The Leither
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Billy Gould
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Brillat-Savarin & The Monday Club
Tell
me what you eat and I’ll
tell you who you are
Thus spake not Zarathustra, but Jean Anthelme Brillat–Savarin, with his usual blend of perspicacity and pomposity in his masterpiece: The Physiology of Taste or Transcendental Gastronomy
Imagine my horror when I read – on Wikipedia – that Savarin’s reputation had mushroomed due to the liberal use of the above quote in the ludicrous American cookery show Iron Chef
His name had come up earlier on a radio show when we were talking about the notion of ‘resting’ meat prior to serving. I suggested it was a relatively new concept dreamt up by the chemist/gastronome Herve This and then, literally, had to start backtracking.
Harold McGee had done much of the groundwork in his seminal 1984 work - On Food And Cooking: The Science and Lore Of The Kitchen. Before long I was inevitably reminded that Savarin – the godfather of Gastronomy – had written of the benefits of resting meat, particularly game – as far back as 1825.
Many of Brillat-Savarins apercus about food, coined in the late 18th century, still ring true today despite their didactic tone.
Here is one that any restaurant would appreciate: The most indispensable quality of a good cook is promptness it should also be that of the guests.
This could have come from the lips of Heston Blumenthal: The number of flavours is infinite, for every soluble body has a peculiar flavour, like none other.
He was not afraid to be ‘racy’: Truffles arouse erotic memories among the skirted sex.
And this not long before he died: “A man who was fond of wine was offered some grapes at dessert after dinner. “Much obliged,” said he, pushing the plate aside; “I am not accustomed to take my wine in pills.”
And last but by no means least, a true humanist: The pleasure of the table belongs to all ages, to all conditions and to all areas; it mingles with all other pleasures, and remains at last to console us for their departure…
N.B. Gourmandising must have run in the family, his sister died in her hundredth year – having eaten a substantial meal – whilst shouting for her dessert.
Meanwhile over at South Leith Parish Church
Jonathan Murray, descendant of John Murray who died in 1820 and whose grave and memorial stone sits in our churchyard, revisited the site in May this year to lay flowers. Jonathan lives in Baltimore, USA and for each of the past two years has ensured he incorporated trips to Leith when in the UK, to reflect back on his family roots.
One of the delights of working with the ‘Monday Club’ - the churchyard team – is when we talk with folks from near and far. You just never know where the conversation is going to take you. Jonathan has followed up on his words and has been generous in actively contributing to help support the work and outreach of the congregation.
Brillat-Savarin sister liked her grub, she died in her 100th year shouting for her dessert
I did say in my introduction that he could be pompous: The discovery of a new dish does more for human happiness than the discovery of a new star.
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Over to Jonathan: ‘My name is Jonathan Murray and I am the fourth-times great grandson of John and Janet Murray who are buried in grave 305 there at the North & South Leith Parish Church.
Each time I return to Leith, I love to able to pay my respects and leave some flowers at their grave, On a visit last year, I had the good fortune to meet two of the church’s volunteers (Arthur and Stephen)
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who were kind enough to give my wife and I a tour and tell us about the work the church is doing in the community. We were very impressed with both the physical presence of the church (stunning), its history, and the current services being offered.
I returned again this year, and while paying my respects I had the good fortune to meet Sheena, who gave me a current email address’.
The churchyard really is a space where you can acknowledge and/or chat with folks, helping them see that the congregation is “alive and kicking”! Come along on a Monday afternoon and try it (sweeping, cutting grass, picking litter, etc) for two Mondays.
Ask for Arthur or Stephen…
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Cover 168: Hans K Clausen brings The Winston Smith Library of Victory and Truth to Out of the Blue.
Photograph: Murdo MacLeod
Jean Anthelme Brillat–Savarin Posthumous portrait, 1848
Look at it this way…
Graham Ross
The genius who broke my bed
As we all know, the word genius gets bandied about carelessly…
Sometimes applied to people who are as far away from being geniuses as I am from being teetotal.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines a genius as being someone possessing exceptional intellectual or creative power or other natural ability. There is absolutely no doubt that Brian belonged in that rarefied category.
It would be simplistic beyond belief to describe Brian as a jazz pianist. For those of us who were lucky enough to see him play, it was obvious that his talent and spirit transcended any mere musical notations which may have sought to constrain the extraordinary flights that Brian wanted to take you on.
Whenever he walked into a bar or a club or onto a stage, he would throw that familiar cheeky smile out to those he knew and to those he didn’t. For my money, it was a smile that always reminded me that here was our friend, a quiet, funny, gentle and unassuming kind of a bloke, who didn’t possess an ounce of arrogance or egotism.
He was just at his work. And when he settled onto his stool at the piano, with no musical notation to guide him, he would hover those seemingly possessed fingers over the keyboard and then take you to places you never knew existed.
Sometimes, one of Brian’s collaborators would announce which number they were about to play, and even for those of us with little or no jazz knowledge at all, we would recognise the title of the song and sit back to enjoy it. Summertime by George Gershwin,
Moon River by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer, or Georgia on my Mind by Hoagy Carmichael & Stuart Gorrell. Then Brian would get hold of them…
And from those instantly recognisable refrains, he would weave some kind of shamanistic magic which elevated the music to heights and shapes which simply blew your mind before gently guiding you back to your comfort zone and laying you down with a reassuring, “there you are” at the end.
He was unique. Nobody, nobody, embodied the free-for-all spirit of jazz in the way that Brian did. Insert genius here.
And boy could Brian swing. Yes, he could break your heart with ethereal interpretations of classics, but he could also fill your heart with joy employing his mischievous and completely joyous bouts with Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and my own personal favourite, Fats Waller. However, Brian didn’t imitate anybody.
Brian found like-minded souls in ‘Clooney corner’ at the Carriers Quarters (don’t ask –Ed)
Sure, he incorporated Waller’s Harlem stride style into his playing, but it always remained Brian’s song. And during these unforgettable jousts, you could also see the joy flooding through Brian. He loved this stuff and he was always so grateful for the talent and opportunity to share his joy with everyone else. Which brings me to the guy that we knew.
Brian became a really close friend in the way that many do; through friends of friends. And we would see him almost every Sunday for a couple of beers after his regular gigs at
2019
the Shore Bar with his long-time collaborator and friend, Kenny Ellis. Brian loved to laugh and he found like-minded souls in “Clooney Corner” in the Carriers Quarters. He had an amazing sense of humour and revelled, like me, in the sometimes ridiculous notions that we would pull out of the air. We talked once about putting on a show at the festival celebrating the life of Chet Baker. It would be called “Did he fall or was he pished?” With new versions of classic tunes: “The man who broke the bog at Monte Carlo”, and “I’ve grown accustomed to her feet” and the like. I can still see him now, throwing his head back and laughing it off. We loved him and he loved us.
Brian died recently and there is not enough space here to convey how sad and bereft we all feel about his passing.
And the broken bed?
Well, Brian used to stay at my flat when he had double-header of weekend gigs in town. I would stock up the fridge with Tennent’s and pork & pickle pies, and leave him to it.
