Postcard published by JR Robertson

Recollections

Kathleen Knox

(née Kinghorn)

Juniper Green, Edinburgh

Thank you to Kathleen Knox (née Kinghorn) who wrote:

Home and Schools

"I was born at 54 Albion Road and attended Leith Walk primary school from 1950, then on to Norton Park secondary school."

Ball Games

"As children, we all played in the street and with skipping ropes and tennis balls. We bounced two or three against the wall at the front of 'the big school' i.e. Norton Park. We all got very good at keeping the balls bouncing on the ground, then onto the wall and catching them and starting all over again.

Another thing we did was to put a tennis ball in one of my Mum's stockings, stand against the wall with our backs to it and throw it to the wall behind one shoulder, then the other, then to the side of one leg and then the other, but keeping it all going in a rhythm. That was quite skilled when I think about it."

Bonfires

"I remember, when it was bonfire time, that the boys in Albion Road had battles with the boys from Bothwell street (who we named 'the Bosiannas') who we always blamed for stealing our wood for the bonfire. They in turn blamed us!!!"

Songs

"We girls sang all the old songs featured in 'The Singing Streets' as we played:

- The Wind the Wind the Wind Blows High

- Rabbie Burns was born in Ayr

- etc."

Ice Lollies

"I remember that my pocket money was a sixpence which I got every Friday. I used to go round to Easter road to Demarcos ice cream shop, run by Tony and Francis, and spend my sixpence on 6 ice lollies, three were chocolate and three were raspberry.

With these six Lollies I would sit at the end of Albion Road, on the pavement with my feet in the gutter, three ice lollies to each hand, and would eat the lot!!"

Hibs FC

"When the football was on, on Saturdays, the fans would come from Easter Road, down Bothwell Street, over the Bridge, and were kept in, maybe, eight people to a line all the way up Albion Terrace, with police on horses either side of the line.

This was at the time of Bobby Johnstone and other well known Hibs players would saunter over the bridge and make their way to the stadium just before the crowd started - no big cars or big money in these days, just nice men who would chat to the children as they passed."

Friends

My special friends were Andrea Munro and Elizabeth Owens but lost touch years ago. If anyone has any info regarding them I would love to hear that.

Such happy days. So many memories - too many to write down. As everyone has said before, there was no money, no pretty clothes but I couldn't have had a happier childhood. Wonderful memories.

Kathleen Knox (née Kinghorn): 7 December 2016

Reply to Kathleen?

If you'd like to send a message to Kathleen, perhaps because you have your own memories of Albion Road, or because you knew Kathleen or her friends, please email me to let me know, then I'll pass on her email to you.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: 28 December 2016