Cowan's Yard
Albert Street, off Easter Road
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Recollections
1.
Russell Young
Kilbarchan, Renfrewshire, Scotland |
In the 1990s, Cowans yard in
Albert Street, close to its junction with Easter Road, was being
used by George Christie to store building materials.
I'm pleased to be able to record Russell Young's recollections below,
describing the yard in earlier times, when it was used by Cowans.
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Russell wrote:
Cowan's Yard
"My father was born in
Easter Road right on the boundary with Leith and his mother (Jemima
Young née Oman) still lived there.
As a small child during,
and just after the war I could sit at the parlour window of number
206 and watch the carters bring their horses and carts through the
vennel into Cowan's yard directly opposite.
It fascinated me that once
the horses were un-hitched and the draw chains hooked up to their
tack they would amble across to the troughs for a long drink while
the carter hitched up the shafts and blocked the wheels of the cart.
The horse would then wander
up the ramps to the appropriate stable on the first floor leaving
the carter to follow on.
Cowans must have been the
'Eddie Stobard's of their day because the horses were nearly always
well turned out.
I lived out in Ormiston
and, being a country yokel, had only seen farm carts, so to me the
variety of carts, pantechnichons and low loaders was amazing.
I had seen two horses
drawing a plough or heavy wagon but three horses
hitched up to a closed furniture van just overwhelmed me."
Russell Young,
Kilbarchan, Renfrewshire, Scotland |
Russell asked:
Photographs
"Do you by any chance have
a photo of Cowans yard?
It wasn't very photogenic
but from 2 stairs up it was my television and I watched sometimes
for hours. I could always hear when Hibs had scored a goal too!"
Russell Young,
Kilbarchan, Renfrewshire, Scotland |
1996 Photo
All I have is a relatively
recent photo, taken in 1996, after Cowans had left the yard and George
Christie had moved in.
In this photo, the yard was
being used by George Christie to store building materials. The
markings on the walls show the positions of the old ramps to the stables.
Christie's Yard
©
Now, it is several years
since George Christie left the yard. The old buildings surrounding
the yard have been demolished and new apartments have been built on the
site.
Peter Stubbs: August 25, 2009
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Recollections
2.
Mitchell Rankin
Loanhead, Midlothian, Scotland |
Thank you to Michael Rankin
who wrote: |
Cowan's
"My father, Willie Rankin,
worked in Cowan's as a farrier. We stayed at 167 Easter Road,
I think that section of read was called Tait Street. It was
between Drum Terrace and Albion Road.
When
they finished work, the workers would go to the Drum Tavern, which
is now the Royal Nip.
I was taken down to the
yard sometimes and put on one of the horses. I think they were
Clydesdales. My father brought the horse brasses home to polish up
most nights."
Mitchell Rankin, Loanhead, Midlothian, Scotland:
August 25, 2009 |
Recollections
3.
Elizabeth Maritz |
Thank you to Elizabeth Maritz
who wrote: |
Cowan's Stables
"I lived across the
road from the Cowan's Stables during the 1930s and 1940s. Carts
were delivering goods around Edinburgh, I think on behalf of the
Railways.
There must have been about
30 - 40 horses stabled there and it was quite a popular venue for
parents to sit their young children on the wall at 5 p.m. to view
the carters guiding their carts into orderly rows then taking their
horses up the ramp to where they were stabled."
Elizabeth Maritz: 15 September 2013 |
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