Edinburgh History

[The Real Maroonblood]

27 minutes ago, Dawnrazor said:

I'm not sure if this website has been posted in this thread but there's some interesting bits in it.

 

http://www.scottishmining.co.uk/439.html

That looks a good website. 

Must have a proper look when I've got time. 

[ArcticJambo]

😕😕

17 hours ago, Daktari said:

Where the Grass Market Corn Exchange used to be. The building with the small round turret on the left is in both photos.

 

16 hours ago, Daktari said:

Chancelot Mill in Connaught Place, just off Ferry Road. Demolished in 1971. Nobody would build a factory like that these days...

 

16 hours ago, Daktari said:

Marlborough Mansions, Portobello. Demolished in the 1960's to widen the promenade. They'd be worth a fortune now as private houses.

 

Three great buildings all torn down in the name of moving forward.

[Baldwigforjack]

On 11/03/2024 at 20:36, Daktari said:

Any idea when the top photo was taken? I've just discovered my 4x great grandparents living in Bakehouse Close on the 1851 census, would be cool if they were in the photo.

[Daktari]

3 hours ago, The Real Maroonblood said:

It was a Trade Union march opposing the Industrial Relations Act.

I might get corrected but does does seem like the one I was on.

Thanks 👍

[Pap]

Inside & outside.

 

 

[Daktari]

45 minutes ago, Baldwigforjack said:

Any idea when the top photo was taken? I've just discovered my 4x great grandparents living in Bakehouse Close on the 1851 census, would be cool if they were in the photo.

Sorry, no. I did find another couple of photos though. I see it was also a location for 'Outlander' 

[Daktari]

Not an image, but a video - Edinburgh in 1934, black and white despite the title screen,  but enhanced and upscaled to 1080p.  Only ten minutes.

 

 

[JDK2020]

Oops

 

Edited March 17 by JDK2020

[jim747]

I didn't know there are tunnels and rooms under Waverly Sation..

 

 

[Daktari]

[Hansel]

On 16/03/2024 at 23:12, Daktari said:

Not an image, but a video - Edinburgh in 1934, black and white despite the title screen,  but enhanced and upscaled to 1080p.  Only ten minutes.

 

 

enjoyed that. Thanks 👍 

[Daktari]

3 hours ago, Hansel said:

enjoyed that. Thanks 👍 

People just doing the same sort of things that you would see if you walked along there today. Just goes to show how transient we all are. Just  superimposed on the city for a short while.....

[Hansel]

50 minutes ago, Daktari said:

People just doing the same sort of things that you would see if you walked along there today. Just goes to show how transient we all are. Just  superimposed on the city for a short while.....

Aye! It's funny to think of My granny kicking about the town as a young teenager living in Stockbridge colonies around that time. 

 

She said that on Sunday  young lads would play football on Prince's Street because there was no traffic. Mad to think Of that 

[JudyJudyJudy]

On 16/03/2024 at 23:12, Daktari said:

Not an image, but a video - Edinburgh in 1934, black and white despite the title screen,  but enhanced and upscaled to 1080p.  Only ten minutes.

 

 

That was terrific . I felt quite moved watching it , 

1 hour ago, Daktari said:

People just doing the same sort of things that you would see if you walked along there today. Just goes to show how transient we all are. Just  superimposed on the city for a short while.....

So true 👍

[davemclaren]

On 15/03/2024 at 18:36, Bonnie Prince Charlie said:

I remember when Andy Bowman, father of Davie was the manager, used to pop in there and the Highwayman when waiting for the bus.

Was he not the manager of the Traveller's Tryst?

[Libertarian]

On 22/06/2018 at 23:40, Sooperstar said:

Maybe part of the old Edinburgh Suburban Railway?

I would love to see the South Suburban Line reopened. I'm sure that Heriot Watt University did a feasibility study a number of years ago which said that for a modest investment that this line could be reopened.

[Daktari]

3 hours ago, JudyJudyJudy said:

That was terrific . I felt quite moved watching it , 

Oddly enough, so did I. I’m not sure if it was the ordinariness of it all which kind of reinforced my sense of mortality, but I had a strange feeling of nostalgia for a film made in an era decades before I was born.  There’s probably a deep rooted reason in there somewhere which explains my interest in history. Or maybe it’s just what Spike Milligan said, ‘Perhaps it’s because the present is so traumatic, and the future so uncertain that we find such comfort in the past’. 

[JudyJudyJudy]

11 minutes ago, Daktari said:

Oddly enough, so did I. I’m not sure if it was the ordinariness of it all which kind of reinforced my sense of mortality, but I had a strange feeling of nostalgia for a film made in an era decades before I was born.  There’s probably a deep rooted reason in there somewhere which explains my interest in history. Or maybe it’s just what Spike Milligan said, ‘Perhaps it’s because the present is so traumatic, and the future so uncertain that we find such comfort in the past’. 

I was thinking some of my relatives might have been in that film . 

[SectionDJambo]

13 hours ago, JudyJudyJudy said:

I was thinking some of my relatives might have been in that film . 

Me too.

