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Recollections - Edinburgh Old Town Dumbiedykes Houses and Streets |
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Recollections |
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1 |
George C R Stevenson |
Prospect Place and Arthur St. - The Balconies - The Scotchie - Wells o' Wearie - Memories - Down the Hill Facing St Margaret's Church |
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with replies from
Bryan Gourlay
Ian Stewart |
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2 |
George C R Stevenson with replies from
Jeanette Boon
Ian Mycko
Janice Brodie |
Lower Viewcraig Row |
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3 |
Dumbiedykes Road - Shops |
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Robert B McNeill |
Dumbiedykes Road - Demolition - Our Tenement |
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Jeanette Boon |
Dumbiedykes Road - Shops |
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Dumbiedykes Road - Beside Queen's Park |
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Dumbiedykes Road - No 63
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4 |
with reply from |
Prince Albert Buildings - Our tenement |
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5 |
Isa Paulin |
Holyrood Square |
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6a |
Eric Gold with reply from
Bryan Gourlay |
East Arthur Place - 'Eastie' After leaving Dumbiedykes Working Class Christmas 1959 Money Manages The Pawnbroker |
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6b |
Questions and Answers with reply from
Eric Gold |
East Arthur Place - Family - School - Bonfire Night - The Scotchie - King's Park |
Reply - Dumbiedykes in 1920s - Bonfire Night - Gas Light in Arthur Street |
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6c |
Question from
Eric Gold with replies from
Bob Henderson |
Houses Demolished - Arthur St + West Arthur Place Prospect Street - demolition Arthur Street - demolition |
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6d |
Questions and Answers
Bob
Henderson |
Houses Demolished - Arthur St + West Arthur Place |
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7 |
Bryan Gourlay with reply from
Charles Kelt Bottomley with reply from
Joe Jordan |
Fergusson's Buildings |
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8 |
Bryan Gourlay |
1881 Census |
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9 |
James Morton-Robertson with reply from
Charles Kelt Bottomley |
Heriot Mount 'aggressive kids' |
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10a |
Stan Urbaniak and comment from Cath Tuff (née Hay), Warwickshire, England
Ken Miller
Joyce |
Saint Mary Street Doctors Holyrood Road Shops My Ancestors Rag & Bone Man Fond Memories |
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10b |
with comment from
Eric Gold |
Tardis Isa Wass More Rag & Bone Men Fond Memories |
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10c |
and comment from
Jane Jones |
Arthur Street Families |
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11a |
with replies from
Margaret McBride
Eric Gold |
Middle Arthur Place |
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11b |
and questions from and with reply from
Eric Gold |
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11c |
Janette |
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11d |
Tam Harrison |
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11e. |
Michael Stanford |
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12 |
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Jane Jones |
Dr Gordon |
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13 |
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Jean Rae |
Dumbiedykes Road - 'The Brickies' + 'The Balconies' |
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14 |
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Cath Tuff |
Pleasance East Arthur Place |
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15 |
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Charles
Kelt Bottomley |
Holyrood Square Dumbiedykes Road Coconut Fernhill |
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16 |
Joe Coyle |
East Arthur Place Leaving Dumbiedykes |
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17 |
George T
Smith |
Gas Lighting |
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18 |
Dumbiedykes Road |
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19a |
Eric Gold |
Gas Pokers and Fires The Grate Frying Pan |
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19b |
What happened to Prospect St? |
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20 |
John
Ballantyne |
Arthur Street |
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21 |
Hugh Kinnaird |
East Arthur Place 'Little Scotland' |
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22 |
Matthew Watt |
Beaumont Place |
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23 |
Tam Harrison |
Middle Arthur Place |
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24 |
Eric Gold |
Gas Meter |
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25 |
Bill Cockburn |
Prince Albert Buildings |
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26 |
Bryan Gourlay |
Prince Albert Buildings St Leonard's |
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27 |
Theresa Carthy |
Slum Housing, 1961 |
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28 |
Theresa
Carthy |
Slum Housing |
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29 |
Eric Gold |
Arthur Street Film Clip Fire |
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30 |
Dod Dicken shop Coal Motor |
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31 |
Jim Hildersley |
Upper Viewcraig Row Home Shops |
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32 |
James Morton-Robertson |
Chimney Sweeps |
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33 |
Vince
McManamon |
Early Life Settled in Dumbies Tough Times Home School Poverty Today |
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34 |
Orphanage |
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35 |
David
Taylor |
Aitchison, Greengrocer |
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36 |
Susan Schneider |
The Bowlers' Rest |
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37 |
Janice Brodie |
Richmond Court |
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38 |
Jim Robertson |
The Bowlers' Rest |
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39 |
George Brodie |
Richmond Court |
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40 |
Prince Albert Buildings |
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41 |
Craggs Bar Linton the Joiner |
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42 |
Lorraine Niethe |
53 Dumbiedykes Road The Waltham Family |
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43 |
Lorraine Niethe |
53 Dumbiedykes Road The Waltham Family |
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43 |
W Gary Miller |
Tenement Demolitions and Road Developments |
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44 |
Peter Stubbs |
Tenement Demolitions Inner-Ring Road |
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45 |
W Gary Miller |
Inner-Ring Road |
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46 |
A Pringle (Scotty) |
Dumbiedykes Road |
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47 |
Jim Robertson |
The Bowlers' Rest |
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48 |
Canongate Arthur Street - TB |
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49 |
Paddy Brock |
Campbell's Bar - Where was it? |
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49 |
Campbell's Bar - Grassmarket |
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49 |
Hugh Gray |
Campbell's Bar - Tron Square |
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49 |
Andy Duff |
Campbell's Bar - St Leonard's |
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50 |
John Stevenson |
Arthur Street - Steep Hill |
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51 |
Michael Nicholson |
Arthur Street - Bill Nicholson |
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52 |
Lisa Davis |
Carnegie Street - My Mother - My Grandparents - Remember my Family |
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53 |
Eric Gold |
Our Rent |
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54 |
Eleanor Bain |
Arthur Street West Richmond Street |
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Dumbiedykes Houses and Streets More pages |
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Pleasance Tenements |
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George C R Stevenson with replies from
John Gibson |
Penny Tenement |
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Jim McNeill, |
Penny Tenement |
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Emmerline Aris |
Dalrymple Place |
Eric Gold |
'The Scotchie |
James Morton-Robertson |
My Paternal Grandfather in the Army |
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1. |
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Message from George C R H Stevenson and Replies from Bryan Gourlay and Ian Stewart Prospect Place and Arthur Street |
Thank you to George C R H Stevenson, for sending some memories of life in the Dumbiedykes district of Edinburgh from 1953 to 1962. |
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Prospect Place "Your photos of the Dumbiedykes took me back to my childhood, especially the one of Prospect Place. There were balconies at: - Upper Viewcraig Row. - Lower Viewcraig Row. - Prince Albert Buildings. - Dumbiedykes Road. I stayed just adjoining Prospect Place, in Lower View, Craig Row Balconies." |
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The Balconies "My brother got his head stuck in the balcony railings a few times. He even got a skelp from Dad with his head stuck in the railings. The problem was solved with Dad putting up chicken wire." |
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'The Scotchie' "The hill in the photo was called 'The Scotchie', where we played 'Cowboys and Indians' and 'British and Germans'." |
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Wells o' Wearie "We used to visit the 'Wells o' Wearie' Railway House in the Park. It was my Uncle Andrew's till it was condemned. Do you have any photos of the Wearie Railway Cottage? Unfortunately, No. - Peter Stubbs It might amuse you to know that when he and my auntie got shifted to St John's Hill, 3rd floor tenement, they had two dogs, cat , pigeon, budgies and a chicken - a mini zoo." |
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Prospect Place "I was ten when the photo of Prospect Place. Your photos brought back happy memories - Chatty but happy!" I joined the Merchant Navy in 1965 and am still in the Merchant Navy. What sticks in my mind is that I have been all over the world, but I've never seen a street like Arthur Street, which was so steep, with large buildings, and so densely populated." |
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Down the Hill "I watched Leckies, the coal merchant, chasing after his lorry in Arthur Street. Also, there was a Sunblest bread van careered down and hit the wall at the bottom. We got our photos taken by a newspaper, having an egg fight, which came out the van." |
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George C R H Stevenson: Livingston, West Lothian, Scotland, May 2005 George wrote these notes while working on the 'Aberdeen to Shetland' ferry. |
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Thank you to Bryan Gourlay for sending the following response: |
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Down the Hill "It was interesting to hear George Stevenson’s recollections of Leckie, the coal merchant’s lorry careering down Arthur Street. I knew Brian Leckie, the owner’s son, who eventually went into the business. The Leckies lived in Dalkeith Road near to the junction with Prestonfield Avenue. My father, David Gourlay, used to deliver coal to Arthur Street in the 1930s. On replacing the horse and cart, he made the mistake once, and only once, of taking the loaded lorry down to the bottom of the street and couldn’t get back up again. They had to offload the lorry and get lots of help from the locals to push and pull the lorry back to the top. From then on, his coal deliveries to the lower half of Arthur Street were made by pony – 'shank’s pony'." |
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St Leonard's Coal Yard "Listening to my dad’s stories, there seemed to be a great friendship amongst the many coal merchants that operated from St Leonards coal depot that lasted for decades. Thanks for the pictures of this on your site." |
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Bryan Gourlay, March 29, 2006 |
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Thank you to Ian Stewart (Teeny), formerly Ian Martinussen, now living in London, for the following comments. Ian wrote: |
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Arthur Street "My name is Ian Stewart [Teeny]. I was born in 1944 and used to play in Arthur Street. I was brought up at: - 32 Carnegie Street, for (1946-53) - 6a Roxburgh Street (1953-56) - Nicolson Street (1956-66). I have lived in London for the past 37 years, but come back home as often as I can. Your site brought back many happy memories. We were poor but very happy. I would love anybody who knew me to make contact." Ian Stewart, August 30, 2006 |
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Please e-mail me if you would like to contact Ian, and I will pass on your message to him. - Peter Stubbs |
