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Southhouse Primary School

1952-53

Thank you to Ronnie Murphy for sending me the photo above.  I don't know which class this was, but it looks to me as if it was probably towards the upper end of the school, possibly around P4 toP7.  Perhaps Ronnie will be able to tell me. ***

I found it unusual and interesting to see the houses in the background in this photo.

Ronnie wrote:

School Class

"This class photo was taken in 1952-53.   I'm a bit vague about the names of most of the pupils, but I know that on the top row:

-  I am 2nd on the left.  I lived at 46 Southhouse Broadway.

-  ...?...  Sutherland is 1st from the right.

-  Leonard Doig is 4th from the right.

The teacher was Miss Cummings."

Ronnie Murphy:  October 19, 2013

Southhouse School

I knew nothing about the school until I saw this photo, but I've now checked and I see that Southhouse Primary School appeared in the list of Primary Schools in the 1950-51 Edinburgh & Leith Post Office Directory as being at Burdiehouse Crescent (Headmaster Thomas J Symington MA). 

I see that Southhouse Primary School no longer appears in the direcotory for 1961, but  Burdiehouse  (and Gracemount) Primary School is listed at Burdiehouse Crescent (Headmaster Thomas Symington MA) so the school appears to have changed its name.

In the 1970 directory Burdiehouse Primary School is listed at Burdiehouse Crescent, so that looks like another name change.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:  October 20, 2013

Reply

1.

Bob Henderson

Burdiehouse, Edinburgh

Thank you to Bob Henderson for following up my 'Southhouse School' comments above with more information about the schools in the area.

Bob wrote:

Three Schools at Burdiehouse

"The schools in the Burdiehouse area were

1.  The original Burdiehouse Primary School, an old stone-built building in the original village of Burdiehouse.  It was demolished to make way for the dual carriageway which now runs past Burdiehouse

2.  The first Southhouse Primary School, built as an all-metal construction in the late-1940s or early-1950s.   Pupils from the old Burdiehouse Primary School were transferred here when Burdiehouse closed.

2.  A replacement Southhouse Primary School, built at the same time as the prefabs at Southhouse were being replaced by higher density housing.

Three New Schools at Gracemount

"As the area to the north of Captains road, Gracemount, was developed, three new schools were built there.  They were:

-  St Catherines RC Primary School

-  Gracemount Primary School

-  Gracemount High School.

When Southhouse Primary was closed and the pupils were transferred to Gracemount Primary which has since been demolished.  The site is now being developed for housing.

My Family

"My children attended:

-  Southhouse Primary School

-  Gracemount Primary School

-  Gracemount High School."

Bob Henderson, Burdiehouse, Edinburgh:  October 21+22, 2013

Reply

2.

Forbes Wilson

near Guildford, Surrey, England

Thank you to Forbes Wilson for identifying the houses in the background of the Southhouse School Class photo at the top of this page.

I've reproduced that photo below, followed by the Google Street View image, photographed in July 2012, that Forbes sent to me.

Forbes wrote

Southhouse Road

"The three houses in the background of the Southhouse school class photo are those as you turn right off Burdiehouse Street into Southhouse Road."

Forbes Wilson, near Guildford, England:  October 22, 2013

Update

For further comments these three houses, please see Reply 5 below.

Reply

3.

Ronnie Murphy

West Yorkshire, England

Thank you to Ronnie Murphy (who sent me the photo of Southhouse Primary School at the top of this page) for writing again

Ronnie wrote:

Southhouse Primary School

"I still have two books that I received for doing well in P4 and P5 classes at Southhouse Primary School.  I think that the photo would have been taken at around that time."

Burdiehouse Primary School

"Bob Henderson mentioned Burdiehouse village school.  I went there before I went to Southhouse Primary.

I half-remember getting my Coronation Mug and a packet of sweeties from there, but maybe not!"

Ronnie Murphy, West Yorkshire, England:  October 23, 2013

Reply

4.

