Oxgangs - A Pastime From Time Past #4 The Stairs

From Graeme Robb: 'The best thing about living in a stair was no matter the weather you had some where to play - 2/4 David Robertson, 4/4 John Ritchie, 6/3 Alan Smith, 7/6 John Kay Oxgangs Park and all the others a bit older - Johnny McQueen, John Rumbles, Andrew Ritchie, Andrew Bruce. Off up the Pentlands or Braids first thing and back just before dark. The building of the gas houses - what a playground, we drove the watches and the police mad - daily warnings at school of how dangerous it was. Jumping from third floor windows in to sand pits. All great fun.

Comment from Paul Forbes: 'I remember some bastard had put bricks under the sand we used to land in at one of the sites. Unbelievably , I can’t recall anybody getting seriously hurt'.