My father was born in 1920, in Edinburgh. He could have been running about in the background. I love films like that.

[JudyJudyJudy]

47 minutes ago, SectionDJambo said:

Me too.

My father was born in 1920, in Edinburgh. He could have been running about in the background. I love films like that.

My dad and mum just missed that year ! But gives a great insight into what it was like in Edinburgh . A great find . 

[Jambo-Jimbo]

On 16/03/2024 at 14:13, Baldwigforjack said:

Any idea when the top photo was taken? I've just discovered my 4x great grandparents living in Bakehouse Close on the 1851 census, would be cool if they were in the photo.

 

My Great Grandmother, her Mother and her Stepfather lived at 6 then 2 Bakehouse Close between September 1876 & November 1897 at least.

Like yourself I'd love to know the date of this photo as you just never know.

 

As another poster said, Bakehouse Close was used in an episode of Outlander, where one of the main characters by the name of Jamie was using the name of an Alexander Malcolm, printer & bookseller whilst hiding from the English.

 

Talk about art imitating real life, my Great Grandmother's surname was Malcolm and she worked in a printers in the 1880's & 90's.

Probably just a coincidence, but of all the names the writers could have picked they choose one of someone who really did live at Bakehouse Close, albeit a hundred odd years later than the episode in the show.

[superjack]

On 18/03/2024 at 21:21, Libertarian said:

I would love to see the South Suburban Line reopened. I'm sure that Heriot Watt University did a feasibility study a number of years ago which said that for a modest investment that this line could be reopened.

There's a cracking Facebook group, reopen the south sub. I'll add a link to a something from their site.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/LVcve94rtRhTRuee/

[JWL]

[Libertarian]

40 minutes ago, superjack said:

There's a cracking Facebook group, reopen the south sub. I'll add a link to a something from their site.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/LVcve94rtRhTRuee/

Many thanks 

[JudyJudyJudy]

1 hour ago, JWL said:

Wheres that ?

[Footballfirst]

18 minutes ago, JudyJudyJudy said:

Wheres that ?

St James.  The building at the end of the road is the GPO. The clock tower of NB/Balmoral is in the background top right.

 

The tenements on the right can be seen here.

Edited March 20 by Footballfirst

[The Real Maroonblood]

The Hermitage Bar at Morningside used to be Securicor. 

Looking for a photograph.

Thanks in advance. 

[Daktari]

12 minutes ago, Footballfirst said:

St James.  The building at the end of the road is the GPO. The clock tower of NB/Balmoral is in the background top right.

And nothing built on that site since (and Leith Street) has looked as good.

[JWL]

33 minutes ago, Footballfirst said:

St James.  The building at the end of the road is the GPO. The clock tower of NB/Balmoral is in the background top right.

 

The tenements on the right can be seen here.

 

I had to stare at it for ages before I could picture where it was.

[JWL]

[Daktari]

10 hours ago, Jambo-Jimbo said:

 

My Great Grandmother, her Mother and her Stepfather lived at 6 then 2 Bakehouse Close between September 1876 & November 1897 at least.

Like yourself I'd love to know the date of this photo as you just never know.

 

As another poster said, Bakehouse Close was used in an episode of Outlander, where one of the main characters by the name of Jamie was using the name of an Alexander Malcolm, printer & bookseller whilst hiding from the English.

 

Talk about art imitating real life, my Great Grandmother's surname was Malcolm and she worked in a printers in the 1880's & 90's.

Probably just a coincidence, but of all the names the writers could have picked they choose one of someone who really did live at Bakehouse Close, albeit a hundred odd years later than the episode in the show.

Cannogate side of Bakehouse Close in 1905.

[Daktari]

Tarvitt Street at Leven Street, site of the Kings Theatre which was started in 1905.

[Daktari]

1954

[Daktari]

1968 and present day...

 

 

[PaddysBar]

3 hours ago, Daktari said:

And nothing built on that site since (and Leith Street) has looked as good.

Very true but latterly it was a slum neighbourhood with chronic overcrowding, sky high infant mortality rates and was a haunt for ladies of the night. 
 

Before the new town was built, it was prime Edinburgh real estate. 
 

Still sounds better than the St James’s centre to be honest. 

[Daktari]

4 minutes ago, PaddysBar said:

Very true but latterly it was a slum neighbourhood with chronic overcrowding, sky high infant mortality rates and was a haunt for ladies of the night. 
 

Yes, fair point. There's a tipping point for buildings in Edinburgh I think, where if they can survive in a dilapidated state past it long enough, they become viable for renovation again. If not, they get pulled down for modernisation before they can be saved. 

[PaddysBar]

Just now, Daktari said:

1968 and present day...

 

 

My granddad was born in white horse close just up from there in 1925 (grand slam year he proudly told me). 
 

He used to go on about a pub on that site, Lord Darnley’s waistcoat, which apparently had a waistcoat in it which was supposed to be authentic.

 

As an aside, I think I celebrated the after-party of my 21st birthday in the same flat in white horse close that my granddad was born in 66 years previously (one of the flats that overhang the street as you come down the Canongate). 

