Downes' Green-Grocers, Colinton Village

I’ve always rather liked the traditional green-grocers shops selling fruit 'n vegetables which used to be so common on our high streets.

Like many small shops they’ve been decimated by large supermarkets.

There’s still one in Dingwall High Street.

Throughout the 1950s to the 1970s there was also one located at Oxgangs Broadway serving the community.

So, it’s rather wonderful that adjacent to Oxgangs at Colinton Village Patsy's wee shop is still going strong, since her grandfather (T.H. Downes) first opened the business in 1908.

Every few years I drop by convinced the shop will no longer exist, yet I’m always delighted to be proven wrong.

When we spent seven happy years living at West Mill between 1989 and 1996 we used to shop there.

Similar to Patsy's, these shops were always quite basic, with a distinct smell and feel to them and always painted with traditional green paint, usually fading, which all added to their appeal.

Entry for T.H. Downes from the Edinburgh & Leith Postal Directory from over a century ago

I don't think I'd linked the shop with the equally charming T.H. Downes' Nursery Garden and Greenhouses on the other side of the bridge, which we could see from our old West Mill Road kitchen window on the other side of the Water of Leith.

Today I looked in to buy some bananas for tomorrow’s Dundee Duel - note the old worldly till - a treasure - pre-decimalisation!

As ever Patsy was sitting on her stool, with the big old clock ticking, with a paperback to hand - a James Paterson - goodness knows how many books she’s read there over the decades.

I spoke to her and she was saying she’s going for a knee operation shortly, but although a little infirm she’s hardly changed in appearance since I first frequented the shop 30 years ago.

She told me she will be the last member of the family to run the business. 

Photies From The South-Oxgangs And Its Neighbouring Edinburgh Communities: Colinton Village Garages

It's occasionally occurred to me that perhaps an interesting linked follow on from The Stair would be to publish on the blog an occasional photo gallery, with a few comments. Similar to commencing the blog last summer it's not something which I've really thought through and getting a hold of personal photographs from individuals who lived in Oxgangs, Colinton Mains, Swanston Village etc. over the decades would be challenging. 

I don't think it should be restricted to the general period of The Stair i.e. 1958-1972, but could be from a century ago right up to today. I know that one of the followers of The Stair kindly offered to go out and take any photographs for me that I might need for The Stair as he is one hundred and seventy five miles closer to Oxgangs than me! With the changing seasons, new building developments, etc. there must be some interesting possibilities especially if one were able to intersperse these with photographs from time gone by. If any readers have any thoughts, suggestions, ideas (Perhaps I should explore putting a notice in Oxgangs Library?) or better still, photographs they might like to share, please get in touch! This could be done through the blog or by e mail-the address is: peter.hoffmann@btinternet.com

Photograph by Gordon Boyd

These two photographs would appear to have been taken over half a century ago. I vaguely recall seeing the old garage as it was as a wee boy, when I was in my grandfather's old converted Bedford van, when we bought some petrol at the old Swanson's Garage further up toward Merchiston Castle School. Now that I think of it I seem to recall he worked at the old butcher's shop that existed almost next door to Waddell's Garage at Spylaw Street.The butcher's shop was long established and on the go when we left Colinton for the Highands in 1996-despite walking past it each week and whilst walking Atticus when he was a very wee boy it never occurred to me that my grandfather had worked there-funny thing, memory! The garage still exists today and isn't too different-back in the late winter in January d'Artagnan and I enjoyed a meal with friends at the Spylaw Tavern next door. It still has a charm to it.

The second photograph (below) is interesting-selling petrol and Standard Vanguard cars on a shoe string-the site now has a large modern chemist's on it. These cars were produced between 1947 and 1963. I remember the site well when it remained unused for years. When we stayed at West Mill Road, Colinton for seven years it stood empty-I hadn't realised that it had formerly been a garage. Talking of garages, when we first moved to West Mill Road, three old Summer Wine gentlemen ran a hole in the wall garage for fun and an interest-it too had an old world charm to it.

Photograph by Gordon Boyd