The Leith Cairters
The following article is purported to come from the Edinburgh Evening News. The `Wallace` mentioned in it would seem to be a relative of Rab Wallace who brought this to my attention. Rab found the clipping amongst his late father`s possessions some while ago. Apologies to W.S.P. Leith who penned the article. I am sure he/she would not mind me displaying it on the WEB.
Holiday time with the Leith `cairters`
Regarding "Port of Leith Day", this until shortly after the 1914-18 war, was held on the last Saturday of Leith Trades Week (in those days only one week off work and no paid holidays).
The "Cairters`" Trip was held on this day. They paraded over thirty horses and carts, beautifully decorated, through the streets of Leith from around 6.30 am, then after being judged and prizes awarded, made their way to the station to embark on their trip, usually to some Borders town.
Incidently, the carters (cairters as Leithers called them) dressed their horses and carts on the previous Friday night, and the carters stayed with their horses all through the night, ensuring that their horses did not lie down, so avoiding any disarrangement of harness and decorations.
One of the frequent winners was a Mr Wallace , who was employed by Leith Town Council. Their stables were in "Fire Brigade Street" now called Junction Place.
On returning from their day`s outing, around 7.00pm, they paraded down Leith Walk, to be greeted by thousands of cheering Leithers who had lined the street for over an hour awaiting their return. Needless to say, the carters were in a very jolly mood, and it was just as well the horses knew their own way down the Walk and then onto their own stables.
The Cairters Trip after the 1914-18 war gradually faded away until finally ended. But it was never held on any other day than a Saturday.
Around 1922 a plea by Leith shopkeepers to alter the Port of Leith Day to the Wednesday of Trade Week was granted. The reason for the change, of course, was the shopkeepers did not like closing on the Saturday.
Then a number of years later, it was changed again, to allow shopkeepers to have a long weekend, and also they had their half-day on the Wednesday again.
W.S P. Leith
Rab Wallace:
"My father, Rab Wallace of Bangor Road, died several years ago but it was not until a recent trip home that I found the followig newspaper clipping among his personal papers. Dad`s folks were "cairters" and proud of it, and Dad must have been too, that`s why he kept the clipping and told us stories of his Dad and Uncles when they tended their horses. The clipping was from what appears to be the Evening News and perhaps in response to an enquiry made about the Port of Leith Day. There is no date on the clipping and it is signed W.S.P Leith.
"When I read this article it brought back many happy memories because we lived at 69 Bangor Road and we looked onto the Leith Co-operative (Store) stables. We would watch the carters polishing the harnesses and braiding the horse`s manes and tails with all kinds of coloured ribbons as they got ready for a parade. They even washed and polished their hooves and they all looked so grand.
"On several occasions in the summer as a nine or ten year old one of the carters took me along to help in the delivery of milk or bread. One particular day it rained heavily and the carter gave me his donkey jacket to keep dry. It was way too big so he tied it in the middle with a string. I must have looked a real sight. At the end of the day there was a two "bob" sweetie money for my troubles but I would have done it for free".
.
