  Beetle Drives

-  Sales of Work

-  Fetes

all organised regularly in the summer, which was always sunny!"

Malcolm Millar, Liverpool, Lancashire, Scotland:  January 28, 2014

 

Recollections

12.

Tricia Dick (née Martin)

Burnie, Tasmania, Australia

Thank you to Tricia Dick who wrote:

99 Whitson Road

"I was born in Edinburgh and, until 1958 when we emigrated to Australia, we lived at 99 Whitson Road Balgreen.  Our home was on the second floor.  I remember the coal storage area on the ground floor and the trains zooming by our back yard."

My Family

"My Father was James Martin, bagpipe maker  -  a trade he continued when we moved to Sydney.

Mum was Rose Martin, an ex-shirt maker.

My sister is Ann Martin and I have a brother Harold who came out to Australia with the Big Brother Movement."

Koala Bear

"My Brother, Harold,  sent me a Koala Bear.  I remember coming home from School and Mum was waving it out of our window. It was so exciting.  It lasted for probably 30 years before disintegrating!"

My Friend:  Catherine

"I remember playing with my friend, Katherine, who had polio.  I helped her in our school yard to travel over the ice wearing her callipers."

Food Deliveries

"We had a bread man call  -  also 'the fisho', and probably others that I have forgotten."

Fishing

"We went to the Pansy Walk and caught minnows in, I think, a coat hanger covered with stockings!"

Bonfires

"We used to have a bonfire in the square opposite, and fireworks too."

Memories

"Sweet memories, and I suppose that so many of the things I remember are now gone."

Tricia Dick (née Martin), Burnie, Tasmania, Australia:  August 19, 2015

 

Recollections

13.

Rosalind Gibb

Edinburgh

Thank you to Rosalind Gibb who wrote:

Living Memories Association

Saughton Park Memories Project

Can you Help?

"I work part-time with the Living Memory Association, and we are currently collecting memories from people about Saughton Park, as part of a restoration project. 

We are looking for people to talk to, about their memories of using Saughton Park, for playing, sports, recreation etc, over the years. The memories will be collected into an archive and some of them may also be used for new info panels, artwork etc in the park itself. 

We are also looking for volunteers to do the interviewing. We will provide training and equipment.

Rosalind Gibb, 26 September 2016

Can you Help?

If you think that you might be able to help with the project that  Rosalind mentions above:

-  EITHER by sharing your memories of Saughton Park

-  OR by interviewing others who are willing to share their memories

please email me to let me know, then I'll pass on Rosalind's email address to you so that you will be able to contact her direct.

      Thank you.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:  3, October 2016

Saughton  -  Old Engravings

 

 

 

 

 

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