From Milkboy to Head Janitor

The Experiences as told by Ian Whyte now of Harrogate

I was initially at Fort Street Primary School.  I only remember one fellow classmate whom I met him years later when he sold me a car, being a car salesman.  After a few months I was sent to St Mary's Cathedral Choir School, in Palmerston Place. This lasted for a year or two, before ending up at David Kilpatrick Secondary until 1964.

I remember well Mr Munro, Mr Brunton, and Mr Reid etc. Mr Kay was the head at this time.

D.K. was really handy to us as it was just round the corner. Does anyone remember the concerts in Leith Town Hall held by the school?  I sung with others "Dem Bones - Dem Bones - Dem Dry Bones". (No X factor in them days).

Classmates I remember were Freddie Henderson - last seen by me on television at the anniversary of South Leith Church a few years ago he hadn't changed,  neither had when last seen, James Robertson, James Fraser or William Hoy, James Maver or Carlos De Marco.

Having left school in 1964 I was employed by Leith Provident in the North Junction Street Branch where prior to leaving school I had earlier been delivering milk.

The boss at the time was Billy Stark, although when I started work there it was Mr Cook. George Sinclair was the under manager and before I left the manager was Mr Gilroy.

Other members of staff were Margaret Hamilton, Joan Merrilees, Jean in the bakery and Janet Spence in the cash desk. It was the pulley system when I started but became self service after a couple of years.

You may remember where the barrows were kept ,(on the railway embankment at the end of Admiralty Street), they were all joined  together with steel wire running through the wheels, occasionally one or two would be found on the railway itself.

Does any one remember the old horse carriage lanterns we had to use that were lit with a candle? How many times did we have to go back to the shop for more bags to put over them as earlier the glass had been broken and the bag replacement had caught fire, or the bags of wet rolls that were delivered as there had been nothing to put them in when it rained? How we can laugh now.

When the new supermarket opened at Cables Wynd/Great Junction Street, I was sent there for a few months before finally ending up at the branch in Hermitage Park as under manager. How well I remember listening to Radio One's Theme One being played carried on my shoulder on my way to open the shop when I was on the early shift having shared it weekly with Bob Gilchrist the manager. We used his car to deliver milk during the great storm of I think 1968.

By early1969 I was doing voluntary work in the evenings at the Leith Community Centre and having been asked to take on the post full time, became its Steward handyman as it was called then on Victoria Day 1969. After a while Jim Fisher as my assistant, he was the boys club leader, having been made redundant from Calders of Leith, the tent people.

You were always challenged there.  Many times the warden (Allan Findlay) had with the management committee organised a show or something or other and you had to make the place ready.  I t was a complete change from stacking shelves to seating hundreds for some function.

Its official opening week had a fashion show and a boxing tournament, something different every night and a dance. With a great deal of hard work but with volunteers helping all went well.

But does anyone remember the visit of one of Scotland’s biggest stars, Lex Maclean doing a show in the centre?  It took many nights to make the hall ready.

A stage had to be brought in with curtaining. It was a nightmare to get the place ready and although it was a top notch show and the hall had been set for a thousand people probably half that amount turned up, but he put on a great show.

       

In 1975 the Janitor at Leith Academy Primary (George Murdoch) retired and I was given the post with Douglas Hay as my boiler man.  This was, along with Edinburgh’s Royal High School, the "Plum Post", and my appointment was not welcomed in every quarter but I have, I'm sure, proved all doubters wrong.

Jean Marnie was the Head Teacher, with Mr Andrew Manson and Miss C.M. McRae as Deputy Heads. Although Miss Marnie (I was told) had a fearsome reputation I always found her the opposite, as like all Head teachers on personal terms. I never had any problems, not that there were many on working with her anyway.

Many children at the school would ask if it was haunted but I never confirmed that (I think) but the vermin extinguishers came into the school a few years ago and spoke to my boiler man (Steve Gillis) about seeing someone in the basement corridor (of the old boiler house) and described him.

He came back a few days later to check if any rodents had eaten any of the poison that had been put down and Steve showed him a photograph, On seeing it the rodent chap said that was whom he had seen and that is what he had been wearing, This was about five or six years ago, the picture was taken at the official opening of the school in 1898.

In 1980 the school amalgamated with Leith Links and became Leith Primary. Miss Margaret Lumsden being the first head, followed a few years later on her retiral by Miss Christine Rose.

Summer shows became a regular happening, the Tartan Road done by Mr Cowan`s class, the Ugly Bug Ball with Miss McLelland far to many to mention but all a great success on the night).  Leaver’s parties were a great event with the hated Scottish Country Dancing, but on the night always enjoyed. It changed for one year to a barn dance and with help from the Head and a couple of parents I was able to transform the gym into a barn. A great night.

This changed latterly to a ten pin bowling night, still enjoyable in its own way but as the leavers would say, changed days.

One of my favourite events was the annual Christmas Nativity and carol concert.

For over ten years my Santa's Grotto although I did get some help it was chiefly my way of repaying something to the school. It came about when the head at the time said the school was having a Christmas Fair as was my thing I volunteered to do a grotto and I still believe it was Edinburgh’s best (or Leith's anyway).

The first Fair was opened by a local resident (Mr Russell Hunter - Lonely in Callan) and the Leith Silver Band played upstairs. From one old cloakroom with a seat and leaves on the floor with some pictures on the wall it grew into three old cloakrooms with a workshop and a Victorian Street scene. It was great to do and always well spoken off, as was the dining hall were I had hung pictures that I had painted during my time in the school at night.

My unfinished business was the History Room I had started with some old furniture and other artefacts found over the years. Visitors were always interested in seeing it even thought it wasn't complete. Getting on with staff and children in the school and serving the public over 40 years and enjoying every minute despite some difficulties has been such a worthwhile experience.

When I left in 2006 I remarked to the staff how I felt like Mr Chips (played by Robert Donat) in that not having been married I have still had children to help look after.

I was never comfortable sitting in my office and made sure that during every interval when I could; I was on duty in the playground. My principal aim was to assist the school and keep it at the top where it should and hopefully despite falling rolls remain.

Ian Whyte now of Harrogate