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Unfortunately, your e-mail address has vanished from my computer. I have received a message from Harry Marshall ('Peets') who was hoping to contact you. If you send me another e-mail, I'll pass on Harry's e-mail address to you. - Peter Stubbs: March 19, 2007 |
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2. |
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Lower Viewcraig Row |
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George wrote on 29 November 2005, his birthday and the day before he returned to sea again: |
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65 First Balcony Lower Viewcraig Row "Amazing! We stayed in the same house as Jeanette Boon (formerly Jeanette Keighren) at 65 First Balcony, Lower Viewcraig Row." George Stevenson, Livingston, West Lothian, Scotland: 29 Nov 2005 |
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Please see the Lower Viewcraig Row page for George's memories of some of the other people who lived at Lower Viewcraig Row. |
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3. |
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Message from Robert B McNeill Dumbiedykes Road |
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Thank you to Robert B McNeill, Edinburgh, for the following: Robert writes: |
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Dumbiedykes Road Demolition "The photographs of Dumbiedykes Road and surrounding area above brings back fond memories. My grandfather (Joe McNeill) raised my father, two brothers and two sisters there after my grandmother died in the early 1920s in a first floor flat at number 144 Dumbiedykes Road — situated between Carnegie Street and Brown Street). After my granddad died in 1953, my aunt Mary took over the flat and my father and mother moved into the flat next door in 1956. I think your photograph above shows a view of the corner of Dumbiedykes Road and Brown Street. This must have been taken around 1961-62, as my aunt Mary (who died in 2003) was one of the last to move out in 1961. I was staying with her at the time. I was then, and still am, a keen photographer and remember taking a number of photographs at the back green of Dumbiedykes (which had a view of the rear of the Deaconess Hospital). I'm sorry to say these photographs have been lost in the intervening years." |
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Robert added: |
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Dumbiedykes Road Our Tenement "I have now identified the tenement and the flat where we stayed! It can be seen in the picture above. I'm absolutely delighted to have found this picture. The first floor flat we tenanted is just visible bottom left of the block in the middle of the photograph. There was a yard to the left of this block, and the communal back green, bounded by Carnegie Street, that section of Dumbiedykes Road, and Brown Street, can be seen above the yard's back partition. Clearly, not all tenants had yet moved from Brown Street ... someone's washing is still visible!" Robert B McNeill. The Inch, Edinburgh, 31 August 2005
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Dumbiedykes Road beside Queen's Park "I lived at 119 Dumbiedykes Road from birth until we had to move in 1968. The flats we lived in faced directly up Brown Street and as I remember the square you mentioned was not Brown Street Square but Salisbury Square. Salisbury Square it was a fantastic place to live as a child. My fathers family the McCuaig's lived there as did my mothers family the Morans When my granny McCuaig moved we got her house in the top flat of 119 Dumbiedykes Road. There was only a wall separating our back green from the Queens Park. That was our playground. Who could ask for more?" Billy McCuaig: 13 March 2006 |
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No 63, Dumbiedykes Road "i was born in 1957 at no. 63 Dumbiedykes Road, then moved over the road. My granny was Betsy Haig. My mother was Irene Gray. Somebody may remember me or my family." Lorraine Gulam: July 25, 2007 If you remember Lorraine and would like to contact her, please e-mail me and I will pass your message on to her. Thank you. - Peter Stubbs |
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4. |
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Message from Danny McGhee Prince Albert Buildings |
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Thank you to Danny McGhee and Lloyd Graham for the following comments: Danny writes: |
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Prince Albert Buildings Our Tenement "I have just found this web page and found myself instantly transported back to the Dumbie Dykes. My name is Danny McGhee. I have four sisters Rhoda, Hannah, Carol and Sandra. I also had two brothers Gerry who unfortunately died about five years ago, and Billy. I lived down at the Dumbie Dykes from around 1960 to 1969, at 42 Prince Albert Buildings A lot of the names that you mention and the shops, e.g. Yardley's, still seem fresh in my mind - like walking up Bulls Close to go to school, and making dens up the Scotchie. I would love to read more if anyone has any more recollections or if anyone remembers me or any one in my family" Danny McGhee, 13 September 2005
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Lloyd Graham writes: |
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Response to Danny McGhee's message (above) "I was born and brought up in Dumbiedykes, Edinburgh 1955 to 1968. It was a great place and I had a wonderful childhood lots of great memories. I was surfing your site and can't believe that my best friend Danny (dirty dungus) McGhee ! was on. I haven't heard from you in thirty years. Unbelievable. I remember Danny as my best pal we went to school together Norton Park and went to Rangers games every fortnight! Remember the Ibrox disaster game? I never wanted to leave Dumbiedykes. It always comes up in conversations and will never be forgotten. My brothers were Raymond (Raymo), Ian and Paul. I remember Charlie McCormack who lived upstairs from Ian Mycko, Gordon Rose and Craig Mitchell." Lloyd Graham, 23 October 2005
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5. |
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Message from Isa Paulin Holyrood Square |
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Thank you to Isa Paulin for sending me the photograph of Holyrood Square above, and a photograph of another side of the square. Please click here to enlarge the small image above:
- to enlarge this picture Isa wrote: |
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Holyrood Square "Our house was the one with the wash house pram and old rug outside (in the large photograph above). We were probably one of the last families to leave. We moved to the Canongate but I was only there about 18 months when I left the area to get married." Isa Paulin, Cheshire, England: 5 November 2005 |
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6a. |
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Message from Eric Gold East Arthur Place |
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Thank you to Eric Gold for the recollections below. Eric used to live in East Arthur Place and now lives in the East End of London. Eric tells me that he had a part in the film The Elephant Man, and in the film A Tale of Two Cities, shot in London Eric wrote: |
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East Arthur Place "I was brought up in East Arthur Place or 'Eastie' as we called it. I was born there in 1948. Our family were the first to be moved out, in 1961, due to a huge crack in the kitchen and bedroom. We moved to Craigmillar." Arthur Street |
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After leaving Dumbiedykes "I now live in London's East End near Canary Wharf. I was at sea for many years and sailed out of London and Southampton. I have travelled worldwide working on cruise liners for 20 years and I had a ball as a steward on them, but my happiest days are when I was brought up in East Arthur Place. Your photos brought me back fond memories." |
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Working Class "Everyone in Arthur street was working class like the people I know now in London's East End. Things were tough, no Plasma TV flat screens or mobile phones or fancy microwaves or other mod cons such as satellite dishes, but we were all happy there. As I have said when I worked aboard the Queen Mary and other huge liners for 20 years as a waiter I met the rich and famous, and I have been to a couple of their huge houses in the USA where they treated me great. But give me Arthur Street any day as the memories for the 11 years when I stayed there are priceless." |
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"I remember Christmas 1959 well. I found about £150 in our ootside lavie (outside toilet). It was a stroke of luck really, as about 4 families shared that lavie'. I would say this was Jimmie Broadbent's stash as street bookies were not licensed. As we were skint we had a great Xmas and as we were the only family who couldn't afford a TV. Well we bought one. Earlier Mr Linton, the TV guy up the brae had tried to sell us a TV and when he turned it on the Lone Ranger was on then smoke appeared from the back of the telly. My mum said it was faulty and Mr Linton, a great salesman, said it was special effects (ha ha ha) as the Lone Ranger was on his horse Trigger." |
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Eric Gold, East End, London: February 2 to-14, 2006 |
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'Money Manages' "Money Manages were Shopping Clubs, or Christmas Clubs as they were called in the East End of London. My mother would run the Manage. It was a group of housewives from East Arthur Place or any friends that came around our house. Say for example you have 25 women all putting a £1 in every week, then when their turn came up, they would get the quota of £25. When the Manage started up my mother or Doctor Goldberg would cut a deck of cards and the winner would get the Manage of £25 but the £1 per week from all would still have to be paid in every week. It was handy really as it would pay the tick man (debt collector) such as an insurance, gas or any other man that collected debts, which was always on a Friday. I always liked when Ricky Fulton or Chick Murray would say in one of their sketches on TV or live theatre, 'You couldn't run a Manage' it made me laugh." |
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The Pawnbroker "My mum would go to the pawnbroker in Hill Place near the Lascala cinema, and collect my older brothers suits also my father's too for the weekend. But on Monday, back to the Pawnbrokers with the suits we would go. I remember Mr Rose in Richmond Street he was a great character, and being Jewish knew Doctor Goldberg. My mum would get a little extra. The last time I was in Edinburgh Mr Rose's son was still running the pawnbrokers in Richmond Street. I remember the cubical where one would banter with Mr Rose or whichever pawnbroker they dealt with, then everything was wrapped in brown paper. I remember my mum and I met a posh woman my mum knew, just after we came out of the pawnbrokers, and the woman would say, "Where have you been?" My mum said "Nicolson Street" Then I let the cat out of the bag and said "the pawn", she though St Margaret's Loch (the pond), and said "Did you see the lovely swans and ducks?" and I said "No, only cubical and brown paper and people saying "Can you give me 10/- (10 shillings)" (ha ha ha) Then the posh lady would laugh and would give a tanner (sixpence in old money) but as soon as we got to the top of the Brae, my mum would say "Give me the tanner" and I got a penny so I bought some sweets the bottom of the brae, a wee shop near Coppolas Café." |
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Eric Gold, East End, London: March 20, 2006 |
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Thank you to Bryan Gourlay who replied: |
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The Pawnbroker "Eric Gold's mother, and many others, helped Mr Rose the pawnbroker buy the bungalow next to ours in Kirkhill Terrace, Priestfield in the early 1960s." Bryan Gourlay, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland: March 29, 2006 |
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6b. |
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Message from David Woolard East Arthur Place |
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Dave Woolard wrote: |
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Family, "I am now aged 80. I was brought up in a single-end with my three brothers and sister at 14 East Arthur place, then moved to 37 Arthur street then to Granton. My gran stayed in East Arthur Place. Her name was Swan. My aunt's name was Sharp and my other aunt's name was Seagal. Maybe somebody out there will rremember us." |
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School "Most of us went to Drummond Street or South Bridge school." |
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Bonfire Night "'Eastie' and 'Middlie' (East Arthur Place and Middle Arthur Place) used to fight each other so that we could steal each other's wood for Bonfire Night, November 5. |
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'The Scotchie' "I, too, remember the Scotchie, sliding down the side, happy times." |
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King's Park Now known as Queen's Park or Holyrood Park "Also, we used to go to the Kings park and climb the giant steps up to the Radical Road. While we up there, we watched Cowans go up in flames. It was a big fire." |
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David Woolard, Edinburgh: February 3 +12, 2007 |
