Recollections of her postman father
I remember... my father the postman
Based on an interview Evelyn gave to John Scott of Currie Local History Society on 7 February 2006.
The Juniper Green post would be put onto the afternoon Edinburgh bound train at the railway station
Evelyn's parents were Clement and Catherine Smart (nee Blair). Clement was born in 1899 and he died in 1968. Catherine was born in 1907 and she died in 2002.
Clement was a postman. He started work at Juniper Green in 1928 and retired 30 years later in 1958.
In those days there were two postmen at Juniper Green and the other was Jock Redmond. They alternated their rounds on a daily basis.
Work started at 6 am six days per week. The mail was collected from the railway station and then sorted in the back office.
Round 1 covered the houses in Lanark Road down to Gillespie's crossroads. Then down the old Wester Hailes road calling at the various small holdings until Smith's Farm at the canal was reached. Next along a path to Fernieflat and Russell's Farm then onto Whitelaw Farm which completed the postal round.
Clem would jump a fence and come up home via the Golf Course.
At that time the family home was 22, Baberton Avenue.
He would arrive home at 10.00 am and have his breakfast.
Clem would go back to the Post Office at 2.00 pm to sort the afternoon mail and then repeat round 1 as far as the crossroads.
He then returned to the Post Office to put the bagged mail onto the train to Edinburgh.
Round 2, which he alternated with Jock, delivered post to all the houses in the village.
What should be remembered is that all postal deliveries were on foot and made in all weather conditions. Evelyn, who occasionally went on the round with her father, particularly remembers his wet weather apparel. He wore a black oilskin cape which completely covered the post bags he was carrying. In her words he looked like "a man-mountain."
Evelyn remembers that a postman's pay was £2 and 14 shillings per week.
Clem's hobby was gardening.
Catherine Blair came from West Lothian and worked in service at Woodhall House to a Mrs Chancellor during 1927.
A year later she married and set up home in 22, Baberton Avenue where Evelyn was born.
Evelyn attended Juniper Green Primary School and Tynecastle Secondary.
She has very fond memories of the yearly Infirmary Parades where most everyone in the village took part. Horse drawn floats were decorated as were the shire horses from Bryce's and all the children got dressed up in fancy home made dress. They paraded through the village to the park where the judging took place. The day rounded off with a dance in the village hall.
Infirmary parades took place in all local villages and their objective was to raise money for the Royal Infirmary.