Jump to content

Wester Hailes at 50


EH11_2NL

Recommended Posts

Read the article in the EEN regarding Wester Hailes. Lived there in 1974 at Clovenstone Drive. Clovenstone primary was my first school. I was too young to remember it as a hellhole as many people described it and we moved out to West Lothian a couple of years later before it got it's reputation. Any other ex Hailes residents on here and what are your memories of it?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lived in the Calders from 71-79, attended Sighthill Primary, then family moved to Livingston. 

Honestly loved growing up there, felt like living in the countryside sometimes with the woods between the Calders and Wester Hailes. 

Had family that lived in Wester Hailes and from what I remember it was all good in the early days.

Lot of white dug shite in those days 😂

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Forza Cuore said:

Lived in the Calders from 71-79, attended Sighthill Primary, then family moved to Livingston. 

Honestly loved growing up there, felt like living in the countryside sometimes with the woods between the Calders and Wester Hailes. 

Had family that lived in Wester Hailes and from what I remember it was all good in the early days.

Lot of white dug shite in those days 😂

Lol...’white dug shite’........I saw some on holiday in Newton Stewart last year. Last time I saw it was in the Calders in the 80s😄

 

I grew up in the Calders too. 1974 until 1999.  Only moved down the road to Forrester Park.

 

Loved my childhood in the Calders. Great community, had its bams but it was definitely a different time. The 80s left me with great memories. I felt it changed during the 90s in respect of community, never felt the same before I left.

 

Wester Hailes always seemed to have a reputation though. A well documented drugs problem in the 80s and I rarely ventured up there. I went to WHEC and most of the nuts came from Wester Hailes.  

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, Forza Cuore said:

Lived in the Calders from 71-79, attended Sighthill Primary, then family moved to Livingston. 

Honestly loved growing up there, felt like living in the countryside sometimes with the woods between the Calders and Wester Hailes. 

Had family that lived in Wester Hailes and from what I remember it was all good in the early days.

Lot of white dug shite in those days 😂

 

I lived in the Calders from just before you until about mid 80s.     You're right,   there was a lot to explore around the canal,   Murray Burn and the farmer's fields between the Calders and Baberton Golf Course on one side and away out to Riccarton on another.    Pre- city bypass days.     Canal walks away miles along,   counting off the bridges passed under.     Tremendous 'tarzan' rope swings you could spend all day on.     Trying to catch the big pike in the canal.     

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Never lived there, but used to frequent the WHEC swimming pool and summer clubs during school holidays. 

 

Also, anyone remember “The Carousel” chippy in between the big flats? 

 

Then there was the shopping centre which had a Presto in it, The Forum at a later stage on the lower floor and a bridge where chicks would appear every Easter. 😁😁😁

Edited by Swanny17
Link to comment
Share on other sites

been here before
13 minutes ago, Swanny17 said:

Never lived there, but used to frequent the WHEC swimming pool and summer clubs during school holidays. 

 

Also, anyone remember “The Carousel” chippy in between the big flats? 

 

Then there was the shopping centre which had a Presto in it, The Forum at a later stage on the lower floor and a bridge where chicks would appear every Easter. 😁😁😁

 

Tonis chippy at Westburn Gardens?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, Forza Cuore said:

Couple of Wester Hailes Jambos in the 70s. Anyone recognise these lads? ( I dont know them)

20190918_205253.jpg

 

Calder Road at the bus terminus near where the bypass is now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, been here before said:

 

Tonis chippy at Westburn Gardens?

 

Think it was The Carousel beforehand bud, do seem to recall it changing to Toni’s.  

 

Lovely fish supper covered in newspaper ink. 😂👍

Link to comment
Share on other sites

been here before
8 minutes ago, Swanny17 said:

 

Think it was The Carousel beforehand bud, do seem to recall it changing to Toni’s.  

 

Lovely fish supper covered in newspaper ink. 😂👍

 

Nah it was Tonis Roundhouse when it first opened and it was that for years. He then apparently lost it in a card game when it was renamed but he either bought/won it back or at the very least ran it when it became Tonis again. Absolute goldmine of a place. We used to nick bottles of Solripe and Barrs juice when the juice lorry came round delivering to it.