One Sunday morning, I found a piece of the headboard had escaped its moorings. Did he fall or was he pished? We’ll never know and I don’t care.
He was just a lovely, lovely guy and now he’s gone.
Sleep tight gadge.
Brian Kellock,
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The Balvenie Showhome at Rosebery Wynd
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Member of Parliament for Edinburgh North and Leith Tracy Gilbert MP
Since being elected on the 4th of July, I have been incredibly honoured to serve as the MP for Edinburgh North and Leith. This is a constituency steeped in history from our industrial past, our creativity, our unique community spirit and the place that I call home.
In just a short time, I have already held over 40 local surgeries and carried out over 40 visits across the area. From Leith Theatre to Lind & Lime, from the Custom House to the Port of Leith, and the exciting developments at Nova, I have seen first-hand the incredible ambition and energy that make this community so special.
Change is happening all around us in Leith. This is a community where innovation blends seamlessly with tradition, and where people are working with passion and purpose to shape a vibrant future. From the reopening of treasured cultural institutions to the growth of local businesses and the regeneration of the Port, the signs of progress are everywhere. This is not just a community on the rise. It is one that is thriving but still too many people continue to be left behind. My main priority is for everyone who lives in the constituency to fulfil their ambition.
The number of surgeries I have held reflects my determination to stay connected and accessible. Whether it is helping with personal concerns or championing community causes, I am here to listen and to act.
What makes Edinburgh North and Leith truly remarkable is the people and our shared ambition. We are not content with standing still. We want to lead in the green economy, in creative industries, hospitality and in inclusive and sustainable development. The pace of change already underway is inspiring, and it is only the beginning.
Our community is a place with deep roots and high hopes. I could not be more excited about the future we are building together.
As your MP, I am committed to matching that ambition with action. I will continue amplifying your voices in Westminster, fight for the investment we deserve, celebrating every success story along the way and I will always Persevere.
Writer without portfolio
Tracy Griffen
Blue Sky Thinking
You’ll find me looking at Leith’s sky, trying not to trip over Coco
Wwp has been promoted! After more than 15 years of writing the fitness pages at the rear of this fine publication, my column has slowly worked its way to the front end of The Leither (my preferred end). Also, even though the day job is wellbeing I’ve warped into Writer without portfolio (Wwp). Again, this suits me fine. No idea what it means, but portfolio-less, here we go…
Disassociation for the Nation
Floating on the ceiling, you watch the scene unfold below. Disassociation is a powerful psychological tool; mentally taking yourself out of your body to get through a traumatic time. You view what’s going on as an observer, and it can become a habit. It’s something many of us have done in the past and are doing right now.
Mentally removing ourselves from our community, thinking “not my problem”. The physical environment of Leith is a bit of a mess, nicer to look at Instagram on the phone whilst traversing the lumpy footpath. Ironically, the online world many are choosing to retreat to is where dramas of the world are sensationalised, and then amplified. It is not a peaceful world to retreat to.
Wandering around Leith Walk most people are chained to their smartphones. All looking down, no eye contact. Except the older folk. Thank goodness for the wrinkle’s! Seriously though, why are we disassociating ourselves from our physical surroundings? Is it a coping strategy?
Therein lies the problem, if it’s ‘not my problem’ for everyone, what will happen to the physical entity of the Republic of Leith? The sandstone and crumbling mortar? Will we simply be an eBike hub to fast food and dark kitchens? With an increasing population of short term residents living in boxes with no kitchens ordering Deliveroo every day? These thoughts whirl around my mind as I walk.
Relax, Nothing is Under Control
Take a breath. Bringing yourself back into your body means looking around and seeing, no, not everything is perfect. The world is
going nuts. War and killing are normalised. But we are (relatively) safe in Leith. We are not a war zone. Even though things are certainly not perfect, we must adapt to thrive.
Mindfulness is a buzzword for something that has existed for centuries, the art of Zen living. Being in the moment is an important part of being Zen. Being aware of the here and now. Being aware of the here. Being aware. Being. Just. Being.
Short term residents living in boxes with no kitchens ordering Deliveroo every day
Part of Zen is appreciating life. Understanding that our time here is a brief miracle to be enjoyed. The easy way to appreciate life is to look for small everyday things that please you. Spontaneous Sock Sorting, where you pair up your socks just on a whim, to find all the lonely socks. Listening to the blackbird singing in the back garden. Tending a plant that is growing. A pet snoozing on your lap. Chatting with a neighbour. Connection with our nature. Sleep.
The Cloud Appreciation Society
Staring at clouds can be hypnotising. We spend so much time looking down, it’s good to look up. It’s a scientifically proven mood boost. Watching the clouds scoot across
the summer sky, just how blowy is it? A meteorological internet black hole opens before me. I browse online clouds before gazing out the window at real clouds again. After a good chunk of online procrastination, I come up for air in the real world, having just signed up as member 65,398 of the cloudappreciationsociety.org
It’s official, I’m now a certified cloud spotter, awaiting my membership certificate and enamel pin badge. ‘Cloud of the day’ wings its way to my Inbox everyday now.
So, if you’re feeling down, get out and look up. If you’re looking around, you’re more likely to see someone you know for a wee blether about the weather. We’re lucky in Scotland, we have such a variety of clouds. Blue skies are boring, nothing to look at.
Let’s embrace our Scottish summer, enjoy being able to get outdoors and not get sunburned to a crisp. Nothing is perfect, and neither are we, but we can enjoy our imperfections. Even celebrate them. You’ll find me looking at the sky on Leith Walk and trying not to trip over the dog.
P.S. Look out for Tracy and Coco the Fitness Pug’s appearance in Constantine Costi’s warm and beautifully crafted documentary, The Golden Spurtle, at the Edinburgh Film Festival.
Bluesky: @tracygriffen www.griffenfitness.com
Music for films
Cool hand Lalo
Lawrence Lettice pays tribute to a great maestro of movie music
Back in the 1950s, film music was beginning to evolve and move in different directions, as it embraced other forms of expression to give contemporary energy and vibrancy to plot and character. For example, the prominent figures of Alex North, Elmer Bernstein and Henry Mancini, would introduce the addition of jazz to a composer’s palette, giving a more aggressively modernistic upbeat sound for a new kind of film.
One individual who would certainly benefit in this new direction (especially in the upcoming decade of the 1960s), was Argentinian born Lalo Schifrin. Emerging initially from a serious classical background, Schifrin took on board the influences of jazz masters such as Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz and Count Basie; whilst utilising that background to infuse his own compositions.
Like contemporaries such as Jerry Goldsmith and John Williams, Schifrin would initially find steady work within American television, before he moved towards the larger canvas of feature films.
Lalo Schifrin in his Beverly Hills home, November 2007
Lalo Schifrin provided three iconic scores for three iconic actors, portraying three iconic characters
In fact, it is within television that Schifrin would gift the public with his most recognisable and memorable composition (written within a short span of time) with the catchy theme tune for the popular TV series Mission Impossible. This of course would be later expanded within the Tom Cruise film franchise that everyone is familiar with.
