Edinburgh History - Granton School Class

© Norman Watson. Thank you also to Grant King, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, for supplying the copy of this photograph.

Granton Primary School

1962

Thank you to Grant King, Aberdeenshire, Scotland (who has previously sent me his recollections of Granton Harbour) for sending me this photograph of his class at Granton Primary School in 1962

The pupils in this photo are (left to right):

	BACK ROW	3rd ROW (Row next to back)	2nd ROW (Row next to front)	FRONT ROW
1.	*John Aitken*	*Robert McCrindle* *R~~onnie McCrindle~~*	*Janet Brien,*	*Ronnie Macrindle* *~~Ronnie ?~~*
2.	*Gordon Cullen*	*Grant King,*	*Patricia Evans*	*John Oswald)*
3.	*Billy Henderson*	*Patricia Thomson*	*Jeana Nimmo* *~~Gina Nimmo~~*	*Douglas Archibald*
4.	**Alan Fairgrieve**	*Pamela Terris* *~~Pamela Anderson (?)~~*	*Catherine Venters*	*George Laird*
5.	*Alan Paterson* ~~*Colin Smart (?)*~~	*Linda Shields*	*Lorraine Johnstone*	*Alan Georgeson*
6.	*Norman Cochran*	*Evelyn Baxter* *~~Evelyn Ross~~*	*Fay Blackie* *~~Faye Blackie~~*	*Robert Buchanan* *~~Rab ?~~*
7.	*John Lamb*	*Arlene Colbron*	*June Graham*	*Edward Griffin* *~~Brian Griffin~~*
8.	*David Meldrum*	*Jane Alexander*	*Charlotte Lindsay*
9.	Mr MacKay ~~Mr McKay~~	*Alfred Ainslie* *~~Fred Ainslie~~*	*Catherine Ramage*
10.		*David Macpherson* *~~David ?~~*	*Caroline Grieve*
11.			*Margo Pae* *~~Margo Payne~~*
11.			*May Yarrick*
Thank you to: - Grant King for identifying those shown in purple above. - Berta Edgar (née Yarrick) for identifying those in green above. - Brenda Keen (née Griffin) for identifying those in blue above - Caroline Hendry (née Grieve) for all the remaining names above.
Berta added that she is the sister of May Yarrick (2nd row). Unfortunately May died of cancer in 2007. Berta believes that Ronnie McCrindle is in fact in the front row. Raymond Hendry has confirmed this.

Acknowledgements:

Grant King, Aberdeenshire, Scotland: December 14, 2006

Berta Edgar, Erskine, Renfrewshire, Scotland: March 15, 2008

Brenda Keen (née Griffin), Suffolk, England: November 18, 2010

Caroline Hendry (née Grieve), Boswall, Edinburgh: February 28+29, 2012

Norman Watson

Photographer

I was surprised to see that this photograph was taken by Norman Watson, Penrith, rather than by an Edinburgh photographer or Prophet of Dundee.

I have not been able to trace what has happened to the Norman Watson business. Did it, perhaps, have some connection with the Edinburgh photographer, Norman Watson who had a studio at 8 Albany Street from 1857 until 1959?

If you can tell me anything about Norman Watson, please e-mail me.

Thank you. - Peter Stubbs, December 18, 2006

Thank you to Phil Wilson who replied:

"I've just been reading the page about Granton School with photos, including one taken in 1962 by Norman Watson.

I have one of myself, taken officially at Wardie School, by Norman Watson, Penrith, which I had roughly and quite independently dated 1962. It looks like he may have gone for, and got, the local contract that year.

The number on the back of my photo in pencil is 12309."

Phil Wilson, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland: March 4, 2007

Recollections

Peter Gardiner

Adelaide, South Australia

Thank you to Peter Gardiner who wrote:

Move from Australia

"After a very different childhood in Australia, I ended up spending a year at Granton Primary School, before moving on to Norton Park Secondary School."

12-year-old

"If you could imagine a 12-year-old arriving from endless blue skies and sun into Granton in November, you may get an idea of the initial shock.

We were a family of 7, jammed into my grandmother's flat on Granton Crescent. After being quizzed on my very first day by a school inspector in, of all places the toilets on Granton Square, I was accused of being a truant, and he came banging on our door."

Unhappy Start

"The school was a nightmare. For the first time I saw kids belted. I walked to school in the slush. The view of smoke from the school dinner block was like a concentration camp.

Within a week i was infested with lice. I was run down and my face was with cold sores. Just to cap things off, my mother sent me to school in plus-4 trousers, and a doctor's bag, which caused great hilarity. I'm sure many will not forget."

School Bully

"I'll always fondly remember:

- Isobel Tulmullio, the girl who stood up for me after I unwittingly accepted a fight from the school bully.

- Miss Laidlaw, the great teacher who who persisted with me, despite my being a duck out of water."

School Library

"In the end, the skies brightened and i discovered the school Library. I worked my way through all of Richmal Crompton's 'William' books and developed an undiminished love of books."

Peter Gardiner, Adelaide, South Australia: September 1, 2010