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The Peacock Inn Newhaven |
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1. Recollections |
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Graham D Lonie (Scotty), now living in Antigua, wrote: "I see that you have added a picture of Victoria School. This brings back memories of when I was a student their circa 1952.
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Questions |
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Graham added Peacock Inn "I’m not sure if the building in the left background close to the confectioners store is the Peacock Inn or if it was a little further to the left and out of view. Basaltic Rock "The Peacock Inn had a big black basaltic rock in front that we as children used as a “slide”. I wander if it is still there (the rock)." Whale Brae "Also, isn’t the road from where the picture was taken from the 'Whale Brae' that I remember?"
Graham D Lonie (Scotty), Antigua,
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Answers 1 |
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Peacock Inn "The Peacock Inn is, in fact, one building to the left of the house with the grey painted lower wall (in the centre-left of the picture) so the Peacock Inn is just out of view." Basaltic Rock Not Found ! "I was not aware of the big black basaltic rock in front of the Peacock Inn, though I'm sure others may well remember it. I had a look for it today but it doesn't appear to be there now." Whale Brae "Yes, the photo was taken from the lower part of Newhaven Road, which I believe was also known as 'Whale Brae'." - Peter Stubbs: March 6, 2008. |
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Answer 2 |
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Graham added
Peacock Inn "The big basaltic rock that I referred to in front of the Peacock Inn was on the side facing Newhaven Road. That side was built so that the rock protrudes from the wall. Recent photos I have seen on the web shows an entrance that faces the Firth of Forth but the entrance I remember faced main street. I guess the hotel has been somewhat modified over the years." - Peter Stubbs: March 7, 2008. |
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Answers 3 |
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Peacock Inn "Your comments are helpful, thanks, Graham. I visited the Peacock Inn again today and made more enquiries. I learnt that: - The north side of the Peacock Inn used to face directly onto the Firth of Forth, and the entrance was on the south side, actually in the wall painted grey in this picture: - The basaltic rock was (and still is) embedded in the wall to the left of the 'grey wall' in this photo. Around the 1960s (I think) land was reclaimed from the Firth of Forth to the north of the Peacock Inn, and a short Newhaven by-pass was built on this land. A new entrance to the Peacock Inn was created on its northern side opening directly onto the new by-pass." Basaltic Rock Found ! "Given the details above, it was not difficult to locate and Basaltic Rock today, and photograph it. The building with the rock embedded into it used to be the eastern end of the Peacock Inn, but it is no longer part of the inn. It is occupied as private flats, and as the first photo below shows, a fence has been erected to create a small garden that now includes the basaltic rock." Please click on these thumbnail images to enlarge them. - Peter Stubbs: March 8, 2008. |
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2. Recollections |
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After reading the reply about the rock embedded into the wall at the Peacock Inn (Answer 3 above) Graham D Lonie replied: The Rock "Thanks for checking into that for me. That rock actually was a catalyst for my future in that it was a great puzzle to me as to how it got there in the first place and it kindled my curiosity in the natural sciences. Edinburgh Museum "I spent many weekends travelling on the tram to upper Edinburgh where I explored the Edinburgh Museum of Natural History and ventured on to the Botanical Gardens, bringing with me a group of kids from the neighborhood whose parents could afford the thrupence fare." Newhaven Harbour "This was a great diversion from our hard scrabble lives of venturing out into the tidewaters of Newhaven looking for buckies in the tidal pools and collecting sprats from the pier when the fishing trawlers were unloading their catch in Newhaven Harbour to supplement our Spartan meals. Still it is with much nostalgia that I remember my childhood there. As with all people we remember the good things in our childhood and forget some of the hardships we endured." Food "Even into the ‘fifties we still had rationing, as we recovered from the war years. After all who in this day and age would consider a sandwich consisting of a slab of bread and butter sprinkled with some sugar a special treat. I still long for one of those Mason’s Pies that my grandmother would fetch from the store and deliver to us through the fence at Victoria School during playtime. What a treat! Sprats, Buckies, Mason’s Pies, fish and chips, Kippers 'fresh' from the harbour, who could ask for anything more?"
Graham D Lonie (Scotty), Antigua,
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Newhaven |
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Newhaven Old Photos |
Newhaven |
Newhaven |