Perhaps his first major film success came in 1965, with the Steve McQueen poker drama, The Cincinnati Kid. It was on this film (predominantly set in New Orleans) that Schifrin embraced that aura of deep south jazz, complimenting the story of high stakes gambling within the ‘Big Easy’.
This would set him up for what I would contest would turn out be his three greatest film achievements. Simply put, that Lalo Schifrin provided three iconic scores for three iconic actors, portraying three iconic characters.
In order, they were: Paul Newman as Cool Hand Luke; Steve McQueen as Bullitt and Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry. All three are highly distinctive, adding a rich diversity that reflected and enhanced the iconography of the actor and the character.
For example, Schifrin’s score for
Cool Hand Luke (which would win him his first Oscar nomination) skilfully blends elements of bluegrass, country and gospel music within the soundtrack; while carrying a deeply emotional melancholic mood, that threads its way throughout the film.
The main theme may seem simple in its structure, but its laced with raw emotion, haunting the listener, as the score moves from high-spirited rebelliousness one minute to the inevitable tragic outcome the next. It’s without doubt, one of the landmark scores of the 1960s, and arguably Schifrin’s masterpiece.
With his later ventures into the urban crime thriller, Schifrin cleverly injected jazz, with an uptempo sound of cool chic, perfectly mirroring the mean streets of San Francisco, as well as the characters portrayed by Steve McQueen and Clint Eastwood.
One particularly striking jazzy cue from Bullitt is ‘Shifting Gears’, features just prior to the legendary car chase. Schifrin’s music gradually builds tension, excitement and anticipation, before the music abruptly stops and the screeching tyres take over.
By this time, Lalo Schifrin was much in demand, and his stylish composing could be echoed in the works of other film composers around that period.
One only has to listen to Roy Budd’s opening credit music for the gritty British crime thriller Get Carter, to become acutely aware of how Schifrin’s musical innovations, had inveigled its way to the other side of the Atlantic.
Among his other notable works included the Mafia drama, The Brotherhood, Bruce Lee’s Kung Fu classic, Enter The Dragon, whilst also continuing his film collaborations with Clint Eastwood on Coogan’s Bluff, the western, Joe Kidd, and, best of all, the ever popular war film Kelly’s Heroes. That last example even gave life to the catchy theme song – Burning Bridges, adding an ironically uplifting tone to a story of unconventional GI soldiers during wartime.
Schifrin was not only renowned as one of the most distinctive film composers of his time, but he produced many accomplished jazz compositions, that rightly stand out in their own right.
Greatly lauded by his peers and by his millions of fans world-wide, Schifrin’s music (and perhaps more importantly) his influence, continues to be felt for all of us who love the movies, as well as how great soundtrack music can elevate and energise on-screen action and characterisations.
You could say that his music had a mission and will never self-destruct…
Eric Coleman for Wax Poetics
Choose Leith, choose Life
Tim Bell
Attempts to make sense of our world
Picking up on the mood of the moment as Out of the Blueprint celebrates its 10th birthday
To quote from the promo: “Reflecting on the emerging new world order, the exhibition will feature works that reference and explore inter-related themes of society, control, defiance, resistance, preservation and legacy.”
There will be artwork from the past year’s
artist residencies and new commissioned comic/zine publications work by four young artists. And look out for eight limited-edition T-shirts designed and printed by youngsters.
This is local emerging talent on show, not the up-town celebs strutting their stuff for profit. Johnny, Bethany and Ryan, the team at Blueprint, say “We believe in artists and value what they have to say. We understand the courage it takes to speak openly under conditions of oppression.” Over ten years they have been impressed by the talent, creativity and perseverance of more than 200 youngsters.
Rather than focussing on possible future dystopias, they take strength in the present moment and the value of sharing, community-building, and hope.
But in this post-truth period, in which facts, honesty, and balance hardly matter if the narrative is attractive, the Print Expo in August revisits George Orwell’s dystopian book 1984
On display will be The Winston Smith Library of Victory and Truth, a special sculptural installation by artist Hans K Clausen. The fictional character Winston Smith (his very name was a satire on bringing the almost deified war leader hero Winston Churchill down to a common surname) identifies himself to himself on paper:
“To mark the paper was the decisive act”, his initial act of rebellion against the oppressive Party. By writing in his diary, a forbidden activity, Winston acknowledges his own thoughts, and challenges the Party’s control over his mind, perceptions, and memory.
This seemingly small act is a significant step in his defiance, foreshadowing the potential consequences of independent thought in a totalitarian regime.
‘Hans K Clausen’s studio is a wunderkammer writ large. From his collection of objects, found and sourced, Clausen attempts to make sense of our world, he states his practice is: an enquiry into the meaning making of life, how we employ objects to punctuate our lives or to escape from them.’ Gordon Munro
None of this creativity happens by accident or good luck. Out of the Blue, of which Blueprint is a part, is a social enterprise
Continued on Page 12
Choose Leith, choose Life
Continued from Page 11
committed to raising funds and facilitating activities with a social purpose.
It would be impossible for a youngster working with Blueprint not to be drawn in by the richly creative activities of the other groups in the premises. There’s a generous atmosphere pervading the whole place.
Blueprint uses Riso printing which is remarkably eco-friendly, using 90% less energy than photocopying. The ink is made from recycled rice husks, and all the paper is recycled. What’s not to like?
On Blueprint’s fifth anniversary in 2020, they captured the mood of the moment in an exhibition and a 142 page book. Inspired by the neverending and changing chaos of Leith Walk as the guts of Leith Walk were ripped out in preparation for the trams (remember that?).
It was titled WALK DON’T WALK, the unsubtle instructions at pedestrian crossings in New York. Applying this to Leith Walk, where instructions were changing every day, fitted well.
Then came the Covid lockdowns, which doubled down on contrary instincts and instructions as we were doing our best to comply, a perfect complement to the chosen theme.
For a young person, starting from where they are, to have the opportunity for self-
expression, sometimes supported, sometimes guided, sometimes scarily free of boundaries and norms, is an adventure.
There’s nothing like committing yourself to an idea. Then developing it, seeing where it goes. You might already have a route-map in mind, but insights and truths emerge as you go.
You make decisions, discarding possibilities, leaving you wondering what might have been, but the world moves on and you’re stuck with your choices, living with the consequences. It’s a dry run for adult life.
And we all know, don’t we, that inner awareness and confidence is transferable from one activity to another. Self-expression on a page, or within a frame on the wall, or a sculpture on the floor, or playing music, or playing a sport, makes you a more complete person. You do other things in your life better: a better lover, a better colleague, a better neighbour, a better parent. No energy put into projects of this sort is wasted.
David Bowie used to say it’s better to try and fail than not to try. But nothing is failure in a spirit of honest, vulnerable endeavour. If you don’t acknowledge your vulnerability, your confidence is shaky Look forward to seeing you at the Expo… let’s talk.
