OXGANGS - A Capital Story

 'Strangely compelling' - Scottish Field

OXGANGS – A Capital Story

If you would like to read what life was like in Oxgangs half a century ago then this may be the book for you or as a thoughtful gift for a family member or friend.

Told through over 200 highly readable vignettes it covers the social and cultural life of growing up in the area.

Each of the seasons of the year is covered with school-life, play and work featuring prominently within the key milestones in the ‘Oxgangs Season of the Year’ whether it’s Harvest Festival, Halloween, Guy Fawkes, Christmas and New Year then on to Easter, The Pentland Festival, the St John’s Summer Fete all rounded off with School Sports Day.

There are tales of summer outings to the local hills and jumping the burn - stealing apples and neeps - sledging down The Field in midwinter – early morning paper and milk rounds – legendary local characters including Dr Motley and the Reverend Orr and mythical ones such as The White Lady who all put in significant appearances too – then there’s the inimitable Miss Sulley and of course the great shopkeepers including such pioneers as Mr Forgan and Ian Ewart. And further - as our comics (which of course feature prominently) would say there’s also much much more!

The African proverb says ‘It takes a village to raise a child’ and this story exemplifies this.

OXGANGS - A Capital Story is an updated and considerably expanded version of the book The Stair which first came out in 2012 but now with around 400 pages, 40,000 extra words and dozens of illustrations.

The book describes what life was like for a boy growing up in 1960s Oxgangs on a council housing estate in the lea of the Pentland Hills. Told through a series of over two hundred stories it paints a picture of one family living alongside seven other families in an atypical ‘stair’ telling the everyday story of their lives – the story of the sixteen adults and twenty-five children who lived at 6 Oxgangs Avenue between the years 1958 and 1972.

Since the book first appeared in 2012 new information has come to light and become available primarily through our Facebook group Oxgangs – A Pastime from Time Past. The Coronavirus lockdown gave me the opportunity to revisit the book through the prism of the group page by posting many of my vignettes on a daily basis providing some entertainment and general escape to many people during a period of national emergency. It gave members the opportunity to engage and feed in to the ongoing process - editing the book in real time so to speak.

Members’ comments and memories were gratefully received and some of them have been incorporated into the book helping to expand the story which I’ve tried to write and the portrait I’ve painted of the early days of Oxgangs and the development of the area from over half a century ago. It’s a ‘capital tale’ of a young Edinburgh community and of a stair of people seen through the eyes of not just the author but also through the eyes of others too - a local story but one with universal themes of growing up in a community.

Whilst The Stair was written from memory, ironically I had some perfect reference material available from my last two years of Oxgangs life for the years 1971 and 1972 as I have two complete Letts Schoolboy Diaries with entries for every day of the year, but when writing the book I didn’t refer to them. It occurred to me that for this new edition and new introduction that perhaps I should include some extracts from some key dates to help further set the scene and the context for the story I’ve attempted to tell and some such extracts kick off the new book.

Peter Hoffmann

https://www.amazon.co.uk/OXGANGS-Capital-Story-Peter-Hoffmann-ebook/dp/B08BCQ3QRD/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=peter+hoffmann+oxgangs&qid=1593552488&sr=8-2

Katherine Brown

This post is an upsetting one involving the murder of a youg girl, Katherine Brown, which you may not wish to read further.

On several different threads on the Oxgangs - A Pastime From Time Past Facebook group the dreadful murder at Colinton Mains of seven year old Katherine Brown has been a topic.

I’m conscious that even though 50 years - half a century - has since passed there are still many families and friends who are still alive today who were and are affected by what occurred.

The gist of the tragedy and what happened can be ascertained amongst some conflicting memories contributed by many members - quite natural, given how long ago it was, but for some who held Katherine close to their hearts it will be as if it were yesterday.

People’s recall of dates etc. has been impacted by the passage of time and what was and wasn’t reported at the time - again quite natural.

After some reflection I thought that on balance I should post an edited version of what was reported in the media at the time and how the sorrowful tale slowly emerged, but without any comment or interpretation from myself.

Katherine went missing on the early evening of Monday 24th June 1968.

It was first reported in the Edinburgh Evening News and Dispatch on Tuesday 25th June.

Katherine’s 10 year old sister, Alice, first raised the alarm after going round to visit 7 year old Anna-Maria Andretti on the Monday evening.

Katherine’s dad, Albert Brown, couldn’t understand how she could have vanished into thin air in such a short space of time.

16 year old Ronnie Andretti who worked in the family grocery shop said he called the girls (7 year old Katherine and her friend Anna-Maria Andretti - Ronnie’s sister) to come upstairs to wash their hands; he said his father was in the living room reading a book. He said Katherine left the house after heading downstairs shouting cheerio - her normal cheery self.

The following day, Wednesday 26th June, the Evening News and Dispatch reported that the search for Katherine had been extended and that 80 policemen including mounted officers and dog-handlers accompanied by Scots Guardsmen had combed the Colinton Mains area.

Mr Andretti had been in the living room reading a book. Further, it reported that Katherine had been last seen by her 7 year old friend Anna-Maria Andretti at 6.10 p.m. Anna-Maria had been called in for her tea and told to wash her hands (after playing in the sandpit); her father told Katherine that she couldn’t go home like that and should wash her hands too. She went upstairs, washed her hands, then left, saying cheerio and walked away.

Mrs Andretti gave a timetable of Katherine’s last known reported movements: '6.00 p.m. Playing at the sandpit with Anna-Maria. 6.05 p.m. The girls washed their hands in the Andretti house. 6.10 p.m. Katherine left - and then vanished.'

