Old Edinburgh Shops From Yesteryear

[Gershwin]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4tqZXXjELI

[Stuart Lyon]

NB Jambo The Apple shop building was indeed Woolworths for a long time- I remember being taken into it in the 50s

[Stuart Lyon]

Re the Newsagents in Viewforth when I first started going out with my now wife  in the early 80s she lived at Viewforth Sq and she always referred to the shop as Don's presumably because that ws the name of the guy who ran it. 

[J.T.F.Robertson]

Jeffries record store on Bread Street. Mr Smith's on Lothian Road.

 

This is close to masochism.

[The Real Maroonblood]

Jacksons at Tollcross.

John Collier and Hepworths in Princes Street.

All tailors.

Jeromes opposite John Lewis was a photographers.

Edited March 5, 2016 by The Real Maroonblood

[Adam Murray]

Cowan Tailoring on South Bridge was the shop for any well dressed young man in the early 80's

[William H. Bonney]

What subject was he, Chambers was German teacher. Mr Swan (Maths)?must remember him?

Modern studies. its been 20 years since I left though. Mr swan doesn't ring a bell.

[slashishere]

went there, canny remember its name, there was one on frederick st i went to a lot as well, one next to the ABC as well

Sweet Inspiration if memory serves (next to the ABC) always good for a 12 inch.....

Edited March 5, 2016 by slashishere

[crunchy frog]

What was the name of the record shop at the Haymarket end of Dalry Road? Always had a browse on the way up to Tynie.

Hot Wax. Bert was a character.

[maroongoals]

Rankins fruit shops one in elm row the other was at the west end

[iantjambo]

Loving the nostalgia threads that have popped up over the last 24 hours

 

Anyway:

 

Tandy: I got my first mobile in there in 1999

Virgin

John Menzies

Wimpy

Woolies

[Sraman]

Ma Scobie's tiny sweet shot opposite Kirk Loan in Corstorphine.

 

A quarter of Sports Mixtures out of the brown box.

 

Much tastier than the bags nowadays.

 

Scobies was always the last stop before BB's. It was always a quarter of kola/pineapple cubes before junior section then a packet of Victory V's when I moved up to the senior section.

Tarry's in Manse Road was the best Chippy in Corstorphine until he fell on hard times and started counting out the chips.

Sweet Inspiration records on St. Johns Road, I bought my first LP from there, Mission Accomplished But The Beat Goes On........

Kemps on the Glasgow Road, 10 Regal and 1/2 a microwave pizza for my school dinner.

[¼½¾]

Rankins fruit shops one in elm row the other was at the west end

Was the west end one where Ryan's Bar is now?

[Stuart Lyon]

Earl - yes that was Rankins fruit and flower shop with their sweetie shop round the corner into Hope St. There were other Rankin shops notably down from the Playhouse, Nicholson St. & Stockbridge. I am sure their were probably a few more.

[Craigieboy]

Fondly remember bakeries where you could sit in and eat in those little booths.

 

Probably Bratisannis. Chips out the one at Clerk St after swimming in the commonwealth pool.

[William H. Bonney]

Thinns bookstore on George street used to have a games section upstairs. Played street fighter up there.

 

Also a toy shop on clerk street opposite the odeon cinema, used to play scaletrix(sp).

[@VladMagic]

Couple that jumped out at me when I saw the topic.

 

Score Commotions. The joke shop that featured in the movie "Restless Natives". Forget the road it was on but near Grass Market.

 

Fat Sams. Coolest restaurant in town when you were 11. Had a puppet band and live piranhas in a tank!!

 

Wonderland. Up from what used to be Century 2000. I believe its still there? Wonderland that is? Used to love going in there as a kid. 

[Alan_R]

PULP the old skate shop just up from the bridges (think that was its name) used to have applejacks downstairs

[Alan_R]

also GroundControl the piercers on cockburn street. Is that still there? Where Tails worked, was always a well known character. 

[reaths17]

Sweet Inspiration if memory serves (next to the ABC) always good for a 12 inch.....

thats it.

 

lilywhites sports at the west end, later spud'u'like.

 

this isn't nostalgia it's a mental test, the trouble being, that to have known these shops you have to have a few miles on the clock and having that causes its own problems with a fading away memory and names are the 1st to go

[The Real Maroonblood]

B Hyams the tailor at the Tron.

