Edinburgh History

[Sharpie]

44 minutes ago, Radio Ga Ga said:

Your police box is still there Bob, although now a coffee takeaway shop. 

 

Its a wee bit like myself not quite what we used to be. I seem to remember in my time it was 7 beat at box10, Simon Square was 9 at 11, St Patrick Square 8 at 11, Parkside Street 10 at 15, Hope Park 11 at 16, and Marchmont 12 at 18, The Middlemeadow Walk beat was I think 13 beat but I can't remember the Box# thise were all the sections section boxes My non 2nd section beats were Box 30 Wauchope Avenue, and Niddrie Mill/Newcraighall box 31, at Niddrie Mill Crossroads. Worked them all and had a story or two about them all.

[The Mighty Thor]

22 hours ago, Maroon Sailor said:

 

Part of the harbour got reclaimed and there are houses along that jetty where that ship is tied up

I'm sure the ship tied up could be one of the Northern Lighthouse Board ships which used to berth at Granton where they had a workshop and stores. 

 

[Hesh]

2 hours ago, The Natural Order said:

Speedway ran at Powderhall from April 1977 to October 1995.

👍

[Radio Ga Ga]

1 hour ago, Sharpie said:

 

Its a wee bit like myself not quite what we used to be. I seem to remember in my time it was 7 beat at box10, Simon Square was 9 at 11, St Patrick Square 8 at 11, Parkside Street 10 at 15, Hope Park 11 at 16, and Marchmont 12 at 18, The Middlemeadow Walk beat was I think 13 beat but I can't remember the Box# thise were all the sections section boxes My non 2nd section beats were Box 30 Wauchope Avenue, and Niddrie Mill/Newcraighall box 31, at Niddrie Mill Crossroads. Worked them all and had a story or two about them all.

Photographic memory, I can’t remember what I had for my tea! Hope this thread brings back mostly great memories even after spending the majority of your life overseas. 

[Morgan]

1 hour ago, Sharpie said:

 

Its a wee bit like myself not quite what we used to be. I seem to remember in my time it was 7 beat at box10, Simon Square was 9 at 11, St Patrick Square 8 at 11, Parkside Street 10 at 15, Hope Park 11 at 16, and Marchmont 12 at 18, The Middlemeadow Walk beat was I think 13 beat but I can't remember the Box# thise were all the sections section boxes My non 2nd section beats were Box 30 Wauchope Avenue, and Niddrie Mill/Newcraighall box 31, at Niddrie Mill Crossroads. Worked them all and had a story or two about them all.

Wow, Bob!

 

Still ‘Sharp’ as a tack, I see!

 

Brilliant stuff, as usual.

 

[MES]

15 hours ago, jb102 said:

There was a cracking Tarzan swing just up from there that swung out over the banking.

 

But the tree it was tied too has now long gone😭. It makes me feel old.

[Jambo-Jimbo]

15 hours ago, Sharpie said:

No don't remember them. There were a lot of teams back then because at all levels there were a number of leagues.  For working class laddies football was the ideal sport because all you needed was a pair of boots. Nothing classy everyone had the same, brown leather with a hard toe, leather hammer in studs, and you could get on a team with a league where everyone was basically the same level. I played for Preston Street School, then when at Boroughmuir played for  a B.B. team in Corstorphine where some of the guys from school played.

 

 

Cheers Bob.

I didn't know there were lots of teams back then, but it does make sense of something else, which I'll get to later.

 

My dad played for Southfield Rovers just after the war and I have his medals from season 1947-48 when my dad would have been 16 or 17, that season was a particularly successful season judging by the number of cups/shields & trophies there are in the team group photos.

On the back of the medals (which are silver) it has L.A.F.A. 1947-48, I'm assuming that's Lothian Amateur Football Association.

 

Lots of teams and leagues around then, that explains something, my paternal Grandfather was an unofficial scout for Hearts, he went around watching games with 13 to 16 year olds or so and reported back to Tynie that they should have a look at this guy or that guy and sometimes the club sent someone along to watch this player or that player.  Until now I'd just assumed that he'd went around watching school teams, but that might well have not been the case if there were a number of leagues and lots of teams to choose from back then.

