Edinburgh Recollections

Recollections

John Fraser

Inch, Edinburgh

Thank you to John Fraser for posting a message in the EdinPhoto guestbook.

John Fraser

John wrote:

Murrayfield Ice Rink

Mid-1950s

Accidents

"Does anyone remember being part of a 'train'. I was at the end of one, and wearing a new suit. It was too fast on the corner. I let go and ended up stuck to the fence with my skates.

I saw one poor girl caught by a 'speed racer'. She had her leg ripped open. Dangerous sport ice skating!"

Friends

"After my 'accident', I spent a lot of time in the bar, talking to the lady bartender, Margaret, and finding recipes for cocktails that she liked to make. I didn't return to the ice rink after I came out of the forces."

I had a few good friends that I used to meet every Saturday night, but I lost touch with them when I went into the R.A.F. There were:

- Eddie Dahl

- Jimmy Paterson

- Lofty (who was over six feet tall) and his girl friend Titch (who was about two feet shorter than him). I heard that they got married.

- Eddie Dahl (who went to Victoria, Australia. I had a letter from him and sent one back, but I got no reply)."

John Fraser, Inch, Edinburgh: Message posted in EdinPhoto Guestbook, April 8, 2013

Recollections

Connie Telfer-Smith (née McJannett)

Norfolk Island, South Pacific

Thank you to Connie Telfer-Smith, Norfolk Island, South Pacific, for posing the reply below to John's message in the guestbook.

Connie wrote:

Murrayfield Ice Rink

Bruises

"John:

I spent a lot of time collecting bruises at Murrayfield Ice Rink, but maybe bit before your time.

Do you remember:

- Maisie Corbett?

- Mattie Conquer?

- Jimmie Macdonald?

- the pantomimes?

I think it's gone now."

Connie Telfer-Smith, Norfolk Island, South Pacific: Reply posted in EdinPhoto Guestbook on
April 9, 2013, in response to message from John Fraser posted in the Guestbook the same day.

Recollections

Dot Walker

Arlington, Texas, USA

Thank you to Dot Walker for also posing a reply to John Fraser's message in the guestbook.

Dot wrote:

Murrayfield Ice Rink

Skating

"John:

You are a funny man. I was never brave enough to get on the end of a 'train'. It went too fast!

I rented skates for a while, and finally had enough money, including my Mum's 'Provie cheque', to buy my own skates.

I could not believe the difference. my ankles no longer turned inwards and I could skate without wobbling. I felt well off with my boots over my shoulder on the bus going home too."

Dot Walker, Arlington, Texas, USA: reply posted in EdinPhoto guestbook on April 9, 2013
in response to a message posted in the guestbook by John Fraser on April 8, 2013.

Recollections

Iain C Purves

Waterdown, Ontario, Canada

Thank you to Ian C Purves posing another message about Murrayfield Ice Rink in the EdinPhoto guestbook.

Ian wrote:

Murrayfield Ice Rink

Incident

"John Fraser commented on 'trains'. I and our group were always were in the bottom-right corner, looking from the stage.

The young lady who had her leg cut open in the incident that John mentions was my then girlfriend, now my wife of 53 years, Marion (May) Fraser. The scar is visible to this day! "

Photography

"I used to do some of ice side photography for a chap in Gorgie Road who took the pictures of anyone willing to drop him a shilling or two."

Sweeping the Ice

"A group of us wore blue cardigans and swept the ice before it was re-surfaced.

Happy Memories indeed!"

Ian C Purves Walker: Message posted in EdinPhoto guestbook on April 10, 2013

Recollections

Eddie Williamson

Pickering, Ontario, Canada

Thank you to Eddie Williamson for posing a reply to Iain C Purves' message in the guestbook.

Eddie wrote:

Murrayfield Ice Rink

'Tosh'

"I used to go skating every week at Murrayfield Ice Rink. A group of us used to go every week. It's funny, I can only remember one name now - Billy Macintosh (Tosh). We were apprentices together at Bruce Peebles.

Happy times!"

Eddie Williamson, Pickering, Ontario, Canada, since 1970: Reply posted in EdinPhoto guestbook on April 10 2013, in response to a message posted in the guestbook by Iain C Purves on the same day.

Recollections

June Wood (née Robertson)

Arroyo Grande, Central Coast, California, USA

Thank you to June Wood (née Robertson) for posting the reply below in the EdinPhoto guestbook.

June wrote:

Murrayfield Ice Rink

'The Whip'

"My chum, Margaret Leith, and I also went skating at Murrayfield Ice Rink. We did 'the train' thing, but we called it 'the whip'."

June Wood (née Robertson), Arroyo Grande, Central Coast, California, USA:
Reply posted in EdinPhoto guestbook on April 12, 2013 in response to a
message posted in the guestbook by John Fraser on April 8, 2013.

Recollections

Alice Wilson (née Ward)

Christchurch, New Zealand

Thank you to Alice Wilson (née Ward) for posting a reply in the EdinPhoto guestbook.

Alice wrote:

Return to Murrayfield

"I remember going to Murrayfield ice rink as a nine-year-old or ten-year-old. I caught the bus from the bottom of Leith Walk to go to the 2 o' clock session there.

