Recollections

1.

Carol Hilliard (née Graham)

Derbyshire, England

Thank you to Carol Hilliard for posting a message in the EdinPhoto Guestbook.

Carol wrote:

Drumbryden House

"I used to live at Dumbryden House, Wester Hailes in 1974.

-  Val Gilmarten was my bessie mate.

-  I have two sons, Jason and Spencer.

Does anyone remember those days?"

Carol Hilliard (née Graham):  Message posted in EdinPhoto Guestbook: August 21, 2012

Recollections

2.

Margaret Anne Faichney (née Williams)

Falkirk, Stirlingshire

Thank you to Margaret Anne Faichney for posting a message in the EdinPhoto Guestbook, and then sending me an email with further details.

Margaret wrote:

Move to Clovenstone Park

"My Parents, Peter and Rhoda Williams, had 7 kids in total.  I was the second-youngest.  When they had Peter, my younger brother, we had to move from Broomhouse Grove to Clovenstone Park to get a larger house.

We moved into number 25/6 Clovenstone Park, a very modern house.  When we moved into our house, number 26 was just a shel,l still being built.  We were one of the biggest families moving in.  Then our new neighbours , the Ross family, moved in next door to us."

Neighbours

"I befriended Gillian, the oldest girl, and we had a good friendship.  There were David, Gillian, Douglas, Gregory, Clair and Charles. My brother, Peter, became friends with Charles."

Play

"We had a good life there, with loads of places to play.  I used to go away on my own to Spylaw Park, or up the Pentlands until I got hungry.

The youngsters used to put a play on for the older generation  My mum used to say that either I would have loads of dogs or I'd work with old folk when I grew up.  I've done both."

Return Visit to Clovenstone

"I've been back to Clovenstone.

-  There are now houses in front of the primary school.  There used to be fields thgere.

-   Our old house at 25/6 Clovenstone Park no longer exists;  nor does most of Clovenstone.  It's so different now. There are individual houses where our maisonette was.  How how things have changed in my lifetime."

Memories

"I moved from Broomhouse Grove where I was born to Clovenstone Park when i was 9 yrs old and now I'm 49.  The flats have not not lasted for my lifetime, but the memories have.

I moved out my parents' home at Clovenstone when i was 15 yrs old, and moved into my new flat at Newhaven.  Now I live in Falkirk, a million miles away from my childhood.  Memories is all I have now!"

Please Reply

"I'd like to hear from anyone from my past at Wester Hailes Education Centre -  or Forrester Annexe  -  or Clovenstone /  Wester Hailes  -  just for a chat and to catch up on the lives we live."

Margaret Anne Faichney (née Williams), Falkirk, Stirlingshire:
Message posted in EdinPhoto guestbook on March 6, 2013 + email sent on March 12, 2013

Reply to Margaret

If you'd like to send a reply to Margaret, please email me, then I'll pass on her email address to you.   Thank you.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:  March 12, 2013

Recollections

3.

Joy Mikulandra (née Wyatt)

Australia

Thank you to Joy Mikulandra who wrote:

Hailsland Gardens

Our Flat

"I lived in Hailsland Gardens from 1971until 1974.  I can't remember the number but they were new big grey and flat- featured.

There was a small communal shop.  The flats behind were curved, but ours was straight and had balconies."

Our View

"There was a vast expanse of waste land at the front of our flat and you could just see the train line.  Out of our bathroom window was farm land, as far as you could see

You could walk to Baberton with its golf course, through the raspberry thickets on the right and potato farms on the left.

Play

"It was a great place to play, as kids.   Round the back, I guess, it was an old quarry or dump, left over from construction.  I  think that became Murrayburn Gardens.

I remember playing all day in amongst the hay bales, making cubbies and collecting potatoes that were "just laying around" until our Mums found out and said the farmer was going to be furious and charge us with stealing if we did not put them straight back."

Modern Maps

"I cannot find the flats on modern maps.  I presume they have been demolished.

It was great to see the 1987 photos of 5 Hailsland Park.

©

Those flats were very close to where I used to live. 

Memories

"The edinphoto site brings back so many memories of the short time I lived at Wester Hailes.

I remember;

-   the cement hole wickerwork pattern in the stairwell.  The wind used to whistle through them and make eerie sounds.

-   the lift and the central rubbish chute.

-  looking out of  my bedroom window at night when the beautifully landscaped gardens at the back all glistened with snow and frost."

Shopping Centre

"A shopping centre, across the road near the rail line, was under construction by 1974.  We used to walk though it on the way to school.

That was a bit risky when you think about it .  It was dark and there was cement dust everywhere; not to mention that we could have been snatched by any nutter."

Questions

Do you know:

-  when the flats in the photo above at 5 Hailsland Place were built?

-  the name of the shopping centre that was being  built in 1974

-  if Hailsland Primary School is still standing"

Does anyone have any old photos of Wester Hailes that they would be willing to share with me?

Mum

Sadly, my Mum, Agnes McKenzie, has passed away after suffering dementia, so all her memories are gone.  I should have asked more questions when she was alive.

She used to take us to Seafield cemetery to see Gran and Granddad's graves.

She took us to play in Leith Links.  SHe grew up in Leith with its docks and Kirkgate.

She took us to Goldbergs Department Store.   Does anyone have any photos of their lovely Christmas window displays?

Joy Mikulandra, Australia:  January 17, 2013

 Reply to Joy?

If you think you might be able to answer any of the questions that Joy asks above, please email me to let me know, then I'll pass on her email address to you.  Thank you.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: August16, 2013