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Trawler GN11 at Granton Middle Pier |
What is known about this photo?
© Reproduced with acknowledgement to Alistair McBeath Photographer not known.
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Granton Middle Pier |
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Thank you to Alistair McBeath, Granton, Edinburgh for allowing me to reproduce this photo. Alistair wrote: "This is a picture that I bought on eBay. It comes from a private photo album. I'd say that it's of Granton Middle Pier, with a large coaling crane just to the right." Alistair McBeath, Granton, Edinburgh: January 17, 2010. |
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Question Do you know anything about this photo, or when it might have been taken? If so, please email me, then I'll add more details to this page on the web site. Thank you. Peter Stubbs: January 21, 2010 |
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Reply 1. Walter Lyle Hume Cowes, Isle of Wight, England |
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Thank you to Walter Lyle Hume, Cowes, Isle of Wight, who replied Princess Mary "This is another nostalgic picture. Details are: - PRINCES MARY; Official Number 13321 GN11 - Built by Alexander Hall, Yard No 496, Aberdeen in 1914 - 225 gross tons, ex-SN27/1933 - served as a mine sweeper 1915-19 - served again as a mine sweeper 1940-45 - Owned by Thomas L Devlin - Scrapped at Charlestown-on-Forth, Nov 1956, £4,550. Walter Lyle Hume, Cowes, Isle of Wight, England,: January 21, 2010 |
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Reply 2. Hugh McInnes |
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Thank you to Hugh McInnes who replied: Princess Mary "According to the Granton Trawler web site, the trawler in the photo is the 'ST Princes Mary' owned by TL Devlin. Where was the photo taken? "I don't think that it is at Granton Middle Pier, as it would have to be on the east side of the pier and in these days, the railway embankment ran along the back, parallel to Lower Granton Road. Also the skyline looks all wrong for that area of Granton. I would guess one of the North East coast ports." *** Hugh McInnes: January 21, 2010 |
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*** Update - Please see Replies 3 + 4 below |
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Reply 3. Walter Lyle Hume Cowes, Isle of Wight, England |
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Thank you to Walter Lyle Hume, Cowes, Isle of Wight, who replied Middle Pier, Granton "The photograph was definitely taken at Middle Pier, looking south, with the steam coal crane on the right. At a guess, one of the Burntisland ferries could be just beyond the old railway slip. If so, that would date the photo to the early-1950s. Walter Lyle Hume, Cowes, Isle of Wight, England,: January 21, 2010 |
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Reply 4. Hugh McInnes |
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Thank you to Hugh McInnes who replied: Granton Middle Pier "I have to agree that the photo was taken at Granton Middle Pier. I've been comparing it with the photo of the Edinburgh Burntisland ferry 'Glenfinnan' on our website where the background is much clearer and this makes it quite obvious. The black hulled vessel behind the after mast of the 'Princess Mary' is probably one of the NLC vessels, the 'Pharos' or the 'May', which used to berth in that corner in the 1950s." Hugh McInnes: January 23, 2010 |
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Please see also Reply 9 below |
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Reply 5. Robert Grassick Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland |
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Thank you to Robert Grassick who replied: Not Granton Middle Pier? "I have just looked at this trawler picture I 'grew up' on Granton Middle Pier as my dad was one of the maintenance guys there, so I spent all of my summer holidays there. I regularly watched the trawlers landing. I am sure that this picture is not of Granton Harbour, as you would have seen the West Pier in the background, as the trawlers always landed on the west side of Middle Pier." Robert Grassick, Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland: February 24, 2011 |
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Reply 6. Peter Stubbs Edinburgh |
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Thanks, Robert, for your comments in Reply 5 above. |
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Granton Middle Pier "I agree: in my experience the trawlers invariably landed on the west side of Middle Pier at Granton, and this photo is not of the west side of the pier. However it looks to me as if, for some reason, this trawler has landed on the east side of the pier. and that the land in the background is the slope leading up from Lower Granton Road to Granton Road." |
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Comparison of Two Photos "In 'Reply 4' above, Hugh McInnes wrote: 'I've been comparing [this photo] with the photo of the Edinburgh Burntisland ferry 'Glenfinnan' on our website. I've emailed Hugh to ask if he can give me a link to the 'Glenfinnan' photo so that others will be able to compare the backgrounds in the two photos. If I get the link, I'll add it to the EdinPhoto web site." |