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Thank you to Eric Gold who replied: |
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Dumbiedykes in 1920s "Thanks for the updates on Arthur Street and East Arthur Place (Eastie) my stamping ground. An entry was made from Dave Woolard and although I don't know the gentleman as he said he was 80 years old. I bet he knew my uncles who were either older or younger than him, they are the McMillan family and are all called Albert, Davie, Thomas (Cockie), John, George and the women were my dear old mum bless her Isabella (Bella), Nancy and Marion. Their parents were called Thomas and Isabella (Belle), my grandparents. Dave is right about Cowan's paper factory fire. My uncle said to me that it was 'like the blitz ,flames everywhere'. That, of course, was before my time but I heard my family mention it a few times." Eric Gold, East End, London: February 7, 2006 |
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Bonfire Night "Dave is right about bonfire night as we would all fight each other for bonfire wood. I can still see the big fires on November the 5th all over the brae and just by the Scotchie. Those were the days. We used to put spuds in the fire that Dodd Dickson gave me and cook them. I can still taste them to this day." Eric Gold, East End, London: February 12, 2006 |
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Gas Light in Arthur Street "To this day can remember getting gas mantles for my mum. The stairs had gas lit lights, and the man who came up the brae and lit the street lamps. One was just outside our bedroom, I can remember all these wee things clear as a bell." Eric Gold, East End, London: February 7, 2006 |
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6c. Prospect Street Houses Demolished |
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Question |
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Prospect Street Demolition Eric Gold wonders why the houses were demolished on the west side of Prospect Street, where the steep slope of 'The Scotchie' stood. Eric writes: "I bet it was a fire or an explosion as all the houses were gas lit." Eric Gold: East London If you know the answer to this question, please e-mail me. Thank you. - Peter Stubbs |
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Answer 1 |
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Thank you to Bob Henderson for giving more details about the west side (Scotchie side) of Prospect Street. Bob wrote: Demolished before WWII "I don't know anything of the tenements on the Scotchie side of the street but they must have come down before the the 2nd World War as we used to play on the tops of the shelters that were built there. They were substantial brick built with concrete flat roofs" Bob Henderson, Burdiehouse, Edinburgh: November 29, 2007 |
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Answer 2 |
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Bob Henderson added. Demolished - 1914 to 1939 "Looking at the 1915 map you can see that Prospect Street and West Arthur Place were still complete, so for me that narrows the demolition of parts of these streets to some time between 1914 and 1939. Bob Henderson, Burdiehouse, Edinburgh: January 2008 NOTE: These streets are near the lower-right corner of the 1915 map. |
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Answer 3 |
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Bob Henderson added. Demolished - 1914 to 1939 "Looking at the 1915 map you can see that Prospect Street and West Arthur Place were still complete, so for me that narrows the demolition of parts of these streets to some time between 1914 and 1939. Bob Henderson, Burdiehouse, Edinburgh: January 2008 NOTE: These streets are near the lower-right corner of the 1915 map. |
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Answer 4 |
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Demolished - 1925 to 1939 Looking at this 1925 map of Dumbiedykes [This map may also be slow to load] you can see that Prospect Street was still complete, with housing on both sides of the street, so that appears to narrows down the date of demolition of the houses on the west side to some time between 1925 and 1939. NOTE: These streets are near the lower-right corner of the 1925 map. Demolished - Why? So we seem to be narrowing down the time when the demolition took place, but we don't yet have a reason for the demolition. However, much of the housing in nearby St Leonard's was demolished in the late 1920s under an improvement scheme. Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: January 2008 |
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Answer 5 |
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Eric Gold, who asked the original question about the demolition of the houses in Prospect Street, wrote: Still standing in 1918 "I was speaking to my auntie Marion last night, and she said when she was 10 years old in Arthur Street (1938) a man who lived in East Arthur Place came to my gran's house. He said he had left the area 1918 to emigrate to the USA. He reckoned that Prospect Street was standing on both sides when he left and the Scotchie was a park with a wee bandstand in 1918. So, we're getting nearer on that mystery (ha ha ha )." Eric Gold, East London: July 17, 2008 |
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Answer 6 |
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Eric Gold, who asked the original question about the demolition of the houses in Prospect Street, wrote: 1891 Map "Thanks for adding the 1891 maps to the web site yesterday. I noticed Prospect Street and the lovely garden which then became the Scotchie after the houses on the west side of Prospect Street were demolished. You can see were the wee bandstand was. I bet it was a tranquil place to stroll and sit in the long summer evenings." Eric Gold, East London: July 26, 2008 |
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Answer 7 |
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Eric Gold added: Demolished between 1918 and 1935 "My sister tells me that the houses on the west side of prospect street were knocked down before she was born, and that was in 1935." Eric Gold, East London: July 27, 2008 |
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6d. Arthur Street Street Houses Demolished |
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Question |
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Bob Henderson added. Arthur Street and West Arthur Place "Eric Gold wonders about the open side of Prospect Street. The same question needs answering for the houses demolished on the plot bounded by Westie, the top of Arthur Street and the top of the Pleasance. On the maps of 1900 or thereabouts this area is shown completely built upon." Bob Henderson, Burdiehouse, Edinburgh: December 6, 2007 |
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Demolished - after 1925 Looking at this 1925 map of Dumbiedykes [This map may also be slow to load] you can see that West Arthur Place was still complete. Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: January 2008 |
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7. |
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Message from Bryan Gourlay Fergusson's Buildings |
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Bryan Gourlay, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland, asks the question below. If you can answer it please e-mail me and I will pass on your answer to him. Thank you. |
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Question "My grandfather was born in 1880 at Fergusson's Buildings, Dumbiedykes. I have not been able to find these buildings on any of the old maps. Does anyone know where they were?" Bryan Gourlay, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland, March 30, 2006 |
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Answer 1 Thank you to Charles Kelt Bottomley, Ferniehill, Edinburgh who wrote: "There were Adam Fergussons buildings at George Square, now demolished to make way for the Edinburgh University buildings. Maybe those are the buildings that Bryan is asking about."
Charles Kelt Bottomley, Ferniehill, Edinburgh:
January 15, 2007. |
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Thank you to Joe Jordan, Edinburgh for leaving a message in the EdinPhoto guest book. Joe wrote: "I remember this area from about the late 1930s through to the 1950s. At the end of Lower Viewcraig Row, if you crossed over to the lane, there was the bleach factory on the right and wee newsagent-come-sweetie shop on the left. Walking along the lane, you came to Strachan's rag store and directly opposite was Fergussons buildings. At the end of the lane was the cork factory (Bathgate's). Only the rag store had an entrance in the lane. Joe Jordan, Gracemount, Edinburgh: Message posted in EdinPhoto Guestbook, August 10, 2010 |
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8. |
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Message from Bryan Gourlay 1881 Census |
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Thank you to Bryan Gourlay sent me the following message after looking at the Scotland's People web site, the official site for birth, death, marriage and census information in Scotland. Bryan wrote: |
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Dumbiedykes Population "The number of people inhabiting the streets around the Dumbiedykes and St Leonards at the time of the 1881 census was horrendous - living a bit like battery hens: Arthur Street - 1,682 East Arthur Place - 589 Pleasance - 4,001 St Leonards Street - 1,505 Prospect Place - 273 Prospect Street - 533 Prince Albert Buildings - 737 Carnegie Street - 1,356 Salisbury Street - 1,652 Gilmour Street - 1,513 This is the only census year that gives street counts." Bryan Gourlay, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland, March 31, 2006 |
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9. |
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Message from James Morton-Robertson Heriot Mount |
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Thank you to James Morton-Robertson, formerly of Heriot Mount and now living in Sevenoaks, Kent for sending the following recollections. James wrote: |
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Heriot Mount until age 12 "I was born in the Elsie Inglis Hospital on 11/8/1937. My parents lived on the 5th floor right front of 4 Heriot Mount. My parental grandparents lived on the rear ground floor right of the same stairs. When I see the photos, I can hardly believe that I spent the first 12 years of my life there. All the adjoining streets are well known to me as well. These streets and the King's Park were my playground." |
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'Aggressive Kids' "We didn't penetrate far into the Dumbiedykes, just to the open area just down from the intersection between Carnegie St and Heriot Mount (backgreen to the odd numbers of Heriot Mount) as there were aggressive kids living further down. Their accommodation was not as good as ours, The upper parts backing on to 1-5 Heriot Mount were newer and may have been built pre-war following a fire." |
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James Morton-Robertson, Sevenoaks, Kent: March 28+29, 2006 |
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Thank you to Charles Kelt Bottomley, Ferniehill, Edinburgh for his reply. Charles wrote: |
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'Aggressive Kids' "I'm not sure about the "aggressive" kids at the lower part. Is that us? Well, maybe at bonfire time."
Charles Kelt Bottomley, Ferniehill, Edinburgh:
January 15, 2007. |
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Thank you to James Morton-Robertson for sending many more recollections of the time he spent at Heriot Mount. Please click this link to read them: |
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10a. |
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Message from Stan Urbaniak Saint Mary Street and other memories |
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Thank you to Stan Urbaniak who wrote: |
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Saint Mary Street "My mother, Mary Hay, was born at 14 East Arthur Place. She moved from there to Holyrood Square and then on to 32 Saint Mary Street where I was born in 1948. My mother, now aged 83 still owns this flat. Other people in the stair at number 32 were Mrs Duff, Mrs Fraser and Maggie Alison. |
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Doctors My doctors were Dr Gordon and Dr McQueen, at the the surgery in the Pleasance. |
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Holyrood Road "My grandfather, Alexander Hay was the attendant at the gasholder in Holyrood Road." |
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Shops "I remember in Saint Mary Street: - Horsburgh, the chemist - Mr Wightman, the grocer - Mr Simon, the baker I also remember: - Robinson's dairy - Tusi's ice cream shop - Badenoch's newspaper shop" |
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My Ancestors "My grandfather, Alexander Hay was the attendant at the gasholder in Holyrood Road. My great-grandparents lived at Abbeymount in a cottage owned by Younger's Brewery in Holyrood. My great-grandfather, Thomas Degnan was a foreman at the brewery and worked there with his step-brother Johnny Prior. My mother worked for Liddell's pawnbrokers, run by Fanny Liddell, in the Lawnmarket and College Street, where my great-granny Hay lived. My uncle Alec Hay and his wife, Janet Gallagher lived in the Dumbiedykes with their two children, Alexander and Margaret before moving to a Wimpy-built flat at Firhill."