The Winston Smith Library of Victory & Truth + Print Expo 2525
Sunnyside, off Easter Road 0131 661 3157
leither@hibsclub.co.uk
Drink, and Snogs, and Rock & Roll
What is your best gig ever? Colin Montgomery shares his, on and off stage, from festival summers long ago…
She was transfixed. As though drugged-up.
But as far as I could tell, the only mind-bending substances coursing through her veins were half a lager and the slow burn of a bent Silk Cut. And even the latter was being puffed more than sucked. Artfully puffed I hasten to add. For maximum coquettishness. But to no avail. The fella on the stage was oblivious, mid-song, eyes shut, mouth puckered, kissing a long lingering note goodbye.
Jeff Buckley, August 1994, La Belle Angele, Cowgate, Edinburgh. I want to say it was the 16th of said month (as that’s my birthday). But a quick fact check confirms it was the 30th of August of said year. Not quite the end of the festival – back in the day when it ended with a bang in the form of the bank-sponsored fireworks extravaganza. But still a glorious summer evening. Besides, if it wasn’t my birthday that night, it felt like it. The ultimate present. Seemingly from above (and I’m no God-botherer).
That voice. Although to call it ‘a voice’ is understatement. It was more some celestial instrument in human form. Not the stuff of angels. Too lovelorn, pained and raw. As though a cherub had dropped said instrument into the Styx. Its player seemed to be on terms with death. And later of course, the man himself would tragically find his own end in another river.
Much like that lass puffing a Silk Cut, gazing starry-eyed at the stage – and everyone else there that night – I’ll never forget that Jeff Buckley gig. His debut album, ‘Grace’, had just been released a week earlier. And we were treated to a live run-through, with some wonderful covers thrown in for good measure. Even my brother, who has an astonishing set of pipes, and is a recognised indie vocal legend in his own right, was blown away.
I saw Buckley perform a year or two later at the Queen’s Hall. But while brilliant, it never quite hit the heights. Of course, maybe it was as good. But it didn’t hold the power of that moment that, once experienced, couldn’t be matched. I’d never know what it was
to reach such giddy heights. But I did experience the magic of being on stage myself – and as the front man too. I was no Jeff Buckley. More like What
Yet, for one blissful summer – it always seemed to be summer – I too, was up there trying to bewitch girls reeking of half-smoked tabs and gin in plastic beakers. Up there is something of an exaggeration. In most cases, what passed for a stage at these local venues in Edinburgh’s ‘live n’ local’ scene was a bas-relief bier; the place where people went to die. But we (my fellow band members and I) didn’t die. We came out fighting.
Between summer 1995 and the tail end of 1996, we played the ECA, Stones Music Bar on Frederick Street (just next to the travel agent‘s – we had that on a flyer, I think), a place on the Cowgate that may or may not now be known as Stramash, The Venue on Calton Road (our big break… or so we thought), and the old Cas Rock – now demolished – twice, one of those times supported by a little-known outfit of the time called Idlewild.
A cup of coffee and a cake is waiting for anyone who can name Colin’s band
Me? I was the fop at the front. And I enjoyed every single minute of it. Heckles and all
The second of those Cas Rock spots was to prove our last outing as a unit. Diamond Dave the drummer (top bloke, drum fills that went on for a week, like a drunken falling downstairs in slow-motion), Tom the bassist (lovely fella, but more than a little of the Derek Smalls about his freeform jazz wandering), and the machine that powered it all… Malcolm, an exceptional guitarist/ songwriter, who pretty much did everything vital.
Me? I was the fop at the front. And I enjoyed every single minute of it. Heckles and all. We had our pals, and our ‘groupies’; no, not that sort, you dirty beggars. And friends of friends etc. And we even produced a really good quality demo tape down the sound studio behind The Anchor Inn. It was all very wonderful. But like everything, it didn’t last.
For that brief moment everything seemed perfect. A moment in time as beautiful as that of a hot August night in 1994, when Jeff Buckley came to town. Only 90 minutes or so. But lasted a lot longer. Ditto my own exploits on stage. And for that I’m truly grateful.
What goes on at Duncan Place?
A few weeks ago, Stephen Millar watched an inspiring film in the Community Hub, located off Duke Street
The film, titled Save the Cinema, tells the powerful true story of a group of ordinary people in Carmarthen who fought against the demolition of their town’s cinema and theatre. These individuals transformed into determined activists, bravely occupying the cinema and standing up to the police, developers, and politicians. In a classic Hollywood twist, their efforts culminated in Steven Spielberg allowing them to host a premiere for Jurassic Park, which garnered worldwide press attention and ultimately saved the cinema.
As I viewed the film, the parallels between the story of Duncan Place and an old arts venue in Carmarthen became strikingly clear. Like the cinema, Duncan Place was saved from demolition because local people united to fight for its survival. More on that later, but first - what goes on at Duncan Place? I know many people who have walked past the building, oblivious to what happens there, but here’s a snapshot of some activities recently offered over a two-week period:
J Tai Chi
J Yoga
J Laughter for Health and Happiness
J Community Film Club
J Choir (40 members strong; I’m one of them)
J Chair Yoga
J Drum Circle
J Craft Group
J Youth Drama
J LEGO for Adults
At a personal level, I had never sung in a choir, played drums in
a group, or done much volunteer work in the community until I happened across Duncan Place. Since then, I’ve met many others in the same boat. These range from recent arrivals in Leith from places such as Italy, Ukraine, Canada, and Spain, to locals who have retired and are looking to find new activities. I would not have met them in nearly all cases had it not been for Duncan Place.
The building is run by a charity dedicated to its mission. Alongside running activities for local residents, they receive an income by renting out office and activity space at reasonable rates to organisations many of which are charities and focused on community welfare.
The impact on local residents is far-reaching. Individuals who might otherwise feel isolated, particularly newcomers to the area, can come here to build friendships. The advantages extend beyond social connection: Emma Young, the Tai Chi instructor who leads beginner and advanced classes, has found that participants with longterm conditions have experienced improvements in balance, strength, and relaxation, with one even reporting a notable reduction in pain.
Class members appreciate the warm atmosphere and the effort made by Duncan Place staff
The people of Carmarthen’s efforts led to Steven Spielberg allowing them to hold a premiere for Jurassic Park
Main Building, Interior, Leith Academy & Technical College Plaque
to in the ‘low voices’ section also does Tai Chi and attends the film screenings, just one example of how Duncan Place has become a valuable part of many people’s lives.
in the Fragile, Awkward & Valuable!
& Send (Edinburgh East)
Elm Row, Leith Walk, EH7 4AH T: 0131 201 2244 E: edinburgheast@packsend.co.uk W:
Duncan Place delivers opportunities in a myriad of ways, often overlooked by the bean counters who only focus on how much it costs to maintain a building. Food and drink are needed from catering suppliers, and money is put in the pockets of staff, cleaners, event organisers and class instructors. Charities and community organisations have more resources because they pay reasonable rents for office space. People who come to classes often benefit from a greater sense of well-being, which also has multiple benefits, including reducing the demand on health services.
to remember their names. For Emma, Duncan Place is a unique opportunity to teach classes that are hard to find elsewhere: “It’s a real pleasure being part of such an inclusive community space.”
