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Recollections
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Thank you to Don Johnston who wrote:
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Vennel
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"I
was browsing through your website and came upon the vennel
photographs."
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Brown's Place
"I lived in Brown's Place from 1944
til 1952. It was approx half way down the Vennel,
opposite the portal gate. The area was referred to as the
Jewsy.
I believe there were 13 flats in
Brown's Place, including three derelict flats,
- We and the Gillies family were
in the two flats at No.3.
- Below us were the Mckenzie and
the Cartey families
- I also remember the
McDermott, Hughes and Craig families."
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Renovation
"Below the McKenzie's was a flat
that has now been renovated and given a window and entry into the
Vennel.
Access used to be via a pend in the
Grassmarket which led to a dingy laneway up the side of a
tinsmiths to the rear of the Brown's Place buildings.
The rear wall of Brown's Place was
open to the elements. I was told that the buildings were to
be extended but someone had run out of money. However
I believe that the wall has now been renovated."
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Play
"Brown's Place was a terrific place to
grow up:
- There were the back
yards with two old Anderson shelters. We kept rabbits in one
and had the other to play in, in bad weather.
- Out the front, beside the
steps, we had the drying green where we played rounders."
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Accident
"The Vennel was a safe place to play,
although once a couple of teens stole a truck wheel and sent it
down the vennel where the old women from the Salvation Army hostel
used to sit smoking their old clay pipes on the dark steps at the
bottom.
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The wheel bounced way over their
heads, cleared a van heading up the West Port, carried over to the
west end of King's Stables Road and bounced almost up to Granny's
Green (the grassy slope from Johnston Terrace to King's Stables
Road near the NW corner of the Grassmarket.
I believe the culprits were caught and
went to Borstal. I was at the Jewsy Gates and witnessed it.
Basher Thompson, the local cop questioned us. We all gave a
good description."
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Basher Thompson
"Basher was so called because he was
the Police Heavyweight Boxing Champion. He once caught us
playing football in the Grassmarket. He yelled at us to go
to the Police Box at the east end of the West Port.
Like dopes, we did. Our names
were written in the book and we got a 'kick up the arse'. It
was a push with the sole of his boot. Of course, we all
carried on holding our backsides.
God help any one who harmed any of the
kids on his beat. He knew us all and unfortunately our
parents too. Those were great days. We always felt
safe."
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Granny Gillies
"Granny Gillies used to tell us
stories of the area:
- She claimed the derelict flat up the
laneway by the tinsmiths was once used by Hare of 'Burke & Hare' .
- She told us that the area half
way down the steps, on the west side, near the portal gateway, was
called Jewsy because there had been a Jewish temple there.
There had also once been a slaughterhouse there.
- She told us that they (who?)
gave money to the King to fight his wars. Maybe this was
just another 'old wives tale', but I liked the old tales and was
an avid listener when granny looked after us." |
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Keir Street Lasses
"The lassies from Keir Street used to
play Henners on the railings outside the Kindy**
at the top of the Vennel steps. That was a case of 'shock
horror' for us. I can tell you, who wanted them playing in
our domain? That was a boys' area.
Well, I
ended up marrying one of them, so I'm not complaining now."
**
children's nursery (kindergarten)
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Fond Memories
"I have very fond memories of the
Vennel and Brown's Place. It was always a wonderful place
for kids, so long as you didn't mind climbing steps." |
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Don Johnston, St Mary's New
South Wales, Australia: February 22, 2011 |