I have no idea if any of the players he recommended ever played for us, however I'd imagine law of averages, there would have been one or two whom the Hearts might have had a serious look at.

 

[JT1959]

[Morgan]

30 minutes ago, JT1959 said:

Is that Warrender area?

[JT1959]

58 minutes ago, Morgan said:

Is that Warrender area?

Not Warrender....... but South Edinburgh

[Sharpie]

Is it Park Road before the Pool etc.

[Debut 4]

On 07/12/2020 at 21:25, Radio Ga Ga said:

 

What a brilliant picture(bottom). Having grown up in the Calders/Sighthill area I’d always heard tit bits of history and what it used to be like. 
 

My Father-In-Law said that West Edinburgh used to stop at Broomhouse (is that Broomhouse top middle of pic at foot of Corstorphine?) until the expansion, and Corstorphine was always the main area in that part of Edinburgh before the city got bigger.  👍🏻

[Radio Ga Ga]

Just now, Debut 4 said:

What a brilliant picture(bottom). Having grown up in the Calders/Sighthill area I’d always heard tit bits of history and what it used to be like. 
 

My Father-In-Law said that West Edinburgh used to stop at Broomhouse (is that Broomhouse top middle of pic at foot of Corstorphine?) until the expansion, and Corstorphine was always the main area in that part of Edinburgh before the city got bigger.  👍🏻

I was also brought up in Calder Gardens and went to Sighthill Primary School/WHEC (Forresters whilst the WHEC was being built) and did not realise the whole scheme used to be covered in prefabs

 

I don’t think Broomhouse has even started being built in the picture, 

[JT1959]

7 minutes ago, Sharpie said:

Is it Park Road before the Pool etc.

Aye, that didn't take long.

[Debut 4]

Just now, Radio Ga Ga said:

I was also brought up in Calder Gardens and went to Sighthill Primary School/WHEC (Forresters whilst the WHEC was being built) and did not realise the whole scheme used to be covered in prefabs

 

I don’t think Broomhouse has even started being built in the picture, 

I was the View , Sighthill Primary and WHEC for me too, mate. Lol👍🏻
 

I thought that looked like the start of Broomie? I must be mistaken but once building did start I think it was one of the first schemes built at that side of town.  

[3fingersreid]

2 hours ago, JT1959 said:

What was the building on the right , now the Scottish Widows building ? 
It just looks so Victorian era 

[Sharpie]

7 minutes ago, 3fingersreid said:

What was the building on the right , now the Scottish Widows building ? 
It just looks so Victorian era 

Nelsons Printing works. The area which is now the Pool was known as Nelsons Park, had two football fields. As kids we used to climb the wall the same as the one you can still see and play on the field with gol posts instead of jackets. Davie the park attendant used to chase us the wall was low on the park side but higher on the other side. We used to run to the wall get on the top and dreep to Park Road. I did it one time and hit my nose as I went down. Sair one. A few days later I was really ill my nose, swelling of my nose extreme pain and starting to lose conciousness. My mother whipped me on to a #2 bus and off to the hospital. At the RIE they said I should be at Sick Childrens, and wouldn't examine me.  My mother reverted into hielan; lassie with six brothers and got her fighting stance going, she made such a fuss a surgeon walking past stopped and ended up looking at me, I was immediately taken to surgery, the crack I had incurred in my wall collision had abscessed and if not drained when it was could have caused even fatal damage as it was encroaching on my brain. Of course it was later commented that it all probably had a problem finding my wee brain so I wasn't really in danger. So thats why Park Road was an easy spot for me to get today.

