Dumbiedykes Survey Photographs  -  1959 Survey

Forbes Street

Forbes Street

Forbes Street was part of the Dumbiedykes area of Edinburgh, close to the north-west corner of Holyrood Park.  Housing in the area was demolished possibly around the early-1960s *** and replaced by new housing.

This is typical of many photos of the district, with a small commercial van and no private cars in the street.

***  CORRECTION:  Please see 'Recollections' 1 below

The large photograph above was one of several dozen taken in 1959 by Adam H Malcolm in the Dumbiedykes area of Edinburgh.  These photographs were taken shortly before the houses were demolished.  Adam H Malcolm donated these photographs to the Edinburgh City Libraries in the 1960s and they can now be found in the Library's Edinburgh Room Collection.

Recollections

1.

John Preece

Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland

Thank you to John Preece who wrote:

12 Forbes Street

"Incidentally, Forbes Street was not demolished until the mid- or late-1970s.  I lived at No 12 Forbes Street until 1971-72."

John Preece, Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland:  21+25+26 July 2010

Recollections

2.

Jacqueline Jeffrey
(née Melvin)

Nairn, Highland, Scotland

Thank you to Jacqueline Jeffrey who wrote (after reading John Preece's comments written in Recollections 1 above):

12 Forbes Street

"I too lived in No 12 Forbes Street.

John Preece and Family

"Our family, the Melvins were great friends with John's Granny and Grandad, Tam and Suzy Alcorn until 1971-72,

My brother, as a wee boy, used to play with John."

Jacqueline Jeffrey (née Melvin), Nairn, Highland, Scotland:  January 20, 2014

Jacqueline and John

I've now sent an email to John Preece who wrote Recollections 1, to let him know about Jacqueline's comments that I added to Recollections 2 today. 

I hope that John is still using the same email address now as he was when he last contacted me in 2010, and that he will now have received my email.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:  January 22, 2014

Recollections

3.

John Preece

Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland

Thank you to John Preece for replying to Jacqueline Jeffrey's comments in Recollections 2 above.

John wrote:

12 Forbes Street

Playing with the Neighbours

"I do, indeed, remember the Melvins who stayed in the flat above ours.  I played football and cricket and raced bikes and scooters with her brother Ronald (?) and with the Fishers who stayed on the ground floor.

I don't remember much about Jaqueline.  She seemed to be much older than we were, but was probably only a couple of years or so older.   It was a long time ago!"

A Fine Pair!

"Jaqueline mentions that my Grandad and her Dad were great friends.  In fact, they used to go for a pint or two to Jeannie Deans' pub in St. Leonard's Hill every Saturday night.

Her Dad was very tall, maybe over 6 foot,  and my Grandad was just over 5 foot!  A fine pair they made, walking off round the corner!

We visited Jacqueline's family occasionally, after they had moved to the high flats at the Dumbiedykes."

The Fishers

"As for the Fishers, they moved away well before I did, but their son Graeme and I went to the same school, the same college and, after several years, turned out to play cricket for our respective works in the Meadows!"

John Preece, Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland:  21+25+26 July 2010

Recollections

4.

Ken Brown

Thank you to Ken Brown, who wrote:

10 Forbes Street

"I came across messages from John Preece (1 and 3 above) and Jacqueline Melvin (2 above). They both lived at No.12 Forbes Street.  I lived at No.10 Forbes Street until 1965 when I moved to Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.

I remember Jacqueline and many others that lived in that area and also went to good old Jimmy Clark's School.  Sorry John, I don't think we were there at the same time, or possibly we were working and we never met.

Television and Radio Van

©

"The Television & Radio van in the photo at the top of this page belonged to Jacqueline's dad.

There is a short video on the internet of Forbes Street called, 'Just another Saturday',  if anyone cares to see what it was like before it was demolished."

Ken Brown, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada:  April 30, 2015

Just Another Saturday

In her Recollections 1 on another page on the EdinPhoto site, Christa McDonald speaks about the film Just Another Saturday' that Ken mentions above.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:  May 18, 2015

Recollections

5.

Ken Brown

Thank you to Ken Brown, who wrote again, telling me::

St Leonard's

"My memories of Forbes Street .and Edinburgh are still very clear.  In the late-1950s, I delivered  milk, rolls & newspapers for Jimmy Miller's Dairy, on the corner of St. Leonard's Lane and St. Leonard's Hill.

I notice that John Harris or Harrison has also contributed to the EdinPhoto recollections pages, and has mentioned that he originally stayed in St. Leonard's Hill but now lives here in Peterborough.

I'd  love to give him a telephone call or drop him an email just to say hello.

Ken Brown, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada:  May 21, 2015

EdinPhoto Contributors

Ken mentioned three EdinPhoto contributors in his Recollections 4and 5.

I've now passed on the latest email addresses that I have for them to Ken.  I hope that they are still using the same email addresses now as they were when they contacted me, and that Ken will be able to make contact with them.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:  May 21, 2015

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