Recollections

10.

Harry Hunter

Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland

Thank you to Harry Hunter who wrote:

Gallery over the Sea

"There was a wee gallery/veranda out the back of the bar which overhung the sea. You walked passed the Gents to reach it."

Gents

"The 'door' for the Gents was a curtain on a spring.  This became shorter with the passage of time and was often less than was decent.

I remember at time Betty would barge in, waving her sword and roust anyone out.  This could be a bit disconcerting, I can tell you"

Harry Hunter, Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland:  December 14, 2009

 Recollections

11.

Trish Lack

Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland

Thank you to Trish for writing about her experience of Betty Moss.

Trish wrote:

Betty Moss

"Here is my experience of that fine? 'lady'.

My dad was a seaman.  He was not a drinker, but he knew of betty Moss, so she intrigued me.  One night in the 1970s, I talked my husband and another couple into going to the bar, 'just to see'?

So as you can imagine, we are all, or most of us, at 20, gorgeous and slim. (Those were the days!)  We girls then, certainly were.  So in we went, lambs to the slaughter!

As we entered, all was quiet.  There was only one other person in there, a man.  Betty gave us a look, and I nearly screamed,  but we bravely went in, she asked us what we wanted.  A few orders later, we had our drinks.

The only thing was, the glasses were not clean.  I mean, I saw her shake other glasses out and wipe them with some God awful looking 'cloth'!

My Gin and bitter lemon was in a glass that looked like she had just picked it up from the street!  I really didn't want to upset her, but i really didn't want to drink from that glass!   So I didn't.  We left!

We noticed the postcards on the walls from all over the place.  She certainly was some woman!

Trish Lack, Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland:  January 29, 2010

Recollections

14.

Steve Aitken

Blackburn, Lancashire, England

Thank you to Steve Aitken who wrote:

Barman

"I worked at the Old Chain Pier Bar as a barman while I was a student in the 1970's.  Betty Moss was gone but was still talked about and vividly recollected! I used to have to walk on the rickety wooden platform at the back (which hung over the water) to collect the empties. If memory serves me correctly there were about two or three smallish tables for sitting at and an old wooden rail to stop people falling off."

Betty Moss

"Behind the bar there was a wooden shelf in a sort of recess that had the cutlass proudly displayed, and also two large wooden barrels.  I was told when I started there that the barrels were reputed to hold the remains of Betty's two husbands!

I never did get the chance to look inside, or even to discover if she was married, let alone twice.  It would be nice to know the truth. No doubt the barrels went up in smoke along with everything else in the fire in 2004."

Cellar

"The trap-door was also behind the bar and led to an incredibly deep cellar which you had to climb down a long rung-ladder to get to, about twenty feet or so.  It always used to fascinate me because it must have been well below the water line and yet I don't remember it being damp.

I once forgot that the door was open and headed across the bar to serve someone with an empty glass in my hand and disappeared suddenly as I dropped down the hole. Fortunately my feet hit the stepladder and my elbows stopped me going any further.

It was a great place to work for a while, and was full of real characters. The current pub is very nice, but does not have nearly as much atmosphere!"

Steve Aitken, Blackburn, Lancashire, England:  April 9, 2011

Recollections

15.

Stuart McCann

Bairnsdale, Victoria, Australia

Thank you to Stuart McCann, Bairnsdale, Victoria, Australia, for posting a message in the EdinPhoto guestbook.

Stuart wrote:

Betty Moss

"For the lass who wasn't impressed with old Bett Moss,  I can tell you that in her younger years she was a 'paragon of virtue'.

I lived opposite the old Chain Pier Bar in the 1930s, and when my Dad was in bed with a dose of the cold, more than once Betty gave me a half bottle to take across the street to him.  Betty was a fine woman and good to us kids.

I'm approaching my 84th birthday on the 18 January 2013. Life has been good to me here, but like most Scots 'my heart is aye at hame'."

Stuart McCann, Bairnsdale, Victoria, Australia.  Stuart added: "As you can see we've moved down from the mountains around Swift's Creek and now live in Bairnsdale which is 100 km south of the creek.":

 Message posted in Edinphoto guestbook, 2 January, 2012

Recollections

16.

Iain Ruickbie

Johannesburg, South Africa

Thank you to Iain Ruickbie, Johannesburg, South Africa, who wrote:

Betty Moss

"I came across this Edinphoto web site page by chance, and found the various comments and memories of the Old Chain Pier quite fascinating.  Here are mine:

-  I was born within 'crawling distance' of 'The Chain', and in the 1960S it was my local for 10 years.

- Betty died in 1970.  It was reputed that she had signed up to leave her body to medical science, 'This will give the bastards something to think about!'.

-  My brother sold Betty the television that she had in the bar but never allowed the sound to be turned on, except the one night of the Beatles' TV spectacular in 1964.

- The comments on this page about swords, shrunken heads, bamboo glasses etc are all true.  However everyone seems to have forgotten the pink elephants.