Seraph, who established Duncan Place’s first community choir two years ago, has been involved in various choirs over the years. Though she previously established a singing group for mothers and toddlers, this choir marks her first independent initiative.
She told me how she has witnessed “remarkable transformations: people who arrive feeling tired leave energised and uplifted; strangers quickly become neighbours, engaging in warm conversations and forming new bonds. But the most powerful feedback comes from those who report a significant improvement in their mental health after just 90 minutes of singing together. Group singing truly is medicine
When the choir began, it only men can be more reticent to get involved in community activities
However, over time, more men have joined, encouraged by the relaxed atmosphere (no auditions, no singing from music sheets). One choir member I stand next
Its promotion of new activities allows individuals to make career changes. Two people I talked to who lead classes have been encouraged to focus on teaching in the community as a career and not just a side line from their day jobs. However, this was nearly lost.
The building began in 1920 as Leith Academy Technical College & Gymnasium. It evolved into a community centre in the 1970s. At its peak, over 500 people participated in activities each week. Unfortunately, structural issues led the Edinburgh Council to close the building in 2014 and plot its demolition. There was no backup plan - no other facility that could accommodate all the groups that had once thrived here.
This sparked a determined struggle by local residents to save Duncan Place. The council saw the building as a financial burden, but locals recognised its invaluable benefits and mobilised by creating a Facebook page to ‘Save Duncan Place’. Despite limited resources, these activists reached out to Historic Scotland and other organisations for assistance. Their negotiations with the council were intense and protracted, but after seven years of unwavering effort, it was local people who saved it. A new charity was established to run it.
The tale of Duncan Place, much like the Save Leith Walk campaign, serves as an emphatic reminder: if local people don’t unite and stand up for what they believe is right, no one else will advocate on their behalf.
More than a heartthrob
Kennedy Wilson has one addition to his vintage movie shelf and two new books on film
The concept of the ‘Latin lover’ is lost to most of us now. But one of the first movie stars, back in the silent days, was Rudolph Valentino. His death at the age of only 31 had his female fans convulsed with grief. His rival was another Latin heartthrob, Ramon Navarro. Both were sold by their studios as real ladies’ men (ironically both Valentino and Navarro were secretly gay).
A stereotype was born and over the years there was a steady parade of Latin lovers – handsome, seductive, cinnamon-skinned women-chasers from South America, the Caribbean, France, Spain and Italy: Don Ameche, Ricardo Montalban, Cesar Romero and all the way up to John Travolta and Antonio Banderas.
In the 1950s the type was exemplified by the Italian Rossano Brazzi. Virtually forgotten these days his most famous role was that of Emile in the film musical South Pacific. Brazzi is now remembered in a new biography Happy Man by Lynn Florkiewicz (Book Guild).
The Rogers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific was a colossal success on Broadway and on London’s West End and it was inevitable that it would be adapted for the screen. The film was premiered in 1958 and was a huge critical and box office triumph (it won three Oscars). The gold-disc soundtrack (Brazzi’s voice was dubbed) remained on the charts for months.
‘He was more than a heartthrob, though Hollywood only ever saw him as that,’ writes Florkiewicz. ‘He was a man proud of his art and his nation.’ Before crossing over to Hollywood he was in countless Italian films and had been active in the Italian Resistance during World War Two.
Brazzi had three other big hits around the same time. Three Coins in a Fountain was a silly romcom set in Rome; The Barefoot Contessa saw Brazzi as the Italian aristocrat who tried to rescue gorgeous Ava Gardener; and in David Lean’s reworking of
There was a steady parade of Latin lovers, meet Rossano Brazzi
The older man was a Svengali playing Henry Higgins to Richard Burton’s Elizabeth Dolittle
Brief Encounter, the glorious Summertime, Brazzi was the seductive Venetian who’s determined to show Katherine Hepburn a good time. In the 1960s Brazzi’s career waned but he appeared memorably in the opening sequence of 1969’s The Italian Job steering a red Ferrari round Alpine S-bends with devastating results.
As Brazzi’s career dipped another movie actor who was on the rise was Richard Burton. His early life was captured in the recent biopic Mr Burton starring Toby Jones and in a new book Behind the Scenes by Angela V John (Parthian). Burton (born Richard Jenkins) might have ended up down the mines or teaching but for his mentor Philip Burton who encouraged his protégé to use his good looks and warm chocolate
voice for better things. So loyal was the young Richard that he changed his name to the starrier sounding Burton.
‘Philip’s training of Richard involved anglicising his voice,’ writes John. He (Philip) also encouraged Richard to roam the Welsh moors reciting Shakespeare as a way of teaching him to project his voice. Philip went on to be a successful BBC radio producer and wrote several books on the theatre. Richard became a legend.
While Burton was a riveting actor his film career was dogged by duds. Bewitched by money, fame and booze (and Elizabeth Taylor) Burton seemed to give up on serious acting.
Many observers considered that he squandered his talent in a series of bad films that paid well.
Philip Burton went on to officially adopt Richard, gave him his name and perhaps was a little in love with him. The older man was a Svengali playing Henry Higgins to Richard’s Elizabeth Dolittle. In fact, Richard Burton’s last amateur role was in the play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw.
The Cinderella story, of course, has long been an inspiration to filmmakers, from My Fair Lady to Pretty Woman In 1943’s delightful screwball romcom Midnight (now on Blu-ray from Criterion) Claudette Colbert has lost her money in the casinos of Monte Carlo and fetches up in Paris with nothing but the ball gown she stands up in. She is inveigled into stealing the boy toy off a rich bitch whose loving millionaire husband is footing Claudette’s bills In a roundabout way of getting his wife back.
Will Claudette succumb to the high life or opt for the handsome but poor cab driver she really loves. This is a hugely stylish romp enlivened by a script that’s funny, racy and sounds astonishingly contemporary.
Happy Man by Lynn Florkiewicz (Book Guild £12.99) Behind the Scenes by Angela V John (Parthian £25) Midnight is released by Criterion Collections (£22.99) Bluesky: @kenwilson84.bluesky.social
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Festivals
25 years & counting…
Edinburgh’s festivals and life as a local, it’s the relentlessness that gets you, sighs Tom Wheeler
However many Edinburgh Festivals you’ve been around for (see above) it still has the ability to catch you unawares. Though as I write, I’ve found myself with an unexpected opportunity to get into the spirit of it, as I crouch in the vestibule end of an overcrowded, overheating train, my face around six inches from a stranger’s armpit. All I need now is for someone to scatter a selection of unwanted flyers over the few remaining patches of floor space and I’ll be right in the mood.
There are other times of the year – a home Six Nations weekend, say – when Edinburgh might fleetingly feel as busy as it does in August. The difference in that case, though, is that come Sunday afternoon, the visiting revellers head for the stations and airports, warm cans of leftover Tennent’s in hand, and something approaching calm descends upon the city again.
