Rough areas of Edinburgh

[BigAlim]

The walk to college down ferry road drive was always a bit nervy, someone once chucked an egg at me from their window, FROM their window! I was confused to say the least but he missed, took me a minute to register what had happened

[Millie1877]

On 05/09/2015 at 19:02, Carl Fredrickson said:

In the late 1970s my older sister lived in one of the tower blocks at Muirhouse. It wasnt Martella Court but one of the smaller ones round it. 

 

She lived on the 10th floor and being from out of town (the sticks), I would be sent to stay with my sister at weekends or school holidays if I misbehaved. 

 

I hated it. The flat had damp and the walls were paper thin. I wasnt allowed out on the balcony (probably thought I was that depressed that I would jump)

 

Being 10 floors up I wasnt allowed to go out and play. I was young and could make friends easily but the place scared me. 

 

Once I was sitting looking out the window and watched a couple of guys through a FRIDGE from their balcony on Martello Court. I was traumatised by it, thinking that it wasnt safe to walk the streets without things being thrown from flats. 

 

My sisters then hubby was a hibbee and drank at the Gunner. My brother and I had to wait outside one Saturday afternoon as my sister and her hibby went in for a quick drink. Despite it being the middle of the day I was scared shitless watching the folk going in and out as I wasnt accustomed to seeing characters like that. 

 

I last drive near there a couple of years ago and despite a lit of development round about, it still looked like a concrete jungle.

Carl, shocking story about the fridge. I'm researching for a friend at the moment (she was adopted at birth) and I found her great aunt 'fell' from the 21st floor of Martella in 1978. Would your sister remember anything about this? She was only 22 years old. Very sad.

[Carl Fredrickson]

9 hours ago, Millie1877 said:

Carl, shocking story about the fridge. I'm researching for a friend at the moment (she was adopted at birth) and I found her great aunt 'fell' from the 21st floor of Martella in 1978. Would your sister remember anything about this? She was only 22 years old. Very sad.

 

I will ask her next time I talk to her but to be honest I would be amazed if she would mind much from that time of her life. Alcohol and drugs were the most important thing in her life then. 

[Ked]

10 hours ago, Millie1877 said:

Carl, shocking story about the fridge. I'm researching for a friend at the moment (she was adopted at birth) and I found her great aunt 'fell' from the 21st floor of Martella in 1978. Would your sister remember anything about this? She was only 22 years old. Very sad.

Martella court had a reputation for suicide.

[Jambo314]

On 05/09/2015 at 10:02, Carl Fredrickson said:

In the late 1970s my older sister lived in one of the tower blocks at Muirhouse. It wasnt Martella Court but one of the smaller ones round it. 

 

She lived on the 10th floor and being from out of town (the sticks), I would be sent to stay with my sister at weekends or school holidays if I misbehaved. 

 

I hated it. The flat had damp and the walls were paper thin. I wasnt allowed out on the balcony (probably thought I was that depressed that I would jump)

 

Being 10 floors up I wasnt allowed to go out and play. I was young and could make friends easily but the place scared me. 

 

Once I was sitting looking out the window and watched a couple of guys through a FRIDGE from their balcony on Martello Court. I was traumatised by it, thinking that it wasnt safe to walk the streets without things being thrown from flats. 

 

My sisters then hubby was a hibbee and drank at the Gunner. My brother and I had to wait outside one Saturday afternoon as my sister and her hibby went in for a quick drink. Despite it being the middle of the day I was scared shitless watching the folk going in and out as I wasnt accustomed to seeing characters like that. 

 

I last drive near there a couple of years ago and despite a lit of development round about, it still looked like a concrete jungle.

That would have been Birnie's Court (14 stories high) you're sister stayed in Carl, which was adjacent to Martello Court my late brother stayed there too in the 70's I think it was the 13th floor he stayed on from memory. 

[Carl Fredrickson]

20 minutes ago, Jambo314 said:

That would have been Birnie's Court (14 stories high) you're sister stayed in Carl, which was adjacent to Martello Court my late brother stayed there too in the 70's I think it was the 13th floor he stayed on from memory. 

 

Do you know if the high rises have changed names? Birnies looks like the location but the name doesnt ring a bell. It was over 40 years ago.....

[Jambo314]

3 minutes ago, Carl Fredrickson said:

 

Do you know if the high rises have changed names? Birnies looks like the location but the name doesnt ring a bell. It was over 40 years ago.....