[Brandt]

Remnant Kings. Top of Minto Street.

 

Laskys. Broughton Street. Sold computer games.

 

Used to be 3 chippies on drummond street. One had logs along the ceiling and the chips would be frying in an old metal bin.

 

There used to be a Dofos pet shop down the one way street from the Commie.

 

McKenzie Sports. Where the festival theatre is now.

Edited March 5, 2016 by Brandt

[westbow]

The Record Exchange, South Clerk st.

Ronnies hairdressers on Causewayside, another bowlcut enthusiast.

[westbow]

Cowan Tailoring on South Bridge was the shop for any well dressed young man in the early 80's

Yes! Purveyors of Y cardigans and sta press.

[Jambo Ell]

There was azads and Hollywood nites, both opposite each other on morningside road. Can't recall one at the bottom though.

There was one on Morningside Drive too, I can't recall the name of it but I remember my Dad telling me about a story about the shop, my sister was in tears not wanting to hand back a Postman Pat video we had rented. The next week my family "won" the raffle in the shop and we were given the Postman Pat video

 

I'd forgotten all about Azads. I remember there being a party shop a couple of doors down from the Post Office too.

Edited March 5, 2016 by Jambo Ell

[Talk-o-the-North]

Earl - yes that was Rankins fruit and flower shop with their sweetie shop round the corner into Hope St. There were other Rankin shops notably down from the Playhouse, Nicholson St. & Stockbridge. I am sure their were probably a few more.

Think there was one in Gorgie for a wee while in the 80's.

[trex]

Indoor market at tollcross I think it was called spooky or spook market,thompson sports shops,sparks a curtain shop in brunstfield,blues skiing shop and skateboarding shop.

[The Real Maroonblood]

Remnant Kings. Top of Minto Street.

Laskys. Broughton Street. Sold computer games.

Used to be 3 chippies on drummond street. One had logs along the ceiling and the chips would be frying in an old metal bin.

There used to be a Dofos pet shop down the one way street from the Commie.

McKenzie Sports. Where the festival theatre is now.

That was the Empire Theatre.

[Brandt]

That was the Empire Theatre.

I think they levelled 2 buildings? If no, it was next door.

[luckyBatistuta]

Indoor market at tollcross I think it was called spooky or spook market,thompson sports shops,sparks a curtain shop in brunstfield,blues skiing shop and skateboarding shop.

 

Spookerection?not sure if that's how it was spelt

[I P Knightley]

Phoenix Records on the Royal Mile. I think it was near where Gordons Trattoria is now.

 

 

Sweet Inspiration if memory serves (next to the ABC) always good for a 12 inch.....

These are the two that I immediately thought of when I saw the thread title. Many happy hours spent fumbling with the 12-inchers in those shops.

 

They had their own placky bags which would hold a maximum of 4 LPs. Sweet Inspiration had a spiral pattern, if memory serves me, while Phoenix had a drawing of a record shop window with a few notable album covers, the only one of which I remember was "In the Court of King Crimson".

 

I remember a few of the other shops mentioned (PT's, Binn's). I also spent a lot of my childhood with my nose pressed against the window of a toy & model shop in Morningside called "Donray's".

 

Talk on here of Brattisani's makes it sound like it's no longer there. Shame, that. The other old favourite that's no longer there is Mr Boni's ice cream place opposite the King's Theatre.

[The Real Maroonblood]

I think they levelled 2 buildings? If no, it was next door.

You might be right.

[maroongoals]

and there was Goldbergs

[John Findlay]

Fondly remember bakeries where you could sit in and eat in those little booths.

 

Probably Bratisannis. Chips out the one at Clerk St after swimming in the commonwealth pool.

Aye did that after Commie pool too. Best chippies in Edinburgh.

[The Real Maroonblood]

and there was Goldbergs

With their automatic doors.

[jamboron]

Fondly remember bakeries where you could sit in and eat in those little booths.

 

Probably Bratisannis. Chips out the one at Clerk St after swimming in the commonwealth pool.

Newington Rd , I worked there in 1974 with Joe Jordan`s auntie and a certain Walter Kidd , along with quite a few other kids from both Gracemount and the Inch they were the good old days .