-  When Betty died her son who was harbour master in Kowloon came back to oversee the sale of the pub, and then went back to Hong Kong.

-  Betty’s sister lived a little bit longer, as did the two wee fat dugs.

-  I had a pint at the Old Chain Pier, two weeks ago.  I can honestly say that it is a very nice pub serving good bear and food.  However all my chums from that era have moved over to the Starbank which is even better."

Iain Ruickbie, Johannesburg, South Africa:  June 23, 2013

Recollections

17.

Peter Stubbs

Edinburgh

Thanks Ian for your comments in Recollections 15 above.

Food

The Old Chain Pier

"It's good that The Old Chain Pier is still in business, despite the fire that destroyed the interior in 2004, and that you enjoyed your visit there.  I've had a few meals there recently, and enjoyed them all.  The food has been good as has the atmosphere, with the restaurant overlooking the Firth of Forth."

The Starbank

"I've never eaten across the road at The Starbank, though I went there several times around 2008 when the Granton History Society used to hold their meeting there.

Unfortunately, it is now several years since the Granton History Society last held a meeting."

Near Newhaven Harbour

"There are also several other restaurants about half a mile to the east at and near Newhaven Harbour.

One of the most recent to have opened is the café-deli-bistro, across the road from Newhaven Harbour, Porto & Fi, on the corner of Newhaven Main Street  and Craighall Road.

I've enjoyed coffee and scones there.  It also seems to have a good reputation for its meals."

Peter Stubbs:  Edinburgh, 23 June 2013

Recollections

18.

Iain Ruickbie

Johannesburg, South Africa

After reading the message from Iain Ruickbie that I added above as 'Recollections 16' yesterday, I emailed Iain and asked him if he could tell me more about the pink elephants.

He has now replied:

Betty Moss

"Anyone who drank in 'The Chain' in the 1960s would have seen pink elephants, one way or another.

Betty had an eclectic collection of memorabilia most of which was sent to her by her son:

-  the gaudy kimonos she always wore

-  the oriental slippers

-  the bamboo glasses

-  the extra-long ivory cigarette holders

-  shrunken heads

-  several dangerous looking swords, etc.

    AND

-  the pink elephants, somewhere on the back wall of the bar."

Iain Ruickbie, Johannesburg, South Africa:  June 24, 2013

Recollections

21.

Stuart McCann

Bairnsdale, Victoria, Australia

Thank you to Stuart McCann for writing again after reading the comments from Carole Mills in her Recollections 20 above.

Stuart wrote:

The Old Chain Pier

Not Newhaven

"Carole refers to The Old Chain Pier as being in Newhaven, but it is well and truly in Trinity Crescent.

Although I went to Newhaven School as a boy, we never considered ourselves to be 'Bow Tows' as the Newhaven lads were called."

Shops near

The Old Chain Pier

Grocer

"I was interested to read in Ian Finlayson's Recollections 19 above that his maternal Grandfather, Mr Brown owned the grocers shop opposite the Chain Pier bar.  Well, two of my pals worked in the shop.

 - John Lambert and his little brother, Andrew.  John drove Brown's grocers shop van."

Butcher

"Jimmy was the message boy for the butcher next door to Browns.  Jimmy made deliveries on his bike to local folk.

I believe that the Lamberts lived in No.8 Trinity Crescent, the building that had two pillars outside its front door.

The Lambert family lived in the basement of No.8.  There were 5 sons** and 3 daughters:

-  John.

-  David.  He cut hair at the hairdresser at the foot of Craighall Road.

-  Andrew. who worked at Browns the grocers,

-  George. (wee George).

-   Ruth (?)

-  Margaret.

-  Betty.

How they all squeezed in, I'll never know but they were all lovely people!

Age 85

"I had my 85th birthday last month and still going reasonably well. They made us old trawlermen tough."

Stuart McCann, Bairnsdale, Victoria, Australia:  February 25, 2014

Recollections

22.

Iain Ruickbie

Johannesburg, South Africa

Thank you to Iain Ruickbie, Johannesburg, South Africa, for writing again.

Iain wrote:

Grocer

 near The Old Chain Pier

"The grocer referred to in Recollections 21 above was eventually taken over by John Lambert, and advertised as such.  It was a licensed grocer.

Many a time, a customer would come in and find no one to serve them, as John and his drinking cronies would be in the cellar which was accessed by a trap door in the floor.

John, on hearing the front door bell ring, would then stagger up and serve . When he closed shop he would cross over the road for a pint with Betty at the Old Chain Pier."

'Bow Tow'

"I went to the primary school at Newhaven.  If you did not live in the village you were definitely not a 'Bow Tow'.   Until about ten or fifteen years ago, there was a pub in Newhaven called the 'Bow Tow Bar'."

Iain Ruickbie, Johannesburg, South Africa:  August 11, 2014

Old Chain Pier
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