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Peter Stubbs: March 3, 2011 |
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Reply 7. Robert Grassick Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland |
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Thank you to Robert Grassick who replied: |
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Not Granton Middle Pier? "On reflection, I seem to recall that trawlers may have occasionally landed on the East side of the middle pier if there were was some sort on space issue on the West side. But, I'm pretty sure that this photo was not taken from the east side of Granton Pier. - The background would show (at that time) the railway way embankment which ran from Granton Square. - Behind the railway embankment would have been the row of terraced cottages which the Duke of Buccleuch owned. - Plus, I don’t think this is the skyline above those cottages" Robert Grassick, Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland: March 3, 2011 |
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Reply 8. Walter Lyle Hume Cowes, Isle of Wight, England |
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Thank you to Walter Lyle Hume, Cowes, Isle of Wight, who replied |
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Middle Pier, Granton "Princess Mary (GN11) is on the east side of Middle Pier, Granton. The photo is taken looking to the south. Royal Forth Lady is immediately behind Princes Mary, and Pharos (1909-55) is in the background. From the clutter on deck, I would say that Princes Mary had just landed its catch. I would estimate the date of the photo to be 1954." |
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GN11 Princess Mary Here are the particulars of Princes Mary for those who are interested: - Official Number: 133321. GN11. - Built: Alexander Hall, Aberdeen, 1914. Yard No 946 - 225 gross tons. ex-SN27/1933. - Hydrographic Mine Sweeper 1915-19 - Mine Sweeper 1940-45 - Sold to Metal Industries, Charlestown for £4,550 - Scrapped: November 1956 - Owned and operated by Thomas L Devlin. |
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Walter Lyle Hume, Cowes, Isle of Wight, England,: March 3, 2011 |
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Reply 9. Peter Stubbs Edinburgh |
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Hugh McInnes said (in 4 above): |
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View from Granton Middle Pier "I have to agree that the photo was taken at Granton Middle Pier. I've been comparing it with the photo of the Edinburgh Burntisland ferry 'Glenfinnan' on our website where the background is much clearer and this makes it quite obvious." Hugh McInnes: January 23, 2010 |
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When I first read this, I did not realise that the web site that Hugh was referring to was, in fact, the EdinPhoto web site. Now I know that, I can display the photo that Hugh mentioned. Here it is (below). |
Edinburgh-Burntisland Ferry
At Granton Harbour, 1952
©
Reproduced with
acknowledgement
to the
photographer, WAC Smith, Glasgow, and to Irwell Press,
Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales
This is one of the photos that appeared in 'An Illustrated
History of Edinburgh's Railways' (WAC Smith + Paul Anderson.)
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Reply 10. Hugh McInnes |
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Hugh McInnes added: Granton Middle Pier "Most trawlers did land their catch on the west side of Middle Pier but if they were to be in for a few days, they were sometimes moved round to the east side after taking on-board coal bunkers. It was not uncommon for them to be moored on the east side of Middle Pier." Hugh McInnes: January 23, 2010 |
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Recollections 11. Stuart McCann Swifts Creek, Victoria, Australia |
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Thank you to Stuart McCann who wrote: |
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Princess Mary Berthed Where? "I came across the debates on this page, about the Princess Mary as to whether she was lying on the East side of the middle pier or not." Janders "When I got out of the RN in 1949, she was my first berth out of Granton, The skipper was Alex Woods known as Janders, or perhaps I should say 'Young Janders', as I later found out there was an 'Old Janders, presumably his father. Sailing "The point is, I was pretty much a 'pierhead jump'. The Princess Mary was lying on the East side of Middle Pier with her head pointing inshore at the time, ready to sail. By the time I had stuffed my gear down in the foc'sle we were out the pierhead and away. A whole lifetime away." Shipmates "Best wishes to you and all my old shipmates" Stuart McCann, Swift' Creek, Victoria, Australia: March 10, 2013 |
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Links to other Granton and Edinburgh Waterfront Pages |
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Edinburgh Waterfront |
Granton |
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Granton Yachting Lift-out - Oct 27, 2007 Lift-in - Apr 5, 2008 Lift-in - Apr 6, 2013 |
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