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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.
Occasionally we developed the tribal instinct of asserting ourselves against a neighbouring street. In our case we had two traditional 'enemies', the Broad Pavement (the broady), and Bridge Street.
With the former we were content to keep our rivalry to football but occasionally it developed into stone fights. Split heads were the result and a visit to Leith Hospital Outpatient Department became a necessity. All this was before the NHS.
Once during a fight I got the brilliant idea of using the pigswill bin cover as a shield. I had just settled down behind it when I was caught smack in the middle of the head by a chuckie (a stone). The blood was everywhere as I raced home.
Stitches were required. It's your own fault I was told by my grandma.
We were ever up to mischief and never knew what we would do next. During the 1940s horse drawn vehicles were the norm. Horses were the main traction forces for carriages of all types of goods throughout the town, especially to and from Leith Docks.
Two of the main users were the railway companies, London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), and London Midland Scottish (LMS). Both companies sub contracted out to Wordie and Mutter-Howie respectively.
I always remember that Wordies horses wore blinkers whereas Mutter-Howie's didn't.
The carters sat on a pile of folded sacks at the front of the flat top cart with their feet resting on the rear of the horse-shafts. A whip was always to hand.
Living near the docks as we did, we were accustomed to the carts trundling their way back and forth up Sheriff Brae and Mill Lane to Great Junction Street.
Sometimes when we were at a loose end for something to do, not often I hasten to add, we would sit at the kerb's edge and await the passing of a cart, making sure another one was not close behind.
Running behind it, we would clasp our hands over the rear end and swing our feet under it onto the wheel axle. Slung like this with only our fingers showing above the rail, we would travel some distance before a busybody called out, 'He, ahoy'!
This alerted the carter of stowaways and with a single movement, he would grasp his whip and bring the thong down with a sharp sting onto the fingers. This would be followed by a mouthful of expletives.
A cart travelling in the opposite direction would be our transport back.
Never a dull moment!
John Stewart, 2001
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