On Thursday, the 27th June, the newspaper reported there had been a dramatic change of events which halted an extended search by policemen and the army. The headline stated the police and the fiscal had gone to a house. It reported that a body had been found at a house in Colinton Mains (the Andretti home); the police were going through certain formalities and Chief Superintendent Beattie said a statement would be made soon. A woman had accompanied them to Oxgangs Police Station; later on a man and a woman similarly accompanied them to the station.

The next day, Friday 28th June, it was reported that the Sheriff Court had been cleared of the public and that a 15 year old boy had been charged with murder. No plea or declaration was made and he was returned to the cells.

Postscript

What is perhaps less commonly known is that poor Katherine’

s death was caused by strangulation and a stab wound to the chest.

Events, dear boy, Events - or - A Ripple in the Pond

A Ripple in the Pond

A small update on Dr Motley.

This morning (20 August 2020) I received a charming letter in the post from North Yorkshire from an 88 year old lady, Mrs Betty Verrill nee Hunter. 

Betty wrote:

Dear Peter Hoffmann,

Here is another ‘ripple in the pond of memory.’

Annette Motley was at my school – George Square a.k.a. George Watson’s Ladies’ College. She was a year above me, well liked, I think, and popular due to her high-jump expertise! We had no playground, so lunchtimes were spent indoors dancing to records, doing gymnastics or playing musical instruments.

After telling my great-grandsons of my adventures in Dreghorn Woods in the 1930s and 1940s I went on the internet and found your fascinating writings.

I was never in Annette’s house (had our own doctor in Colinton) but remember passing her gate and maybe we were walking over to the Braid Burn? There was entertainment there and we sat on tiered grass banks.

As soon as I read Annette’s name I could picture her flying over the high jump at school. She wasn’t particularly dark-skinned either – just a nice girl, one of us.

I left Scotland at 18 in 1950 (most reluctantly) for a Civil Service post in Surrey – a boring Surtax job – but that was where I met my husband David, a Yorkshireman, who died a week short of our 60^th anniversary in 2016.

Kind regards.

Betty Verrill

As previously written there wasn’t a great deal of information on Dr Motley's daughter ‘Annette Junior’ other than some of her unhappiness and bad fortune in later years as described by her children. So Betty’s letter provides a small insight into a happier time.

Within previous vignettes on Dr Motley I referred to some of the vicissitudes that as a mixed race married couple from different backgrounds the couple may have suffered from, from prejudiced individuals so it was a small balm to hear something so very positive from Betty providing a small insight into happier care-free times in Annette’s life.

The letter propelled me to undertake further research into Dr Motley – as we both said – when you throw a pebble into a pool you never quite know where the ripples will go!

After some sleuthing I’m pleased to recount that I’ve unearthed one or two small pieces of further information to help to illuminate some of the legendary Dr Motley’s story of when he first came to the United Kingdom.

Twenty-one year old Arthur Phillip (A.P.) Motley B.Sc. set out from New York and stepped upon Scotland’s shores at Glasgow for presumably the first occasion on the 28^th September 1928. He had travelled as a student on the Anchor Steamline ship ‘Caledonia’ – rather appropriate as he sought out a new life in Scotland to train as a doctor. 

The Italian Smoking Room on board the S.S. Caledonia

But perhaps at that stage he had little intention of settling in Scotland and building a new life for himself and instead he would simply return to America. But as Harold Macmillan reputedly once said ‘events, dear boy, events’.

On the ship’s passenger list his occupation is recorded as being a student however his name is mis-spelt as ‘Matley Arthur’. And further, his address and therefore first abode is listed as Ramsay Lodge Edinburgh – what a wonderful introduction to the capital to be accommodated at the top of The Royal Mile with its astonishing views over the city.

He needed to pass the University of Edinburgh’s Preliminary Examination in Arts and its Pre-Registration Examination in Elementary Science and was registered on December 12^th 1927. By the time he had arrived in Edinburgh he had graduated B.Sc. from the renowned black university Lincoln, Pennsylvania, in the same year, 1928.

Although he only moved to Edinburgh in the autumn of 1928 by the following year – aged around only twenty-two - in October 1929 - he married his wife Annette aged approximately eighteen. Come early the following year on the 5^th of February 1930 their daughter Annette Junior was born which suggests Annette was already four months pregnant when they wed.

One would need the pen of a skilled and imaginative novelist to do the story justice but it can’t but raise comparisons with A.P.’s illegitimate son Lewie born three years earlier in 1925 when he would have been around eighteen having just left L’Overture High School McAlester Oklahoma.

Perhaps if he were to have married the lady it would have prevented him from going into further education – one of those major crossroads in life – and if he had not done so and gone on that journey there would have been no Dr Motley in Oxgangs and the lives of thousands of his patients would have been very different and we who knew and loved him, well our lives would have been very different.

Further to this and as I reflected on A.P’s journey taken, there came a different twist in the road – one of those situations that was there – not hidden – but as far as I had been concerned, hidden in plain sight.

Because he had gone to the University of Edinburgh I had simply assumed that he had graduated from that esteemed institution – MB, ChB or MD. However, in fact he didn’t graduate at all begging the question that he may have failed those ferociously tough and much feared exams.

I’m unaware of how many years he spent at the University of Edinburgh but from some of my earlier research we do know he was listed as being a medical intern at the Royal Hospital Edinburgh in 1935. An intern is normally someone who has completed a medical degree but is not yet able to practice, which if that premise is correct adds to the mystery – perhaps his B.Sc. allowed him to do so?

But what we do know (from The Medical Directory) is that he passed the L.M.S.S.A. (Licentiate in Medicine and Surgery of the Society of Apothecaries) examination in 1939 – a surprising five years later - which allowed him to thereafter practice medicine.

‘The Society of Apothecaries, under a charter granted by King James, was authorised to license doctors in Britain.  The Society does not, however, operate any medical schools.  Rather, they conduct exams, and if the applicant passes the test, they are licensed to practice medicine. Apparently, people who fail their university medical exams often took the Society of Apothecaries test.’