John Rattray

Thank you to John Rattray who wrote:

Class Photo

   ©

"I'm in the photo, 3rd from the left on the back row.  The back row is:

-  Miss Cummings

-  William Wylie

-  Ronny Murphy

-  John Rattray (me)

-  Iain Cowan

-  ?

-  Tom Thorburn

-  Leonard Doig

-  Donald Mclelland ++

The only other names that I can remember in this photo are:

-  Ivor ...?.... (front left) and

-  Martin Malcolm (front right).

++  Donald now lives in Canada.  We see each other from time to time.

Other Schools

"I lived at 21 Stenhouse Road.

After attending Southhouse Primary, I went to:

-   the old Burdiehouse Primary for a couple of years, then that class was the first one to go to

-   the new school built at Southhouse. 

Our teacher at these last two schools was Mr Mackenzie.

Jackie Rattray:  January 12, 2013

Reply

5.

Gordon Wright

Barnton, Edinburgh

Thank you to Gordon Wright for commenting on the location of the houses in the background of the Stenhouse Primary School Class photo, 1952-53 at the top of this page.

Gordon wrote:

Southhouse Road?

"If I am understanding correctly, Forbes Wilson, in his Reply 2 above suggests that the houses in the background of these two photos are in Southhouse Road.

   ©

   ©

Burdiehouse Street

"Well, I'm sorry, but the houses are not in Stenhouse Road.  All these blocks are firmly in Burdiehouse Street. Southhouse Road runs by the gable end of the first block and there it joins the Crescent.

In the photo 1952-53 photo, the end of the Community centre ( a Blue building) can be seen opposite the houses.

Residents

"Mrs Potter, I believe, lived in the ground floor of the first block . Her son, Rab, had one of the old shops that ran from the Broadway (at my door 51) through to the Drive. He later had a shop in Gracemount.  I don't know who lived in the flat above the Potter family.

Next door to the Potter family in the other ground flat, lived my pal George Stoddart and his family.  Above them was the Allan family.

Also living in those blocks were:

-   my pal Alec Stephenson and his dad.

-   the Bryce family, with Rose Tam etc.

-   the Tollins family, with Pat etc.

-  the Beveridge family, with the twins, Bunty and Isabel.

Further along Burdiehouse Street, there were other families, including the Magill family who lived on the corner.

Gordon Wright, Barnton, Edinburgh:  June 23, 2014

Reply

6.

Gordon Wright

Barnton, Edinburgh

Thank you to Gordon Wright who wrote:

Pupils

"I know many of the other faces, but (ohhh!) the names! However, I can help with a few of the names:

   ©

-  William (Wassal) Wylie is in the back row, beside the teache.  I used to play football with Wassal, but that stopped when we got a ball!  (Joking.)

-  Alec Verth (Veitchy) from Southhouse Road is last-but-one in the back row .

-  One of the Mclean twins, Ena or Dot, is  in the second-back row, four in from the left. The other  is in the second row up.   They were from the Drive.

Southhouse Primary Replacement School

"Bob Henderson in his Reply 1  above appears to have summed up the School situation nicely.

I wonder if he knew that the 'replacement Southhouse Primary School' or the School 'doon the dip or the burn', as we referred to it, was sinking fast.  I believe that its proximity to the burn had something to do with the sinking."

Tin School

"The Tin School  served handicapped children for a while

Gordon Wright, Barnton, Edinburgh:  June 23, 2014

Reply

7.

Bob Henderson

Burdiehouse, Edinburgh

Thank you to Bob Henderson for writing again.

Bob wrote:

Southhouse Primary  Replacement School

"In his Reply 6 (above) Gordon Wright mentions the sinking of the school.

I remember the school being built. It was built on very long concrete piles, as the ground was very wet to a great depth.

As Gordon says, it was in what we called the dip, which was the very lowest point of a valley with a burn running through it.

Another Name

I can also add another name to the list in this class photo:

   ©

The boy 3 in from the left in the front row is Raymond Black.

Bob Henderson, Burdiehouse, Edinburgh:  June 26, 2014

Burdiehouse

Recollections