Going by google street map this year its still called Birnies Court

 

https://www.google.com/maps/uv?pb=!1s0x4887c7c648f69b9b%3A0x5b59115d0ade6e74!3m1!7e115!4s%2Fmaps%2Fplace%2Fbirnies%2Bcourt%2Bedinburgh%2F%4055.9728902%2C-3.2633561%2C3a%2C75y%2C98.87h%2C90t%2Fdata%3D*213m4*211e1*213m2*211siMBVtUBLmFLTTSGviW4ZfA*212e0*214m2*213m1*211s0x4887c7c648f69b9b%3A0x5b59115d0ade6e74%3Fsa%3DX!5sbirnies court edinburgh - Google Search!15sCgIgAQ&imagekey=!1e2!2siMBVtUBLmFLTTSGviW4ZfA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjjguW76J30AhWxRfEDHYZaAsQQpx96BAhFEAg

[Carl Fredrickson]

1 minute ago, Jambo314 said:

Going by google street map this year its still called Birnies Court

 

https://www.google.com/maps/uv?pb=!1s0x4887c7c648f69b9b%3A0x5b59115d0ade6e74!3m1!7e115!4s%2Fmaps%2Fplace%2Fbirnies%2Bcourt%2Bedinburgh%2F%4055.9728902%2C-3.2633561%2C3a%2C75y%2C98.87h%2C90t%2Fdata%3D*213m4*211e1*213m2*211siMBVtUBLmFLTTSGviW4ZfA*212e0*214m2*213m1*211s0x4887c7c648f69b9b%3A0x5b59115d0ade6e74%3Fsa%3DX!5sbirnies court edinburgh - Google Search!15sCgIgAQ&imagekey=!1e2!2siMBVtUBLmFLTTSGviW4ZfA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjjguW76J30AhWxRfEDHYZaAsQQpx96BAhFEAg

 

Apologies if I didnt make it clear, was it Birnies Court in the 70s? The name doesnt ring a bell but I was 7 or 8 at the time so might not remember it. 

[Jambo314]

1 minute ago, Carl Fredrickson said:

 

Apologies if I didnt make it clear, was it Birnies Court in the 70s? The name doesnt ring a bell but I was 7 or 8 at the time so might not remember it. 

Yes it was definitely named Birnies Court back then as that was the original name. I was brought up close by 62 years ago😊

[Carl Fredrickson]

1 minute ago, Jambo314 said:

Yes it was definitely named Birnies Court back then as that was the original name. I was brought up close by 62 years ago😊

 

Cheers, something else I will need to ask my sister....

[Jambo314]

5 minutes ago, Carl Fredrickson said:

 

Apologies if I didnt make it clear, was it Birnies Court in the 70s? The name doesnt ring a bell but I was 7 or 8 at the time so might not remember it. 

Fidra Court is the identical building although this is situated a few hundred yards away.

[Jambo314]

1 minute ago, Jambo314 said:

Fidra Court is the identical building although this is situated a few hundred yards away.

Gunnet Court is situated between both Birnies and Fidra although this is on four story high.

[Carl Fredrickson]

5 minutes ago, Jambo314 said:

Gunnet Court is situated between both Birnies and Fidra although this is on four story high.

 

Cheers. She was 10 floors up with maybe another couple above her. It was about half the size of Martello Court which you could see from her balcony. There was a small car park and some garages near the main entrance (though I imagine all the high rise would have these)

[Pasquale for King]

Having grown up in Muirhouse I think it looks much better these days. Niddrie is also much improved. 
Gilmerton seems to be quite bad just now. 
Groups of youths have hung around Porty high street for a while, my old man had a problem one night with them. 
I also had a discussion with them one night when they booted their ball into the bus stop and nearly hit an old lady.  
I drop kicked the ball so hard it would took his head off if it had connected. 
Police station has opening hours on it ffs 🤦🏽. 

[pharmaceutical01]

Worked for the Lloyds in Pennywell Road and also In The Lloyds in the Wester Hailes centre. I thought muirhouse and pilton was worse. Now have some ‘clients’ from Broomhouse, Saughton mains and Stenhouse…..pussycats by comparison 

[The White Cockade]

Lived in multi storey flat in Gracemount 60’s 70’s and 80’s 

Some hard boys there back in the 70’s and more druggies in the 80’s when anybody who could moved out

had a mate who rode for the Monarchs in the 80’s who lived down Muirhouse in Fidra Court and that was a scary place 

[John Findlay]

I lived in the following addresses from birth to 16yrs old.

From birth to age 1, 28 Ferry Road Avenue.

From age 1 to age 8, 1 Royston Mains Place. Starting my school years at Royston Primary in 1968.

From age 8 to age 9 80 Brisbane Street, Craighall Livingston, attending Almond Bank primary just after it opened.

Aged 9 to aged 11, 6 Ferry Road Place, attending Pirniehall primary, Pirniehall being the first school team I ever played for. Fetlor youth club being the first boys club I ever played for.