[3fingersreid]

21 minutes ago, Sharpie said:

Nelsons Printing works. The area which is now the Pool was known as Nelsons Park, had two football fields. As kids we used to climb the wall the same as the one you can still see and play on the field with gol posts instead of jackets. Davie the park attendant used to chase us the wall was low on the park side but higher on the other side. We used to run to the wall get on the top and dreep to Park Road. I did it one time and hit my nose as I went down. Sair one. A few days later I was really ill my nose, swelling of my nose extreme pain and starting to lose conciousness. My mother whipped me on to a #2 bus and off to the hospital. At the RIE they said I should be at Sick Childrens, and wouldn't examine me.  My mother reverted into hielan; lassie with six brothers and got her fighting stance going, she made such a fuss a surgeon walking past stopped and ended up looking at me, I was immediately taken to surgery, the crack I had incurred in my wall collision had abscessed and if not drained when it was could have caused even fatal damage as it was encroaching on my brain. Of course it was later commented that it all probably had a problem finding my wee brain so I wasn't really in danger. So thats why Park Road was an easy spot for me to get today.

Cheers Bob 👍🏻 Was it always Nelson or was it something before that ? I know that where I worked , Waddies, was a biscuit factory in one of its previous guises. 

[Sharpie]

13 minutes ago, 3fingersreid said:

Cheers Bob 👍🏻 Was it always Nelson or was it something before that ? I know that where I worked , Waddies, was a biscuit factory in one of its previous guises. 

 I only ever knew it as Nelsons and never as anything else, never heard any of the old people talk about what it was before Nelsons.They not only owned that building that went a good way down Park Road but the building stretched from Park Road to Parkside Terrace and  all the way down there to the Distillery. Nelsons Park was actually a really large acreage and the Bowling Green and clubouse was part of it. My main connection with Nelsons printing works was when I came back from Egypt in December 1954, and made contact at Bill Watters dairy on East Preston Street with some of the girls who worked at Nelsons, the uniform and remains of a two year tan worked wonders.

Did you work somewhere around Causewayside or Salisbury area there were biscuit factories there.

Edited December 9, 2020 by Sharpie

[JT1959]

2 hours ago, 3fingersreid said:

What was the building on the right , now the Scottish Widows building ? 
It just looks so Victorian era 

Always Nelsons, purpose built as a printworks. The Field where the Commonwealth pool stands was for Nelsons staff recreation, Bowling, Football & Putting. The Nelson brothers resided at St Leonards House and Salisbury Green. The stately homes that stand within the Pollok Halls of residence now.. 

[¼½¾]

3 hours ago, Debut 4 said:

I was the View , Sighthill Primary and WHEC for me too, mate. Lol👍🏻
 

I thought that looked like the start of Broomie? I must be mistaken but once building did start I think it was one of the first schemes built at that side of town.  

You're right. They'd just started building Broomie. Its in the field beyond the long diagonal line of trees 2/3 up the picture.

[Byyy The Light]

Really great read this thread. Love hearing all the anecdotes and stories. Cheers everyone

[J.T.F.Robertson]

4 hours ago, Sharpie said:

Nelsons Printing works. The area which is now the Pool was known as Nelsons Park, had two football fields. As kids we used to climb the wall the same as the one you can still see and play on the field with gol posts instead of jackets. Davie the park attendant used to chase us the wall was low on the park side but higher on the other side. We used to run to the wall get on the top and dreep to Park Road. I did it one time and hit my nose as I went down. Sair one. A few days later I was really ill my nose, swelling of my nose extreme pain and starting to lose conciousness. My mother whipped me on to a #2 bus and off to the hospital. At the RIE they said I should be at Sick Childrens, and wouldn't examine me.  My mother reverted into hielan; lassie with six brothers and got her fighting stance going, she made such a fuss a surgeon walking past stopped and ended up looking at me, I was immediately taken to surgery, the crack I had incurred in my wall collision had abscessed and if not drained when it was could have caused even fatal damage as it was encroaching on my brain. Of course it was later commented that it all probably had a problem finding my wee brain so I wasn't really in danger. So thats why Park Road was an easy spot for me to get today.

 

Hi Bob, sorry about your beak.

Preston Street had their sports day there every year when I was an attendant. Always remember winning the sprint one year. Also vaguely recollect hearing whilst there that Hearts had won the League Cup that day, think it was against Third Lanark, but without googling, not certain.

Also used to go there to get conkers, when in season.

