Rissi's Fish and Chip Shop

Throughout the 1960s Ben Mackenzie's hairdresser shop was situated on the south-west corner at the back of the Oxgangs Broadway shops, whilst Rissi's Fish and Chip shop occupied the other corner on the south-east; in between there were no shops; instead these units were used as storage areas for the shops down below. There was a lit up red/orange sign in the window which glowed on a winter's evening attracting customers in like moths to the light.

The fish and chip shop was run by two incredibly striking sisters-I assume they were called Rissi and had a strong Italian heritage? I can't recall their first names, but often when I was in the queue I would hear a name being mentioned. The sisters were in their mid to late fifties and were immaculately turned out with their grey hair worn high up on their head, beehive style-at least one of them wore stylish spectacles. I don't think they were twins, but they may have been. A man also accompanied them in the shop which was very efficiently run.

We occasionally had a fish supper on a Saturday evening and it really was a treat. It was usually during the winter and it was a pleasure to enter the warmth of Rissi's, which was a small shop and join the queue. Venturing out afterwards into the cold was no hardship when you were carrying a large wrapped up hot  bundle containing four or five fish suppers.

The lowest price I recall paying for a supper was between two shillings and two and six (two shillings and sixpence)-between ten and twelve and a half pence in modern money-can you imagine getting eight fish suppers for a quid!

I would hurry home, running downhill all the way-descending the street-lit Oxgangs Street leaving a trail of frosted breath hanging in the night air, turn into Oxgangs Avenue at the junction and seconds later be back home to The Stair to join the family at 6/2 for high tea!