Age 11 to age 12 4 St Katherine's loan Gracemount attending St Catherine's primary and becoming their school goalie in primary seven, taking over from a guy called Scott Wilson, who had moved onto secondary school.

Aged 12-16 4 Ferry Road Drive, all my secondary education being at St Thomas's. This was from 1975-1979, I was the only boy in West Pilton who wore school uniform. Played every year for the school football team and played for St Bernard's boys club.

I knew all the bad families like the MacGregor's, Calvey's and Keith Quinn from West Pilton at the time.

My best move ever was leaving there in September 79, before the drugs scene really kicked in in the 1980s.

 

[3fingersreid]

10 hours ago, pharmaceutical01 said:

Worked for the Lloyds in Pennywell Road and also In The Lloyds in the Wester Hailes centre. I thought muirhouse and pilton was worse. Now have some ‘clients’ from Broomhouse, Saughton mains and Stenhouse…..pussycats by comparison 

You worked ???? 

[JudyJudyJudy]

11 hours ago, Pasquale for King said:

Having grown up in Muirhouse I think it looks much better these days. Niddrie is also much improved. 
Gilmerton seems to be quite bad just now. 
Groups of youths have hung around Porty high street for a while, my old man had a problem one night with them. 
I also had a discussion with them one night when they booted their ball into the bus stop and nearly hit an old lady.  
I drop kicked the ball so hard it would took his head off if it had connected. 
Police station has opening hours on it ffs 🤦🏽. 

Its very true regarding the improvement in most areas of Edinburgh really.  There has been massive improvements in them. IN particular Niddrie .  Wester Hailes the Calders etc all due to regeneration and an influx of different peoples. Id be hard pressed to name a really deprived area of Edinburgh now.   I mean an area with high crimes rates and poverty. 

[Seymour M Hersh]

On 03/09/2015 at 14:10, 3fingersreid said:

Martello court has a concierge I'll have you know

 

Good and bad all over the city

 

Is that how they refer to their "supplier" nowadays? 

[Locky]

I've recently moved into Dumbiedykes back to my Mums. Well, I say back there, but she moved in after I flew the nest so my first experience of actually living in the scheme. Some place so it is. Love it there though.

 

A real mix of people as it has become very desirable for students due to the proximity of the Uni. Still plenty of shady types around too though. Day before I moved into my Mums, the ground floor neighbour got done in with a baseball bat in the stair.

 

Recently just moved back into Edinburgh after 3 years down in Mussy. I lived just off the High Street, so never any trouble bar a bit of noisy thoroughfare. But, Pinkie and the Delta's had their moments.

[Savage Vince]

3 hours ago, JamesM48 said:

Its very true regarding the improvement in most areas of Edinburgh really.  There has been massive improvements in them. IN particular Niddrie .  Wester Hailes the Calders etc all due to regeneration and an influx of different peoples. Id be hard pressed to name a really deprived area of Edinburgh now.   I mean an area with high crimes rates and poverty. 

 

Broomhouse. 

[3fingersreid]

52 minutes ago, Seymour M Hersh said:

 

Is that how they refer to their "supplier" nowadays? 

I suppose every job description has been updated 😀

[redjambo]

16 hours ago, Ked said:

Martella court had a reputation for suicide.

 

I once went to look at a room in Martello Court with a view to renting it. Noped right out of there...

[Jambo314]

4 minutes ago, redjambo said:

 

I once went to look at a room in Martello Court with a view to renting it. Noped right out of there...

I remember when we stayed close by, before there were any occupants in Martello Court, council families were offered viewing with an option to moving in. I remember as a 4/5 year old getting the lift up to the top floor ( 23 stories high I think ) and heading out to the balcony area. I couldn't bring myself to stand and chose to crawl on my hands and knees to take in the wonderful views😄

[pharmaceutical01]

15 hours ago, 3fingersreid said:

You worked ???? 

See you Friday 3FT!!

[PortyJambo]

I worked a temp contract back in the 90's for Channel 5 when it was being launched, where we had to go around properties to re-tune their VCR's, as the frequency C5 was going to be on was close to the frequency VCR's used so might interfere with them.

 

I was lucky enough to get assigned the top floor of Cables Wynd as one of my streets. As soon as I stepped out the lift, I saw blood flowing along in the gutter near the balcony edge and thought "this is going to be fun"...

 

To be fair, most of the flat tenants were brand new, but a couple of junkies who were out their face came to one of the doors when I knocked. I soon decided they didn't really need their VCR checked (had probably sold it for a fix!) and quickly left when they were trying to get me to come in.