At Festival time, there’s no such
Edinburgh Festivals, “Eenie meenie miny moe”
Three-time winner BareFaced Chic is an early favourite with its trademark Extortion Burger
respite. Instead, this city of a thousand bottlenecks is left to perform its annual conjuring trick of not quite collapsing in on itself, not just for a couple of days but for an entire flipping month.
Nonetheless, even at this crazy time, there are oases of calm to be found if you only know where to look. For instance, attend a comedy show by anyone who’s never been on Taskmaster or Would I Lie to You? and you’re likely to have more than enough room to stretch out and relax. Though good luck with walking back home without being accosted by a dozen other comedians, who’ve also never been on Taskmaster or Would I Lie to You?, desperately trying to get bums on seats for their own shows.
But even if we manage to forget – or perhaps I should say bury – elements of the Edinburgh experience between one summer and the next, there are certain hardy perennials upon which we can safely rely.
The ‘funniest joke’ award will be awarded to a gag that, in written form and stripped of any relevant context, would have been summarily rejected
for publication in Viz, and would only be about 50/50 for Take a Break.
The winning comedian, who barely remembers writing the throwaway line that was randomly deemed the single most hilarious in over a thousand comedy shows, will pose awkwardly with a cheap trophy and a rictus grin, as if trying to calculate whether the prize money and publicity is going to be worth the reputational damage. And sure enough, the very next day, twenty columnists will publish twenty near-identical articles about how unfunny the so-called funniest joke was.
Elsewhere, courtesy of the early deadlines for finalising flyer designs and Fringe programme entries, keep an eye out for shows that seemed like a good idea at the time. In which context, spare a thought for the performer who spent hundreds of hours honing an elaborate satire of the ill-fated Willy Wonka Experience, only to discover that virtually nobody remembers the ill-fated Willy Wonka Experience. And the handful of people who do remember it are too preoccupied with the prospect of a nuclear winter to engage fully with the subject. Perhaps they’ll be more interested in the one-woman show by a Kamala Harris impersonator, which necessarily begins with a lengthy reminder of who Kamala Harris is.
Beyond comedy, be sure to head to George Square, where the competition for the coveted ‘Priciest Street Food’ award is expected to be as lively as ever. Three-time winner Bare-Faced Chic is an early favourite with its trademark Extortion Burger, which with all optional toppings included (spiralised halloumi, nduja marshmallows, smashed gerbil) comes in at a highly competitive £34.70.
But if you’d like a single piece of serious advice about the Fringe, it would be to embrace it. It’s wild to have this world-leading explosion of culture on our doorsteps each year. And it’s understandable – but still wild – that we so frequently find cause to complain about that fact. Understandable because there are only so many hour-long cross-town bus journeys that one person can take. But still wild because – well, just take a look around.
Thousands of the greatest exponents of almost every art form imaginable, all descending on this little city to perform daily for a month. Few cities, even ones ten times the size, can boast anything close.
For all the inherent frustrations, that’s got to be worth the pain of the occasional circus clown unicycling backwards over your foot.
Can Leith help free the Fringe?
Out of control?
Criticisms are hurled at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe every August writes Charlie Ellis
Many locals grumble about it as an unwanted imposition. The sheer scale
of the Fringe is, for many, now unsustainable. In 1983, the official Fringe Programme ran to 69 pages; in 2019 it was 461! It has grown so large that it puts a strain on the city’s infrastructure. Concerns about a ‘festivalisation’ of Edinburgh connect to other fears about the city, including ‘over tourism’, unfettered development and a degraded ‘streetscape’. Does Leith offer an answer?
One sustained and substantial attempt to address the various challenges faced by the Fringe, especially issues of access, is the Free Fringe model, pioneered by the musical comedian Peter Buckley Hill and his associates.. To differentiate it from ‘imitations’, the Free Fringe usually goes under the title of PBH’s Free Fringe,. This model has been adopted (in part) by other organisations including the rival breakaway Laughing Horse group and Bob Slayer’s Heroes of the Fringe. That there is more than one free Fringe adds further to the confusion of Fringegoers, some of whom are already confused by the Fringe and Festival distinction!
The Leith hub
In 2024, the Free Fringe made a significant effort to spread, with five venues in Leith. This was not the Free Fringe’s first excursion to Leith (they had a bar boat venue previously), but certainly their most extensive. Leith’s status as a self-contained community (and one of the most densely populated urban areas in Scotland) means that there are plenty of locals around, without a great need to entice people down from the city centre. Leith is also a well-established cultural locationand a place to stay.
As the manager of one of the new Free Fringe venues, the Satyr Bar on
In 1983, the official Fringe Programme ran to 69 pages; in 2019 it was 461
Neil Davidson eschewed flyering for The Thermos Museum at the Satyr Bar, instead lying in a planter outside
Leith Walk, outlined, many Fringegoers now stay in Leith, having been outpriced from more central areas. He admitted that hosting Fringe shows had been a ‘learning experience’, but, especially at the weekend, the shows at the Satyr Bar had seen good numbers. He felt that the Free Fringe had potential to establish itself in Leith as there were several venues within a short distance, including the Leith Arches. It was well worth Fringe-goers making their way down Leith Walk. Neil Davidson’s The Thermos Museum was one memorable show I caught at the Satyr Bar. Davison eschewed ‘flyering’ to publicise his show and instead lay in a planter outside - what he terms ‘lie-down comedy’.
Before the ‘big boys’ come
The comedian Harun Musho’d performed at one of the other Leith venues, the Strathmore Bar and enjoyed being in such a ‘vibrant area’. He hopes that Leith will increasingly become ‘a hub for the Free Fringe’. The Leith extension seems the best chance of viably expanding the Fringe beyond the centre. Legendary comedy reviewer Kate Copstick believes that the Free Fringe needs to ‘take over Leith’ as ‘a Free Fringe zone’, before the ‘big boys’ come. The Free Fringe can legitimately argue that they are leading efforts to decentralise the Fringe.
It’s easy to imagine this ‘Leith Hub’ becoming a significant ‘USP’ of the
Free Fringe. With its independent status and psychological separation from the remainder of the city, Leith seems to manifest the Free Fringe’s distinct identity. It may not last, with the big venues bound to tap into the potential of Leith soon. Free Fringe CEO Luke Meredith is aware of the interest shown by the paid venues. That while ‘nothing has been poached so far…we are aware that eyes are always on us.’ In time, the ‘big four’ Fringe venues (Assembly, Gilded Balloon, Pleasance, and Underbelly) may get their teeth into Leith.
Every year, venue poaching goes on, The trajectory of venues, established by the Free Fringe and then ‘expropriated’ by paid Fringe organisations is common. What is particularly irksome to those involved with Free Fringe is the unproved suggestion that some of the big venues are using some of the £1.5 million Resilience Fund (aimed to assist Fringe organisations recover from the loss of revenue during the pandemic) to induce venues to jump from the free to paid Fringe.
