Pupils in the Grounds of Granton Primary Shool

What is the building on the right-hand-side of this picture?
I originally described it as the 'District Library, but see Recollections 2 + 2 below.

Recollections

Archie Foley

Joppa, Edinburgh

Thank you to Archie Foley who wrote, asking a question about the building on the right in this photo that described above as the District Library.

Archie wrote:

Library

in the Grounds
of Granton School

"The identification of the somewhat derelict looking building in the playground at Wardieburn Terrace intrigues me. I went to Granton School up to P7 in 1947 and used the local library then and into the early-1950s.

The library then was a permanent building built at the same time as, and attached, to the school on the back wall with its own entrance in Wardieburn Terrace.

As a small boy I loved the atmosphere of the place, so many books and so peaceful.

Kitchens

during World War 2

"Buildings, like the one shown on the right-hand side of this photo, were put up very quickly during WW2 and served as kitchens for the school meals service.

Granton Primary School

However, I seem to remember that they were on the other side of the library entrance. I don't remember the building in the photo at all and it might have been an extension to the original library put up after I left."

Archie Foley: Joppa, Edinburgh:

Recollections

Douglas Roberts

New Town, Edinburgh

I asked Douglas whether or not he believed that the building on the right-hand- side of this photo was the District Library.

Douglas replied, telling me that the building in this photo was NOT the District Library.

Douglas wrote:

Library Behind Granton Primary School

"I remember the library as a permanent construction. It would certainly have been so at the time of the photo. I used the library a lot in the mid-1950s.

What the building in the photo is, I have no idea."

Douglas Roberts, New Town, Edinburgh: September 5, 2014

Returning Books to the Library

Douglas told me (when he lent his photos to me to scan, last week) that on one occasion, he had borrowed a book and read it, then taken it back to the Library the same day, but was told by the Librarian:

"You're not allowed to bring back a book the same day as you borrow it!"

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: September 5, 2014

Recollections

Eric Gold

East End, London

Thank you to Eric Gold who wrote:

Building

in the background in this
Granton School Photo

Granton Primary School

Dinner Halls

"I'd bet my bottom dollar that the building in the background, on the right in this photo was a dinner hall. It's identical to one at St Anthony’s School in Leith, which I went to from 1960 until 1963.

- A lot of the old Victorian- and Edwardian-built schools in Edinburgh had separate dinner halls like this one, outside.

- I believe that South Bridge school, built in Drummond Street, around 1907, had one too.

- These halls were thrown up quickly, like prefab buildings.

- Smaller schools, and schools built in the 1930s, like those in Niddrie and Craigmillar, did not have separate dinner halls.

- The schools that I attended before going to St Anthony's:

- St Anne’s in the Cowgate and

- St Patricks in St Johns Hill

had their dinner halls inside the schools.

Eric Gold, East End, London: September 6, 2014