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2. Recollections 1952-1958 |
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Our Life at Baberton House "I was born in 1950 and came to live at Baberton House around 1952/53 and I left when I was 9 years old. I attended Juniper Green School from 1956 when I was 5 years old until I was 12½ My family and I occupied the kitchen wing of the house. The people who owned Baberton House at that time was Mr Charles Robertson and his wife Charlotte who was American. I loved that house and have moved through all the rooms in my dreams so often." |
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Cook "My mother, Margaret, was Scottish, originally a Fifer. She worked as cook for Mr and Mrs Robertson. She cooked for 40 people, single-handed, when Mrs Robertson, a typical American who did things on a large scale, decided to entertain or hold a bazaar. Of course, there were maids in attendance to see to cleaning of the house, laundry etc. Sometimes, Mrs Morrison, the gardener's wife would come in and lend a hand with a variety of tasks, and more so if it was a large dinner party. I do not know who attended these." |
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Gamekeeper, Handyman and Chauffeur "My father, Wladek Szawluk, was Polish. He worked as a gamekeeper, handyman, chauffeur, etc. He was called John by everyone who wouldn't try to learn his Polish name." |
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The Gardener "The gardener and his wife Mr and Mrs Morrison lived in the lodge which you have on the picture." Baberton Lodge |
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The Drive "When I was at school, I walked up the drive-way from Baberton House every day. My daughter and I were very dismayed to find that we could only get so far down the drive-way last summer, then found that access had been cut off. When I lived at the house I only walked along a small section of the drive-way as there was a small short-cut path. This ran down through a marvelously constructed tunnel of trees and branches, across a small wooden bridge, amongst other bridges which my father built many years ago around the same area, to come out at the bottom of a huge green lawn with Baberton House sitting majestically at the very end of it." |
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Windows and Stone Carvings "Looking at Baberton House, to the left of the ivy-covered frontage there was a clean section of wall with three windows running down it and carvings around the windows." |
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The Green Room "My mother used to say that the middle window, which belonged to what was called the Green Room, had a ghost because if ever we went out and we returned home in the evening, the light was always found to have been left burning although the room was rarely used." |
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The Lounge "The middle windows on the first floor of the ivy-covered part of the house belonged to a plush lounge including grand piano, etc. These windows looked down on the front lawn." |
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Bedroom "I did not often go to the top level of the house. However, on the top level, directly near the stairs, neatly tucked into the right-hand corner, was a beautiful bedroom. At least it was used as a bedroom when we were there It had a four poster bed. I think it was a cosy wood-panelled room with brown walls. It was made for its four poster bed. Whether the bed was an original one left from bygone days, I do not know. I have dreamed of looking into that room, and of course I am a little girl again when I dream. I wonder if it was me standing at the foot of that bed upsetting that member of the Cullen family long ago." |
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The Double Bedroom "There was a large double bedroom situated on the first floor. It had a pattern with stars on the ceiling. I was told that King Louis of France ( I don't know which one) slept in that room. ANSWER: "It was Charles X the de-throned and exiled King of France" [John Scott] The windows of that room looked out from the left-hand side of the house and onto what was a sunken rockery garden. This garden is now sadly occupied with houses. I cannot believe that the developers were allowed to come so close to the house." |
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House Sold "After Mrs Robertson died, Mr Robertson remarried and sold the house. A very large family by the name of Cullen bought it. They had horses. One of the girls was called Larch. Then, the next thing I knew was that it had been bought by a man who made some alterations and discovered a well under a stone floor in what used to be our living room. My mother was always saying how cold that room was. No wonder! He then sold it onto Crudens. My daughter jokingly said that maybe there was a chance that we could buy the property for a £1, as nobody wants those derelict buildings." I would love to walk through the house once more before I get any older. There was once the possibility of my doing that but the chance got away. It is a house that should be loved one way or another" |
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Margaret Dakers (née
Szawluk), Sighthill, Edinburgh: |