And thus ‘the LMSSA functioned as an alternative to the usual system and was frequently used by graduates of foreign medical schools who wished to practice in Britain, as well as by people who failed their exams at British universities.  Apparently, there was little scope for retaking a failed exam.   The last Society of Apothecaries exam was given in 1999 and the Society's legal authority to certify doctors was revoked in 2008.  People already holding LMSSAs are allowed to continue to practice medicine.’ Peter Richards described it as non university examinations as ‘convenient insurance policies or late lifebelts.’

Going back to Dr Motley’s period as an intern in 1935, he, Annette and Annette Junior were living at 275 Leith Walk. That period - 1928 to 1935 begs such questions as to how the young A.P. was able to fund his travel to Scotland, the cost of studying here, living expenses etc. etc. Did he receive a scholarship? I suspect not. But looking back it must have been expensive and a challenge for him to support his young family - perhaps he had to work in part time jobs – a heavy burden when combined with onerous studies.

Between 1935 and 1939 the family moved out to the south of the city to Colinton Mains, set in the lea of the Pentland Hills, one of the newly developed areas of the city as Edinburgh began to spread her wings. Their new home was at 356 Colinton Mains Road, one of the Gumley houses. The family remained there until just before 1960 when he and Annette moved into the medical practice at McAlester Cottage which was listed as number 250 Oxgangs Road North in the 1960 Electoral Roll and as number 300 in the following Electoral Roll in 1965.

One further interesting snippet from The Medical Directory is that it lists him as having been the Honorary Medical Officer at Colinton Mains First Aid Post. Without having the knowledge that reference begs further questions. What were First Aid Posts? And what were Honorary Medical Officers? Given that he had qualified in 1939 when he became fully qualified to practice medicine was that his starting date in this post or was it from before then? Whatever, it paved the way for him to open his Oxgangs practice at McAlester Cottage, presumably after the Second World War.

I may be wrong, but the house – McAlester Cottage (clearly re-named by Dr Motley after he purchased it to remind him of his home and upbringing in America) - was designed by the architect A.A. Foot in 1927 for a J.C. Gibson Esq.

Passing the L.M.S.S.A enabled Dr Motley to join the army in 1941 in the R.A.M.C. (Royal Army Medical Corps). He was appointed as a Lieutenant on the 27^th September 1941 and whilst serving would have been a Captain. 

He was awarded the War Medal 1939-1945 and the 1939-45 Star for operational service.

So, with grateful thanks to Betty’s ‘ripple in the pond’ has helped to facilitate adding some further fascinating little snippets into the legendary and much loved Dr Motley’s story and of his earlier journey through life including when he first stepped onto Scottish shores – of his subsequent marriage to Annette and the birth of their daughter Annette Junior and a small insight into her teenage life – and also that he didn’t graduate from the University of Edinburgh.

I await to see what further ripples this small vignette makes – I’m sure there must be more water to flow under the bridge!

Oxgangs - A Capital Story

As the African proverb goes ‘It takes a village to raise a child.’

OXGANGS - A Capital Story is an updated version of the book The Stair which first came out in 2012.

Over 400 pages and told through easily digestible vignettes - over 200 in total - the book describes what it was like to grow up in 1960s Oxgangs on a new Edinburgh council housing estate set in the lea of the Pentland Hills.

The book focuses on the sixteen adults and twenty-five children who lived in an atypical stair at 6 Oxgangs Avenue between 1958 and 1972 all set within the social culture of the rapidly changing era.

In the years since the book first came out new information has come to light primarily through the Facebook group Oxgangs – A Pastime from Time Past. At 155,000 words the revised, updated and extended book is almost 40,000 words longer - a third larger than the original thus meriting a new separate print volume.

The Coronavirus lockdown gave me the opportunity to revisit the book through the prism of the group page by posting many of the vignettes on a daily basis providing some entertainment and general escape to members during a period of national emergency as well as allowing them the chance to engage and feed in to the ongoing story - editing it in real time so to speak.

From this process some members‘ comments and memories have been incorporated in to the book helping to expand the story I’ve tried to write and the portrait painted of the early days of Oxgangs from over half a century ago - a ‘capital’ tale of a young Edinburgh community and of a stair of people seen through the eyes of not just the author but also through the eyes of others.

It’s a local story with universal themes too.

I think the book may remain as THE Oxgangs book for generations to come and would make a nice Father’s Day; birthday or come the Festive period a present for Oxgangers young and old or why not simply treat yourself.

N.B. Priced at £15.99 from Amazon this is the print version: the updated illustrated version is also available very under its existing title The Stair.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/OXGANGS-Capital-Mr-Peter-Hoffmann/dp/B08B7KJCB4/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=peter+hoffmann+oxgangs&qid=1592667222&s=books&sr=1-3

Bullying Bar-Ox and Smiler the Laughing Policeman

In the light of the poignant and heartbreaking death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, America, the moniker for a policeman -  'Smiler' - could be seen as being insensitive and having a less appealing image to it than if this blog had been posted a few weeks ago. But it's one of challenges when writing social history and staying true to what happened in the past, good or bad.

One of the few drawbacks of living in Oxgangs was that at times there could be a slight undercurrent of violence. When I was very young and only just in to Hunters Tryst Primary School it might be the apprehension of being thumped by an older boy who even as he grew older never lost a very violent trait of wanting to intimidate, control and severely hurt other boys and then in later years young men and then eventually men too. Having gone on to study psychology and as an educationist I’m now aware that he ticked most of the boxes for being either a sociopath or a psychopath. But, unlike many unfortunate others despite having occasional interfaces I never fell victim to any physical violence from him, managing to box clever over the years, so to speak.

