Recollections

1.

Barry Fawcett

Canada

Thank you to Barry Fawcett who wrote:

Question

Murrayfield Ice Rink

"I'm trying to get information on the group, 'The Hunters', who played as the resident band at Murrayfield Ice Rink in the 1960.  They later changed their name to 'Scratch' and then to 'Leaven Bread'??? 

I would be most grateful for any info you can provide."

Barry Fawcett, Canada:  July 27, 2008

If you'd like to reply to Barry Fawcett's comments above, please email me, then I'll pass on his email address to you.

Thank you.    - Peter Stubbs:  July 27, 2008

Recollections

1.

Reply

1.

Gordon Hastie

Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland

Thank you to Gordon Hastie for replying to Barry Fawcett's comments above.

Gordon mentions many groups below.  I've asked him if he has any old photos of the groups that I might be able to add to the web site.

Gordon wrote:

The Hunters

1968

"I played in the Hunters, but too late to play at Murrayfield Ice Rink (thank goodness - see below).  I joined them in 1968, playing bass.  It was a different line-up from the original, with:

-  Jim Marshall who had played lead guitar with the Hipple People, was on keyboards

-  Cass (I'm not sure if that is the correct spelling), twin brother of Sandy, bass player in the Beachcombers, was on guitar.

Jim left later that year.  A new keyboard player, who had played in the Scotch of St James/Hopscotch, replaced him.  Then I left, and after some musical chairs involving the Beachcombers, Hunters and the Cabinet."

Scratch

"Sandy joined and The Hunters changed their name to Scratch and went off the Germany.

I found myself in the Cabinet for a while, but couldn't really replace their brilliant bass player (his name escapes me), who had been pinched by the Beachcombers!  It was all a bit Machiavellian..."

The Images

"I was in the recently posted photos of The Images.  A friend in the States came across them, and what a surprise! 

The top photo was taken at Napier College (as it was then), and as for the other I'm glad to say I don't go down in posterity wearing curtain material - I'm the baby faced one with red hair."

Murrayfield

"We also played Murrayfield Ice Rink every Friday for a while.  I hated it, being the bass player, as the sound just disappeared into that vast space.  It was also a bit cold for playing guitars etc.!"

Professional

"After a while, we went 'professional' with the following line-up:

-  Alan Guthrie, the singer

-  Brian Johnsone on guitar

-  myself on bass

-  Alan Smith on drums.

Alan Smith went on to great success with the shops Arena (That was also the name of a band that he played in, during 1969-70) and Smith's Menswear.

We played in Germany and Switzerland and had a few adventures along the way.  It was not a great band but we had our moments."

Café Jacques

"I later played in Café Jacques, managed by Bruce Findlay of Bruce's Records, who later managed Simple Minds, and is still a force for good in Scottish music.

I jumped ship just before they went off to record their first (of two) albums.  They were a very good band that probably would have been more successful had it not been for the punk revolution!"

Today

"I'm still playing!"

Gordon Hastie, Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland:  September 7, 2010

Recollections

2.

Alan Grieve

Minehead, Somerset, England

Thank you to Alan Grieve who wrote:

My Father - Chauffeur

Tower House

"When I was born in 1940, my father was chauffeur to the McIntyre family in Murrayfield whose house was called 'The Tower'.

My parents lived in the Tower Cottage, the address of which appears to have been 32, Kingsburgh Road.  I've Googled this address and it turns out to be a house in a long terrace of stone-built houses.

I don't think this could have been the case in 1940 when it was the chauffeur/gardener's cottage for a big house.

I remember my parents saying that at night in Murrayfield they could hear the big cats roaring in the Zoo, especially when German planes were about."

McIntyre Family

"The family that my father worked for were the McIntyres, whose son went on to be a senior BBC announcer after the war and, I believe, appeared in the first live TV broadcast in Scotland.

I believe that Mr Mcintyre senior may have been a director of a shipping line and that his wife was involved in charity work.

Questions

"Does anyone have any knowledge of :

-  The Tower?

-  Tower Cottage?

-  The McIntyre family?"

Leaving Edinburgh

but not going too far!

"In 1941 my family moved from Murrayfield when my father took a similar job in Inveresk being chauffeur to the Morrison family who I believe had a wine importing business in Leith, so I only lived in Edinburgh for my first year."

Alan Grieve, Minehead, Somerset, England:  September 22, 2013

Reply to Alan?

