LifeStory

The McCaughie family interview granny in 2008. Son John and grand daughters Clare and Shona interview Mary about her up bringing in the Gorgie area of Edinburgh in the 1930s. Its round the kitchen table, tea and biscuits are in evidence! We hear about school days, getting the belt at the age of seven, being chased by Tanker Belly the local Policeman. Mid week dancing at the Palais, going to the pi...

Maureen Sweeney, nee Noble, was born in Leith in the late 1940s. She talks here of the milk bars and cafe of her youth. Chip shops in Leith. Taking broken biscuits and buckies (winkles) into the pictures. Late night cinemas and catching the bus in Duke Street, Leith to go dancing at Portobello Town Hall. Evocative memories from the 1950s and 60s. Interview conducted by Donna Mackie.

Ena Munro was brought in the Fort William area and came to Edinburgh in 1949 aged 18 years to train at Leith Hospital as a nurse. She talks about the hospitals in Edinburgh at the time, a year as a midwife at Elsie Ingles and nursing in the community. She returned to Leith Hospital in the early 1950s to work as a staff nurse on a surgical ward. She remained here until her retirement in the mid 198...

Audrey Soutar was born in 1933. She lived for many years in her family home on Leith Walk. In this interview she takes us through paying for the doctor, home remedies, her time working as a dental nurse and at a herbalist. From having croup as a baby, to witnessing total teeth extraction at the dentist and the drunken results of making fortified wine at the herbalist. A vivid collection of memorie...

Arthur and Pat met learning to dance at the Edina Dance School. They immediately click as dance partners with a mutual love of the new phenomenon Rock and Roll. They went from demonstrating this new dance craze to competitions- they were the 5th best in Britain in The nationwide Palais de Danse contest of 1957. The even appeared dancing on STV. This interview was done the week of their 60th weddin...

Henryk's escape from Nazi occupied Poland, across Europe to Britain, in his own words.