History

VALENTINE THOUGHTS IN A TIME OF WAR

[Taken from the Scotsman, 14 February 1941. A condensed version of this article appeared under a different title in Issue 325.—AM]

Readers may remember that human remains were recovered last year during excavation of South Leith Parish Church.

Today, Trams to Newhaven have released facial reconstructions of how one of those excavatees might have looked in life during the late Middle Ages (below), and how she might look now if she were alive today (foot of page).

The same underlying skull appears throughout.

In Issue 312 we reproduced an article from 25 November 1896 which looked forward to the imminent opening of Broughton Primary School.

Two days later, additional journalism in the Edinburgh Evening News looked back at the inaugural event, and in so doing revealed some familiar fractures over how limited public resources are allocated across the capital.

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An eye-catching, thought-provoking, and well-executed piece of street-art has appeared at the Tesco end of the Rodney Street tunnel. For the full effect, see the foot of this page.

The work, by Mark Tremaine Agbi ‘Okata’, was commissioned by Sustrans UK to mark Black History Month. It is one of eight pieces across the country’s National Cycle Network, created to highlight Scotland’s role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. It’s an admirable initiative, which we applaud.

Have you ever wondered about these paviours?

They skirt the northern and western sides of the inner footway outside Drummond Place Garden, and many examples have a peculiar blue-ish hue. The words read:

TEES SCORIA BRICK CO.

PATENT

One Joseph Wharton of Darlington patented a machine for making bricks, tiles, &c. from molten blast furnace slag (scoria) in 1877. They had the advantage of being tough, waterproof, and resistant to chemicals.

The pulley wheel shown in the photo here has emerged from recent tramwork excavations on Leith Walk.

Archaeologists will determine its significance, but to Spurtle observers it looks like evidence of the former cable-drawn Edinburgh tram system.

From 1899, it ran as far north as Pilrig Street, whereupon passengers would transfer to the more efficient electrically powered trams operated by Leith Town Council.

1910

FOR SALE, the property of a Gentleman, CHESTNUT GELDING, 6 years old, 15.3½, thoroughly reliable in double and single harness and at all road traffic and steam, thoroughly seasoned and just out of work. Apply C. C. Baird & Son, M.R.C.V.S., York Lane.[1]

Scotsman, 15 January 1910

[1] Image Wikimedia commons, accessed 12.8.21.

The following correspondence appeared in the pages of the Edinburgh Evening Courant in 1852 and 1856.

Some details may have changed in the years since, but the general problem and particular tone are unmistakably familiar to students of New Town waste disposal.

1909

EDINBURGH AMATEUR DETECTIVE’S CHASE.

CLEVER CAPTURE OF ALLEGED BURGLAR.

THE clever capture of an alleged Edinburgh housebreaker by an amateur detective came to light yesterday, when the accused, George Alexander Melrose, residing at Crown Street, Leith, passed the bar of Edinburgh City Police Court on a charge of housebreaking. Interesting circumstances surround the story of Melrose’s arrest.[1]

RELIGIOUS WORK IN EDINBURGH.

The number of social agencies in connection with the Church is increasing so rapidly in our midst that many good men are beginning to wonder when time will be found for carrying on the more serious business of the Chruch, viz., the evangelisation of the masses. Time and again we have directed attention to the formation of men’s clubs in different parts of the City.