If you'd like to reply to Alan's questions above, please email me, please email me, then I'll pass on his email address to you.

Thank you.

Peter Stubbs:  September 23, 2013

Recollections

2.

Reply

1.

Lynne Schyma

Murrayfield, Edinburgh

Thank you to Lynne Schyma for replying.

Lynne wrote

Tower House and Cottage

"I live nearby.  The cottage is definitely still there.  It's not one of the terraced houses though.**

The tower was a nursing home, though it recently closed and is set to be converted into flats."

Lynne Schyma, Murrayfield, Edinburgh:  April 9, 2014

**  Thank you to Lynne for also sending me a photo of  32 Kingsburgh Road.  I assume that this is The Cottage, referred to above.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:  April 12, 2014

Recollections

3.

Mark Stewart

Mark Stewart wrote:

Question

George Hall's Murrayfield Garage

"I'm trying to find photos or information about a garage in Edinburgh.

I'm currently restoring a 1935 Austin 7 van which I believe was originally owned by a garage by the name of George Hall.  I have a old dealer book which gives the name and address:

I can confirm by the traces of very faint sign writing still on the van that this matches, and this name and address are the 1st owners shown on the original buff log book.

I'd love to restore the van/sign writing to as original state, so any information would be a great help."

Mark Stewart:  November 5, 2013

Reply to Mark?

If you have any photos of this garage, or know anything about it that you think might be of interest to Mark, please email me, then I'll pass on his email address to you.    Thank you.

Peter Stubbs:  July 27, 2008

Recollections

3.

Reply

1.

Hamish Strang

Thank you to Hamish Strang for replying to the question asked by  Mark Stewart in his Recollections 3 above.

Hamish wrote:

Hall's Garage

"I was born in Roseburn Gardens and I remember Halls Garage.

I think the business was 'George Hall & Son'.  Thee garage was indeed in Roseburn Place with a showroom in Roseburn Terrace.

I recall that the car dealership was Austin with maybe Rover or Riley.

The garage is now retirement flats and the showroom is a Tesco local.

Here is an old photo, badly taken, of a friend of mine with his Austin A30.  Hall's Garage can be seen in the background."

© Hamish Strang

Hamish Strang:  8 November 2013

Recollections

4.

Helen Slate (née Isaac)

Thank you to Helen Slate for following up earlier comments about Murrayfield Ice Rink.

Helen wrote

Murrayfield Ice Rink

"Like Dee, I also skated at Murrayfield Ice Rink."  **

Skates

"When I got my own skates, I felt very grown up, wearing them draped over my shoulder on the bus.

Unfortunately, the skates were brown, but they were on sale in the sport wear department of a store on Princes Street..  I  really wanted white skates, but could only afford the brown ones,2

Hockey and Tennis

"I also bought my hockey stick in the sport wear department of a store on Princes Street.  I'd walk back and forth to Portobello High School, carrying that on practice days, and the same with my tennis racquet in summer.

I was always sports oriented."

Helen Slate (née Isaac):  June 21, 2014

Recollections and Question

5.

Richard Stirling

Corstorphine, Edinburgh

Richard Stirling has written, asking another question about Murrayfield Ice Rink.

Richard wrote:

Question

Murrayfield Ice Rink

Tennis Courts

"I am trying to find some information about the tennis courts that were part of the Murrayfield Stadium complex in the 1960s/1970s .  I'd also like to find old pictures of the Murrayfield complex. 

Can anyone tell me anything about the tennis courts?  How many courts were there?  Does anybody remember playing on those courts or have any photos of them?"

Richard Stirling, Corstorphine, Edinburgh:  March 31, 2016

Reply to Richard

"If you can help to answer the questions that Richard asks above, please email me to let me know, then I'll pass on Richard's email address to you.

Thank you."

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:  March 31, 2016

Recollections and Question

6.

Richard Stirling

Corstorphine, Edinburgh

Thank you to Richard Stirling for writing again.

Richard wrote:

Murrayfield Ice Rink

"For my sins I am an aging 1960s teenager, employed as Managing Director of Murrayfield Ice Rink.  Hence my interest in the tennis courts on the SRU site, about which I only have a vague recollection.

I began skating here in the 1960s (the best time for music) and can remember the Hunters and Athenians playing here on a Friday and Saturday night to a packed rink. 

Oh how times have changed."

Richard Stirling, Corstorphine, Edinburgh:  1 April, 2016

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