Such episodes add to a sense of the Free Fringe being deliberately side-lined by the mainstream. This outsider status also fuels some of the organisation’s energy and desire to prove people wrong. The Free Fringe’s excursion into Leith has already given us a taste of a Fringe with a different geographical location, but also with a different flavour.
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Tel: 0131 467 7879 Email: leithdockers@hotmail.com www.leithdockersclub.co.uk
All or Nothing
It’s 1987, Mike Cowley finds himself breezing into Cut magazine’s offices at the very instant they were being touted as Scotland’s answer to the NME
Armed only with copies of my fanzines Stepping Stone! and Whatever Happened To?, and the kinetic energy of youth. Naturally, on being presented with an eager young Mod, a national publication would instantly hand me a staff writer’s gig. An unlimited expenses account and all the backstage passes I could handle. Anything Paulo Hewitt could do...
I was still bartering my puppyish enthusiasm when an editor with infinite patience suggested I “interview Steve Marriot’s band The Packet of Three who are playing The Venue next week”.
Interview Steve Marriot? Erm, yes, I could probably do that.
The next few days were a haze of unchecked anticipation. Of course, my mate was coming, uncharted terrain, friendly backup required. I prepared precisely no questions; my incisive probing and never-before posed questions would inevitably offer original insights into the life and times of a Small Face. Opening a gateway to the world of Lester Bangs and Hunter S Thomson.
Our arrival was not auspicious.
“We’re from Cut magazine, to interview Steve Marriot.”
Gesturing at my mate, the bouncer asked, “Who’s he then?”
“The cameraman.”
“So where’s his camera?”
“Ah, right enough. He’s forgotten it.”
A long, steely appraisal followed, after some practiced eye-rolling, the golden ticket: “You’d better come in then.”
My Dad had come with some mates. I
remember dancing to the Kink’s Set Me Free during the DJ set. Steve played a bluesy gig, that voice in fine fettle. The opening riff of All or Nothing prompted a crowd-burst of shared joy. The encore came and went.
It was time…
I was so intoxicated on lager and expectation that my mate went into panic mode at the prospect of me blowing the interview. He needn’t have feared. Game faces on, we ventured downstairs.
Steve Marriot welcomed us with broad Cockney bonhomie. Onlookers took in the scene as, wine glass in hand, he regaled us with the spark and style of a natural raconteur with tales to burn.
In denim dungarees - this was not vintage ‘65 Marriot! - he was affable throughout, even under fire. My mate, not averse to starting arguments in empty rooms and also the worst for wear, insisted he knew Itchycoo Park better than its co-author. Stevie waved him away, dismissing the Immediate classic as a ‘hippie piss take’.
We’ve all read tales of Marriot as the arrogant and destructive diva. He was a pleasure to spend time with. Complimenting me on my blue mac, anointed by the Hand of Mod.
We’re at the foot of the stairs winding down to the dressing rooms below. Somehow, I still have the C60 recording of our brief exchanges. I treasure it like a rare artefact.
Many of your contemporaries had prolonged global success, any regrets? “I don’t want their success, And you mustn’t confuse me with what they do. They want the money and adulation, as far as I’m concerned, I belong in clubs.
Cut Magazine carved a singular path through the late 1980s
A living and respect are important. Frankly, the rest is bullshit. If they have to have it, I won’t knock them. But don’t knock me either.”
What still drives you to perform and record?
“For the last two years I’ve been working to justify what I do. If I was doing it for nostalgia or money I’d be in a lot of trouble.”
The excesses of the 60s and 70s are well documented, how do you look back on those times?
“I stopped doing drugs the same time I stopped doing the big circuits. It killed a lot of my friends and made legends out of people who shouldn’t be legendary.”
How did the music of the time inspire the Small Faces? Do you see parallels with the scenes young people are into now?
“The heart and soul of 60s music was Tamla Motown, Stax and Atlantic. We don’t have that real backbone of music now. I feel sorry for people who grew up not listening to it.”
4 years later, April 1991, my Dad walked into the kitchen, newspaper in hand.
“Stevie Marriot’s dead. Fire at his home.”
My mate, not averse to starting arguments in empty rooms was worse for wear
Coda: I love the Who, Kinks, Zombies, the Creation etc. But for me the Small Faces were and remain the blueprint, the textbook Mod band. I wonder if Steve did any more interviews after that night. I hope he did.
A long time ago, for 30 short minutes, me and my mate were lucky enough to blag our way into the presence of greatness…
Gordon Young takes us on a trip to the Martello Tower
In the days when the Firth of Forth had an abundance of fish, they were caught on lines each with over 1000 hooks and baited with mussels. In the wee small hours of the morning, it was quite normal to hear the voices of Newhaven’s fisher lassies softly singing as they made their way to where the mussel beds were to harvest them and thereafter bait the lines for their fathers and brothers.
One of those places was called, appropriately enough, Mussels Cape Rocks, standing beside the Western Harbour Lighthouse at the lock gates, look to the east and you will notice a low circular edifice offshore rocky outcrop. Leith Docks has now largely enveloped this prominence in concrete but its location can still be identified. Standing beside the Western Harbour Lighthouse at the lock gates, look to the east and you will notice a low circular edifice. This is one of only three Martello Towers that exist in Scotland, the other two being in Orkney.
The Martello Tower, or Tally Toor as it is commonly called in Leith and Newhaven, was built in 1809 as part of the coastal defences at the time of the Napoleonic War. Being tidal, the location provided additional security, as the tide went out. The Tally Toor, together with Leith Fort, which was constructed in 1780, meant invasion of Leith and the nearby city of Edinburgh was a hazardous undertaking by sea. This fear was not unfounded following the marauding attack of the Firth of Forth in 1779 by American privateers led by the Scottish buccaneer John Paul Jones.
The work on the Tally Toor was undertaken by Irish navvies as evidenced by the Celtic symbols carved into the stonework. The walls are 2m thick and the structure was 11m high above the rocks on which it was built. The raised entrance of the tower made access difficult. The internal space was
The Tally Toor
You can see the Martello tower from Mussel Cape Rocks
circular in design and split across two floors with the stair built within the thickest part of the wall.
The first floor had a domed roof which contained the living quarters. It was divided by a partition of light timber to form a large barrack room with two windows and a fireplace and a small segment-shaped room for the officer in command. Sleeping accommodation consisted of nine folding beds attached to the wall in the barrack room.
The ground floor was divided by stone walls into four barrel vaulted compartments and entered by a stair from the upper floor. Live ammunition was stored in one of these ventilated compartments.
The Leith tower had a gun platform of 9.75 metres (32 feet) in diameter. Despite costing £17,000 at the time (roughly equivalent to £5 million today and about the same cost as the Sir Walter Scott Monument built some 30 years later), the tower was left unoccupied and defenceless until 1858 when there was rising concern about an expanding French Navy and the perceived need to defend British ports.
The roof gun emplacement was altered by Royal Engineers to form a trefoil shape and three thirty-two pounder guns were sent from the Woolwich Arsenal. Modifications to the living quarters were also made at the same time. It was manned by
artillerymen from Leith Fort until around 1870 when it was abandoned until the Second World War.