Probably because I was too lippy and was reluctant to be bullied by anyone the main fights I was ever involved in were after school at Hunters Tryst Primary School outside the school gate on Oxgangs Rise – I’ve absolutely no idea why as we weren't in the same class or had anything much to do with each other but often it was with George Catterson, but I was never a ‘fighter!’

As we grew older and in to our teens some individuals saw it as a right of manhood or passage to be macho and to get into fights. Apart from wanting to protect life and limb the thought of hurting another individual had no appeal to me – I would have been too 'soft' to ever wish to inflict damage on anyone, but a few others were less so inclined.

There was a lad – a Malcolm someone from Oxgangs Park who was always spoiling for a fight with me and for whatever reason seemed to have taken against me but it never came to blows. Indeed my only recall of ever really getting beaten up was when for no accountable reason whatsoever I had walked across Oxgangs Avenue in a ‘dwam’ and from out from behind some parked cars Gilbert Fraser jumped out and attacked me from behind - before I was aware what had happened I was on the ground suffering various kicks to the head and face ending up a bit dazed with cuts and black and blue bruises to my body. When I went back home my mother wasn’t exactly pleased.

On a couple of early threads on the Oxgangs A Pastime From Time Past page several individuals talked openly about how bullying had impacted negatively on their lives and there was considerable discussion on the topic.

Whilst the area had various Bar-Ox signs written on to the walls of buildings I’m unsure just how apocryphal and how much of a myth the ‘gang’ really was but it’s something that completely passed me by.

Whatever, but to an extent it’s become slightly mythologised over the years.

There has been much debate over the years as to where the name came from. Paul Henderson said ‘The name comes from a local sergeant named Dick Bar who said the Ox is mine and Tiny Burns so the name was formed Bar- Ox.’ But Dougie Begbie said ‘Jimmy Catterson told me it had nothing to do with Dick Barr - it was Tiny Burns and Ronnie Hendrie who came up with the name - sort of copied from Bar-L.’ Whilst Joseph McKenzie remarked that ‘Dick Barr was one of the better polis along with George Ferguson who knew everyone in Oxgangs.’ Jayne Hinds mentioned Ronnie McPhail who had ‘…spray painted the first BAR-OX sign on the road at Greenbank as the bus came down into Oxgangs.’

Gordon Douglas said ‘It was not until I went to Firrhill Secondary for a couple of years that I met the guys who would become lifelong friends and it was not till I joined the Community Centre up at the Broadway that my friendship grew with these guys, most of whom became founder members of the Bar-Ox named by Ronnie Hendry, it was a cross between the Bar–L (which was slang for Barlinnie) and Oxgangs...' However, Terry Cameron said ‘Far be it to contradict your memory, but our take on who named the infamous Bar-Ox was Brian Stewart; it was at the time of all the Glasgow gangs - Bar this, Bar that! etc. Brian found an old Roy Rogers annual in the bins at Firrhill shops; in it there was a picture of a ranch ‘The Bar-Ox’. He sprayed it on the door under the stairs next to the Dummy Dairy and just like that the urban legend was born! The reason I know this, I was there with his brother Gary, Rod Newlands and Gerry Donaghy when he did it one Sunday afternoon in 1966!'

Terry may or may not be right but without access to the annuals I guess it’s impossible to check. Not that it confirms anything either way but Roy’s ranch itself was the Double R Bar Ranch - but a great wee tale. Afterwards I contacted a Roy Rogers specialist who has eleven of approximately twenty eight annuals; he kindly spent a few hours of his time going through them but he said he couldn’t find any reference to Bar-Ox, however the term ‘Bar’ featured quite regularly. I’m not sure if that takes us any further.

Harry Chamberlain said ‘I never became a member (was anyone?) of the Bar Ox gang. All my life I tended to stay away from any 'gang'. When I lived in West Pilton I was scared of the gang known, as I remember, as the Pennywell Gang. I’m sure if I ever met any of them.’ Thus I was similar to Harry in that (thankfully) it too passed me by; perhaps also because I moved away from Oxgangs when I was sixteen.

And as for our local policeman – Smiler - well he crops up in a few of my Letts School Boy diaries from 1971 and 1972

Monday 25^th February 1971 After tea an atypical Oxgangs winter evening. I did no studying but instead a bunch of us played some football across in the playground including Boo-Boo and Les. However we had to scarper (somebody must have called the police – the ‘No Football' sign?) and Keith was too slow and got caught by the cops. Fortunately it was 'Smiler'.

Sunday 25^th April 1971 Back at Oxgangs we were off our guard and got caught by the cops. It was Smiler and he gave us a bit of a tongue-lashing waving his black book at us.

From many of the comments about him on the Oxgangs Facebook page he seemed to be reasonably popular – at least for a policeman! – and generally regarded as being both reasonable at times but on occasion could be sneaky coming down hard on one or two people too. I wonder if he was partly a link to the past - not averse to clipping people’s ears or kicking them up the backside, but also part of a new wave of constables on the beat.

Alan Black said ‘I can remember him stopping us by the Broadway shops and asking us if we liked Dr Marten’s boots and how comfy they were as the police were bringing them in for the PCs – I was just glad he never asked us what was in the bag as fifteen year old me had just been in the Goodies Off Licence for supplies.’

Law Or recalled that the ‘last time I saw Smiler he was standing at Haymarket in his position of Inspector, controlling all the other cops at a Hearts home game. He looked just the same apart from the fancy uniform and what was worse he remembered me.’

John Clement remembers ‘Jack (Smiler) Simpson not only from Oxgangs but because he worked part time in the same butcher shop as me and George Ireland at Bruntsfield but only on a Saturday. Smiler was a decent enough guy most of the time but he did nick me for being drunk and disorderly at Tollcross: I spent the night at Torphicen Police Station - I probably deserved it - there was also another local cop but I can’t remember his name - he was a devious git if I remember well!’

