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Portobello High Street including William Halkett's Photographic Studio at No 180 |
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© Reproduced with acknowledgement to Archie Foley, Joppa, Edinburgh
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Portobello High Street |
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Thank you to Archie Foley, Joppa, for sending me this Hartmann postcard of Portobello High Street. Archie wrote: William Halkett's Studio "This postcard shows the window of the William Halkett's studio at 180 High Street. His name is easy to read. He is described as a Photographer and Frame Maker. The card is not postally used. Halkett's name is painted on the upper floor window, just beyond the blind. Unfortunately, it is not easy to read on this re-production of the postcard - Peter Stubbs. Archie added: "It is now almost impossible to make out any letters beneath the black paint except when strong sunshine is shining on it." Archie Foley, Joppa, Portobello: June 16, 2007 |
Berry - Drysalter
© Reproduced with acknowledgement to Archie Foley, Joppa, Edinburgh
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Reply 1. Archie Young Moredun, Edinburgh |
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Thank you to Archie Young for adding the arrow in Photo 2 above to show the position of Berry's drysalter shop. Archie wrote: |
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Berry, Drysalter "In the 1950s and 1960s, the drysalter's shop arrowed was owned by a family called Berry**. The father, mother and son or sons all worked in the shop. It was wonderful walking in there, and it had a particular smell about it. You would walk up the wooden steps and at the door were brushes, brooms, broom handles, basins, buckets, hand shovels. Then, there was the beautiful wooden floor and, once inside, it was like Aladdin's Cave." Archie Young, Moredun, Edinburgh: August 3, 2011 |
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** = But see Reply 2 below. |
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Reply 2. Ian Taylor Burlington, Ontario, Canada |
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Thank you to Ian for telling me more about the shops on this postcard. Ian wrote: |
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Pincock's Ironmonger "The shop that the arrow points to in this photo is not Ian Berry Ironmonger. It is Pincock’s Ironmonger. I knew them both. Berry’s was located between Bellfield lane and Melville Street. Grant's the Grocer was to the right of Pincock's, then there was a widening of the sidewalk: - a sweetie shop - a clothier that sold the school uniforms - a shoe shop at the corner of Regent street. The Royal Bank of Scotland was opposite Grant’s. I took my Granny’s deposit along each day after school. |
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Other Shops Other shops that I remember along the high street were: - Corrigal's - Bellview Dairy - Copeland's - Cairney’s Cycles - The Bee Hive - Douglas - Smart - Marshall, the butcher - Rankin's - Wishart the painter. My Granny had a sweetie shop and tobacconist at 284 High St. Next door was my Auntie's shop Gordon’s Fish and Chips. They were across from: - George Picture House and - Henderson’s Garage, a Vauxhall dealer. |
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On the Beach "The man who had the donkey’s on the beach was Tommy Chrichton ('Daft Tommy'). He and his brother in law, White, ran the 'Ducks'. These were amphibious troop carriers that went out and around the beacons for the Power station. |
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Ian Taylor, Burlington, Ontario, Canada: November 16, 2011 |
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Reply 3. Ian Taylor Burlington, Ontario, Canada |
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Thank you to Ian Taylor who added |
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Berry's Ironmonger "Incidentally, my parents used to live above Berry's the ironmonger, and we would use his cellar during the bomb raids." Ian Taylor, Burlington, Ontario, Canada: November 17, 2011 |
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Reply 4. Gus Coutts Duddingston, Edinburgh |
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Thank you to Gus Coutts who wrote with more memories of Portobello High Street, including Pincock's Ironmonger, already mentioned above. Gus wrote |
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Portobello Shops "My first memory of Pincock's Ironmonger is as Pearson's, although I stand ready to be corrected. I recall the smell of paraffin and naphtha (mothballs). The Sweet shop was originally owned by Mrs. Colthart. I think it was subsequently owned by Councillor Borthwick, who later became Lord Provost. There was a branch of Grant the Grocer (who also had a shop at Tollcross) and another grocer between Grant's and Bath Street. I think it was Lipton's, but it may have been The Buttercup. The Outfitter was F Mackay Scot The Shoe Shop was Daniel Ross. Back towards the traffic lights, was Mr Stenhouse's Chemist Shop. He, as I recall, lived in Duddingston Village Church and Pub On the other side of the street next to the Baptist Church was The Grapes pub which has now imaginatively been renamed The Portobello Bar."
Gus Coutts, Duddingston, Edinburgh: November 18, 2011. |