Like every kid growing up, wunnerful times.

 

[Sharpie]

22 minutes ago, J.T.F.Robertson said:

 

Hi Bob, sorry about your beak.

Preston Street had their sports day there every year when I was an attendant. Always remember winning the sprint one year. Also vaguely recollect hearing whilst there that Hearts had won the League Cup that day, think it was against Third Lanark, but without googling, not certain.

Also used to go there to get conkers, when in season.

Like every kid growing up, wunnerful times.

 

 

No need to be sorry Jim, it seemed to have a habit of putting itself where it wasn't wanted and suffering accordingly. I think it developed a hit me everybody else has personality, and quite a few accepted the invitation. 

[Debut 4]

7 hours ago, Lemongrab said:

You're right. They'd just started building Broomie. Its in the field beyond the long diagonal line of trees 2/3 up the picture.

👍🏻

[3fingersreid]

10 hours ago, Sharpie said:

 I only ever knew it as Nelsons and never as anything else, never heard any of the old people talk about what it was before Nelsons.They not only owned that building that went a good way down Park Road but the building stretched from Park Road to Parkside Terrace and  all the way down there to the Distillery. Nelsons Park was actually a really large acreage and the Bowling Green and clubouse was part of it. My main connection with Nelsons printing works was when I came back from Egypt in December 1954, and made contact at Bill Watters dairy on East Preston Street with some of the girls who worked at Nelsons, the uniform and remains of a two year tan worked wonders.

Did you work somewhere around Causewayside or Salisbury area there were biscuit factories there.

No Bob , Waddies was on Slateford rd near to the top of Robertson Ave ( opp Leggats garage), later we emigrated to Deans in Livingston 

 

8 hours ago, JT1959 said:

Always Nelsons, purpose built as a printworks. The Field where the Commonwealth pool stands was for Nelsons staff recreation, Bowling, Football & Putting. The Nelson brothers resided at St Leonards House and Salisbury Green. The stately homes that stand within the Pollok Halls of residence now.. 

cheers for that 👍🏻
Printing was a massive employer in Edinburgh past , sad to see it all but go ☹️

[Maroon Sailor]

1930

 

Scottish Policeman wearing the old helmet. Must have been a reason they stopped wearing them as the English and Welsh still wear them.

 

[Maroon Sailor]

1957

 

[Maroon Sailor]

[Maroon Sailor]

[The Real Maroonblood]

1 hour ago, Maroon Sailor said:

1930

 

Scottish Policeman wearing the old helmet. Must have been a reason they stopped wearing them as the English and Welsh still wear them.

 

Probably because they look stupid. 

[gashauskis9]

3 hours ago, Maroon Sailor said:

1957

 

Braw pic.  Comely Bank?

[Sharpie]

2 hours ago, The Real Maroonblood said:

Probably because they look stupid. 

 

4 hours ago, Maroon Sailor said:

1930

 

Scottish Policeman wearing the old helmet. Must have been a reason they stopped wearing them as the English and Welsh still wear them.

 

 They stopped in the early fifties when they abandoned the high collared jackets and went into the new open neck with shirt and tie. Helmets I am told were a nuisance to the  wearers and the new peaked caps were comfortable easy to carry if not in wear,  and believe it or not more modernly fashionable. I was never serving when helmets were issued, and was always surprised that they did not maintain them for ceremonial occasions.  I had just completed a service term where I wore a bearskin head gear which could especially in warm weather become very uncomfortable that was constructed inside  I believe like a helmet and was glad I never had to wear a helmet..

[Fxxx the SPFL]

5 hours ago, Maroon Sailor said:

The Shore love walking along there stop at Mimi's for a wee cake and a few bevvies might not be any left soon The Waterline left and The Granary have never reopened boo. The old boat Cruz (other direction) is getting a makeover into a luxury floating Hotel.

