Memories of Juniper Green
I remember... life in Juniper Green
This article is based on snippets of a conversation with Willie Dea of 573 Lanark Road, Juniper Green on 11th February 1992 as recalled by Christine McBean.
Willie Dea was born in the house in 1913, originally a cottage belonging to his grandparents. It was enlarged in 1910 with a second storey for his parents to live in allowing his grandparents to live downstairs. It is one of the oldest houses in the village.
One of his earliest memories is at the age of 3 being held up to the window to wave his father who marched along Lanark Road with his royal Scot comrades on their way to Redford barracks en route to France. His father never returned; he was killed in action in 1916.
Willie started his education at the wee school in Baberton Avenue. Miss Davidson was his teacher. The infant school was separate from the main school until 1922 when the small school was made into a house for the janitor.
At the age of nine he transferred to George Heriot's school taking the train from Juniper Green station situated at the foot of station bray now known as Baberton Loan at the side of the post office. The train took him to the Caley station.
A bus service was introduced around 1922 and for half a penny Willie would sometimes travel to Colinton by bus. Then he would catch the train from Colinton. A ride on the bus was quite a novelty.
Juniper Green school took pupils up to the age of 14 when they either found a job or transferred to higher education at another school. Usually Boroughmuir or Tynecastle.
There was much activity around the churches of St Andrew's and St Margaret's.
The existing village hall in Juniper Park Road was built before the First World War. The rifle range is still in use today.
Many years ago behind the Kinleith Arms there was a community hall, a two storey building with the upper floor for entertainment like concerts and dances etc. The ground floor was used by Willie McLeod who made bicycles which were sold far and wide.
Willie also remembers being envious of some of his pals in the village who did not have a bath in the house as they could go along to the hall for a bath. For half a penny much fun was had having a bath in a tin tub with your pals. Willie's house had a bath so he did not qualify.
The village children played in a field which is now the school playground. The ground where the tennis courts are now situated was a large open space where bonfires were lit for Guy Fawkes and Halloween.
There was a row of cottages opposite the Village Hall in Juniper Park Road which were demolished to set up the kitchens run by the Council for many years. It is now occupied by 4 private houses.
Many of the lads were keen scouts, Willie amongst them. Some of the older children would pack all they required for a weekend's camping including water, food, records and a wind-up gramophone and they would walk to Craigentarrie, a shepherdess' cottage in the Pentlands. There they would play their music as loudly as they liked away from their parents.
The paper mills at Woodhall and Kinleith were the biggest source of employment but Torphin quarry and agricultural work gave work to some villagers.
Willie maintained that there were surprisingly few changes in the appearance of the village. The exception is the Iceland supermarket. A row of stone houses were demolished to build it. The traffic is much different. He remembered being "skelpt" for playing marbles in the road outside the house in case he was in the way of the horses and carts that passed occasionally.
At the shop where the electrician is today he mended bikes and cars. There is a large garage behind the shop which he used as a workshop. He had to close down his business due to ill health, TB, and it was taken over by Gillon the butcher's. On the outside wall there can still be seen the place where there were large hooks on which they hung the meat. The grocer shop had a chequered history before Scott changed it into a butcher shop.
Bert Porteous kept an ironmongery shop which was an extension to his grandmother's house, Mrs Hutton, at 558 Lanark Road. He sold everything from vegetables, sweeties for the kiddies, firewood, small gifts and household goods etc.
A chemist shop stood where the video shop stands today. Where the Royal Bank is situated there was a large house Montpelier.
There was a tea room, Linton', in Baberton Avenue.
Before he was born the present day post office was a fishmonger. However, for many years fisher women dressed in their traditional clothes came to sell fish on the corner of Baberton Avenue and Lanark Road.
Jessie Gray was one of the postmistresses, a true character, as was Annie Kane. Annie slept in barns and always wore a spotless white apron and carried what she possessed in a raffia bag.
Mr Pickin? Had a shoe repair business in Colinton, now a Chinese carry out. He made shoes for the villagers.
Mr Cattanach Was a family grocer, now Scott's. He deliverd with his horse and cart.
There was always a shop beside the hairdresser's as well as 6 or 7 houses. For many years Doug Stuart ran the newsagent shop.
The Scottish cooperative was the next building, now Margaret Best the optician. One half of the store housed grocery and fleshing (butcher) departments whilst the other half sold clothes, shoes and haberdashery. Willie remembered having shirts made for him here.
Next to the cooperative was Mr Nisbet, the plumber, grandfather to Mary and BettyNisbet.
Mr Turner, builder of many houses in the village, lived opposite. Mr Milne was another local builder.
Willie died in 1996. As this website is being constructed his sister Charlotte still lives in St Margaret's Court and has provided further memories of Juniper Green between the Wars.