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"I recall my grandfather talking about Asa Wass, a Jewish* rag and bone man in Holyrood Road." * But see comments from Ken Miller below
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"My mother used to have her clothes made by a Jewish tailor called Dick, also in Holyrood Road." |
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Fond Memories "I have vivid, fond memories of life as it was. They go with me everywhere. It was a privilege to be born and raised in such a community of warm people and I am very proud of my origins. I return to Edinburgh frequently to visit family and friends. I will eventually return to live in Edinburgh as I haven't found anywhere else i can call home. I have travelled the world far and wide but not a day goes by without me thinking about the place. It's where I belong." |
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Stan Urbaniak, Edinburgh: June 23 + 29, 2006 |
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10b. Reply to Stan Urbaniak from Eric Gold |
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Thank you to Eric Gold, now living in East End, London, for the reply below: |
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Tardis "Yes I knew the Jewish man, Isa Wass, was a good friend of Doctor Goldberg, also Dick the tailor. Goodness me, this is better than Doctor Who's Tardis as with your website I can travel back in time (ha ha ha)." Eric refers to Dr Who's 'Tardis' time machine. Eric played one of the Monsters in the 2006 series of Dr Who. |
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Isa Wass "Isa Wass had many cousins. In Arthur street, we called him 'Isa Wassie'. His main place was in Tollcross but I'm sure he had premises elsewhere, including a yard in the Pleasance, opposite St John's Hill. I always got our brickets (compressed coal blocks) and fire lighters off Isa Wass and I sold him leed (lead, copper or brass) to get the brickets. His shop was on a ground floor in a street opposite McCowans toffee factory in Fountainbridge and I understood that Tom (Sean) Connery lived in a flat above the shop at the time of his schooldays - coffin polishing. milkman and body-building days. The street seems to have been Fryer Street (*Freer Street - see below.) and I suspect it has long been demolished."
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More Rag & Bone Men "Rag and bone men used to have a horse and cart and announced their presence for rags and old junk - now called re-cycling, with a quick blow on an old bugle. It may be perhaps that 'Isa Wass' was simply a collective name for rag and bone men? There was apparently a rag and bone business, described as 'Asa Wass and Family' in Colinton, now a suburb in the South of Edinburgh, in 1881 Another toot man (Rag and bone man) called Mr Armstrong had his shop in the Cowgate opposite St Patrick's chapel. I saw his shop, still open in 1996, when I was up there." |
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Fond Memories "I totally agree with you, Stan. I have travelled the world on cruise liners for over 20 years, working as a steward. I have seen some beautiful places in my life, but my heart goes to 4, East Arthur Place in the Dumbiedykes area." |
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10c. Reply to Stan Urbaniak from Jane Jones (née Richardson) |
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Thank you to Jane Jones (née Richardson), Cambridgeshire for the reply below: Jane wrote |
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Arthur Street Families "I read with interest Stan Urbaniak recollections of Arthur Street. I wonder if his Great Grandfather married an Elizabeth Parkinson; if yes then we are related." |
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11a. Message from Brian Finnen Middle Arthur Place |
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Thank you to Brian Finnen for sending this brief message. If you remember the Finnen family, please e-mail me and I'll let Brian know. Brian wrote: Question "Hi. Do you remember the Finnen family from 10 Middle Arthur Place?" Brian Finnen: September 12, 2006 |
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Reply 1 |
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Thank you to Margaret McBride (née Carlin) who replied: "Yes, I remember the Finnen family. I went to school with Alice Finnen and we were good friends. My name is Margaret McBride ( née Carlin). We stayed in 3 East Arthur Place. Alice and I went to St Ann's School in the Cowgate. I used to love going up to her house in Middlee. We moved to Craigmillar and the Finnen Family to Bingham." Margaret McBride, Cape Town, South Africa: December 14, 2006 |
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Reply 2 |
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Thank you to Eric Gold who replied: "I lived in 4, East Arthur Place. I knew Alice Finnen well as we were classmates at St Anne's and St Patrick's School, small world, eh!" Eric Gold, East End, London, England: January 20, 2007 |
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Thank you to Elizabeth Henderson (née Forsyth) who replied: "My name was Betty Forsyth back then. I remember the Finnens very well, Pat, Alice and wee Rose. We were really good friends. I lived in No 26 'Middly'' while the Finnens were in No 10." Elizabeth Henderson (née Forsyth): July 6, 2010 |
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11b. Message from Brian Finnen Middle Arthur Place
Message from |
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Eleanor wrote: Question 1 "My husband, Colin Macintyre, was born in January 1957, but never knew his mother and father. Colin's father's name was Donald Macintyre. He lived at 5 Middle Arthur Place and was employed as a general dealer. Would you know if this was a house or a shop? Colin's mother's name was Theresa Raeburn, maiden name Cassidy. Her father lived at Dunbar Close Canongate. Would you know anyone who may have known either Donald Macintyre or Theresa Raeburn? Sorry to ask but I know nothing and it would be nice to tell grandchildren a bit of my history." Eleanor Macintyre, Portobello, Edinburgh: February 5, 2007 |
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Colin wrote: Question 2 "Does anyone have any more information on the Cassidy family, including James Cassidy, who owned the shop at the end of Middle Arthur Place? Does anybody have any details on the family, or know the number of the shop? Was it 5 Middle Arthur Place? It would be great if someone has any memories of this family, or about no 5 Middle Arthur Place. Colin Macintyre, Portobello, Edinburgh: February 5, 2007 |
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If you can help to answer the questions above, please e-mail me and I'll pass on your message to to Eleanor or Colin. Thank you. - Peter Stubbs, February 6 + July 30, 2007 |
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Reply to Question 1 |
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Thank you to John Pantling for sending recollections of the MacIntyre family to me. I've now forwarded John's message to Eleanor MacIntyre. John Panting: July 19, 2008 |
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Reply to Question 2 |
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Thank you to Eric Gold who replied: "James Cassidy was a friend of mine. His parents had a wee shop in Middle Arthur Place on the right hand side coming in from the brae, he was the same age as me, 59 years old, and had an older sister about 4 years older than him. His mother was a smallish lady and I think but not certain was Irish like his father, hence the Irish name Cassidy. His friends and mine were: - Donald Bertram - Brian Fallan - Tam Gugan - Stewart Farmer - Ricky Day - Michael Duffy - Willie Law - Duncan Macdonald. When we all moved to various housing schemes in Edinburgh due to the demolishing of the Dumbiedykes in 1961 - 1963 we all lost touch and I went to sea then settled in London" Eric Gold, East End, London, England: July 30, 2007 |
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11c. Messages from Janette Middle Arthur Place |
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Thank you to Janette for leaving the following message in the EdinPhoto GuestBook. Janette now lives in Berkshire, England. Janette did not leave her full name, but somebody may recognise her from her comments below. Janette wrote: |
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'Middlee' "I am sure that I was told I lived in Middle Arthur Place [Middlee] as a child. I couldn't find this name in your pictures. Am I mistaken?" No, you'll not be mistaken Janette. The street certainly existed. I just don't have any old photographs of it. - Peter Stubbs |
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'Middlee' Update: December 2006 I've now found a photo that shows Middle Arthur Place. Please click on the picture below to see it. - Peter Stubbs. December 17, 2006 |
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Full House? "My mother lived there with her five brothers and four sisters, my grandmother and grandfather, in one of those 'houses', before we left for England. [Later?], my parents and their three children lived in a 'house' above. Granny, Uncle Jimmy and Aunty Margaret lived below." |
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No more Washhouse "Granny and Grandad were moved in 1950 to Broomhouse, inside bathroom, height of sophistication, not going to the bathhouse anymore, and a garden to hang washing out. No more washhouse. The smell and memory of the washhouse is still something I can conjure up today, warm, noisy, those women worked hard." |
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Janette, Berkshire, England: Edinphoto Guest Book: September 13, 2006 |
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11d. Messages from Tom Harrison Middle Arthur Place |
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'Middlee' "It was most gratifying to hear that former residents were proud of being brought up, or having lived for a short time in Arthur street area. I, myself, lived at number 10 Middlee, with my mum and dad and wee sister Rose. I was born in the Vennel next to the Flodden Wall, just off the Grassmarket. but moved to Middlee in 1939. I lived their man and boy till 1961 when it was in process of demolition. We moved to Gilmerton. |
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Friendships I went to Saint Ann's then Saint Patricks and moved to James Clarks school. I will never forget my roots and great friendships especially my fitba days in the Scotchie. I'm pleased to say I have kept my friends. To Frank Ferguson, Henry Fallon, Brian Fallon from Eastie, Tam Kerr, brothers Rab and Frank. and the many others from the area, I wish you all the best. I know that some have passed on. They are always given a thought as the years fly by. Many thanks again for the wonderful memories |
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Tom Harrison. Buckstone, Edinburgh: February 12, 2007 |
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11e. Michael Stanford Middle Arthur Place |
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1800s Most of the questions that I have received about Middle Arthur Place have been about the early- to mid-1900s. However, the street was built in the early 1800s, and here is somebody trying to trace his ancestors who lived there when the houses were new. Michael Stanford wrote: |
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Dalgleish Family "The family of my maternal grandfather lived in Middle Arthur Place, Edinburgh, certainly from 1810-1840 and possibly longer.