 

Toni was a fat bald dude and his Mrs was one of those big cube shaped women you dint seem to get anymore- real Italianos. They had a daughter whose name escapes me and a sin called Gino who I think also ran the place for a while.

 

 

IMG_2036.thumb.JPG.05cf23ac2fd14c243f4f110fa6e9aefb.jpg.2e508941712f9a8c11fdca2d58fd1d23.jpg

 

I used to live in the stair that was at the very spot this picture was taken (block 7). Grew up there moving in as a 2 or 3 year old in the early 70s before bidding the place farewell when I was about 18.

Edited by been here before
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, been here before said:

 

Nah it was Tonis Roundhouse when it first opened and it was that for years. He then apparently lost it in a card game when it was renamed but he either bought/won it back or at the very least ran it when it became Tonis again.

 

 

IMG_2036.thumb.JPG.05cf23ac2fd14c243f4f110fa6e9aefb.jpg.2e508941712f9a8c11fdca2d58fd1d23.jpg

 

I used to live in the stair that was at the very spot this picture was taken (block 7). Grew up there moving in as a 2 or 3 year old in the early 70s before bidding the place farewell when I was about 18.

 

Cracking image, brings back a few memories! 

 

Seem to recall the underpass to the right of the image flooded during heavy rain and I remember the EEN had pictures of kids swimming in the floodwater. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

been here before
1 minute ago, Swanny17 said:

 

Cracking image, brings back a few memories! 

 

Seem to recall the underpass to the right of the image flooded during heavy rain and I remember the EEN had pictures of kids swimming in the floodwater. 

 

Aye it did. It would flood nearly to roof height which must have been a good 10feet. We used to swim right through it from the Gardens to the Grove. I sometimes think about it and how none of us drowned or at the very least get some lurgy. The water was like brown sludge, I dread to think what we were swimming in.

 

On a more positive side just prior to going through the subway there were steps that lead up to the flats. I found my first page from a porno mag there. 

 

Happy days  😂

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, Victorian said:

 

Calder Road at the bus terminus near where the bypass is now.

Exact spot. Sadly 1 of my best pals at school was knocked down and died on the road beside the flats there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, been here before said:

On a more positive side just prior to going through the subway there were steps that lead up to the flats. I found my first page from a porno mag there. 

 

Happy days  😂

 

😂😂😂

 

Something kids these days will never understand! The sheer joy of finding a jazz mag !! 😂😂😂

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Forza Cuore said:

Couple of Wester Hailes Jambos in the 70s. Anyone recognise these lads? ( I dont know them)

20190918_205253.jpg

The dual carriageway being built, the rear of my old house is just out the picture to the RHS of the furthest away car (Calder Gardens to the front) Don’t recognise the guys but lived in the Calders from  1970 to August 1978

Link to comment
Share on other sites

32 minutes ago, Radio Ga Ga said:

The dual carriageway being built, the rear of my old house is just out the picture to the RHS of the furthest away car (Calder Gardens to the front) Don’t recognise the guys but lived in the Calders from  1970 to August 1978

You may have lived in the same stair as a couple of twins (girls) in my class. Their old man was an LRT driver. Think they were on the ground floor.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

been here before
5 minutes ago, The White Cockade said:

My mum used to get the bus from Gracemount to WH to do the shopping 

What was the supermarket called Presto?

 

Aye. Before that it was called Ailsa. Had an upstairs and downstairs and a tiny wee off license bit just outside the downstairs part of the main shop.

 

Ive got very, very vague memories of being in there with my dad buying advocaat and of him telling me it was made of eggs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ailsa hill.

The path that lead up to the shopping centre from Murrayburn Drive long before the canal was opened up again.

Suicide hill as it was known to skateboarders of a certain age as the gradient was so steep that if you could make it to the botttom in one piece you were lucky.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, Forza Cuore said:

You may have lived in the same stair as a couple of twins (girls) in my class. Their old man was an LRT driver. Think they were on the ground floor.

Vauge memories of twin girls in the next stair, 40 plus years ago and my memory is going!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, The White Cockade said:

My mum used to get the bus from Gracemount to WH to do the shopping 

What was the supermarket called Presto?

Yes, I worked weekends in Presto from 78-80 whilst at school (WHEC)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The White Cockade
9 hours ago, been here before said:

 

Aye. Before that it was called Ailsa. Had an upstairs and downstairs and a tiny wee off license bit just outside the downstairs part of the main shop.

