It’s the result of a social history project involving a group of people who met at Royston/Wardieburn community centre over a period a several months to talk about some of the things they remembered from their childhood and as they grew up, went to work, perhaps got married and had families.
They reflected on the influence of school, remembered going to the pictures and the dancing, recalled their feelings about workplaces like Scottish Gas at Granton, and discussed the changing face of the city.
Jim Aitken, a retired teacher who was the tutor for the social history group, said: “This was one of the most enjoyable projects I’ve worked on. It was serious and it was crazy - so much humour, so many diversions - and it’s a great social history. You’re dealing with stories, with memories, and you’re with a understanding of the stories and the memories - and it’s all here in this booklet.”
Here are extracts of some of the stories from the booklet, mostly in their own words.
9. Going to the pictures
There used to be lots of picture houses in Edinburgh, many of them local and independent, including the Embassy In East Pilton. Cathie Umobi was an usherette at the Odeon. While working there someone told her the King had died. She replied by saying, ‘Are you not sure it was the Queen?’ It turned out that the King was Elvis Pressley and Cathie cried for several days afterwards. Visits were also made to the Savoy picture house in Stockbridge. There were several picture houses in Leith like the State, the Palace, the Capitol and the Alhambra. Some other picture houses recalled were the Salon on Baxter Street just up from the Playhouse. The Ritz was a popular cinema at Canonmills, as was the Regent at Abbeyhill, the New Tivoli near Tynecastle and the George in Portobello. There was also the Jacey on Princes Street. | TSPL
10. 'Not disabled, but independent'
Karen Soso is a familiar face at the Royston/Wardieburn community centre and well known for her independent spirit and cheerful attitude despite multiple medical conditions to cope with. She writes: "I was born in Leith and as a schoolgirl I was something of an athlete as a sprinter, long jumper and high jumper. I also, however, had to contend with medical issues that kept me off school for lengthy spells and this did affect my education. Nonetheless, I went on to become a carer at the Royal Victoria Hospital but because of medical issues I was forced to retire in 2010. This was largely due to Fibromyalgia which causes serious pain in the body." She also had to contend with two back operations. In 2015 she was diagnosed with functional neurological disorder (FND) and in 2016 started using a wheelchair. "I am now identified by my wheel-chair but don’t ever call me disabled because that is not who I am. I love dancing in my chair and talking to folk I meet along the way. I do not see myself as disabled but as someone who insists on being independent. Whatever happens to my body so long as I have a tongue in my mouth that still works, I will remain independent." | Google
11. Going to he dancing
The group remembered there used to be so many dance venues in Edinburgh. Irene Muir used to work in one of the notorious ones. The booklet records: "There was Berkeley’s next to the Caley picture house, the Cavendish at Tollcross, the Americana at Fountainbridge, Bungay’s down the High Street. A favourite was McGoo’s, also down the High Street. Down Victoria Street there was the Place and Nicky Tams (pictured). The Grand picture house in Stockbridge became Tiffany’s night club and later this became Cinderellas Rockafellas. On Leith Street there was the Top Storey Club. Across the road was Fairley’s which had a bad reputation for soldiers and sailors fighting. Irene Muir once worked there. In Rose Street there was the Casablanca and down Holyrood Road there was the Bongo Club. And in Market Street there was Buster Brown’s." | TSPL
12. 'A skilled job - and the best paid for a woman'
Liz Hiddleston writes in the booklet about her mother's working life, at a jute mill in Dundee. "She called her work ‘The Hosie’. They made fire fighting hose pipes. As it was 1939 it would have been considered war work, as would the sandbag making at the other mills. She was proud to have been a weaver. It was a skilled job and the best paid for a woman. The working conditions were noisy and stourie. Many workers suffered from respiratory illness and deafness. My mum stopped working at the mill in 1950 but she was prone to bouts of bronchitis until her death in 2011. She worked long hours but she made a lot of friends there. It was a female dominated environment where the women looked after each other. At least that was her experience." | TSPL