Their name was Dalgleish. The
patriarch was George (about 1806-1855), who was married to Harriett
McMillan (1803-1870). He was a letter courier. They had four sons
and a daughter: I am keen to find out all I can about Middle Arthur Place, particularly where exactly it was." Michael Stanford, South London: February 13, 2007 |
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Michael: 1. Middle Arthur Place was close to the western edge of Holyrood Park. Please click on the map below to see some maps of the Dumbiedykes district of Edinburgh, including a map that zooms in on Arthur Street (and on Middle Arthur Place). 2. Please click on the photo below to see some of the streets of Dumbiedykes, including Middle Arthur Place. The arrow is actually marked 'Mid Arthur Place'. - Peter Stubbs: February 17, 2007 |
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12. |
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Messages from Jane Jones Dr Gordon |
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Thank you to Jane Jones (née Richardson), Cambridgeshire for the sending the following message: Jane wrote |
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Dr Gordon I too remember Dr Gordon and Dr McQueen. Dr Gordon was a bit of a character, and often visited our home in the Cowgate if he was in the area. He loved children and especially my brother John, who at the time was aged about 2 years old. He would wrestle with Dr Gordon in the middle of our living room floor, which was quite a feat as the good Doctor was quite a large man, and our "back kitchen" was quite a small room. If you went to his surgery, (in those days you didn't make appointments), you entered by the waiting room, and left by another door from the examination room straight on to the street. People would put there heads in the waiting room door and ask "McQueen or Gordon" if the answer was Gordon they usually made a quick exit. Dr Gordon was well known to tell (in a very loud voice), any malingering man who wanted a sick note "Get yourself back to work man and feed your wife and bairnes, there's nothing wrong with you". This was followed by a quick exit of the offending individual and a slamming of the street door. When we moved to "England" my Mother visited the local Doctor after registering with him, and was very embarrassed to be shown a letter our new Doctor had received from Dr Gordon. It said: "It is a waste of time me sending the medical records of this woman and her children as she is a good Scots woman and will be back home as soon as she comes to her senses". He was right we returned to Edinburgh three times before my Mother finally settled in Cambridgeshire. Over the years I have had many Doctors but none quite like Dr Gordon, we loved him and his straight talking ways. |
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13. |
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Messages from Jean Rae Dumbiedykes Road 'The Brickies' and 'The Balconies' |
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Housing Thank you to Jean Rae, who was born at 'The Balconies' No 34, Dumbiedykes Road for sending the following details. Jean told me: |
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'The Brickies' "The Brickies were tenements on the east side of Dumbiedykes Road, opposite 'The Balconies' They are at the extreme left of this photo. These houses had balconies, but were known as 'The Brickies' because they were built of red brick. They had been demolished by the time that this photo was taken. They shared had shared outside toilets on each landing." |
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'The Balconies' "The Balconies had inside toilets and a cold water tap in each house. A fire in the kitchen ranges heated the houses and to provide hot water. It was also used for cooking and baking. The range was polished with black lead. Our house was lit by gas. Around 1958 our gas mantle in the lounge was changed to electricity, but the other rooms continued to be lit by gas." |
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14. |
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Messages from Cath Tuff Pleasance and East Arthur Place |
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My family Cath Tuff writes from Warwickshire asking if anybody remembers any of her family. Cath writes: |
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"I would love to ask if anyone ever hears about my family, now long departed, who lived at Dumbiedykes. Pleasance Jessie Hay sold veg from her home in 86 Pleasance. She was my great grandmother. She brought up three children there. East Arthur Place My grandfather, George Hay, was a tailor so he might have made something for some one. He also liked a pint and dram. My dad was born in 15 East Arthur Place then moved to Stockbridge." Cath Tuff, Warwickshire, England: December 14, 2006 |
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15. |
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Messages from Charles Kelt Holyrood Square and Dumbiedykes Road then Ferniehill |
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Thank you to Charles Kelt Bottomley, Ferniehill, Edinburgh who wrote: |
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Holyrood Square "I'm Jean Bells brother - so you'll know about our family history. My granny Kelt lived in Holyrood Square on the first balcony 2nd from the left in Isa Paulin's photo."
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Dumbiedykes Road "I now lie in bed at night, mentally drawing out the Dummy from Holyrood to Heriot Mount to Waterson Ave to the top of Arthur Street (including back greens). I'm a Bottomley, by the way. I was born in 1940 and lived at 38 then 42 then 30, Dumbiedykes Road." |
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Coconut "One of my cousins was abroad in the forces (1945-6) and sent a whole coconut out of the tree-. It was painted black with the address in white. As a kid of 5 or 6, I can remember a lot of hammering with a coal hammer and axe." |
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Fernhill "I married and moved to Fernhill when the Dumbiedykes houses were demolished. We had bought our No 30 Dumbiedykes Road for £400 at £1 a week. We lived there for about 6 years. We paid it off and got £400 back from the council. We had to take a council house at Fernhill so the cash paid for carpets etc." |
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Charles added: "There's so many people know so many names from the Dummy it could go on forever and the best of luck Peter!" |
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Charles Kelt Bottomley, Ferniehill, Edinburgh:
January 15, 2007. |
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16. |
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Messages from Joe Coyle East Arthur Place |
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Thank you to Joe Coyle who wrote: |
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East Arthur Place "Our name is Coyle. We lived in 9 East Arthur Place from1950 until 1958. We lived on the bottom flat which was also a fish shop called Geordie Bothwicks. Do you or any one else have any photos of east Arthur place? I would love to see them." Joe Coyle, The Inch, Edinburgh April 2, 2007 |
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I don't have any photos of East Arthur Place myself, apart from this view looking down on Dumbiedykes which includes East Arthur Place and many other streets in the area: If you have any photos of East Arthur Place that you would like to see added to this web site, to be shared with Joe and others, please e-mail me to let me know. Thank you. - Peter Stubbs. |
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Joe added: |
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Leaving Dumbiedykes "I am writing to you from The Inch in Edinburgh. I moved back here 2 years ago after spending 27 years in Birmingham. I always intended to return to Edinburgh. My happiest memories were in East Arthur Place, perhaps because I was only a young boy, but the people then were much more friendly and mucked in together. I hated to move from there. When we did, it was to Craigmillar" Joe Coyle, The Inch, Edinburgh April 2, 2007 |
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17. |
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Messages from George T Smith Gas Lighting |
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Thank you to George T Smith who wrote: |
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"Even though I was cosseted in a 'tinnymint' with electricity, hot water and an inside 'dunny' - we even had a bath! - I remember the gas lighting. The individual mantles came in little white pasteboard boxes. They bore a picture in blue and red of men knocking down a tenement where a gas light still burns strongly; with some sort of promotional statement below. It brings back memories of the 'Penny Tenement' where my grandparents flat ('room and kitchen') had but one gas light in the 'kitchen'. I cannot recollect if the 'room' - a much larger room which included a windowless 'box bed' - also had a mantle. The new mantles were pliant and could be safely handled till first lit whereupon they flared up to become incandescent as the porcelain(?) fired, then they became delicate and brittle. Gas light gave a greenish tint to flesh tones, reminiscent of a rotted corpse, if CSI and other forensic TV shows are anything to go by." George T Smith, Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada: April 4, 2007 |
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18. |
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Messages from Isobel MacIver Dumbiedykes Road |
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Thank you to Isobel MacIver who wrote: |
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"My name is Isobel MacIver. I have an older brother, William. We lived at 115 Dumbiedykes Road, in one of the top flats with my parents, Joan and William (Billy) Reid. Our neighbours were the Wallaces. I used to play with their daughter Michelle. I believe that I had a cousin called Mary Dixon. I think she lived with her gran, just down the road. My mother worked in the La Scala cinema in the early 60s. have a few good memories up until we moved to Stevenson Drive. I would love to find a photograph of our block before it was demolished." Isobel MacIver April 16, 2007 |
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Isobel: I have several photos of Dumbiedykes Road on the web site. Here are some thumbnail images to click on. I don't know whether or not any of them include the house where you used to live. - Peter Stubbs: April 16, 2007 |
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Reply 1 |
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Thank you to Jim Robertson, Berlin, Germany, for leaving the following message in the EdinPhoto Guest book. John wrote: "Isobel MacIver, who lived at 115 Dumbiedykes Road, Edinburgh in the 1940/50s mentioned a few people who lived in the block, including Wallaces, Im sure the Wallaces lived directly above my family, the Robertsons. I also remember these other families in the block: - Stantons. - Adams. - Chalmers. - Sutties. - Ross. Jim Robertson, Berlin, Germany: September 16, 2007 |
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Reply 2 |
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Thank you to Roberta Luciani, Ontario, Canada who wrote: "Isobel MacIver who lived at 115 Dumbiedykes Road said she had a cousin, Mary Dixon who lived down the street. Well, Mary lived at 2 Prospect Place (across the street from my stair No. 1). She lived with her Granny, and I seem to remember that she had relatives in Carluke. She was a very pretty, tall blond girl. Roberta (Bobby) Campbell Luciani, Thorold Ontario Canada: February 9, 2008. |
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19a. |
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Messages from Eric Gold East Arthur Place |
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Thank you to Eric Gold, East London, who wrote: |
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Gas Pokers and Coal Fires "I was fascinated by a contribution on the website on the fireside gas poker. We had one too in East Arthur Place. My mum would use a firelighter, a box which was a compound of wood and an inflammable mixture, and once lit, it would not stop. My mum put the poker in with the orange tubing and light it, and off it went like a rocket (ha ha ha ha)." |
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The Grate "Once the fire caught a hold of the coal, my mum, like all the housewives in the Dumbiedykes, had another trick up her sleeve. She put a shovel on the grate (fireplace) and put a newspaper as the fire would catch a good draught, and it used to catch fire too (ha ha ha ha). I will always remember this and my aunt in the Cowgate had a wooden board an through time it would catch fire too. " These grates would be worth a few quid today as the were made of cast iron in the Victorian era. On Friday nights, my mum would burnish the grate with a black substance called Zebo. I'm not sure if the pad was made of an iron substance or not, but when she finished the grate was like brand new also. There was a small seats either side of the grate and our cat, Toodils, would have one to sleep on." |
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Frying Pan "The old fashioned frying pan that we had was called a skillet and was passed from generation to generation and my aunt has it in Mayfield, Edinburgh, to this very day. Rumour has it was my great great grandmothers wedding present." |