 

Ive got very, very vague memories of being in there with my dad buying advocaat and of him telling me it was made of eggs.

Oh aye remember it being Alisa first now

Would be the 32 we got up there I think 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Grew up in westburn (or lower baberton if asked where I came from) 73-86, loved it, we were separated from the rest of wester hailes, as mentioned we had the woods between us and the Calder's and every summer the call would go out "the Calder's are coming" so down to the woods we would go for a bit of stone chucking, we had the farm road which was a great place to go up in the summer and upto riccarton with goals and nets then a bounce on the inflatable tennis court while singing the button moon song, Toni's was the chippy, remember when he had his van, someone would watch under the back door while we jumped in and cleaned it out,stupid really as I lived right over the road how my folks never saw me is a miracle

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, EH11_2NL said:

Read the article in the EEN regarding Wester Hailes. Lived there in 1974 at Clovenstone Drive. Clovenstone primary was my first school. I was too young to remember it as a hellhole as many people described it and we moved out to West Lothian a couple of years later before it got it's reputation. Any other ex Hailes residents on here and what are your memories of it?

 

I was there then, Drumbryden Gardens iirc. 16 years later I was scoring pills from roughly the same place. :laugh:

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Marvin said:

 

I was there then, Drumbryden Gardens iirc. 16 years later I was scoring pills from roughly the same place. :laugh:

 

The poor man's part of dumbryden. I was in the grove until I was 8 when we moved to the borders. We were there for 3 years, moved there just after I started school.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My dad was a fireman and worked mostly at Sighthill fire station which at one point was the busiest in Scotland! It covered Broomie, Wester Hailes, The Calders and Sighthill so they were kept going. He told me tales of scumbags starting fires and when they turned up, the locals would chuck old fridges and stuff from the flats at them! This happened at the old Martello Court too when he worked at Crewe Toll fire station. Unfortunately turning the hose on them was a no-no. They would have disappeared into the horizon!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, superjack said:

The poor man's part of dumbryden. I was in the grove until I was 8 when we moved to the borders. We were there for 3 years, moved there just after I started school.

 

My dad was working for the gas board and travelled on the Longstone Arms  bus before joining Tollcross Hearts SC. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

57 minutes ago, EH11_2NL said:

My dad was a fireman and worked mostly at Sighthill fire station which at one point was the busiest in Scotland! It covered Broomie, Wester Hailes, The Calders and Sighthill so they were kept going. He told me tales of scumbags starting fires and when they turned up, the locals would chuck old fridges and stuff from the flats at them! This happened at the old Martello Court too when he worked at Crewe Toll fire station. Unfortunately turning the hose on them was a no-no. They would have disappeared into the horizon!

Used to start 🔥 in the farmers field maybe your dad chased me one time when I lost my addidas trainer, went home with one trainer got done for it, so thank your old man for me

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had a brilliant up bringing in Wester Hailes, I was brought up in Murrayburn I’m in my late 30s and still keep in touch with most my childhood friends. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

67 -83

Calders then Wester Hailes.

Cracking childhood.

No cars in the squares football day and night.

Coos field before the bypass.

Fond memories.

Moved away just as the smack hit the place.

Few boys my age got caught up in all that.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

been here before
42 minutes ago, Forza Cuore said:

WHEC being built 1975

20190919_211243.jpg

 

As is my old primary school in the background.

 

Which means thats both my primary and secondary schools being built in the same picture.

Edited by been here before
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 18/09/2019 at 21:04, Victorian said:

 

Calder Road at the bus terminus near where the bypass is now.

That’s where I lived. The square right next to the terminus. (Calder View) 25 years from 74-99 👍🏻

 

The walls in the square that were close to the terminus used to be launch pad for the bams to throw stones and bricks at old firm buses heading West after games at Tynie....   :naughty: 

Edited by Debut 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Debut 4 said:

That’s where I lived. The square right next to the terminus. (Calder View) 25 years from 74-99 👍🏻

 

The walls in the square that were close to the terminus used to be launch pad for the bams to throw stones and bricks at old firm buses heading West after games at Tynie....   :naughty: 

 

I think I know the stair.    Close to where a mate used to stay.    No longer there.. no longer a mate.    The twat.

