EDMISTON STREET - PARKHEAD

Paul Gallagher has kindly e-mailed me some old photo's of the street that I used to live in - Edmiston St.

(Although the Photos are from the"Glesca Keelies" Website.)

The first one showing the corner of Edmiston St. and Springfield Rd. Showing "Leitch" the bakers, I was sometimes allowed in the back shop to help the baker to cut up the dough for the morning rolls, these were of course made at night. Also the wall behind the back close was also the back wall of the oven, so it was always warm and was a favourite spot for winching couples in the winter. Many a time my pals and me were chased away for annoying them ! Two or three doors up from the bakers, was a butcher who used to sell steak pies in enamel ashets. When you returned the ashets, you got back your deposit of 6 pence. The butcher would wash and re-use them, but he would place them up on the bars of the open window to dry. Well we would nick one every now and again and return it to him after a day or two for the 6 pence. He never twigged to what was going on because we never got "greedy" on it.
Ward's stores on the opposite corner, I remember as being called something like "The Star Emporium" but maybe it is my memory playing tricks. Anybody else remember this store ?

The second photo looking into Edmiston St. The tall man in the back left/middle of the photo is in front of the house on the corner of Palace St. Well when I lived there, that house was where the "Ness" family lived, the father was a bookies runner and used to take bets at that window. His daughter was Catherine Ness and was in my class at Newlands.
Our first house was the next close past the "Ness" house, No. 61 we were one up on the left. But this house had an outside shared toilet, so we later moved across the street to No. 48 which was on the right and had an inside toilet.
There was a wee dairy at the far right hand corner next to Delburn St and the owner (can't remember his name) had the only car that I ever remember being parked in our street in those days.
At the first close on the left there is a woman in white standing at it. Well just past her, you will see a wee low building between the two tenements. This was a wee single end flat (ground floor only - like a wee bungalow). it had it's own door in the back court which you had to access through the close. My cousin Billy Gibson lived in that flat when he first got married in the 1950s.

( Both photos are reproduced here by kind permission of Charlie McDonald at the "Glesca Keelies" Website.)

A Young-ish Pupil Surfaces... from the U.S.A.

Paul Gallagher who now lives in New Jersey USA., sent his class photo from Newlands and some of his memories which he relates in his email below. He also forwarded some nice old photo's which will be posted soon. Paul thinks Newlands continued to run as a school until around 1976/77, and if anyone can confirm, or give a best guess, we'd appreciate it.

.....extract from Paul Gallagher's email:.
My Name is Paul Robert Gallagher, I went to Newlands from 1967-to 1974 then went on to Riverside Senior Secondary. I lived on Burgher street, around the corner, and I could see the school from my bedroom window. The school photo shows me top row first from left. I can name most of my classmates. My best recollection is this photo was taken springtime of 1969. I remember the Head mistress as Mrs Spiers, although I may be mistaken. I can' t remember the teacher in the photo.

I had a great time at Newlands, and I have many great memories.

Some of the highlights were the football team run by two Policemen. Also at Christmas time of 1970, six of my classmates were chosen to appear on the STV religious program Late Call, (the very show the late Ricky Fulton spoofed On Scotch and Wry) although the reverend involved with my classmates and I was much more serious relating the Xmas message. I clearly remember watching them on TV which was so surreal, and they were all the talk of the school during the weeks leading up to the appearance, and after.

I remember, too, participating in the "Newlands Variety Show" with a full stage set up in the gymnasium. This was performed in front of the other students, and parents. A group of classmates and I were dressed as a Black and white Minstrels, singing Al Jolsen's April showers, (how I cringe at the thought of my singing), although it was fun.

There was a Teacher named Miss Horn who taught on the second floor at the front of the school on the Girls side. Also Mrs.Taylor, who's class was on the top floor at the back of the school on the girls side, was German with a very obvious strong accent. Was this a first for the school, having a foreign teacher? I wonder if anyone remembers the lollipop man's small room, first right as you walked in from the boys entrance. It always stank of cigarette smoke.

After I left Riverside I moved to Auchenshuggle for a short while, then moved to Mount Florida right next door to Hampden Park. Around 1986 I emigrated to the USA, were I have lived since. I have been back to see the old neighbourhood, and was shocked to see the changes, particularly to my old street.

. . . . PAULS CLASS PHOTO FROM AROUND 1969 (Modern)

JUST CLICK ON THE PHOTO

OR THE CLASS LIST

TO SEE AN ENLARGED VERSION.

( Then click on the BACK button )

. "THE TEACHER LOOKS LIKE A WEE LASSIE, SURE SHE DOES !"
.
. . . . . . . . . . PAULS CLASS LIST AS HE REMEMBERS IT !

THE ??? MEANS THAT WE DON'T YET KNOW THE NAMES.

IF YOU CAN HELP, PLEASE LET US KNOW.

Thanks again to Paul's good memory - he has identified the Teacher as "Miss McLean."

......written & submitted for Posting by PAUL R. GALLAGHER, now of New Jersey, U.S.A.