I probably would have concluded this blog saying something along the lines of just as well we (well, most of us) can smile today, but somehow in the wake of George Floyd's tragic death, it would be inappropriate to do so.

There Was A Gully Between Us

Second Back Row second left Peter next to the gorgeous and vivacious Joyce; Audrey Smith in the row in front four in from the right

Thus far romance hasn’t really featured within The Stair.

At primary school I took the gorgeous Joyce Colbron to ‘The Quali’ - the school-leavers’ Qualifying Dance, although I’m unsure what that meant – qualifying for what? I think I asked Joyce rather than t’other way around but who knows with Joyce. 

Peter and Joyce at Oxgangs Farm Drive before heading down to 'The Quali'

Certainly earlier on she’d invited me to one of her fantastic memorable birthday parties that her mum used to put on at Oxgangs Farm Drive so I was clearly a smart part of her life. But as alluded to on For Whom The Bell Tolls when we went our separate ways at the end of P7 I never saw Joyce again until we met up at one of the class lunches at Swanston half a century thereafter – she was still as vivacious and outgoing as ever. Serendipitously we’re sitting beside each other in the 1965 class photograph too as we were at our lunch fifty years later.

Hunters Tryst lunch June 2019 Back row Peter with his arm around Joyce

I was also quite friendly with Audrey Smith including venturing down with her and some of her dancing pals one summer to Portobello Open Air Pool. Of a summer’s evening if I couldn’t get to sleep I used to fantasise how I’d come and rescue Audrey, Rapunzel-like from her top floor flat at 6/8 Oxgangs Street in my open top sports car – boy what an imagination; little did I know she was already leading a full life on her way to carving out a successful professional dancing career. But in later years we did meet up with her again but by then she had already met the man I think she was to go on to marry.

21^st April 1975 I spent several hours in the Meadowbank Cafe chatting to a variety of people including Audrey Smith my Hunters Tryst Primary School girl-friend. She’s a professional dancer appearing on the Andy Stewart shows at Hogmanay, etc. She's still as lovely in all senses of the word, a gentle girl with just an innate loveliness to her.

27^th April 1975 I noticed that Audrey Smith was down at Meadowbank again today so I spoke to her for a few minutes – she’s as lovely as ever.

5^th June 1975 Earlier in the day I was out with Audrey Smith, then out to Heriot-Watt and I also was up at Robin Morris’s bank (Credit Lyonnais) and then had a wee kick about at Oxgangs.

6^th June 1975 In the evening I took my old Hunters Tryst Primary School girlfriend Audrey Smith to a dance but she had to leave early…

But before I left The Stair for the last time on St Andrew’s Day 1972 I had experienced both the joys and the despair that young love brings.

Tuesday 1^st June 1971 I was off Boroughmuir again so no History; no Geography; no French et al. There's a very bonny looking girl called Shona who regularly walks past 6 Oxgangs Avenue with a large Red Setter dog who I quite fancy – the girl, no the dug!. I think she lives out toward Firrhill Crescent. She's tall, very thin, with long straight dark brown hair and almond eyes; she's an absolute stunner. Anyway I introduced myself by ‘accidentally’ crashing the Chopper bike into her as she passed 6 Oxgangs Avenue whilst out walking the dog on the lead. I felt dreadful afterwards for doing it but it enabled me to start speaking to her as I had to apologise profusely. She walks by daily so I'll be able to speak to her when I just ‘happen’ to be about.

Tuesday 16^th November 1971 A good day for me. First thing I headed down to Morningside early doors to do my papers however what was a bit of a pain was that the staff who were supposed to be covering didn’t bother turning up on time which held us all back - the girls and I were not happy bunnies - pretty shoddy. School was fine today. The next piece of good news is that I'm totally in love with the prettiest girl who walks past 6 Oxgangs Avenue each afternoon. She takes a Red Setter dog out for a long walk away up round by the Gully. Her name's Shona Smith. I just about fell over when I saw this vision of beauty floating along outside the house. I'm already bitterly regretting my disastrous Iain administered haircut. She lives up at Firrhill Crescent. I came in quite early tonight because it was absolutely freezing cold - I'll need to wrap up for the morn's early start. The final part of the jigsaw today was that I made a wee contribution as I helped Iain with his French homework.

Wednesday 17^th November 1971 I didn’t go to Dr Roger’s - that was an earlier entry and as I'd predicted I'd no intention of returning to see him. It was a right beezer out this morning; with my short hair I needed to keep my Fair Isle hat on. In to school again today; we were given the dreaded Boroughmuir exam timetable which gave me a queer feeling in my stomach. However the BIG NEWS is that I got off with Shona. We walked the dog. I thought it was her's but she walks it for a friend. She's a lovely girl and we had a good chat. It's easier to talk when you're out walking. I walked her all the way home to 26 Firrhill Crescent. It had started snowing and I ran all the way back home feeling very happy. I must start saving up hard so that I can take her out. Being a Wednesday I watched Sportsnight with Coleman. There was a big boxing match on - Britain's Jack Bodell against the famous American Jerry Quarry who’d fought Cassius. It was over in a minute - fair play to Bodell coming forward but Quarry took him out with a big right hand - it was the first time he's been knocked out - he couldn’t get up as his legs were wobbling like a jelly. The blinking announcer doesn’t hang about though - he had the microphone in his paw whilst poor old Jack was still being dragged back to his corner - aye they don’t muck about at the boxing.

Note To Self - Save Up.