[maggieb]

please gran , we are desperate for a new fitba , look , here son ,theres yer bus fare ,one book will do , proud as punch off to the green shield stamp shop ,bottom o Leith walk,

 

real leather in a box , class

[pablo]

Austin Reed in Princes Street to look at the Taccinhi Borg stuff we couldn't afford .

[mrcrisps]

C's Own Make sweetie shop. Junction of Easter Road and London Road.

[westbow]

Army and Navy stores on Leith Walk. Got my Parka there.

[maggieb]

Army and Navy stores on Leith Walk. Got my Parka there.

 

fishtail or the poofy one?

[Angry Haggis]

Great thread.

 

Burberrys on Princes Street..next to C&A if I recall correctly.

 

Everything Addids on Castle Street.

[CostaJambo]

Anyone remember a wee sports shop in Stockbridge around 1977? I remember my uncle taking me up there with my birthday money and I bought a Leeds Utd. home top, yellow v neck with a solid blue and solid white stripe down the sleeve.

[Brian Whittaker's Tache]

Blethering to a guy at a wedding in Poland at Christmas and his Dad used to own Sports Conscious and Everything Adidas in town.

I remember cutting about in my gear from Smiths Menswear. They used to dress all the Hearts players at the time. I think Ive only just paid off the Style Card I spent ?500 on!!

 

Sandy's at the bottom of Broughton Street for a quality flat top!!

[The White Cockade]

J and R Allan's

Grant's Dept Store on the corner of the Bridges opposite the Tron was Pizzaland after that

Used to be a boy outside that sold papers -always got my Speedway Star there

Tony's Cafe in Gilmerton

McKechnies Barbers in Gracemount and Boab's Paper Shop

[trex]

McDonald's the bike shop,Mcrakens bike repairs in d"mains,,reynold store dmains

[J.T.F.Robertson]

Cowan Tailoring on South Bridge was the shop for any well dressed young man in the early 80's

John Temples, just before East Crosscauseway in Newington, got my first mohair suit there. Mind you, that was the late '60's.

The poverty stricken man's version of Steve Marriot.

[Tommy Brown]

Maurice Pollock Sports Shop, Haymarket right at the bottom of Dalry Road.

 

Never go into town anymore, but before shopping malls, you would shop in boutiques in Cockburn Street (Sunset Boulevard was one).

Cant remember what the shops were just down from the ABC on Lothian Road

 

BW Tache  mentioned the Style card, think everybody got one at 18, never been out of debt since.

[Talk-o-the-North]

Blethering to a guy at a wedding in Poland at Christmas and his Dad used to own Sports Conscious and Everything Adidas in town.

 

I remember cutting about in my gear from Smiths Menswear. They used to dress all the Hearts players at the time. I think Ive only just paid off the Style Card I spent ?500 on!!

 

Sandy's at the bottom of Broughton Street for a quality flat top!!

 

Hardcore jeans from Smiths and a pair of Nike Wimbledons. Business.

[Sharpie]

Alexanders motor cycle shop, next to the Caley Cinema, bought my brand new AJS there early 1956 with my army savings. sold it for the wifes engagement ring. Still wonder about that deal, especially now the wifes got more miles on her than the bike had.

 

Bill Watters dairy next to Preston Street School.

 

Mackenzies Nicolson Street. Boxed for years never had a gumshield, joined the police boxing team had to get one. Went to Mckenzies, never really fit, only years later when in Canada and my son had one for football learned you had to soften them in hot water then mold them to your own fit. Obviously took too many shots to the heid.                Mrs Craigies just at the gates to Ushers Brewery, always open on Sundays, got my Globe lemonade there in the globe shaped bottle.

 

Mac Fisheries, Newington Road, got my first job there as a message boy, had a delivery but couldn't read the address a c ustomer told me it was Milton Road, bicycled there, went to an address they said not us must be East Milton, cycled all the way there, nearly at Musselburgh, not that address either, left shop at 2''00pm now after 4, heading for Duddington the chain broke on the message bike, the basket full of fish, july, not good. Eventually got to Dalkeith Road and Park Road, met the store manager and my sister, search parties out looking for me, the address was actually Wilton Road three minutes from the shop. For some reason I got fired on the spot, my sister asked for my pay he said you can have the fish in the basket, which was now really stinking he then told us to carry out a physically impossible sex act as he carried away his broken bike and basket of smelly fish.

Edited March 5, 2016 by bobsharp