Comment From Neil Kellock (2/2 The Stair, 1963-1976)

Comment: Had an interesting time reading many of the posts here, great fun and brought back a lot of memories.
Got me thinking about my "Stair" on Oxgangs Ave, number 2. The families I can re-call in Stair 2 are:
The Kellocks - Neil (that's me) brothers Willie and Graeme.
Miss Hood, the old spinster who live opposite us on the ground floor.
The Strachans, can't re-call all the kids but there was a David and a couple of Strachan girls.
The Burns, I think Irene and John were the Burns kids.
Lynn Steer or Mitchell.
I'm missing some here but it's who comes to mind so far.
Neil 
Response: Neil, Possibly a little before you, but the McFarlanes used to live opposite at 2/1-Colin played football etc with my peers-he had an attractive younger sister called Linda. Above you lived the Mutch family with the Burns' opposite. Stephen Westbrook lived at 2/6 with his younger sister Gillian and older sister Connie. Was it Jacqueline Purvis (or similar) who stayed at 2/7? The Bonds-Phyllis, Robert and Helen lived at 2/8. I have a good story (unprintable!) about Robert after a visit to the polo fields at Dreghorn to watch Hearts at pre-season training. My brother Iain seems to recall your brother Willie who worked at Ferrantis like many others.
Best.
Peter
ps Lynn Steer was my sister Anne's best friend for many years. She was a real character and a very bright girl-I well recall her David Bowie phase-or perhaps it wasn't a phase!

'Ox-Gangs'

We at The Stair grew up knowing only flats at Oxgangs Avenue 

and for those with longer memories also the old prefabs.

However before either were built it was only farmland at Oxgangs in the first part of the twentieth century. The oxgang represented the amount of land which could be ploughed using one ox, in a single annual season. 

Oxgangs Mains Farm-Ploughing in November

As land was normally ploughed by a team of eight oxen, an oxgang was thus one eighth the size of a ploughland - thus Oxgang(s).

Oxgangs Police Station-formerly Oxgangs Mains Farmhouse-I remember climbing in to the building through the door/window on the far right hand side!

Comment From Neil Kellock

Wow, just stumbled across this blog and can't wait to read through the whole thing. I'm in Canada now but lived at 2/2 Oxgangs Avenue from 1963 to about 1976.
I'll get reading and get back to you with my comments, great stuff, thanks