Thursday 18^th November 1971 I was out and about in some snow this morning doing my papers. Rather than trudging up Morningside Drive I had a wee spring in my step as I was looking forward to seeing Shona after school. I went in to school too - it was fine; I skived off mid-afternoon but it was only table tennis so I don’t think that really counts. I took the 16 bus home to get ready to go out with Shona. We had another nice walk up to The Gully then back down to Firrhill Crescent. I skipped back home to 6/2 with a light step for my tea. Top of the Pops was the only decent thing on the telly - it featured Olivia Newton-John's very catchy ‘Banks of the Ohio.’ The programme ended with Cher's ‘Gypsies Tramps and Thieves’ - there's something very haunting about that song.

Note To Self - Save Up.

Friday 19^th November 1971 I did my papers but for some totally unknown reason I didn’t bother going in to school today. I don’t know why as Fridays are easy with the weekend ahead - and it would have given me more or less a full house for the week. The long and eagerly awaited guitar finally arrived in the post this morning from the Chorlton Catalogue. I don't know what I was expecting but come the end of the day I still can’t play it. After Firrhill was out Shona and I went off for a walk but we got off to a bad start - we soon made up but you don’t half need to dance around the houses to keep some people happy. It was another of our long walks. Back at Firrhill Crescent I met her dad - he seems a nice bloke. We've exchanged photos. 

Saturday 21^st November 1971 Today was probably the best day of the year. Being a Saturday alone is cause to celebrate but that was only for starters. I collected my pay from Pamela Baird - always a good moment. I just kind of glided through the paper round, the reason being that I was already looking forward and planning for my first 'official' date with Shona. We were going out to the cinema to see The Go Between. Being out early made for quite a long day but it gave me plenty of time to plan ahead and get myself organised. I wanted to look my very best subject of course to the limitations of my haircut which is the only cloud on the horizon. I wore my new pair of Levi's, my Ben Sherman shirt and my parka. I collected Shona from 26/5 Firrhill Crescent and then we took a number 16 bus in to town. It was a really successful evening - better than I could have hoped for. The film was excellent; I perhaps enjoyed it more than Shona. When I'd been planning out the evening you're never quite sure how it might pan out but everything went brilliantly. Afterwards we got a bus home from Morningside no problem. I felt like I was in a dream walking Shona home along the burn and back to Firrhill Crescent. She invited me in and we sat in watching the telly and talking with her mum and dad. I managed to converse okay with them trying not to commit any faux - pas' - I think I managed. They're dead nice and even thoughtfully went off to bed shortly before I left. I didn’t get home until 12.30 a.m. I got a row for being out late but I wasn’t too bothered. I'm off to bed now to dream about Shona. 

Sunday 21^st November 1971 This morning I was like the cat with the cream still purring over last evening's date with the lovely Shona. I was on cloud 9. It was a nice sunny fresh day and Shona and I went out for a long walk with the Red Setter. We were out for a good few hours wending our way around The Gully and back homeward through Braidburn Valley and on to Firrhill Crescent. It's a great feeling out walking with your girlfriend on a soft autumn Sunday - what could be better in life? A wee change from running about wild down at Meadowbank with Paul Forbes. Once I got back home to 6/2 I tidied up my bedroom adding a wee artistic touch by pinning some of my album covers on to the wall. It's not an original idea - I've seen it in the likes of the Jackie magazine and Fiona and Liz Blades from upstairs have done it too - I guess I'm trying to show Shona that I'm trendy. Early evening I nipped across to Shona’s to give her a loan of an album before running back home for a telly evening in. The Royal Variety Show was on. It was so-so - Shirley Bassey was the big star. I’m off to bed now; what a weekend - I'm on a high but of course the cautious side of me asks can it last?

Monday 22nd November 1971 I'm disappointed to write that Friday's day off from Boroughmuir extended into the start of this week as I didn't go in to school today. I did my papers okay first thing and came back home to Oxgangs and then the shutter just seems to come down. The thought flashes across my mind How do you fancy a wee day off school? and that's it - it's a bit like the Oor Wullie’s devil tempting him but without the counter balance of the angel saying ‘Now William - or Retep - just ignore that devil of a rascal.’  It's like my subconscious just closes down that side of my brain so that there's no internal debate at all. So that was that - off for the day. The only positive was being about at 6/2 for the postie - a surprising number of presents arrived from abroad from the old boy. Now that was a turn-up for the books. I could hardly wait for the school bell to ring out and for Shona to come wandering by with the dog. The two of us then went for another long walk and I ended up kissing her for the very first time - FANTASTIC - I felt dead happy. We then went back to 6/2 where we watched a wee bit of Blue Peter on the telly together before she left. 

Tuesday 23^rd November 1971 I was off school again. A lovely wee repeat of yesterday as the lovely Shona and I went for a walk hand and hand (apart from when I would break off to show off a bit.). However this time we ended up kissing tons of times. After tea I was invited around to the Smiths house at 26/5 Firrhill Crescent. I was along there in a flash - well a couple of minutes as it's about half a mile away. We had a nice evening sitting in with her parents watching the telly - a film was on called Comrade X with old Clark Gable; however I wasn’t taking much of it in. Telly or not we still managed to get lots of kissing done on her doorstep before I left for home at 10.30 p.m. VERY HAPPY DAYS. I skipped home across the Oxgangs streets to 6/2. It all must have taken it clean out of me as I had some porridge and milk for my supper - I've never done that before. I sat in and penned part of a wee letter to Shona before reading for a while.

Wednesday 24^th November 1971 I did my paper run first thing but once again I skived off school. The recent posts have been some of the happiest of 1971 - this one is the saddest at least so far...it's a single subject entry - Shona. The bad news is that the BIG ROMANCE whilst not fully snuffed out I'm afraid the flame is flickering very badly. As per usual I sprinted down to Firrhill Crescent full of the joys but I never saw the train-crash coming. I know Shona likes me but she's told me she doesn’t love me. I'm the opposite. I wrote her a wee note using all the literary powers at my command partly because I'm better on paper but also it meant she'd be able to read it again after I was gone. After she read the ‘masterpiece’ she told me she'd speak to me tomorrow after school. Anyway I ran home in the bitterly cold wind in tears thinking about our likely split up.  When rather than if we break up whatever girls I meet in future I'll never care for them as much as I love Shona. She'll move smoothly on to the next man in her life. If I had access to a genie my single wish would be for her to be head over heels in love with me. I'm off to bed; I reckon it could be a sleepless night. I know you can’t hear me across the night air Shona but I love you.

