Muriel Mackie and Sheila Hanson remember
Muriel Mackie (nee Bryce 1934) and Sheila Hanson (nee Brown 1940): interviewed by Liz Beevers in February 2007
Muriel MacKie (nee Bryce) (left) and Sheila Hanson (nee Brown) (right) at the coffee morning at St Margaret's Court on January 4th 2007
Both Muriel and Sheila were born in Juniper Green. They lived on Juniper Avenue which was then known as Belmont Avenue.
Belmont Avenue
© Nutsend Productions
Juniper Avenue formerly Belmont Avenue, thanks to James Adam for this image
Muriel stayed in 31 Belmont Avenue above the vennel. Sheila stayed down the vennel at number 35. Milne built the houses and Sandy Milne's sister Annie lived at 33. One of the houses had a toilet, but some of the others shared. Isabel Nixon came from the top of Belmont Avenue, it was called Milne's Yard then.
Sheila and Muriel share memories of the war
Air Raid Wardens and the Home Guard
Muriel's dad was in the ARP and was always first to his post at Calder's pub known today as the Kinleith Arms. They were organised in watches. "I can remember my uncle Jim Bryce, Tam Alison and Bob Blackwood who lived at the house near the Post Office. The Captain was Bill Terris! He lodged with Nan and Tam Allison in Foulis Crescent. He was a lawyer but he also owned picture houses in Kelty and was a director of Hibs and chairman of the then Scottish League. "
Sheila's dad was in the Home Guard. He was in a reserved occupation because he was foreman-joiner in Galloway's the paper mill (in Balerno) so he didn't go to war. "I remember my dad went out one night and he'd left his gun in the corner of the bathroom where he kept it!" I think they laughed a lot.
A bad night in the blackout
During the war when my grandfather died, I was very young. I was sleeping there at my grandfather's on the main street. I had to get up and run down the road to my dad's in Belmont Avenue (now 31 Juniper Avenue) to waken him and bring him up. It was all dark in the blackout.
The Anderson Shelter
This Anderson shelter stands in Woodhall Terrace Juniper Green in 2007, thanks to Gordon Renwick for this image
Sheila and Muriel remember the Anderson shelter for all the neighbours at the back green. The shelter was behind 31 and 35 Juniper Avenue). Muriel's mother went down to clean it and Sheila's father brought a felt home from the mill and hung it for a door. He was a joiner to trade and made two forms for them all to sit on.
There were Fairy Gardens that ran from where Dr Mackay's wood is now on the Lanark road. It had seats where you could sit out in the sun and those great big grasses, four of them and a shrubbery.
Characters of Juniper Green
Dr Moir was famed for his driving...! When he had an accident he didn't claim on his insurance. He'd hand over his address and say "Send the bill to me!"
Willie Forsyth had the greengrocer's where the chemist is now. He was doubled in two. When he married this woman they called "Lady" she shouted out of the upstairs window at the customers, "He won't be working today!" He died just weeks later. She moved into his house above the shop. There was a lot of talk about it in the village.
My mother had a row with Dr Henderson the minister of St Margaret's because she asked why he didn't pray for the King and Queen. Dr Henderson said "When I pray, I pray for all people. There's no way I'll pray for just the King and Queen!"
Danny Ward was the taxi-driver. He was always late. He worked on the railway at one time. He stayed above Scott's of Juniper Green. Everything at his home was from the railway - the LMS!