[Maroon Sailor]

48 minutes ago, Sharpie said:

 

 They stopped in the early fifties when they abandoned the high collared jackets and went into the new open neck with shirt and tie. Helmets I am told were a nuisance to the  wearers and the new peaked caps were comfortable easy to carry if not in wear,  and believe it or not more modernly fashionable. I was never serving when helmets were issued, and was always surprised that they did not maintain them for ceremonial occasions.  I had just completed a service term where I wore a bearskin head gear which could especially in warm weather become very uncomfortable that was constructed inside  I believe like a helmet and was glad I never had to wear a helmet..

 

This was the Edinburgh police helmet which was in service 1932 to 1951

 

 

[NANOJAMBO]

1 hour ago, gashauskis9 said:

Braw pic.  Comely Bank?

Yes. Thats Fettes in the background horizon

 

[Maroon Sailor]

Hokey Pokey man

 

[¼½¾]

17 hours ago, 3fingersreid said:

Cheers Bob 👍🏻 Was it always Nelson or was it something before that ? I know that where I worked , Waddies, was a biscuit factory in one of its previous guises. 

 

This is from the post office directory of 1860.  Salisbury Green is one of the houses in the Pollock Halls grounds.

[joondalupjambo]

6 hours ago, Maroon Sailor said:

1957

 

Not quite Comely Bank more Learmonth.  Comely Bank is further along to the right, nearly in Stockbridge.  Learmonth is sandwiched between Comely Bank and Orchard Brae.  Quite emotional as 1957 was when I was born.

 

This is taken from the corner of Learmonth Terrace, just off Queensferry Road looking down to the steps on South Learmonth Gardens.  Beyond that is Learmonth Avenue running through and onto Fettes Avenue.  I was brought up in Learmonth Crescent which is left off Learmonth Avenue, near to the shops on the corner of Comely Bank Road.  The shops are still there and opposite is a Waitrose, built on a site which was an old market garden.  The Police Scotland building is on left hand side of Fettes Avenue.

 

The red building on the left hand side at the top of the photo are / were posh folks flats with lifts.  We used to sneak in, go up in the lifts, move their bins all around the various floors and of course ring bells, jump in the lift and melt into the wind   Then to the left and right of the steps were big bushes and for dares we used to fling ourselves off the steps head first into them and see who got off the lightest in terms of injuries.  

 

At the bottom of the steps on the left was a big area of rough, grassland and we used to play football on it and when bored set it alight.  That area is now Cala flats.  Also when I lived there the Learmonth Hotel was on Learmonth Terrace and we used to do some of our under age drinking there on Sundays.  It is now a Travelodge.

Edited December 10, 2020 by joondalupjambo

[NANOJAMBO]

6 minutes ago, joondalupjambo said:

Also when I lived there the Learmonth Hotel was on Learmonth Terrace and we used to do some of our under age drinking there on Sundays.  It is now a Travelodge.

This takes me back to the mid 70s as an underage drinker  in The Learmonth. 84p for 3 pints," sit in the corner and don't cause any trouble, boys. "

Great days. 

 

[Sharpie]

39 minutes ago, Maroon Sailor said:

 

This was the Edinburgh police helmet which was in service 1932 to 1951

 

 

 

Yes thats the one I knew on the men who could put the fear of Hades on smart laddies. To be honest I do believe it gave the policeman a look of authority, and certainly totally differentiated them from postmen, bus and tram crews who also wore navy blue uniforms. A six foot man with a tall helmet on the extra high bikes they used could be an intimidating figure. Ah well thats why the thread is about history because it recalls our past, I read it and I sit back with the same satisfaction one feels after a well cooked tasty meal.

[Maroon Sailor]

1966

 

I always thought that Princes Street had 3 lanes Eastbound and Westbound.

 

Bet that copper was popular with the Westbound traffic!

 

[Stuart Lyon]

56 minutes ago, joondalupjambo said:

Not quite Comely Bank more Learmonth.  Comely Bank is further along to the right, nearly in Stockbridge.  Learmonth is sandwiched between Comely Bank and Orchard Brae.  Quite emotional as 1957 was when I was born.

