The clothes we wore and the pubs we went to in old Auld Reekie - Steve Cardownie
Last week I was thinking back to “when I wore a younger man’s clothes” (courtesy of Billy Joel) and used to regularly frequent the pub known as “Pearce’s” on Elm Row.
I described how I and a few friends would pop in there for a pint or two before jumping on a number 16 bus as we made our way up to the “Cav” (Cavendish) night club in Tollcoss.
This must have struck a chord with some readers of a similar vintage to me as several of us were seated at the bar in a city centre pub when the subject of Edinburgh’s previous nightlife was raised.
Everything was up for discussion, clothes; Prince of Wales Check suits with 14 inch side vents, Levi Sta-Prest trousers, Ben Sherman Shirts, Crombie coats (with the customary red hankie in the pocket,) Weejun Slip-on shoes, Fair Isle jumpers, the lot.
Pubs (some now long gone); Pearce’s, The Green Tree in Gorgie, Anderson’s Copper Top and The Viceroy in Lothian Road, The International Bar in Brougham Place, Oliver’s and The White Cockade in Rose Street, The Maitland Hotel on Shandwick Place- all were well patronised watering holes back then.
Night clubs (or Discos) ; The Top Rank above The Odeon Cinema, The Top Storey on Leith Street, Valentino’s (formerly The White Elephant) in Tollcross, The International Club (The Nash) on Princes Street, Frisco’s down Chalmers Close (where I first saw the greatest lead guitarist in the world, Rory Gallagher,) The Place, Nicky Tam’s in Victoria Street, McGoo’s on the High Street and Buster Brown’s in Market Street, all got an honourable mention as one or two more joined in our discussion and more places sprung to mind.
Edinburgh’s nightlife was fairly active back then and everyone at the bar had fond memories and a story to tell about their favourite venue.
It was sad to see some of them bite the dust but it was perhaps inevitable as younger generation’s tastes differed from the “auld codgers” that used to “jump aboot the toon” in their heyday.
Still got the memories though!