Dumbiedykes Survey Photograph

Question

George Smith, British Colombia, Canada, wrote:

Tenement Collapse

These pictures are evocative of the area. I am sure that an end tenement in Carnegie Street collapsed, like Beaumont Place, some time in the late fifties but I have not been able to trace any record of this occurrence.

George Smith, Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, British Colombia, Canada: Nov. 25, 2005

If you know anything about a collapse in Carnegie Street, can you please e-mail me so that I can pass on the details to George.

Thank you. - Peter Stubbs

Reply

Thank you to John Gibson, Melbourne, Australia for sending me the reply below. John lived in Dumbiedykes and tells me that he still remembers the names of most of the poeple who lived in Carnegie Street in the 1950s.

After leaving Dumbiedykes, John lived in the Inch for two years, then moved to Australia and is still living there.

John wrote:

Demolition of Carnegie Street

I lived in no 28 Carnegie Street from 1940 until 1959 when they pulled it down. All of Carnegie Street and the surrounding streets were demolished together

John Gibson, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: November 30, 2005

Recollections

PART 1

Catherine Taylor (nee Clark)

Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England

PART 2

John Gibson

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

PART 3

Jim McNeill

Livingston, West Lothian, Scotland

PART 1

On reading the reply above, George Smith added:

Demolition - Where?

I am a bit vague about which street suffered this gable end collapse. I remember passing it by on my way to a brewery and seeing an open view into some flats.

My father assured me he saw it shortly after it happened and some poor soul was having a bath in front of the fire when it occurred.

That sounds like an urban myth to me now, but I am certain I saw the aftermath.

Glenallan Drive

The Inch

I know the Dumbiedykes area was demolished about 1959 and many inhabitants re-located to the Inch.

George Smith, Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada: December 2, 2005

PART 2

John Gibson then wrote again recalling his early memories of the street:

Carnegie Street and Dalrymple Place

My earliest recollections of Carnegie St and Dalrymple Place were of gaslight and bomb shelters

It is hard to imagine in this day and age that in the nineteen forties we had no electricity in the houses. In that whole area, the only lighting we had was one gas lamp in each room over the fireplace. It also meant no radio but we did have a windup gramophone and we thought it was wonderful!

My mother had to take the weekly wash to the washhouse in Davies St every Tuesday. Upstairs there was a sort of crèche for kids who were to young to go to school

The bomb shelters were everywhere. The green space opposite the Deaconess Hospital was covered with them and all the back yards had them. I can't remember it but they must have knocked down all the walls in the backyards to build them.

One other thing was that although Carnegie sty was all four stories tenements, there was another storey below ground but no one lived there. When I was growing up, they were completely derelict - but great for exploring when you are a kid.

John Gibson, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: December 9, 2005

PART 3

Jim McNeill, now living in Livingston, West Lothian, Scotland writes:

Tenement Collapse

I remember well the collapse in the Beaumont Place gable end that you mention. I stayed in Dumbiedykes Road.

Although I was only about seven or eight at the time I recall it well. My parents said it was called the Penny Tenement seemingly since the landlord who owned the tenement sold it on for a penny, or so the story goes.

And the poor man in the bath, well I remember there was at the time a big hue and cry "aboot the man wi' nae claes on'"

Jim McNeill, now living in Livingston, West Lothian, Scotland: May 15, 2006

PART 1

Thank you to Emmeline Aris (nee Pardy), Doncaster, South Yorkshire, for sending me her memories of the tenement collapse in Carnegie Street.

Emmeline, who lived in Dalrymple Place wrote:

Dalrymple Place

I lived at 5, Dalrymple Place from 1943 to 1959, where I was raised by my grandparents. We lived at the main door, right opposite to where "Bill the Bookie" stood.

Dalrymple Place was a cul-de-sac at the top of which was a dyke separating our street and the back of Beaumont Place.

Number 17 Dalrymple was the Gable End.

Beaumont Place Collapse

When Beaumont Place collapsed it was with such force that it caused a massive crack all the way up number 17 Dalrymple.

As this was about to develop into another collapse everyone had to be moved out within four or five days.

Move to Craigmillar

Hundreds of people were scattered to different housing schemes all over Edinburgh. I remember seeing all the removal vans in the street taking people and belongings away. In some cases we would never see them again.

My grandparents weren't told where they were going until the day before we moved, in our case to Craigmillar

Dumbiedykes Community

Our street was a good little community.

My grandmother delivered quite a few babies for the neighbours. I remember some of the women would be out at about 9 or 10 at night (when they got the bairns to bed), and stand gossiping at my grandmother's door until about 2 in the morning.

In summertime, the younger women would play 'kick the can' with us, and skipping.

My grandmother died a year after moving. I think she missed the closeness of Dalrymple Place, I know I did. My grandparents were Mr and Mrs Arthur.

Catherine Taylor (nee Clark), Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England: January 21, 2009

PART 2

Catherine Taylor (nee Clark) read the comments from Emmeline Aris above, and replied:

Mrs Arthur

I remember Mrs Arthur well. I lived in no.8 Dalrymple Place. If I remember properly Mrs Arthur made tablet to sell to raise funds at our back green concerts.

(Mrs Arthur was the grandmother of Emmeline Aris who wrote the recollections above.)

Home

Our family (maternal) had lived in the Dalrymple Place and Beaumont Place area since the early 1900s. Even when we moved, we only went as far as St Leonards Street.

Neighbours

My granny, Nellie Manners and my Uncle Robert lived in no.11 Dalrymple Place

- Next door to my granny, lived the Sweeney family and the Munros.

- In the stair next to Mrs Arthur lived the Aggie Woods and family.

Back Green Concerts

I wonder if Emmeline remembers the back green concerts, the costumes made from crepe paper. The Hawker girls made flowers from the same.

Street Singer

Does any one remember the street singer who used to cover one ear while he sang? The people would throw pennies down for him.

Catherine Taylor (nee Clark), Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England: January 21, 2009

Recollections

Jan Evinou Thompson

Thank you to Jan who read George Smith's question about the tenement collapse (1 above) and replied:

Carnegie Street

"I don't know about the collapse, but we lived on Carnegie Street from the time I was born till I was five."

Welcome Home!

"My parents lived there when the war ended and my mum told us that all in the street were out to welcome my dad home from the war."

Tenements

"I remember the stairs in the tenements were so worn down, they were almost flat. We shared the bathroom with the others on the same level. We had a gas mantle for light and coal fire for heat."

Beds

"My parents' bed was in the main living area. We used to sit up there and throw cowboy hats on top of the scurrying mice, or we tried to.

Our tenement was called a single-end, I think. We pronounced it a 'singulend'. :))

I'm not sure where my brother and I slept, probably a fold down couch in the same room."

Neighbourhood

"The Deaconess was our local hospital. It was just up the street. We were within walking distance of Arthur's Seat and the Meadows.

I remember:

- the battery charging shop

- the washie

- the shoe shop

I always got Clarks sandals at Easter. Although the area was a run-down place, my feelings of my childhood are warm. It was happy home to us" :))

Jan Evinou Thompson: April 7, 2009