|
 | |  | |
Memories of a childhood in wartime Leith. The trials and tribulations of the period, allied to the camaraderie of the community in facing up to an uncertain future made a lasting impression on John Stewart.
On the 10th July 1934, I was brought into this world at No 1 Cables Wynd, Leith, the home of my maternal grandparents, John and Margaret Patterson. I was later told that the day was a scorcher with the tar on the road melting.
This phenomenon was often harvested by the children of the time and rolled into balls between the palms of the hand and then popped into the mouth and chewed.
Among the drawbacks to reaping this harvest were the long-term stains on the hands not to mention the clothes. It had a certain medicinal benefit it was believed. I would try this out for myself when I was older.
Cables Wynd had once been a bustling thoroughfare with tenement flats and shops of all kinds lining both sides. By the time of my arrival, all that remained of it was the one stair, the rest having long gone.
My parents took me home soon after my birth to 42 Buchanan Street where they resided with my father's mother for the next five years. My memories of this time are obviously a bit vague, but I do remember being taken in my pram to the King's Park to feed the swans.
Lochend Park was another of my day's outings. It was at the former park where my grandmother used to fill bottles from the well to take home. My father's own father had died before my parents wedding.
My other granddad would also take me out, especially to visit sites where he had worked as a stonemason. One of these was the new housing estate of Granton immediately above Granton Square. We would often stop off to pick 'rat tails' to feed his budgie, Jocky
John Stewart, 2001
| |  | |  |
To add a comment you must first login or join for free, up in the top left corner.
|
|