 

I was in Calder Grove.    Right next to the WHEC pitches and a wee all weather 5s sized football pitch next to the canal.

 

Wish I had a pound for the number of balls I hoofed into the canal.     It would probably add up to about £4.     Who doesn't want £4?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Victorian said:

 

I think I know the stair.    Close to where a mate used to stay.    No longer there.. no longer a mate.    The twat.

 

I was in Calder Grove.    Right next to the WHEC pitches and a wee all weather 5s sized football pitch next to the canal.

 

Wish I had a pound for the number of balls I hoofed into the canal.     It would probably add up to about £4.     Who doesn't want £4?

Haha, had many a skinned knee after playing on that tarmac pitch.

 

Goals had nets though. Ahead of their time 🤪

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Debut 4 said:

Haha, had many a skinned knee after playing on that tarmac pitch.

 

Goals had nets though. Ahead of their time 🤪

 

Not originally but nets did appear for a bit.    Big chunky things.    Probably chored off a ****ing trawler.      Aye the surface was abrasive to say the least.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Remember the square where all the 2-3 feet high walls were near the sub-station?    We used to play out full 5 set matches of tennis with the old aluminium rackets during Wimbledon.    Open golf week it was about 40 lads belting balls up and down WHEC pitches.    We had a wee course mapped out.    A nice 'hole' went up to the wee plateau over by ths Westburn scary woods side.    

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Victorian said:

 

Not originally but nets did appear for a bit.    Big chunky things.    Probably chored off a ****ing trawler.      Aye the surface was abrasive to say the least.

You’d play for a couple of hours on the grass pitches then have a brainstorm and have a game to finish the day on the tarmac.  Holey tracksuits were common back then too....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Victorian said:

Remember the square where all the 2-3 feet high walls were near the sub-station?    We used to play out full 5 set matches of tennis with the old aluminium rackets during Wimbledon.    Open golf week it was about 40 lads belting balls up and down WHEC pitches.    We had a wee course mapped out.    A nice 'hole' went up to the wee plateau over by ths Westburn scary woods side.    

Ffs, lol.....we must’ve crossed paths. Used to play golf up there all the time. 

 

The “par 5” was from the corner near the tarmac pitch up to the raised ground at Westburn woods. 😄

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Debut 4 said:

You’d play for a couple of hours on the grass pitches then have a brainstorm and have a game to finish the day on the tarmac.  Holey tracksuits were common back then too....

 

I played my first school game for Forries against WHEC on those pitches.     The Forries strip scarred me for life.    Green and white stripes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Debut 4 said:

Ffs, lol.....we must’ve crossed paths. Used to play golf up there all the time. 

 

The “par 5” was from the corner near the tarmac pitch up to the raised ground at Westburn woods. 😄

 

Yep.    Other holes up by the basin where the canal terminated and one down by the WHEC all-weather.    Holes were about 3 foot wide.     

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, Victorian said:

 

I played my first school game for Forries against WHEC on those pitches.     The Forries strip scarred me for life.    Green and white stripes.

Think it was a wind-up by schools in West Edinburgh to make their football teams wear green. We wore green strips at Sighthill primary.  🤢.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Debut 4 said:

Think it was a wind-up by schools in West Edinburgh to make their football teams wear green. We wore green strips at Sighthill primary.  🤢.  

 

St.Augustines wore blue.    Derby matches were fine affairs.    Auggies was useful as an unmissable target for the odd golf ball before school golf matches later in the day up at the Braids.   Allegedly.     

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used to go to the hailes a lot. I went to Forrester high 79-80 moved to deans livingston . lived with a girl in murrayburn. And know  a few folk from the area haven't been there in decades when I'd be near a Rennie. Loved them times

Edited by AJAMBO
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, Marvin said:

 

I was there then, Drumbryden Gardens iirc. 16 years later I was scoring pills from roughly the same place. :laugh:

 

Probably Dirty Harry

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does anyone one know where you can get info on the history of the area and how it became populated?

 

Obviously Edinburgh was growing and folk moved out from town to the new housing, but I’m sure I read a snippet years ago there was an influx from Glasgow? 

 

My Dad’s side were from Gorgie, middle of town but my Mum’s family were originally Whitburn. 

 

My Grandad was a miner and moved through in the 40s to Newcraighall then all the way back to the Calders.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...