When I was home in Edinburgh in 2010, my girlfriend took me to Murrayfield. I was shocked to see that the rink was still there, and it didn't seem to have changed a bit except it was looking a bit tired. The memories came flooding back! Thanks for the memories."

Aice Wilson (née Ward), Christchurch, New Zealand Reply posted in EdinPhoto guestbook on April 12, 2013 in response to a message posted in the guestbook by John Fraser on April 8, 2013.

Recollections

Margaret Williamson (née Hay)

Moline, Illinois, USA

Thank you to Alice Wilson (née Ward) for posting a reply in the EdinPhoto guestbook to the message that John Fraser posted in the guestbook on April 8, 2012.

Alice wrote:

Return to Murrayfield

"My first year at Darroch was when I started going to Murrayfield Ice Rink with a few of my pals. We joined a wee group with a lady and the first lesson was to do a 'figure of eight' which we all did well.

Then we had to practice for a while. One of the girls coming towards me didn't use her toe pick to stop, and when she fell, her toe pick went into my leg at the side of my knee. There was lots of blood, but it was an accident.

I still have the scar, but I kept on going to the ice rink,with its dangers. We had so much fun. I stayed as close to the front of the line as I could.

My mum didn't have the money to buy me a skating skirt, so she took the lining out of a coat and made one by hand for me. The colour was emerald green and I treasured it for years.

Thanks for hanks for the memories."

Aice Wilson (née Ward), Christchurch, New Zealand Reply posted in EdinPhoto guestbook on April 15, 2013 in response to a message posted in the guestbook by John Fraser on April 8, 2013.

Recollections

John Fraser

Edinburgh

John wrote about his friends at Murrayfield Ice Rink in 'Recollections 1' above. Here is a photo that he has now sent to me to be added to the web site. Thank you John.

John wrote:

My Group at Murrayfield

"Here is a photo of my group of friends a Murrayfield Ice Skating Rink. I'm the one behind the camera:"

Photo of Myself

'Here is a photo of myself, in case anybody would like to be reminded who I am."

John Fraser, Inch, Edinburgh: Message posted in EdinPhoto Guestbook, April 12, 2013

Recollections

10.

John E Kirkwood

Livingston Village, West Lothian, Scotland

Thank you to John E Kirkwood, Livingston, West Lothian for posting a message in the EdinPhoto guestbook in response to Iain C Purves' comments in 'Recollections 4' above.

John wrote:

Friends

"Hi Iain.

It's good to see that you are still with us. You must have seen big changes in the area.

You must have lived below the Elders (Wilson & Lottie). I lived in a a gable-end at Crewe Terrace, facing the postbox.

I knew Fiona well. She married Bill Gray who lived in Comely Bank.

My wife (Irene Bryce of Crewe Road North) is still in touch with Ena Gray. I used to run around with:

- Alex Hamilton

- Joe Wallace

- The Cockburns

- Dougie Cunnison

- Willie Simpson

- Walter Muir

- Dougie Weir

John ER Kirkwood, Livingston Village, West Lothian, Scotland (since 1971)

Recollections

Jim Gibson (aka Gibby)

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Thank you to Jim Gibson for sending anothe message about his cycling (and incidentally one about his cycling for Edina Couriers in Edinburgh).

Jim posted these messages in the EdinPhoto Guestbook on May 21, 2013, in response to a message that John Fraser posted in the Guestbook on March 27, 2013.

Jim wrote:

Reply to John Fraser

"I can't help thinking that our paths must have crossed. Besides going to the same school at approximately the same time, we hung around the same places - the Palais, the Ice Rink and cycling."

'The Chain'

"I still remember 'The Chain' at Murrayfield Ice Rink. I was on the end of one, one Saturday morning, with a whole bunch of us from Robb's

My buddy, Bertie Law, was on the other end and I was so busy laughing at him trying to keep is balance that I lost mine. The result was two black eyes and a smashed nose. Some Fun!"

Jim Gibson (Gibby), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Reply posted in EdinPhoto Guestbook
on May 21, 2013 in response to Message posted by John Fraser on March 27, 2013.

Recollections

Duncan MacAuslan

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Thank you to Duncan MacAuslan who wrote:

Skating and Curling

"I left Edinburgh in 1964 as a 12 year old.

Every second Friday, a school friend (Andrew Weir) and I used to go skating at Murrayfield. I remember the curling matches took precedence and skaters were reduced to a very small area at one end of the ring.

I was always fascinated by the old men curling with the brushers skating ahead of the stone.

We used to hire skates and as I recollect they were leather and laced up, often quite wobbly if they were old.

After skating we'd go to my house in Coltbridge Terrace.

Swimming

On the other Fridays, we went to Portobello indoor pool where I remember:

- old men swimming

- some strange harness to teach swimming,

- hot buttered rolls from a cafe upstairs.

I've been back to Edinburgh many times but never to either of these places"

Duncan MacAuslan, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia: 11 April 2013

Duncan:

Thanks for your comments. Both the places you mention still exist.

- I was one of the curlers at Murrayfield Ice Rink in the 1990s

- Portobello Indoor Pool was refurbished a few years ago. There is a cafe upstairs!

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: June 4, 2013