During the War, an anti-aircraft battery was installed to defend the Forth Bridge from bombing raids. It is hard to believe that before and. for a short time, after the war it was a popular place for family picnics.
Now all that remains to be seen is the top of the tower with the bulk of the edifice submerged in concrete in what is now reclaimed land.
The public is no longer allowed access although the structure was designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland in 1962.
Here are a few pictures to be going on with…
Gordon can be contacted at newhavenheritage@gmail.com
Ben Macpherson MSP
Member of the Scottish Parliament for Edinburgh Northern and Leith Constituency
“I am here to help and serve all constituents in Edinburgh Northern and Leith. If you need assistance, or if you would like to discuss any issues or ideas, please contact me or come and see me at one of my monthly Drop-in Help & Advice Surgeries.“
Drop-in Help & Advice Surgeries
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The lady who came to stay
After reading in The Leither about a deep dive into the history of Spence & Spence and its denizens… Maggie Cuddihy asked if she could write a piece about her own memories of Leith, when Spence’s ironmongery shop was still open? Why of course!
Imoved into a flat on Constitution Street in July 1990. I had viewed the place when the block was covered in scaffolding. (Remember the Community Repair Grants? They paid for new windows, stair flooring, stone cleaning and pointing, the lot.)
The flat had gone to a fixed price because, the sellers told me, all the other viewers had taken one look at the graveyard opposite, freaked out, and refused to look at any more of the place.
My colleagues at work said “What? You’re going to live in Leith! By yourself? No!” Later, of course many of them came here too, but that took a while.
Maggie’s side of Constitution Street… gold dust
One by one all the neighbours moved away and I’m now the oldest bat in the block
The street then, of course had parking on both sides, and the 12, 16 and 35 buses all jostled for space in the middle. The hooting of everything, the reversing-bells of lorries, and general racket was terrible. Nobody was too concerned about localised pollution in 1990; acid rain was the “thing” then, and it was happening somewhere else. My new neighbours called me a yuppie, although as an NHS manager I don’t think that was accurate, but as I was the first non-Leither here I suppose it was forgivable. Other residents had been here for decades, and they made me very welcome, even bringing vast amounts of rum and whisky they to my house-warming party. Were they chored Maggie? That party was held on the shredded
remains of a foam-backed blue nylon carpet, and there were red nylon velour curtains, yellow walls, and every door covered with tacked-on sheets of hardboard to cover the ‘original features’.
Gradually I explored Leith. Very gingerly, because of the dire warnings of my colleagues, and soon I found Spence’s Ironmongery shop.
In the corner window, rat-traps and mouse-traps took pride of place. The rat-traps seemed enormous but I had yet to see a Leith rat. Have you noticed the cunningly-designed kerb-stones the tram-works have given us? Walk along Constitution Street after dark and you can sometimes see a little ratty face peeping out of its five-star hotel. And of course I discovered the Port of Leith. As long as Mary Moriarty was behind the bar, a lone woman could have a drink in comfort and total safety. That was a rare thing in 1990.
Another safe place was Pierre Victoire’s restaurant, for salad, and seafood, with the shells still on, in Leith in 1990! Getting to Pierre Victoire’s involved walking along Coburg Street, which was a ‘Toleration Zone’ for street prostitution.
The working girls were kept comparatively safe, and I felt safe too. Most of the kerb-crawling drivers knew exactly how to recognise what they were looking for, and it certainly wasn’t me, in jeans and woolly coat, rather than those freezing souls wearing sparkly shorts and a skimpy top.
Sometime later back at Constitution St: all the hardboard sheets were peeled off the doors, the coloured walls toned down, the false ceiling taken away, and the flat became the home I now love so dearly. A ring-side seat, incidentally, for watching the tram works.
One by one all the neighbours moved away and I’m now the oldest bat in the block. I know the building’s history because when I paid off the mortgage I was sent all the deeds going back to 1793. I can tell new neighbours about the alleged ghost, and none of them gave a damn about the dead bodies unearthed on the road during the Tramworks.
The ghost is a young Edwardianlooking gentleman, in a grey suit, who appears where the stairs used to be, looks around himself in a baffled sort of way, and disappears again. He certainly doesn’t seem threatening. but I’m writing from hearsay. I haven’t seen him myself.
Yours sincerely, Maggie Cuddihy
N.B. Moving to Leith is the best decision I ever made
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1 VIP’s that are refused in restaurants because of this (8 )
5 …however, crazy hot leads to disgust ( 6 )
10 Mad sexy Leithers ape rag ( 3.5.7 )
11 Mint toffee club (7)
12 First green gardening implement used in kitchen (7)
13 Donkey with broken tenor given official sanction ( 8 )
15 Egyptian god, princess and I used in wheels ( 5)
18 Right male kneaded for this kingdom ( 5 )
20 Dud pings off for afters ( 8 )
23 Famous feet? ( 7 )
25 Claret I drunk at concert ( 7 )
26 Bury country friend abroad ( 15 )
27 The french undo pierced lump ( 6 )
1 Idiot not first, say ( 6 )
2 Waterway, but not in Russia or China! ( 3.3.3 )
3 First of 13 that is timorous according to rabbie ( 7 )
4 Girl, nell erroneously backed in ( 5 )
6 Hen, eg changes two rights for very soft middle and feels much better ( 7 )
7 Turn over some kind of pun, ed? ( 5 )
8 Uncontrolled excitement that forces hairy set out ( 8 )
9 Tramp ed? bared egg peeled ( 8 ) 14 Bat paras out of eating place ( 5.3) 16 I dig a list out to find foxglove ( 9 )
28 Free Lear, seed free ( 8 ) Answers crossword 142
Roll in it perhaps if you’ve got this! ( 8 ) 19 Ore found by pitman gangster ( 7 )
Fragrant smoke twisting in scene ( 7 )
Killed by Noddy and pals soundly ( 6 ) 24 In ring a teddy bear was contained ( 5 ) 25 Flower stone cowboy? ( 5 )
2 bed flat, Duplex 24, The Engine Yard, Leith Walk
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Looking to buy in one of Edinburgh’s most vibrant neighbourhoods? Let Jacquie Sandison, your trusted local property expert, guide you home. With an exceptional selection of stylish 1 and 2 bedroom apartments available now at the much sought-after Shrubhill Walk, The Engine Yard and The Tram Shed, just off Leith Walk — Jacquie pairs unrivalled local knowledge with a warm, personal touch.
Whether you’re taking your first step onto the property ladder or searching for your next perfect space, Jacquie’s here to help you every step of the way.
What’s on offer?
• A range of modern, beautifully finished apartments
• Access to exclusive benefits like FREE GYM MEMBERSHIP at Places Gym
• Cash back incentives on selected properties
• Flooring packages available
• Viewings available seven days a week
Let’s get moving.
Call Jacquie on 07884 247419 for your free valuation or to arrange a viewing today.
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www.mcdougallmcqueen.co.uk https://www.facebook.com/JacquieTheEstateAgent
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