My memories of Old Leith

My name is Eleanora Whiteside (nee Johnson).  I was born at Laurie Street, Leith on the 1st of May 1922.  I went to Yardheads School until I was eleven then on to David Kilpatricks School.  My fondest memories were of the Leith pageant when people would dress up in fancy clothes and collect money for Leith Hospital.  

                             

Dressing up was a really special occasion and everyone just let their hair down and had a good time.  The highlight of our week was taking a stroll down the Kirkgate to see all the people either selling their wares or singing to the Cinema queue. It was always an enjoyable experience as Nellie the buckie wife would be selling her mussels and buckies on the corner.  Some of the men that were tipsy would be trying their best to stand up straight to eat a plate of mussels.

On a Sunday the usual routine was getting dressed and going to the church in the morning.  In the afternoon it was time for Sunday school classes then home to have dinner with my sisters and brothers. Our house was usually full on the Sabbath as that is when the married ones all visited. My father would play his Melodeon for us all so we were quite a happy family and always could amuse ourselves one way or another.

During the week I would go to the Vickie Baths and when I came out I’d go to Costa’s chip shop in Great Junction Street for a Penny poke of chips. They tasted Wonderful to eat after having my swim.  In our street we had a shop where the owner was a JP (Justice of the Peace) so people had to go to him to have legal papers signed and one of them was Stoddart the undertaker and whenever he came near us children we would all run for our lives. My mother used to say that he was the gentlest man that one could ever wish to meet and if anyone should need anything done he was always there for them.

I sometimes think back to my childhood and realise that Leith was a wonderful place to have been brought up in, as there was so much to see and do.  All our neighbours were on hand at one time or another if my mother needed any help when my father passed away. That is what I really call a special place.

I sometimes meet some of my old friends when I am at the top of the Kirkgate.