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Eric Gold, East London: June15, 2007 |
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19b. |
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Messages from Eric Gold Prospect Street? |
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Eric tells me that he's still trying to discover what happened to the section of Prospect Street, Dumbiedykes, that was demolished and later became 'The Scotchie' hill where he played. Eric asked this question in 6b above, and now adds: |
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Whatever happened to Prospect Street "Does anybody have any information on Prospect Street, the side of were the Scotchie was, and why it was knocked down? It only stood for about 40 years. I reckon there was a fire or an explosion as gas was fitted in to the tenements then." Eric Gold, East London: June15, 2007 |
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If you can help to answer Eric's question about Prospect Street, please e-mail me and I'll pass on your message to him. Thank you. - Peter Stubbs, June 19, 2007 |
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20. |
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Messages from John Ballantyne Arthur Street |
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John Ballantyne remembers living in Arthur Street, the steep street that led down to Holyrood Park. In particular John remembers: |
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The Foot of Arthur Street "At the foot of Arthur Street, thee were Capola's Café with the Penny Vantage sweet shop next door and two chip shops." There was also The Bowlers' Rest, beside the bowling green in Holyrood Park. This was popular with some of the members of the 'Heart of Midlothian Foresters' football club. Several of the players came from the Arthur Street area. John Ballantyne, Boswall, Edinburgh: August 31, 2007 |
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Please click the thumbnail image below to read John's recollections of accidents in Arthur Street: |
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21. |
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Messages from Hugh Kinnaird East Arthur Place |
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Thank you to Hugh Kinnaird who left this message in the Guest Book. Hugh wrote: |
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Move to 'Little Scotland' "I moved to Corby, Northamptonshire in the 1950s. It became known as 'Little Scotland' and still does to this day. I moved from Edinburgh on a street called East Arthur Place and still feel much saddened by the leaving. Is there anybody out there that may have known my parents, Dad James Mum Annie née (McGuire)?" Hugh Kinnaird, Corby, Northamptonshire, England: February 19, 2008 |
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22. |
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Messages from Matthew Watt Beaumont Place |
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Thank you to Matthew Watt who wrote: |
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Beaumont Place "I lived in 12 Beaumont Place with my sisters, wee brother and Mum & Dad, Robert & Betty Watt, until the building fell down. I think we were in the third flat up the stairs. We had to share the toilets. My grannie & grandad, Mathew & Cathie Watt, stayed down the stairs from us. I remember the top of the building fell down early in the morning. We were all evacuated to the Salvation Army Hall near Jimmy Clark's School. Later, we moved to Broomhouse Place South. I had a really great time living at Beaumont Place. I remember the pub at the top of the road, Mrs Robertson's sweetie shop across the road from us, and I'll always remember going down the road on a guider. I went to Preston Street School." Matthew Watt, East Calder, West Lothian, Scotland: July 8, 2008 |
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23. |
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Messages from Tam Harrison Middle Arthur Place |
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Thank you to Tam Harrison who wrote who wrote: |
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Middle Arthur Place "At Middle Arthur Place, we had a gas meter which took penny coins and coin shaped pennies made of lino, but you still had to pay meter reader. The meter readers all had a great sense of humour. The decor in our room was by McGill and son who lived on top flat - Eddie senior and Eddie junior. They were great friends, along with brothers John and Jimmy. John was called Zorro. There was also Alec Farrel." Tam Harrison, Buckstone, Edinburgh |
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24. |
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Messages from Eric Gold Gas Meter |
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Thank you to Eric Gold, East London, who wrote: |
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Middle Arthur Place "I liked the entry made by Tam Harrison (23 above). We, too, put foreign coins in the meter. I used to collect old coins when I was wee and at school. My prize coin was an Argentine peso with Eva Peron’s head on it. It was worth a bob or two. Years later, I was in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with a passenger ship I was working on, and a guy told me that coin was rare and would have been worth a lot of money in 1970. When the gasman came to our home in East Arthur Place, and then in Harewood Road in Craigmillar, he would kill himself laughing as he counted out all the foreign coins. He worked out what the market value was and said: "You have more here than your bill is if you go to Thomas Cooks and change them." (ha ha ha ha). To this very day I don’t know what happened to the Eva Peron peso, but my brother George came in with a new suit one day and said he found a £20 note in the High Street (ha ha ha ha). I always asked George about the coin, and he swore blind that he never sold it (ha ha ha ha). " Tam Harrison, Buckstone, Edinburgh |
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Recollections 25. Bill Cockburn Comely Bank, Edinburgh |
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Prince Albert Buildings "Bryan Gourlay mentioned (in Recollections 8 above) that at the time of the 1881 census, 737 people were living in Prince Albert Buildings. When I stayed there, from 1955 until 1963, there were only 60 homes, so they must have lived like battery hens in 1881, as Bryan said." Bill Cockburn, Comely Bank, Edinburgh: March 9, 2009." |
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Recollections 26. Bryan Gourlay Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland |
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Thank you to Bryan Gourlay who added: |
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1881 Census Prince Albert Buildings "I can understand Bill Cockburn's surprise at so many people living at Prince Albert Buildings in 1881. I've checked the ScotlandsPeople web site and it is now showing 811 people living there at that time. The house numbers listed there go up to the 130s." St Leonard's "My great and great great grandparents lived in the old part of St Leonard's, East and South Richmond Streets, just past the Pleasance from the Dumbiedykes. Here, there were often between 60 and 80 people living in each tenement, so it didn't take many buildings to get to 1,000 Bryan Gourlay, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland, March 10, 2009 |
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Recollections 27. Theresa Carthy (née Lapping) Cork, Ireland |
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Thank you to Theresa Carthy for emailing me to tell me about a 4-minute film clip from a Panorama program, featuring Arthur Street, Dumbiedykes. Theresa wrote: |
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Panorama Film Clip Slum Housing "Have you ever looked at this film clip from the 'BBC - Scotland on Film' web site? It is a four-minute clip is from a Panorama programme. My grandmother, Elisabeth Reid, is interviewed at the start of the clip. She mentions in the clip that her husband is in hospital. Within 6 months they were both dead, no doubt a product of the awful conditions they lived in for years." Theresa Carthy (née Lapping), Cork, Ireland: March 24, 2009 |
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This film clip includes: - comments from Elizabeth Reid - views inside one of the homes - brief views of some of the surrounding streets. |
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Recollections 28. Theresa Carthy (née Lapping) Cork, Ireland |
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Thank you to Theresa for sending a further message. Theresa wrote: |
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Slum Housing "My mum lived in Arthur Street in Edinburgh until she married in 1952. I can hardly remember the place, but my older brother remembers it. He says he used to be terrified walking into the close - it was so dark. Those houses where condemned when my mother was a kid - she was born in 1932! I'm sure that the bad living conditions contributed to so many early deaths. Sadly both mum and dad have passed away. I was brought up in Gilmerton & moved here to Cork in Ireland 31 years ago" Theresa Carthy (née Lapping), Cork, Ireland: March 24, 2009 |
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Recollections 29. Eric Gold East End, London, England |
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Thank you to Eric Gold who viewed the Panorama film clip (27 above) then wrote: |
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Arthur Street - Film Clip "I enjoyed the film on Arthur Street. I saw: - my hoose - my Granny’s hoose - Hare's Bar (owned by the Richmond family) at the top of the brae - the backie (back green) where our cat, Toodles, would kill the rats - Cowan’s the paper factory |
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Fire "The fire mentioned on the film clip, next door to the Humphries family, reminded me that there was a fire in the stair to the left of Willie Curran's shop in Arthur Street. It was the top floor hoose on the right. It was gutted and the heat was so intense that the windows blew out and the wee cat, Corky, was killed. Thankfully, no one was injured. The fire brigade had special chains and spikes pointing outwards to the ground on there wheels so they could mount the steep brae of Arthur Street in the wintery conditions." |
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Eric Gold, East London, England: March 27+28, 2009 |
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Recollections 30. Catherine Rogers Simpson |
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Thank you to Catherine Rogers Simpson, formerly of 9 Prospect Street, who left a message in the EdinPhoto guest book. Catherine wrote: |
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Dod Dicken Shop "I remember the Dod Dicken shop. I had a birthday party in the street. We borrowed his bench out of the shop. I remember playing kick the can." |
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Coal Motor "I remember the coal motor going trough the park wall. |
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Catherine Rogers Simpson. Message posted in EdinPhoto guest book:, July 27, 2009 |
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Recollections 31. Jim Hildersley Western Harbour, Leith, Edinburgh |
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Thank you to Jim Hindersley who left a message in the EdinPhoto guest book. |
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Jim wrote: Upper Viewcraig Row "I've just been browsing the Dumbiedykes pages, and memories just came flooding back. I used to live at 21 Upper Viewcraig Row. My neighbours were Albert Booth and the Galloways, amongst others. I went to Milton House primary and then on to Bellevue Secondary." Home "There were seven kids and my parents living in a house with one bedroom and abox room: - My parents slept in an alcove in the sitting room - My six sisters slept in the big bedroom. - I had the box room. As there was only a WC, we had to go to Infirmary Street baths or to our Grannie's for a bath." Shops "I remember Yardley's shop. I used to do a paper round for them. does anyone remember Jan's bakery on Holyrood road?" |
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Jim
Hildersley. Western Harbour, Leith, Edinburgh. |
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Recollections 32. James Morton-Robertson Sevenoaks, Kent, England |
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Thank you to James Morton-Robertson who wrote: |
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Chimney Sweeps "I recall that my Granny, who lived in the bottom right rear flat, was having her chimney swept and she actually put the fire out. That's the first time I seen no fire in the range. She used to keep it on day and night, and had a trivet with a cast iron kettle on permanently. The sweep could get onto the roof through a hatch on the top floor landing, then would scramble around the dozens of chimneys up there. There were no 'Health and Safety' issues then. He carried a very long rope with a wooden ball on the end with a sweep's brush attached above the ball. His colleague would wait at the fireplace with the aperture sealed up with sacking and a sack inside to catch the soot. The top man would shout down the various chimneys with a “Hoooo” until he got an answering call from his colleague in Granny’s flat. Unfortunately, it was not the right chimney and someone else got a rich shower of soot everywhere!" |