 

This is taken from the corner of Learmonth Terrace, just off Queensferry Road looking down to the steps on South Learmonth Gardens.  Beyond that is Learmonth Avenue running through and onto Fettes Avenue.  I was brought up in Learmonth Crescent which is left off Learmonth Avenue, near to the shops on the corner of Comely Bank Road.  The shops are still there and opposite is a Waitrose, built on a site which was an old market garden.  The Police Scotland building is on left hand side of Fettes Avenue.

 

The red building on the left hand side at the top of the photo are / were posh folks flats with lifts.  We used to sneak in, go up in the lifts, move their bins all around the various floors and of course ring bells, jump in the lift and melt into the wind   Then to the left and right of the steps were big bushes and for dares we used to fling ourselves off the steps head first into them and see who got off the lightest in terms of injuries.  

 

At the bottom of the steps on the left was a big area of rough, grassland and we used to play football on it and when bored set it alight.  That area is now Cala flats.  Also when I lived there the Learmonth Hotel was on Learmonth Terrace and we used to do some of our under age drinking there on Sundays.  It is now a Travelodge.

JoondalupJambo - the Waitrose store was built on the site of the Moir & Baxter motor garage  workshop which was there since at least 1940. It was a market garden before that as you rightly say. Opposite the workshop Moir & Baxter had a petrol station (National Benzole petrol I believe) and a car showroom. I think they were Austin/Morris dealers. I always remember the garages as I went to Flora Stevenson for a few months in 1954.. 

[J.T.F.Robertson]

7 hours ago, Maroon Sailor said:

1957

 

 

Couple of interesting chimney pots.

 

[Maroon Sailor]

[Maroon Sailor]

[Maroon Sailor]

[JWL]

14 hours ago, Maroon Sailor said:

Served my time there (latterly Robb Caledon), it was some place.

[joondalupjambo]

14 hours ago, NANOJAMBO said:

This takes me back to the mid 70s as an underage drinker  in The Learmonth. 84p for 3 pints," sit in the corner and don't cause any trouble, boys. "

Great days. 

 

You must be more or less the same age as me by the sounds of it.  The guy who owned the Learmonth at the time believe it or not now lives in the same Fife village as me, he is n his 80's.  His son, a Jambo is a regular golf partner of mine.  Small, small world.  

 

I seem to remember getting asked my age in their at one point, got flustered and before I could reply got told to go out and come back in, start again but with a correct answer this time!!  Mental but as you say happy days.

[joondalupjambo]

13 hours ago, Stuart Lyon said:

JoondalupJambo - the Waitrose store was built on the site of the Moir & Baxter motor garage  workshop which was there since at least 1940. It was a market garden before that as you rightly say. Opposite the workshop Moir & Baxter had a petrol station (National Benzole petrol I believe) and a car showroom. I think they were Austin/Morris dealers. I always remember the garages as I went to Flora Stevenson for a few months in 1954.. 

 

Yep you are bang on.  I was going to mention Moir & Baxter so good shout.  I still seem to remember playing behind the workshop and in that area there were a bunch of old stone, derelict buildings and high walls.  It was pretty dangerous of course but in those days you just got on with it.  I was sure, but of course it is over 50 years later that those buildings and walls were part of the market garden, I might be wrong of course.  I remember the site being cleared, the garage and the old buildings but what was on it before Waitrose was built, can you recall?

 

I was at Flora's from 1962 and walked round from Learmonth Crescent past the shops on the corners, opposite the Waitrose building as it is now.  There was a sweetie shop, a butchers I think, David Mackenzie's grocer shop (now a coffee shop and gift shop), a hairdressers and a chemists.  The sweetie shop has a penny and tuppenny tray.  I always remember taking great care crossing at the Moir & Baxter petrol station as it had the double entrance with an in and out. Could it have been Esso in my time? 

 

Just past David's was a flat where the Scottish DJ Stuart Henry's mother lived, he was pretty famous and visited now and again so the story went.

 

The bit if scrap ground in Learmonth, where the Cala flats are now was called The Mixy.

 

A few years ago I took my son into see Flora's, just asked the Janny and he let me in and you know what it is exactly the same but of course mush smaller than I remembered.  Ah happy days.

 

Do you remember the Beddies?