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Recollections Craigentinny |
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Recollections |
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1. |
Cath Tuff (née
Cath Hay) |
- Loganlea Terrace and Drive - Wartime - Back Green Concerts - Toffee Cups |
| 2. |
Olive |
- Loganlea Crescent Bomb |
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3. |
George Gault |
- Loganlea Crescent Bomb |
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4. |
Cath Tuff (née
Cath Hay) |
- Loganlea Crescent Bomb - The School |
| 5. |
Bill Hall |
- Loganlea Crescent Bomb |
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6. |
George Gault |
- Loganlea Crescent Bomb |
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7. |
Archie Meldrum |
- Loaning Road Bombs |
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Recollections 1. Cath Tuff (née Cath Hay) Warwickshire, England |
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Thank you to Cath Tuff (née Cath Hay) for sending her memories of Craigentinny in the 1940s. Cath wrote: |
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Loganlee Terrace and Drive "Does anyone have any memories of Craigentinny? I was born in Loganlee Terrace and baptised at Restalrig Church. Then, we moved to Loganlee Drive. I knew everyone in our street. I don't think there is anyone left now." Wartime "During the War, I went to nursery school in Craigie. At the back of the school, I remember, a bomb hit a house and blew it in two." Just after the War, I went to Craigentinny school, which is still there. We used to get 2 pence for tea and a sticky bun, then went to the school hall to play till 5 o' clock. Everyone was safe and our mothers never had to worry about us. They knew where we were in those days." Back Green Concerts "In the summer, we had back green concerts. Even my stuffy brother took part. He thought himself 'Lord of the Manor' because he had a paper round, and had a barrow made from an old box, and he delivered messages. He never made his fortune." Toffee Cups "My mum would make toffee cups and tablet. We would sell it and give the money for the old folk that went to Craigentinny Castle Those were the days, when the sun was always bright. My, I am getting auld !" Cath Tuff, Warwickshire, England [since 1970]: December 15, 2006 |
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Recollections 2. Olive Edinburgh |
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Olive asked a question about World War II Bombings. |
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Olive wrote: Loaning Crescent Bomb "I'm trying to find out more about the WW11 bombings that happened in Edinburgh - dates and locations of air raids, that sort of thing. I have a particular interest in the house that was bombed at Loaning Crescent, Craigentinny (not be be confused with the house hit at Loaning Road). I believe two people died and four were injured in the blast. I used to live there and would love to know more." Olive, Edinburgh: January 22, 2009 |
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If you would like to contact Olive, please email me, then I'll pass on your message to her. Thank you. - Peter Stubbs: January 22, 2009. |
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Recollections 3. George Gault Edgewater, Perth, Western Australia |
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Thank you to George Gault who wrote: |
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Loaning Crescent Bomb "I lived at 2 Loaning Crescent, Craigentinny, just opposite No 1 that was partially destroyed in a World War 2 bombing. I remember a family called Linn, or was it Lynn? One of the boys was called Peter." George Gault, Edgewater, Perth, Western Australia: May 25, 2009 |
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Note for George Gault George: I've tried to send a message to you twice today, to the address that you wrote to me from a couple of days ago. However, both times the message has been bounced back to me. Can you let me know what email address I should use to contact you. Thank you. Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: May 28, 2009 |
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Update Good news:
I've now re-established contact with George by email. Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: October 17 2012 |
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Recollections 4. Ken Campbell Edinburgh |
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Thank you to Ken Campbell for responding to the message from Olive in Recollections 2 above. |
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Ken wrote: Loaning Crescent Bomb "I lived in Loganlea Place at the time of the bombing that Olive mentions. I remember, when it happened, I was on the summer break and I actually walked around the back of the school to see the damage. The gable end of one tenement had totally collapsed. This building is still the same now, with stair entrance not in the middle but at the end where the three houses were damaged. I believe the caretaker of the castle was supposedly blown out his room and I heard he had been killed. The building was on the corner of Loaning Crescent and the Road next to the castle. The School The school also suffered damage. I remember the ceiling of my classroom had been repaired by the time we went back to school after our summer break. I cannot remember the year but I think it must have been 1942 as I started school in 1941 and I was attending school when this happened. I still live in Craigentinny and my sister still lives in Loganlea place." Ken Campbell, Craigentinny, Edinburgh: May 24, 2012 |
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Recollections 5. Bill Hall |
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Thank you to Bill Hall who wrote: |
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Loaning Crescent Bomb "The 'Linn' family that George refers to had another boy, Frank Linn. He moved to Musselburgh in later life and used to frequent the Ship Inn there. When Frank used to tell the story of the bombing of his house, some wise guy would usually comment: 'Aye, even Hitler had heard o' ye'." Bill Hall, August 21, 2012 |
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Recollections 6. George Gault Edgewater, Perth, Western Australia |
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Thank you to George Gault for writing again, and telling more of his memories of the bomb mentioned in Recollections 3 above. George writes |
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Loaning Crescent Bomb Before the Bomb "I lived in 2 Loaning Crescent, Craigentinny, and well I remember the night I said to my mum: "Let’s not go to the shelter as the Jerry’s (Germen air force) could not hit us for peanuts - or could not hit a barn door whilst holding it by the handle!" The Bomb "This state of affairs was rectified within second and all Hell was let loose, as a large boulder slammed against our house - the mark is still there - and the house in front of us fell apart and the one behind us followed suite. What little fire we had, was scattered over the floor." After the Bomb "Later, when walking up to the Catholic school - evacuated by the ARP - near Kemp's Corner, David my brother thumped me and said ‘’Yes they can!” The blow knocked me of balance, causing me to fall head first in to the bomb crater that had rapidly been filling up with water. It just proves how wrong one can be. I will be visiting Scotland mid-January to get away from this dashed sunshine." George Gault, Edgewater, Perth, Western Australia: May 25, 2009 |
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Thanks for your comments, George. I hope you enjoy your visit to Edinburgh. We've certainly not had a lot of sunshine here over the past few months! Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: October 17 2012 |
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Recollections 7. Archie Meldrum Elgin, Morayshire, Scotland |
From 1939 |
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Thank you to Archie Meldrum for responding to the comments from Olive in Recollections 2 above. Archie wrote: |
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"Hi
Olive:
Loaning Road Four Bombs I lived in Loaning Road at No.8. On the night in question a loan German raider flew down the length of Loaning Road from the area of the town centre and dropped a stick of four bombs: - The first demolished the large air raid shelters built to protect the workers of Munro’s factory (their actual target being Munro's, I think). - The second struck the rear wing of Craigentinny Castle, also known as Craigentinny house. This building is over 500 years old. The caretaker, Mr Wright was killed in this area. - The third struck a block of houses on the corner of Loaning Road and Loaning Crescent. As I recall, the mother of my chum Tommy Veitch was killed together with one of his sisters who had just returned from evacuation to care for Mum who was expecting a baby. - The fourth fell further down Loaning Road severely damaging another block of houses. I don’t know of any other deaths in the street.6 August 1943 "For the record the date was 6th. August 1943 as I had just had my birthday. On a parting note, I was down at the butchers at the foot of the road and found a piece of shrapnel about 15” long from the bomb behind the wall in front of the school . The strange thing was it was almost the same shape as the British Isles minus the small islands off the coast. Mothers being mothers, of course, it was tossed in the bucket! So much for history! Oh, Happy Days." |
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Archie Meldrum, Elgin, Morayshire, Scotland: December 13, 2012 Archie added: "P.S. I'm still in touch with George Gault, ex Loaning Road, who now lives in Oz." |
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