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Dredging the Water of Leith at Leith |
© Reproduced with acknowledgement to Eric Bower. This photo was taken by Eric's father in the 1950s
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Dredging the Water of Leith |
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Leith Thank you to Eric Bower for allowing me to reproduce this photograph of dredging in the Water of Leith, taken at Leith by his father in the 1950s. |
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Question |
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Location Can anybody tell me the exact location of the scene in this photo, and point out some of the landmarks in the photo for me. Peter Stubbs: April 9, 2009 |
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Answers |
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Thank you to Walter Lyle Hume, Frank Ferri and John J Hadden, who all replied a few hours after I added this photo to the web site. All 3 answers were sent independently. i.e. They all reached me before I had chance to add any of them to this page. Other replies were received soon after. Peter Stubbs: April 11, 2009 |
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Answers |
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1. |
Walter Lyle Hume |
Mud Barge Dock Place and Menzies Yard |
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Frank Ferri |
Dock Place Custom House Menzies Yard Tenements |
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John J Hadden |
Customs House Buildings on the Right |
| 4. |
Frank Ferri |
North of Scotland Steam Navigation Co Other Answers |
| 5. |
John Stevenson |
Mud Barge Menzies & Co Lock Gate Beer Berth |
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Answer 1. Walter Lyle Hume Cowes, Isle of Wight, England |
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Thank you to Walter Lyle Hume who replied: |
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Mud Barge "Lovely old photograph! I'm puzzled as to the location. The Leith Dock Commission mud barge indicates it is Leith. |
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Dock Place and Menzies Yard There are dock gates in middle-upper-background. The nearest I can relate them to would be Dock Place, which would be the entrance to the Old Dock. Could the large shed on right with writing be Menzies Yard? Food for thought." |
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Walter Lyle Hume, Cowes, Isle of Wight: April 10, 2009 |
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Answer 2. Frank Ferri Newhaven, Edinburgh |
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Thank you to Frank Ferri who replied: |
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Dock Place "I've studied this carefully and I would say it shows Dock Place dock gates and the berth of the old North of Scotland Steam Navigation Co, serving Aberdeen, Shetlands and Orkneys." |
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Custom House "Behind the sheds, you can see the rear of Custom House on Commercial Street. |
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Menzies Yard "To right of picture would be the smaller entrance of docks to Menzies ship repairers and the MN Pool office." |
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Tenements "There are only two views from the docks where there are large tenements in the background that's here and Portland Place, now the entrance to Ocean Terminal." |
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Frank Ferri, Newhaven, Edinburgh: April 10, 2009 |
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Answer 3. John J Hadden Edinburgh |
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Thank you to John J Hadden who replied: |
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Customs House "The building in the background with the circular feature is the Customs House on Commercial Street. The photo may have been taken from the vicinity of the swing bridge leading into the inner harbour." |
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Buildings on the Right "Here is another view of the buildings on the right, taken from the left of the dredging picture."
© Copyright: For permission to reproduce, please contact peter.stubbs@edinphoto.org.uk |
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John J Hadden, Edinburgh: April 10, 2009 |
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Answer 4. Frank Ferri Newhaven, Edinburgh |
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After reading Frank Ferri's comments in 2 above, I asked him if he could tell me exactly where was the North of Scotland Steam Navigation Co berth. Frank replied |
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North of Scotland Steam Navigation Co "If you go to the very end of Dock Place, up to the dock gate, on the right hand side, you will see a red brick building. I believe this is now the 'Waterfront Restaurant'. This was the booking office of the 'North of Scotland Steamship Co' and their shipping berth. I sailed with North of Scotland Steam Navigation Co." On the other side of the Water of Leith, standing with your back to the Ship Inn Bar, you would have a view of the shipping berth." |
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Other Answers "Walter Hume is right. That is Menzies' building. John Haddon's picture is spot on. The North of Scotland Steam Navigation Co berth is on the left of that picture." |
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Frank Ferri, Newhaven, Edinburgh: April 11, 2009 |
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Answer 5. John Stevenson Trinity, Edinburgh |
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John Stevenson wrote: |
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Mud Barge "What a cracking photo! I can remember the steam powered dredger grab from my apprenticeship days!! I would suggest that the photo was taken around 1950-55. I'm sure this photograph would have been taken from on or around Victoria Swing Bridge, looking up river." |
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Menzies & Co "The building on the right was part of Menzies & Co., ship repairers' yard. Menzies were formerly ship builders. They built 'Sirius', the first steamship to cross the Atlantic in 1838)." |
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Lock Gate "Beyond the building to the right is the lock gate entrance to the East Old Dock with Dock Place and Commercial Street in the background." |
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Beer Berth "On the left of the dredger was the "beer berth" where imported Danish beer was unloaded and behind that the Seamen's Mission, now the Malmaison Hotel." |
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Frank Ferri, Newhaven, Edinburgh: April 11, 2009 |