[PaddysBar]

1 minute ago, Daktari said:

Yes, fair point. There's a tipping point for buildings in Edinburgh I think, where if they can survive in a dilapidated state past it long enough, they become viable for renovation again. If not, they get pulled down for modernisation before they can be saved. 

Agreed. St James square would be an amazing and very expensive place to live if it still existed. 

[Daktari]

 

4:30 for the Hearts game!

[Daktari]

15 minutes ago, PaddysBar said:

He used to go on about a pub on that site, Lord Darnley’s waistcoat, which apparently had a waistcoat in it which was supposed to be authentic.

 

This one? I'm sure there's a photo of a pub in the Abbey Strand with a notice outside also advertising the waistcoat, maybe predating this one?

[PaddysBar]

2 minutes ago, Daktari said:

 

This one? I'm sure there's a photo of a pub in the Abbey Strand with a notice outside also advertising the waistcoat, maybe predating this one?

I think the sign above ‘Tavern’ contains waistcoat? I’m on my phone so a small photo😀

[Daktari]

4 minutes ago, PaddysBar said:

I think the sign above ‘Tavern’ contains waistcoat? I’m on my phone so a small photo😀

 

I think you're correct. I'll try to find that other photo  in Abbey Strand to prove to myself I didn't invent it!

[PaddysBar]

@Stuart Lyon is your man for historical boozers but I think you’ve got the right place 👍 

 

Not too long before he died we took my granddad up a royal mile pub crawl. Jenny Ha’s, tolbooth tavern, white horse, the Tass (Royal Archer) etc. He loved it😀

[Daktari]

7 minutes ago, PaddysBar said:

Not too long before he died we took my granddad up a royal mile pub crawl. Jenny Ha’s, tolbooth tavern, white horse, the Tass (Royal Archer) etc. He loved it😀

I seem to remember the 'Royal Mile Challenge' where the deal was you had to start at the bottom and have a half pint in every one until the Ensign Ewart..... A lot harder than it sounded apparently!

 

8 minutes ago, PaddysBar said:

@Stuart Lyon is your man for historical boozers but I think you’ve got the right place 👍

There's definitely a photo - I will find it!

[PaddysBar]

17 minutes ago, Daktari said:

I seem to remember the 'Royal Mile Challenge' where the deal was you had to start at the bottom and have a half pint in every one until the Ensign Ewart..... A lot harder than it sounded apparently!

 

There's definitely a photo - I will find it!

That does sound like a challenge, must have been a lot of boozers, plus it’s uphill😀

 

That reminds me of a Portobello annual pub crawl a few guys I knew did around 1990 for a few years. At the time, there was 28 drinking establishments in portobello, a mixture of pubs, clubs, hotels and even a bar in the Tower Amusements. 
 

They’d do them all on a Saturday once a year. Twice. 56 drinks 😧, didn’t have to be a pint in each though, a short in some/most I’d imagine but still a serious session.
 

 

[Daktari]

Found it! I actually commented on this in 2022…..

[Tazio]

2 minutes ago, PaddysBar said:

That does sound like a challenge, must have been a lot of boozers, plus it’s uphill😀

 

That reminds me of a Portobello annual pub crawl a few guys I knew did around 1990 for a few years. At the time, there was 28 drinking establishments in portobello, a mixture of pubs, clubs, hotels and even a bar in the Tower Amusements. 
 

They’d do them all on a Saturday once a year. Twice. 56 drinks 😧, didn’t have to be a pint in each though, a short in some/most I’d imagine but still a serious session.
 

 

We used to try the Leith Walk crawl back in the day. First drink in the Central and last in the Elm. Hell of a lot of pubs on the Walk back then. And the north to south direction was so you were away from the dodgy boozers by the time you were steaming. 

[Daktari]

7 hours ago, Tazio said:

We used to try the Leith Walk crawl back in the day. First drink in the Central and last in the Elm. Hell of a lot of pubs on the Walk back then. And the north to south direction was so you were away from the dodgy boozers by the time you were steaming. 

There's a marketing opportunity for the city here. Combine all three and have an alcoholic version of the North West 500. Bring people into the city and promote the use of public transport. Win-win.  

[periodictabledancer]

16 hours ago, JWL said:

This picture makes me very homesick. 

My teacher daughter had to do art as part of her teaching degree studies and she painted this in faux   van Gogh style (Night Cafe) and I stll have it. Can't bear to bin it.  Many happy memories wrapped up in  that street.

[Jambo-Jimbo]

13 hours ago, Daktari said:

Cannogate side of Bakehouse Close in 1905.

 

Excellent find.

Look at the state of those windows, all the broken ones.

My Great Grandmother would have moved on from here by 1905, but would have no doubts have seen the exact same as in this photo, because her mother-in-law lived diagonally across the road at Dunbars Close, literally 20 metres to the left from where this photo was taken.

 

I love these type of photos, because they are a connection to the past, as I'm looking at something my/our ancestors also looked at.

I wonder if Aitcheson House was still known as the 'Cock & Strumpet' when this photo was taken.