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James Morton-Robertson, Sevenoaks, Kent, England: October 4, 2009 |
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Recollections 33. Vince McManamon Darlington, Durham, England |
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Thank you to Vince McManamon for writing about living in Dumbiedykes (below). Thanks, Vince, for also writing about: - Friends in Dumbiedykes and |
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Early Life "My mum and I first came to live in Dumbiedykes in 1951, when I was four. My mum was single. I never knew my father. Mum did well to hang on to me, as at that time illegitimate children tended to end up in Australia. Until I was four, we had lived a nomadic existence, potato pickin', living in bothies, moonlight flitting around boarding houses." |
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Settled in the Dumbies "We lived in three separate addresses in the Dumbies. The first was a single room containing a bed, a sink a cooker. I always remember that the area below the tenement flats was where residents used to throw out their rubbish to be collected. So we always had a flypaper covered in flies! But we were settled and that was the main thing . My my mum had met a permanent partner." |
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Tough Times "In tough times mum would get, say, bedding off Laburnum's Club. She would pay one shilling a week for fifteen weeks and in the meantime I took the bedding to the pawn shop for two and six for us to get food. I was taking a fur coat that my mum got from her sister to the pawn when I met this girl I fancied ! Imagine - a great big fur coat over my arm. The shame of it. We also took rags to the rag shop. We used to borrow off someone, then put a bet on a horse on the National. (It was illegal.) I remember you had to have a 'non de plume'." |
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Home "My mum and her man were now married. He was thirteen years younger than mum so there was rows every day over jealousy, money, food or the lack of it. By this time there, were four children at home including myself. We were living in two rooms. it was freezing in winter. Now, I think, why didn't mum or big Alan buy a hot water bottle? It wasn't until my stepfather threw me out for smoking and I joined the Air Force that I wore underpants and slept between sheets." |
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School "My school was St Anthony's RC in Lochend, three miles away. Mum was taken to Court for my non-attendance at said school. In my defence, most days I either had no money for the bus or would arrive late and get a mandatory three of the belt, or would have no money for a crisp roll (my dinner), or i would have no shoes to wear. I once got a pair of shoes off my uncle they were brown so I blackened them to comply with school rules. At playtime, it rained and the black ran off leaving my brown shoes exposed. Also, being bullied and ridiculed and called smelly put you off going to school." |
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Poverty "At Primary School, the teacher said. "God doesn't care how you look. Just go to church." So i did. After Mass, I was followed outside by two parishioners who said I couldn't attend Mass ragged and dirty. They gave me an address for my mum to get some clothes for me. Mum was not impressed. There's lots more I could tell you for, believe it or not, there were others worse off than us, especially the Masons. Thier circumstances were dire. I broke their window. My stepfather paid Mr Mason two and six to repair it. He put cardboard in temporarily, and when they pulled the Dumbiedykes down, four years later, there was still cardboard in the window." |
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Today "My life is fine now. I am sixty three. I had my first birthday party when i was fifty. My two girls got everything a child should have, security, comfort, freedom, food, love, fun, and my three grandchildren the same. It's not rocket science." |
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Vince McManamon, Darlington, Durham, England: July 19, 2010 |
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Recollections 34. Marge Ireland |
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Thank you to Marge who asked: Question |
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Orphanage "I am trying to get some info for my mum who said as a child, around 1959, she and her sisters spent some time in a home or orphanage in Dumbiedykes I was wondering would you possibly know what this house or orphanage was called. It was for impoverished families, I imagine, and I’m just trying to find out some more information about the place. Maybe, maybe there is some record of her being at such a place. If you have any information at all, no matter how little, I would be very grateful to hear from you." Marge, Ireland: August 9, 2010 |
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Reply to Marge? I don't have any info or suggestions to pass on to Marge. However, if you feel that you may be able to help to answer her question above, please email me, then I'll pass on your message to her. Thank you. Peter Stubbs: August 12, 2010 |
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Recollections 34. Reply 1. Marge Ireland |
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Marge replied: |
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Orphanage "My Mum has looked at the EdinPhoto web site, and she reckons that it was Dean Orphanage that she was in." Marge, Ireland: August 13, 2010 |
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Here is a photograph of Dean Orphanage taken in the 1850s: |
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The orphanage has now become Dean Gallery. Here is a photograph of the gallery taken in 2009: |
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Recollections 35 David Taylor Polwarth, Edinburgh |
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Aitchison Greengrocers Thank you to David Taylor for sending me this photograph of his family's shop at the foot of Arthur Street: Please click on the thumbnail image above to enlarge it and read about the shop. |
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Recollections 36 Susan Schneider Australia |
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Thank you to Susan Schneider for posting a message in the EdinPhoto web site. Susan wrote: |
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The Bowlers' Rest "My grandfather, James Sandilands, was the publican of The Bowlers' Rest in Dumbiedykes Road in the 1940s and early-1950s. I'd love to see photos of it, or hear from anyone who can remember the pub during this time." Susan Schneider, Australia: Message posted in EdinPhoto guest book: January 24, 2011 |
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Recollections 37 George Brodie Bonnyrigg, Midlothian, Scotland |
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Thank you to George Brodie for posting two messages in the EdinPhoto guestbook. Janice wrote: |
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Richmond Court "Does anyone remember Richmond Court? The coort was bounded by the old tenements of: - Richmond Street - Adam Street and - The Abbey Picture House in North Richmond Street. I was born at 4 North Richmond Street. My Auntie Jeannie sold coal from a howff beneath the picture house. George
Brodie, Bonnyrigg, Midlothian, Scotland, |
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Recollections 38 Jim Robertson Berlin, Germany |
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Thank you to Jim Robertson, Berlin, for posting a message in the EdinPhoto guest book. Jim wrote: |
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The Bowlers' Rest "The Bowlers' Rest Public House was on the Dumbiedykes Road between Arthur Street and Prospect Place, opposite the Bowling Green. I have an Aunt, still living (Cathy Gormley, of Lower Viewcraig Row) who used to collect my old gran from the jug bar on a Saturday." Jim Robertson, Berlin, Germany: Message posted in Edinphoto guestbook: February 7, 2011 |
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Recollections 39 George Brodie Bonnyrigg Midlothian, Scotland |
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Thank you to George Brodie for posting a message in the EdinPhoto guestbook. George wrote: |
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Richmond Court "I was born in 1922 in a room and kitchen at 4 Richmond Court. My father and mother were Bill Brodie and Kate née Kinnoch. I suppose it is too much to expect anyone to remember the coort, but maybe some of the children will know something from their elders. My brothers, Bill and John, and I all went to South Bridge School, then Jimmie Clark's school Happy Days."
George Brodie, Bonnyrigg, Midlothian,
Scotland: |
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Recollections 40 Joan Finlay |
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Thank you to Joan Finlay, formerly of Prince Albert Buildings (1930-1952) for posting a message in the EdinPhoto guestbook. Joan wrote: |
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Prince Albert Buildings "I'm writing this message for my mother. She'd love to hear from anyone who lived in or near Prince Albert buildings or had any photos of the area, or from anyone who attended Milton House Primary School in 1936. Joan Finlay: Message posted in EdinPhoto guest book, September 19, 2011 |
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Reply to Joan? If you'd like to send a reply to Joan, please email me, then I'll pass on your message to her. Thank you. Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: September 20, 2011 |
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Recollections 41 Billy McCuaig |
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Thank you to Billy McCuaig for writing again. Billy wrote: |
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Craggs Bar "This photo shows the shop at the top of Salisbury Street that was owned by Mrs Keith. On the corner at the Pleasance was Young's Bar. Later this bar was owned by Danti Lannie and the name was changed to the Craggs Bar. Salisbury Street Danti's mum was known locally as Mama Lanni. She was a widow and was always dressed in black, as I remember her." |
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Linton's the Joiner Mama Lanni stayed in the same stair as Linton's the joiner, next to Craggs in the Pleasance. Linton's had a workshop in the basement. We we used to get the sawdust from them for our pets." |
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Billy McCuaig: September 24, 2011 |
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Recollections 42 Lorraine Niethe New Zealand |
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Thank you to Lorraine Niethe who wrote: |
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53 Dumbiedykes Road "My father died last year and I decided to search his family. On my father’s Birth certificate is says he was born at 53 Dumbiedykes Rd, I saw a photo where someone lived at number 50 and wondered if he lived on the same side of the road or on the opposite side. I would like to know what the layout was like inside the flat and if anyone remembers the family." |
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The Waltham Family "My father’s name was Kenneth Grant Waltham (born 1926). - His parents were George and Edith (born 1899). - His older siblings were: - George (born 1919) - Cecil (born1921, also known as Jimmy) - sister Edith (born 1924). I know my grandfather was a cinema operator at the time of his marriage so I wonder if there was a cinema near the Dumbiedykes. My family moved to New Zealand in 1963." |
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Lorraine Niethe, New Zealand: October 2, 2011 |
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Reply to Lorraine? If you'd like to send a reply to Lorraine, please email me, then I'll pass on your message to her. Thank you. Peter Stubbs: Edinburgh, October 6, 2011 |
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Recollections 43 W Gary Miller Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland |
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W Gay Miller wrote |
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Question Tenements Demolitions and Road Developments "My son Keith lives in Sydney and is currently involved in discussions on Facebook with old friends from Dumbiedykes. Lots of theories are being put forward for the demolition of the thousands of tenements, but when we moved into Viewcraig Gardens in 1972, we were told a motorway was to be built through the area. It would go from the old railway tunnel, through St. Leonards, Dumbiedykes, the Pleasance and one side of St. Mary's Street was also to be knocked down. A bridge was to be built over the station from Jeffrey Street and through the pillars on Waterloo Place. It would join up with the roundabout at the top of Leith Walk. I have spent an interesting morning going through the archives but have found nothing except a possible 1965 city engineers report exists. Can you help?" W Gary Miller, Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland: January 19, 2012 |
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Recollections 44 Peter Stubbs Edinburgh |