Note To Self - Get letter

Thursday 25^th November 1971 I still managed to get out of my bed to do the morning papers. The dark November morning reflected my dark mood as I trudged up dimly lit Morningside Drive - no oomph in my step as I thought about last night. I came home to 6/2 and of course didn’t bother going in to Boroughmuir. If I had it probably would have been good for me and taken my mind off things but how can you go back to school on a Thursday? After school Shona and I went for our usual walk with the dog up and around The Gully at Fairmilehead Park. We've decided we're not going to be serious for about a year. After tea I was out with everyone else playing at Singles. It was good running about until I took a bad fall - I've hurt my hand quite badly - probably a sprained wrist or something. When I came in I played some of my singles; I've moved the record-player; it's pretty good and actually quite cheered me up. 

Friday 26^th November 1971 I put in a wee shift and did my papers first thing but no Boroughmuir afterwards I'm afraid. Instead of going in to Bruntsfield I went into town and bought myself two new records. In the evening we all had some good fun. We had a full bedroom with Shona; Joyce Vert; Steve Westbrook and Gilbert Fraser in. We heard a bit of noise outside - it was the Craigs from the bottom of Oxgangs Avenue - we chased them halfway down the road. Late on we went up to watch the Friday evening horror film at Gilbert's but it wasn’t very good at all. 

Saturday 27^th November 1971 I had a bit more of a spring in my step not just because it was a Saturday and that I'd just collected my pay but because I was looking forward to spending time with Shona. It turned in to one of the best Saturdays of the year which could only have been bettered if I'd been at the school during the week to truly savour and appreciate the weekend rather than life being one long flippin holiday. After breakfast and making sure I was looking my best Shona and I spent the morning in town. We went in to Princes Street and went for a wee walk around the shops including going in to Woolies at the east end. I felt like a million dollars with such a beautiful girl on my arm. In the afternoon I enjoyed a good game of football. There was a surprisingly good crowd out. It helped that autumn hasn't quite turned in to winter. Afterwards a few of us went up to see Joyce Vert at Oxgangs Farm Drive. Mike Hanlon got off with her - she's a bonny and fun girl. In the evening I was round at 26/5 Firrhill Crescent; we spent some of the evening watching the telly including the Cilla Black Show. Later we chatted away and had a wee late night kiss - a fantastic day - back home to 6/2 at midnight. I started and finished the day with a spring in my step - it's great to be in love.

Sunday 28^th November 1971 Since the Frasers moved in up above they seem to have acted as a catalyst for us all to get back out playing again. We all enjoyed a very good game of footie all helped by the decent spell of weather. It surely can’t last as winter starts officially in a couple of days’ time.  Mid-afternoon I met up with Shona and we enjoyed a wee walk out with the dog. I guess we're falling a long standing tradition of couples walking out on a Sunday. When I came back home I noticed John Fraser who’s the older brother of Gilbert and Liz out fixing his bike in the back shed. Up to now it's only ever been me who’s ever done that at 6 Oxgangs Avenue. I was speaking to him - he's a real expert on the bikes whereas I'm a bit of an amateur and a bit ham-fisted. In the evening I enjoyed a good blether with Ali Douglas and Tam Smith, two of the best lads around. I then settled back on my bed and read my Shoot football magazine. It's been a good weekend after a poor week on the schooling front.

Note To Self - Iain’s Birthday

Monday 29^th November 1971 Well I went back to Boroughmuir today. In some ways it was a bit of a breeze because it was the start of the exams week. I'm not sure if that came as a surprise to me or not but I've not done any studying and had a very full weekend but I should have known better as we got the timetable a week or two back. Anyway on the good news front my absence wasn’t even commented upon or perhaps even noticed. It was the English exam today - hopefully I've got a pass. So a wee bit of English and that was that for the day I couldn’t wait to get back off home to Oxgangs where both Iain and Anne were off for the afternoon from Firrhill and Hunters Tryst. Later on a few of us had a game of football across in the playground - it’s great as it's floodlit by the street lamps. It was Iain's birthday today so we all settled down for a special wee tea including Nana’s chocolate cake; he's a teenager today so it was an even more special birthday. At night I was hanging about talking with the bunch. I still love Shona.

Note To Self - Ali Douglas’ Birthday

Tuesday 30^th November 1971 Today I had two exams. We had History in the morning and Geography in the afternoon. Geography was a bit of a struggle. After school I met up with Shona. I was pretty sure we'd split up but no in fact we ended up getting on pretty well - maybe I'm winning her over with my charm.

Wednesday 1^st December 1971 I perhaps spoke too soon; we had the Arithmetic Exam today and I found it pretty hard going. In the afternoon Shona wandered by and I joined her for a walk up to Fairmilehead Park and The Gully. I was going to split up with her but instead I'm now off with her - it's OFFICIAL. Later on I watched Sportsnight with Coleman. Scotland were beaten by the Hollanders 2-1; Cruyff scored early on then they got a late goal - a pity as it's a nice balanced wee team we've got there and good to see Hibs’ Pat Stanton playing for the team again

Thursday 2^nd December 1971 The day started full of hope and ended in disaster. Not my Biology exam - that was always going to end in tears but my relationship with Shona. I met her after school was out and we've split up.

