To Glasgow by Train

"The Empire Exhibition at Ballahouston Park, Glasgow was opened by King George VI on 3rd May 1938.

A special chartered train (a corridor train) ran from the North Leith Caledonian station, directly opposite the Old West Dock Gate, for pupils from Leith Academy and Trinity Academy.  The cost of the trip was five shillings (25p).

We did not have far to to go for the train - just a nip over the wall (almost) to Newhaven station, conveniently situated on Craighall Road, be conveyed direct to the Exhibition railway halt, at Ballahouston Park, Glasgow."

At the Exhibition

"Memories are dimmed over the years but some items do stand out:

-  the Space Planetarium, looking into infinity.

- a working replica of the Niagara Falls with roar of cascading water in background, coupled with those delicious Canadian Mac Red apples.

- sheep shearing in the Australian pavilion with crunchy charred cooked ribs, as we now know and accept as Bar B Q.

- a huge Royal National Lifeboat Institution, Watson Class lifeboat at an outside stand, built by a well known yacht builder, Alexander Robertson of Sandbank.  I was presented with a model of the exhibit, albeit a papier maché construction.

The Dominion Pavilions were without doubt the most popular.  All that free food leaving our dinner money to be spent on things where we HAD to pay."

Return to School

"I thoroughly enjoyed the visit to the exhibition, and more importantly, a day off school. On my return to school,  I was awarded a book, for writing the most informative description about the school day out.

The book, alas, has long since disappeared, but my personal memories of an exciting day `off school` remain in my mind - the longer the memory, the heart grows fonder."