The Go-Between

Saturday, 20^th 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 (Smith). 

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 Firhill 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. 

Derek Cameron (Yerbury)

The film was really good, but 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 Firhill Crescent. She invited me in and we sat in watching the telly and talking with her mum 'n 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 bothered! 

I'm off to bed now to dream about Shona. 

Oxgangs-A Pastime From Time Past #14 The Calder Family, 8/5 Oxgangs Avenue

Front left to right Pamela, Bernie, baby George, Rosemary and Laurence. Dad Laurence and Mum Mary At back

I mentioned in a very early blog the Calder family who lived at 8/5 - there were four children (actually five!) all of whom were older than me - Bernard, Laurence, Pamela and Rosemary plus baby George. I didn't have a great deal to do with them, but I recall liking Laurence - perhaps he was involved with Douglas Blades in such exploits as racing around the four blocks (four Stairs) pushing an old pram with one of us crouched in it hidden under a blanket? When I met Douglas Blades at the end of October, 2012 he mentioned that he used to go up to play with the Calders and was envious that they had a top of the range Hornby Dublo train set with a displayed certificate on the wall whilst Douglas had to make do with a Tri-ang.

In the news column a while back I made mention of how Bernard had worked all his life at our beloved Dominion Cinema before dying a several years ago.

'The Dominion's chief projectionist Bernard Calder has passed away. The cinema said: "Over the last 44 years he had threaded the projector, prepped the lighting and lit the screens of the Dominion Cinema for tens of thousands of performances. His professionalism, dedication and love for the medium of film made him a pleasure to work with. We will miss him'.

The Wednesday Profile #2 Moyra's Story 'Full Circle - Memory of Life in Oxgangs and Colinton Mains'

Hi Peter, I've "spoken" to you before, about Dr Motley. I bought your book The Stair from Amazon. I started it yesterday afternoon, fell asleep clutching it last night and resumed immediately I woke up this morning. Finished it a couple of hours ago. I loved it.

I knew quite a few of the people mentioned. I'm a few years older than you (69) and moved to Oxgangs when I was 13/14 - late 1961/62. We stayed in Oxgangs Farm Gardens then moved over to Oxgangs Rise in 1965. When we first moved out from the town centre - I thought I was going to the back of beyond! My mother didn't recognise the place until she bumped into Annie Burke in The Store.

Tommy Egan tackling Jimmy McGrory

Tommy Egan, playing for Birmingham City

She had been my mother's first neighbour when she married my father in 1937. At that time my father played for Hibs (Tommy Egan 1933-1938) and their wedding gift from the club was 6 months rent on a brand new house in Colinton Mains.

Colinton Mains shops development, photograph J. Dickson

Of course Oxgangs/Firrhill didn't exist then. The trams stopped up at Firrhill roundabout and you had to walk the rest of the way. Annie Burke was also Eric Smith's mother in law - he's still fine - saw him at the bowling club on Friday.

I went to St Thomas', then all girls, so didn't really get to know many people before leaving school and starting work. After a year with St Cuthberts I got a job in the chemist at Colinton Mains, so knew the Neil's, McNish, Andreetti's etc. Dr Motley was our doctor.

Photograph courtesy David McLean, Lost Edinburgh

Photograph, Mr Davies, courtesy Phil Green

When we moved over to the Rise( no.5) I met the Flynn family (no.13),who lived next door to the Hunters Tryst janitor, Mr Philips. I can remember the kids making slides in the winter and also throwing snowballs at our windows. Bessie Flynn's first introduction to my father came when she was walking up the hill and he came running out of our house using very colourful language and questioning the parentage of the boys throwing the snowballs - it could have been you and your pals!

Colinton Mains Jumble Sale, Scotsman Publications

Bessie became my good friend and also my mother in law! when I married her son Dennis. Our first date was at The Plaza in Morningside. I also worked part time in The Dominion for about 3/4 yrs part time, then 2/3 yrs full time, managing the coffee lounge/restaurant. I also babysat the Cameron children.

Derek Cameron, photograph by Yerbury

Dennis and I live in Firrhill and (life going full circle) - our daughters live in Colinton Mains, one a couple of blocks from where my parents lived in 1937 and the other a couple of blocks from the Colinton Mains shops with one of them now working in the chemist I worked in more than 50 years ago.

Goodess but your stories have stirred up memories!

Thank you.

Moyra (Egan) Flynn

The Generation Game

Derek Cameron, Owner and Manager Dominion Cinema (Photograph by Yerbury)

'Nice to see you'...that's always been the friendly approach deployed at the family owned and run Dominion Cinema, Newbattle Terrace, Morningside, Edinburgh. Their approach to customer care is one which veers towards a relationship rather than a transaction-a concept which I'll explore in a future blog.

Dominion Cinema circa 1972

The cinema has remained in the ownership of the Cameron family for three generations. Until his death last year, Derek Cameron, the manager, never seemed to change in appearance even into the new century'. He was a charismatic individual; as you go down the steps inside the building to the lower level the walls are adorned with lovely old photographs of stars from the glamorous world of the cinema-Derek Cameron was at least as handsome as Cary Grant. And of course as mentioned in the News Column, it was Oxgangs' very own, Bernie Calder who was the projectionist for decades.

During the 1960s many, very happy Saturday afternoons were spent at 'T'he Dom'. Seven Brides for Seven Sisters seemed to be on regularly as did Genevieve and Reach For The Sky-Kenneth More had a very comforting presence. In Genevieve, the mews lanes in London reminded me of those at Merchiston.

The cinema was large-back then the Art Moderne building could seat 1375 people in its cavernous space. Saturday afternoon matinees were the most usual occasion for our visits-there would be a mix of us in attendance-Iain Hoffmann; Ali Douglas; Boo-Boo Hanlon; the Ramage twins, Les and Derek; and others too. After the matinee performance finished we regularly tried to sneak in to see the tea-time performance, by hiding in the loos; then when the lights dimmed, we went back in to the cinema under the cover of dark-as you could imagine, this wasn't always successful.When we were successful it made for a long day in front of the cinema-too long for Iain who might end up with a migraine

We were never flush with money, particularly when one added bus fares and the price of a Kia Ora drink onto the cost of admission. When we were hungry could we delay gratification for the pleasure of a nice, comfortable bus journey home at the expense of a sweet treat? It was always a tough call, because the walk home was a long one with much of it uphill. More often than not we would end up spending our bus fare home to Oxgangs on some sweets.The ideal was of course to have the best of both worlds.

Morningside Road on board the bus home. (Photograph by  Douglas Corrance)

Often we would chance our hands, get on board the number 16 bus and tell the bus conductor we had lost our fares. Try doing that today! Anyway, sometimes the conductor would be sympathetic and let us ride for free-I wonder if that was gender influenced at all? Did female conductors show a more caring dimension? If we did get told to get off the bus, hopefully it had at least travelled a mile or so up Morningside Road; although I think one or two caustic or even toxic conductors rang the bell several times for an immediate stop!

In the early 1970s I didn't attend regularly-I notice from a diary that I went to see Where Eagles Dare on Monday 19 April-the Edinburgh Holiday and declared the film to be 'fabulous'.

The following year the cinema was converted to a dual screen facility-today there are four screens.

Whenever I'm down in Edinburgh Tom and I always go along on a Friday evening; whenever they're in the capital, Will and his girlfriend Diane, always attend too-great to see the next generation experiencing the simple pleasures we got from half a century before.