Wednesday 8^th December 1971 With my exams out the way I didn’t bother going in to the school today. After getting Baird’s out the way, instead of going in to Boroughmuir I went in to town instead. It was a successful trip to the shops. I bought myself a new jersey at Goldbergs - it's brilliant. I also bought some Christmas cards - good to be organised. I'm not quite sure how it happened but in the evening I ended up going back down to the training at Meadowbank Sports Centre. I guess it's partly down to not going about with Shona - if she'd still been on the go I probably wouldn’t have bothered ever going back to athletics. Anyway I haven't been back since we were turfed out of the club by the Edinburgh Athletic coach Mr Walker several weeks ago. I think Wednesdays are more an evening for Edinburgh Southern Harriers; I was chatting up the lovely Jan McCall - she's as beautiful as Shona. I'm hoping to get off with her tomorrow.

Sunday 12^th December 1971 My day off from papers but I was still up at a reasonable hour to fetch in the Sunday papers and rolls from Ewart’s at Oxgangs Broadway. The fair winter weather continues and late morning we all enjoyed an excellent side of football. The Robertsons have moved away now from 4/ 2 Oxgangs Avenue to Penicuik but Keith was down to visit us so it was good that he could join in with a big group of us for a game.  Mid-afternoon it was back home to 6/2 for the rest of the day. At this time of the year the light's fading pretty fast. What was good was that the telly was excellent. First of all we watched a film called Random Harvest. It was a long film but it had us all hooked from the start to the finish as it wended its way through all sorts of ups and downs caused by Ronald Colman's amnesia which ebbed and flowed throughout the film - all's well that ends well – you can’t beat a good romantic film with a happy ending. Talking about happy endings unfortunately for me Jonathon Taylor's got off with Shona. She didn't hang around. Benny Hill's number one just now and as he says in the Ernie the Milkman song: ‘But a woman's needs are many fold and soon she married Ted.’ Appropriately enough there was a film on in the evening called The Man In Between. It was another good film but quite different from this afternoon as it was a thriller rather than a romance. It starred James Mason who’s a really interesting actor. He’s got something extra - there's something about both his looks and brooding presence but I especially like his languid clipped whispering voice which I find quite mesmerising. He's obviously bright too - I read in The Sunday Express that he got a First from Oxford or Cambridge - somebody to aspire to.

Sunday 5^th March 1972 Well that’s Dougie Blades in business - Edinburgh’s newest entrepreneur. He’s started his milk business at Wester Hailes and I started working as his new assistant early this morning. We drove down to Murchie’s Dairy at Tollcross to collect crates of milk etc. and then out to Clovenstone. After breakfast mid-morning Paul and I travelled across Edinburgh to Meadowbank Sports Centre to do some training; it’s the first time we’ve been down there for ages. We spent most of the day there. First we did some training then went up to the café for some chips. Later we did some more training then played some table tennis - it’s easy to sneak on. I quite fancy this girl but I’ve got no chance. However Shona Smith wants off with me again.

Monday 6^th March 1972 I went in to Boroughmuir today and I have to say it was okay - not a bad day at all. And on the love-life I’m due to be getting back off with Shona again tomorrow. On top of that I went training in the evening so all round a pretty good day in the life of Retep Nnamffoh. We seem to have been accepted back in to the Edinburgh Athletic Club set up again and I quite enjoyed myself. I was doing the high jump at Meadowbank; it’s brilliant landing on the big soft mats. Oh I’ve been entered by the club in the Scottish Cross Country Championships. I got back to Oxgangs to watch Steptoe and Son; always a wee treat - ‘AROLD!’

Tuesday 7^th March 1972 Having been on the go from early morning until late at night it was no wonder that I slept in for the milk this morning but I did go into Boroughmuir and once again I really enjoyed it. After I got home I went up to Joyce Vert’s before heading across to Firrhill Crescent to Shona Smith’s; we watched the Cliff Richard film Finders-Keepers. I kissed her. I ran home to 6/2 Oxgangs on the wings of love - I was just floating along. I’m off to my bed to eat some juice and crisps - Globe Red Kola and Golden Wonder Smokey Bacon.

Wednesday 8^th March 1972 I was up with the dawn chorus to join Dougie for the milk run. It takes us a few hours by the time we drive down to Lochrin Place then out to Clovenstone to do the work and then back to Oxgangs before then heading into Viewforth for school. What a flipping laugh we had today. Back home to Oxgangs where I was able to watch the Ujpest Dozsa v Celtic European Cup match; it was on STV and because it was an early kick off I was able to watch it when I got in at 4 o’clock. Richard Burton and Liz Taylor were in the city filming and paid for a party for the fans - £5000 worth. In the evening Joyce Vert; Stephen Westbrooke and I went down to Shona’s. It took a while but I got round to kissing and cuddling her. I’m back home; now that I’ve written up my diary I’m off to bed.

Thursday 9^th March 1972 Another not bad day at Boroughmuir again; school’s been going surprisingly well. However a disaster on the love front as Shona packed me in. It was disappointing but as it’s the second time my heart isn’t broken the way it was last November; but I’m still licking my wounds. After school and with the light really stretching out we had a great game of football down at Colinton Mains Park. I played really well; despite not playing for ages the silky touches are still there, the fitness is good and I’m still the quickest player on the pitch. Afterwards Paul and I went down to Meadowbank in the evening. It wasn’t very good but I was impressed at Helen Thomson jumping five feet - much higher than I could do and she’s younger. She’s good looking. I got home late evening. I’m sitting in the bedroom playing my records.

Postscript

A few years later I bumped into the lovely Shona at Meadowbank; we must have exchanged letters. I can’t quite recall if we went out afterwards. But I don’t think so. 1975 was a busy summer for me – I was off to the European Championships, running for Britain and in love with lovely Alison Cutting so for me the world had moved on.