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Reply Tenement Demolitions "My understanding is that the tenements at Dumbiedykes were demolished around te 1960s because the whole area was regarded as being overcrowded in tenements that lacked basic facilities. There seems to have been a good community spirit in the old tenements at Dumbiedykes with many having fond memories of living in the area, but they also remember the vastly improved facilities such as hot water and their own bathrooms in the areas where they were re-housed." Inner Ring Road "I think that the road developments that people remember were probably the plans for an Inner Ring Road for Edinburgh. These plans were defeated in Parliament in 1967. I've found just one map showing the proposed line of the Inner-City Ring Road on the Internet. It is not very large, and it comes from the 'Talk Porty' web site so has a Portobello background which does not seem relevant,. However, the image is large enough to see the line of the road that had been proposed around the centre of Edinburgh, including its route for the southern part of the eastern side of the ring-road through Dumbiedykes." Please click on this link to see the route that had been proposed for the Inner Ring Road in 1967. Peter Stubbs: January 19, 2012 |
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Recollections 45 W Gary Miller Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland |
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W Gary Miller added |
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Inner Ring Road "Thanks for finding the plans for the inner- ring road. It's exactly as I remember it. My children's bedroom faced the Pleasance and had a basic form of air-conditioning fitted because they expected a motorway to go past a few yards away." W Gary Miller, Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland: January 20, 2012 |
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Recollections 46. A Pringle (Scotty) Canada |
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Thank you to A Pringle (Scotty) who wrote: Dumbiedykes Road "Dumbiedykes Road originally led from what used to be the bottom of the junction of Heriot Mount (where the steps lead up to Holyrood Park) and Carnegie Street all the way down to the Canongate. Unfortunately, the home where I grew up was demolished in the late-1950s and now the Dummy (as we used to call it) only runs from what was the bottom of, I think, Brown Street down to the Canongate. Then the wisdom of the City Council took over and instead of demolition they started renovating these old buildings, and there they still stand. The Council's decision was too late for good old No.145, where I grew up, to be saved. It is now mature forest and you would never know anything ever used to be there. Refer to ' Edinburgh slums' on internet where someone had the foresight to take photos before the buildings came down. It was a wonderful place to grow up 'coz we had the biggest backyard in the world. ... Holyrood Park!" A Pringle (Scotty), Canada: January 21, 2012 |
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Recollections 47 Jim Robertson Berlin, Germany |
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Thank you to Jim Robertson, Berlin, for posting a message in the EdinPhoto guest book., in response to Scotty's memories in Recollections 46 above. Jim wrote: |
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The Bowlers' Rest "I have to agree wholeheartedly with Scotty's comments. They they should have refurbished those old tenements. They did that in Blackfriars Street and they are still there. It's a crying shame. By the way, Scotty, Dumbiedykes Road goes down as far as Holyrood Road, but I'm sure you knew that. I used to live in 115 Dumbiedykes Road, opposite Brown Street. It was a fantastic place to live in our time and, as you rightly say, we had the best playground ever. I will be back visiting in April and like every other time I will have my usual walk around the park with a visit up Arthur Seat to take in that magnificent view of the Southside. Happy days." Jim Robertson, Berlin, Germany: Message posted in Edinphoto guestbook: January23, 2012 |
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Recollections 48 Ian Mclean |
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Thank you to Ian McLean who wrote: |
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Canongate "My grandfather (Thomas Mclean) was born at 211 Canongate in 1894. He joined the Scots Greys. He met my grandmother (Rose) in 1915 whilst on leave in York." Arthur Street TB "They married, and after the war lived at No.18 Arthur Street, Dumbiedykes. My father (B F Mclean) was born their in 1923. and also two uncles (Charlie & Arthur) and two aunts (Anne & Rosemary). The last born, Arthur, was born at No.13 in 1931, shortly after which the family moved to Niddrie Mains Drive at Craigmillar Dad always said that in his block at Arthur Street, TB was rife. This was one of the reasons they got a move to Craigmillar. Dad had an older brother (born 1920-ish) who died of TB in Edinburgh's Hospital for Sick Children, and indeed my grandfather contracted TB around the time of the move to Arthur Street. After a long, long struggle he finally succumbed to it in 1941." Ian McLean, February 23, 2012 |
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Recollections 49 Paddy Brock Edinburgh |
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Paddy Brock asks this question in the EdinPhoto Guestbook: |
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Question Campbell's Bar "Does anybody know where Campbell's Bar was in the Southside? Somebody has told me that it was in Forbes Street."
Paddy Brock, Edinburgh: |
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Recollections 49 Reply 1
Cathie Luppino USA |
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Thank you to Cathie Luppino who posted a message in the EdinPhoto guestbook in response to the question asked by Ian McLean in 'Recollections 49' above. Cathie wrote: |
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Campbell's Bar Grassmarket "There was a Campbell's Bar in the Grassmarket, Edinburgh in the 1940s and 1950s."
Cathie Luppino, (née Cormack), USA, formerly
Grassmarket, Edinburgh |
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Recollections 49 Reply 2 Hugh Gray Australia |
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Thank you to Hugh Gray for also replying to Paddy Brock's question in Recollections 49 above. Hugh wrote |
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Campbell's Bar Tron Square "I believe that Campbell's Bar was at Tron Square, near Hunter's Store." Hugh Gray, Australia: Message posted in EdinPhoto guestbook: January 25, 2013 |
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Recollections 49 Reply 3 Andy Duff Maryborough, Queensland, Australia |
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I've now received a third reply to the question about Campbell's Bar, asked by Paddy Brock in Recollections 49 above. Hugh wrote |
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Campbell's Bar St Leonard's "If memory serves me correctly, the bar in St Leonard's Hill between Carnegie Street and Beaumont Place was called Campbell's Bar. No doubt there were also others in and around Edinburgh. On one wall of the bar, there was a very large mural of Holyrood Park. No doubt this was torn down when the building was demolished." Andy Duff, Maryborough, Queensland, Australia: February 10, 2013 |
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Recollections 50 John Stevenson Trinity, Edinburgh |
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John Stevenson tells me: |
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Arthur Street - Steep Hill "I believe that horses - sometimes two horses - used to be attached to the back of heavy loads proceeding down the lower part of Arthur Street, to prevent the load from 'running away' and ending up in Holyrood Park, as this coal lorry did in 1958!" John Stevenson, Trinity, Edinburgh: 5 February 2013 |
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Recollections 51 Michael Nicholson Southside, Edinburgh |
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Michael Nicholson wrote |
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Bill Nicholson "My Dad, William (Bill), was brought up in Arthur Street. I'm hoping there is someone out there who remembers him, and will be able to send me some memories of him." Michael Nicholson, Southside, Edinburgh: June 1, 2013 |
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Recollections 52 Lisa Davis New Zealand |
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Thank you to Lisa Davis who wrote: |
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Carnegie Street My Mother "I've been trying to find reference to Carnegie Street, from around 1880 to 1952. My Mother lived at No. 9 Carnegie Street and attended James Clark School.. Her name then was Agnes Wilson MacKay. She worked for a while at Jenners as a seamstress, and also at Nelson’s printing works as a bookbinder. I recall, from earlier years, she always spoke very enthusiastically of growing up on Carnegie Street and the close-knit community of the street and surrounding areas. My Grandparents My mother's father father, David Kyles MacKay, was a baker. He worked at Leonard Street or Lane circa 1925-55. I believe he and my Grandmother, Janet (maiden name McAlpine) had some sort of second-hand store together at ground level of No.9. Janet had been previously married to a George Bull. Her maiden Surname was McAlpine. . Do you remember my Family? I'd love to know more about the Carnegie Street area and it’s people, especially from anyone who may have known my Grandfather, and/or have a photo of him. I believe he came from a large family, so there are likely to be living cousin still in Edinburgh, whom I’d love to make connection with. Lisa Davis, New Zealand: June 11, 2013 |
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Reply to Lisa? If you remember any of Lisa's family and would like to send a message to her, please email me, then I'll either pass on your message to her or give you her email address. Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: June 17, 2013 |
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Recollections 53. Eric Gold East End, London, England |
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Thank you to Eric Gold for writing again after seeing this photo of the menu from the Beehive Inn Restaurant in the Grassmarket, from 24 January 1950: Eric wrote: |
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Our Rent "I've been studying the menu prices for the Beehive in 1950. The prices look very expensive, as our rent in East Arthur Street in the 1950s was 5 shillings old money then.** Just before we left East Arthur Street in 1961, our rent was 7/6d old money. Our rent in Niddrie in 1961 was about 25 shillings as we has an inside lavie there (ha ha ha ha)." Eric Gold, East London, England: October 17, 2013 |
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** On the Beehive Menu for 1950, the of a chicken salad and coffee was five shillings. Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: October 17, 2013 |
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Recollections 54. Eleanor Bain Edinburgh |
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Eleanor Bain wrote: |
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My Family My Maternal Grandparents "I wonder if anyone has any memories of my family. My maternal grandfather and grandmother lived in Middle Arthur Place. - My grandfather was William Dickson. - My grandmother was Bridget Dickson (nee McFarlane). - They had 10 children: - Jessie - Molly - Agnes - Nellie twin - Catherine twin - George (Dodi) - William - Jackie (Jake) - James (Jimmy) twin - Charlie twin My Paternal Grandparents "My paternal grandfather and grandmother lived at St. Leonard's. - My grandfather was Frank Donoghue. - My grandmother was Marion (Pirrie). - Their children were: - Barbara - Marion - James - Robert - Joe - Frank - Douglas - Thomas (Tucker) - Peter. My Parents "My mum (Cathie) married my dad (Joe) in 1953/54. - They had 4 children: - Eleanor (me) - Frankie - Charles - Kathleen. My mother is now 84, but she still goes on about the 'good old days'. I remember her telling me that her parents had 2 houses in Middle Arthur Place, one for the girls and the other for the boys. She also remembers being sent up to the bakers with a pillowcase to get day old cheap bread." West Richmond Street "My mother and father moved to 6 West Richmond Street after they married. My father worked as a coal merchant. A memory of our time in West Richmond street was when my brother set the house on fire. This was reported in a paper with the headline: 'PC Saves 3 Children Trapped in Blaze' along with a photograph of my mum, my two brothers and myself, I was 4 years old when this happened. An off-duty policeman, Douglas Wilson ran up the stairs and saved us, then the Fire Brigade arrived and tackled the blaze from a turntable ladder. Maybe one of your readers could help me trace the photograph and the paper it was in. This would have been about 1957/1959." Eleanor Bain:, Edinburgh: 20,21,21 July 2016 |
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Reply to Eleanor? If you remember any of the people mentioned above, or can help to trace the photograph mentioned by Eleanor above, please email me to let me know. Then I'll pass on Eleanor's email address to you so that you can send an message direct to her. Thank you. Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: 11 August, 2016 |
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