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Answer: Edinburgh University Boat Club clubhouse, Union Canal, Meggetland, Edinburgh
© Reproduced with acknowledgement to John Stirling, Currie, Edinburgh: November 6, 2009 Photographer not known
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Rowing |
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Old Photo Thank you to John Stirling for allowing me to reproduce this photo. The photo is taken from a collection of lantern slides that John rescued from being destroyed in 1974. The photographer is not known. Some of the other slides from this series are known to have been taken between about 1910 and 1920. |
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Who? When? Where? This looks like four exhausted rowers, passing a large crowd standing in front of what might be their boat house. Do you know: - Which team might this be? - When and where this photo might have been taken? - Might it be on the Union Canal, possibly at Polwarth, where George Heriot's school and George Watson's school row from? |
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Answers? If you know the answer to any of these questions, please email me. Thank you. Peter Stubbs: November 24, 2009 |
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Answer 1. Bob Henderson Burdiehouse, Edinburgh |
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Thank you to Bob Henderson who wrote: |
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Union Canal at Polwarth "The shield on the gable of the boat house looks a little like the badge of Edinburgh University. Also it looks very like the canal at Polwarth as it still looks today" Bob Henderson, Burdiehouse, Edinburgh: November 25, 2009 |
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Answer 2. Neil Lawrence Fountainbridge, Edinburgh |
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Thank you to Neil Lawrence who wrote: |
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Union Canal "As you suggested, this photo was taken on the Union Canal at the foot of Craiglockhart Terrace. Watson's Boat House is at the Front; Heriot's boat house is behind." Neil Lawrence, Fountainbridge, Edinburgh: November 25, 2009 |
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Answer 3. Danny Callaghan Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland |
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Thank you to John Danny Callaghan who wrote: |
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Edinburgh University Boat Club "The rowing club is the Edinburgh University Boat Club. The crest on the building is the University crest over crossed oars. I was speaking with my friend today, one of the first lady surgeons in Scotland. She was a member of the University Boat Club and rowed on the canal from the boat house during the War. At that time the distance that could be rowed was quite short as the canal had booms across at regular intervals so, should it be damaged my bombing, the flooding would be limited." Danny Callaghan, Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland: November 25, 2009 |
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Answer 4. Danny Callaghan Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland |
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Thank you to John Danny Callaghan who added: |
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Boat Houses on the Union Canal Meggetland "This photo was taken on the Union Canal near Meggetland opposite Ashley Gardens. The canal runs to the NE alongside Colinton Road for about 1/4 mile and the veers north. You can see the tram power posts to right of picture, running down Colinton Road to the city. I think was the No 9 tram. The boat house and landing stage are on the south bank of canal, just at end of Polwarth Terrace. There is a club crest on end of building, but cannot make out what it is. Harrison Road "There was another rowing club boat house further NE on south side of the canal at Harrison Road. I was in that about 6 years ago, as British Waterways were going to refurbish it." Gray's Loan Between the two boat houses mentioned above, there is Edinburgh Canal Society's boat house at Gray's Loan. This is a new build. Danny Callaghan, Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland: November 25+26, 2009 |
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Boat House at Gray's Loan Here is a photo of Edinburgh Canal Society's boat house at Gray's Loan, Merchiston, that Danny mentions. This photo was taken in 2007 This boat house is on the south bank of the canal, immediately to the east of the bridge that takes Gray's Loan to the south, over the canal, to join Ashley Terrace. Peter Stubbs: November 26, 2009 |
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Answer 5. John J Hadden Edinburgh |
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Thank you to John Hadden who wrote: |
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Edinburgh University Boat Club "I think this image may be, as suggested, on the Union Canal, showing the Edinburgh University Boat Club boathouse. There is an image on the SCRAN web site from the University of Edinburgh's collection, which supports this. It shows an Edinburgh University Women's Boat Club crew. The SCRAN picture includes two buildings. They are seen from a slightly different angle, but they seem like a good match for the buildings on the unknown image. The left building on both images shows what looks like a downpipe and shuttered windows in the same position." John Hadden, Edinburgh: November 25, 2009 |
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Answer 6. Ben Edinburgh |
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Recent Photo of the Boat Houses Thank you to Ben for sending me this photo that he took of boat houses on the Union Canal in November 2009. The photo shows Watson's and Heriot's boat houses on the south bank of the Union canal at Meggetland. 2009
© Ben, Edinburgh Messages from Ben received November 27 + 28, 2009 The boat houses above seem to be in the same positions on the bank of the Union Canal as the two boat houses below. Early 1900s
© Reproduced with acknowledgement to John Stirling, Currie, Edinburgh: November 6, 2009 |
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Comparison The distant boat house, used by Watson's school, looks very similar today. The nearest boat house, now used by Heriot's School, is on the site of the boat house previously used by Edinburgh University. The new Heriot's boat house is a wooden structure with a flat roof. The earlier photo above was taken from a slightly lower position, and one of the boat houses had a higher roof so less is visible in the background However, some of the chimneys behind are just visible on the earlier photo, and the far bank of the canal with its grass and steps against the boat houses looks very similar in both photos. |
