Around Edinburgh - Trinity - Albany Postcard

Trinity

View from the foot of Starbank Park

Looking along Starbank Road towards Trinity Crescent

Starbank Road

This postcard is No 3276 in the Albany Series published in the early 1900s. It is followed by a photograph taken in 2004. The view looks west, along Starbank Road towards Trinity Crescent, from the foot of Starbank Park.

The Firth of Forth is over the wall to the right, well below the road at low tide but high enough for waves to send their spray over the wall at high tide.

The Old Chain Pier

The small building, barely visible behind the nearest telegraph pole in the first picture (and the nearest lamp post in the second picture) is the Old Chain Pier Bar. The Old Chain Pier was used by pleasure steamers and swimmers until it was destroyed by a storm in the late 19th century.

I remember it from the 1960s, reputed to be the first bar in Edinburgh to hae a Colour Television! The Old Chain Pier has continued to provide food and drink, but unfortunately was damaged in a fire in April 2004. It is now [July 2004] being restored.

In this view, the sign on the left hand side, close to the Starbank Park railings says "Steam Road Roller at Work". The road is quieter than today. This is part of the route planned for the new Edinburgh tramway, currently [2003] scheduled to commence in 2009.

Please click on the image below to see a view, looking to the west along Starbank Road:

Starbank Road

Looking towards Newhaven

Edinburgh Steam Rollers

Starbank Road

The postcard at the top of this page is the only picture that I have of an old Edinburgh steam roller. If you know of any others, can you please e-mail me so that I can reply to an e-mail from Mark Fellows.

Mark wrote:

Steam Rollers
Request for Photos and Information

I keep coming back to your web site. I have always looked, wondering if I would ever see any pictures of steam rollers that used to work for Edinburgh Corporation.

The reason why I'm e-mailing is that my family own an old steam roller that worked for the corporation up until the 1960's and I am always trying to find any old pictures or information relating to it and any other steam engines that worked for the corporation.

I did have a copy of a picture taken of another engine that worked in Edinburgh around the 1920-30's. It was a lovely picture with all the crew in their work wear of the period. Unfortunately, the picture was lost in a move of house, but the original still exits!

Mark Fellows: 5 November 2005

Note for Mark Fellows

Hi Mark:

You appear to have changed your e-mail address since November 2005, so I am no longer able to contact you in connection with your request above..

I was told, today, about a photograph of an Edinburgh steam roller, around 1960 that may interest you.

If you e-mail me and give me your latest e-mail address, I'll send you more details about the picture.

- Peter Stubbs: January 24, 2007

Thanks for contacting me, Mark. I'll send you details of the photo now.

It didn't take you long to find the message above!

- Peter Stubbs: January 28, 2007

Reply

Helen Gibson

Preston, Victoria, Australia

Helen Gibson wrote:

Road Roller Driver

"I have just found the picture of the road roller near Starbank Park and Trinity Crescent.

Is there any way of knowing who is driving the road roller?

My grandfather, George Mackie, lived around the corner in Victoria Place (later Lower Granton Road) and that is what he did for a living, Road Roller Driver. It would be amazing if it was him in your photograph."

Postcard

Hi Helen: unfortunately I don't know of any way to discover who might have been driving the roller in that postcard, but it good to think that it might have been your grandfather - or at leas that it's a scene that he would probably have found familiar.

Peter Stubbs: November 2, 2010