Photo taken at the weding of James Z Harold and Laura Hourn (1948) at Loftus Hall, Wellington Street, Portobello

Loftus Hall

Thank you to Archie Young for allowing me to reproduce the photograph above, of a wedding group inside Loftus Hall

Archie wrote:

Question

"Does anybody have information about Loftus Hall, or a photograph of the halls. I was told that the halls were in Wellington Street, Portobello, but who knows?

I believe that the street name has now changed to Marlborough Street.

The Wedding

"The Bride was Laura Olivia Violet Horne from St. Patrick's Square and the Groom was James Ziegler Harold from Joppa.

It's a long but wonderful story about the middle name Ziegler. Every third son in the family, down through the years, was given the middle name in honour of the original man who's last name was Ziegler. By all accounts he was a very kind man.

My late mother-in-law is in this photo. She was given a copy of the photo by the family. I would imagine it was probably taken by a local lad.

The Hall

"From the look of the photo, the hall seems to be circular in shape or perhaps it was one end that looked like that.

I've tried Google to find if there was anything on the net about the Halls but have found nothing for the moment

Imagine being brought up in Joppa and Portobello and not knowing about it! I'm wondering if the Hall was actually:

- the Free Church in Regent Street. We used to go there when it was a Youth Club, or

- Melville Street Church.

Archie Young, Moredun, Edinburgh: August 3, 2011 (3 emails)

Margeorie Mekie

Portobello, Edinburgh

Thank you to Margeorie Mekie who replied:

Wellington Street

"Wellington Street is now named Marlborough Street. The name was changed in the 1960s because there were then two Wellington Streets in Edinburgh.
(The other one was in near London Road at Hillside, Edinburgh.)

Kingdom Hall

There used to be a hall called Kingdom Hall in Wellington Street, Portobello. This was a Jehovah's Witness place."

Margeorie Mekie, Portobello, Edinburgh: August 3, 2011

Bob Jefferson

I found a question asked by Bob Jefferson in 2009 on the Talk Porty web site. This was asked on behalf of a former Portobello resident (until 1957) who now lives in Arizona.

Question

"Can anyone give me any information about Loftus Hall? I think it was somewhere around Marlborough Street or Bellfield Lane.

Dance classes were held there on a Saturday morning with Miss Cranston, and it may have had other community uses.."

Bob Jefferson, May 11, 2009

A few hours later, Bob Jefferson provided the answer when he wrote:

Kingdom Hall

"I've just been for a walk and found the hall.

It is now a Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall in Marlborough Street, next to the United Reformed Church (which is up for sale, by the way).

A neighbour was able to give me some more information. It was indeed at one time known as Loftus Hall and may have been a school originally, connected with the church.

The hall was briefly a Railwaymen's Club, then they moved to Bath Street and it was bought by the Jehovah's Witnesses."

Bob Jefferson, May 11, 2009

Archie Young wrote:

"Please pass on my thanks to Bob Jefferson for his investigations."

Archie Young, Moredun, Edinburgh: August 4, 2011

Margeorie Mekie

Portobello, Edinburgh

Thank you to Margeorie Mekie for writing again with a different answer. It the buildings mentioned in Replies 2 and 3 are still standing, it might be possible to visit them and see if either matches this photo:

Margeorie wrote:

Near Wellington Street

"My neighbour, Luella Wallace, who is from Portobello and was born 1946 remembers going to parties in Loftus Hall - probably in the 1950s.

She said Loftus Hall was on the right hand side going down from the High Street, just before Wellington Street takes a bend, in the street and just before the tenements.

She doesn't think it was connected to a church, but doesn't really know, and says it was used for parties, receptions etc.

Next time I am along the road I will have a wee look."

Margeorie Mekie, Portobello, Edinburgh: August 3, 2011

Archie Young wrote:

"Please pass on my thanks to Margeorie Mekie for her investigations."

Archie Young, Moredun, Edinburgh: August 4, 2011

Archie Foley

Joppa, Edinburgh

Thank you to Archie Foley who replied:

Beside the former Congregational Church

"I have no personal knowledge of the Loftus Hall, but I received this information from a friend who was brought up in Portobello. He wrote:

'I think I can remember the brick hall, beside the former Congregational Church at Marlborough/ Wellington Street, being called the Loftus Hall.

I used to go there for the Parish Church Bible Classes in the 1960s.' "

Archie Foley, Joppa, Edinburgh: August 6, 2011

Margeorie Mekie

Portobello, Edinburgh

Thank you to Margeorie Mekie for writing again.

Margeorie wrote:

Marlborough Street

"There is a block of houses at the top of Marlborough Street (previously Wellington Street) and then there is a church which is currently being renovated into, I believe, a house.

There is a small lane down either side of the church and two halls at the back of the church. One of them was Loftus Hall."

Margeorie Mekie, Portobello, Edinburgh: September 24, 2011

Anne Loftus

Edmonton, Alberta,Canada

Thank you to Anne Loftus who wrote:

Loftus Hall

"Bob Jefferson is correct about the Saturday dance classes run by Miss Cranston. I used to attend them.

I recall that when I left Straiton Place at Portobello and headed towards the High Street, Loftus Hall was on the right-hand side of the street and Miss Cranston lived across the street from the hall. I am prepared to be corrected as it was many years ago.

Anne Loftus, Edmonton Canada (since leaving Portobello in 1957): 16 February 2016