Constipation and baldness are not the exclusive preserve of Spurtle readers in 2025.
Such travails – experienced singly or in tandem – have afflicted local residents since at least the mid-19th century, as evidenced by a recent archaeological find in the area.
James Simpson, OBE is a distinguished conservation architect with Leith practice Simpson and Brown. On 26th October 2008, he gave an illustrated talk to the Friends of Hopetoun Crescent Garden about the (later successful) project to investigate, dismantle, and remove the historic Botanic Cottage at Haddington Place (see Issues 154, 167, 171) – a scheme in which he had been closely involved. Below are edited excerpts.