Glaskhill Terrace Days

A Memory of Penicuik.

Born in Glaskhill Terrace 1952, (McCutcheon) eldest of 6. Dad George a miner and Mum (Sarah) a full time job caring for us all,.The street had lots of of families who had moved through from Blantyre, Burnbank, for the pits - Moat, Bilston and said words like watter etc A jumble of childhood memories - seeing the hills every day and memories of playing with the gang - Corrigans, Hendersons, Steins, Stokes, McLauchlins, Ingles , Selkirks, Cosgroves, Kennys, McGowan, Bordons, all raking up the back field - cowboys and Indians long before Cuiken was built, exploring up the White Bridge, Bog Wood and being daring and going to the Serpentine and the Targets - up the Pentlands with a with a bottle of water and pieces on jam all day (Billy Inglis always had Bovril!), raking around in the old piggery, finding bones and thinking they were human!, sledging down in Fletchers field. Having fights every day when Jackson Street school met with the Catholics from their school at the crossroads then linking arms to go home! Going to the Co-op (now Bellamns pub) ) with my mum for the messages and getting the dividend, getting free comics from the scaffie and big tins to make dens, Ramages the fruit van and you knew the seasons by the by the veg/fruit - Hallowen it was pomegrates and guising, gala days - watching it on the stage in the town square before going to the park for pipe bands, pies and milk from the Co-op - races and prizes. Getting sent for the Sunday Post, Reveille and Greyhound Owner down the the newsagents in Shottstown (two brothers?), getting fish from Pows the fish shop, butcher meat from Sinclairs, going to Porterfields shop for bits and pieces, the milk being delivered by old Bob and his horse (Co-op) when it was still dark no matter what the weather, sledging down Fletchers field, going to the Sandy Hole to be daring near the cemetery - picking rosehips for the school, raspberries and gooseberries for ourselves! Boiled sweeties in glass jars - mint thins, five boys choc and mcgowns toffee, dolly mixtures, toffee doddles etc from top Bairds shop (Sheena) and the door in had the fairy baby on the frosted glass window) and going to bottom Bairds for other sweeties bottom Bairds shop (Jim and his mum). Going to the matinee, watching the serial first and stamping our feet when the goodies saved the day and old Dolly shining her torch and telling you to keep the noise down! Mums takingyou to Bill's cafe for real coffee (I took my own children there also). Walking down the vennel past the stables for the Co horse and peering in at the bakers making the cakes for Leipers the German bakers - mmm - Mum and aunties going tattie and turnip howking, coal fires and the frost not melting inside the bedroom windows! Roller skating down the pavments, playing rounders, dodgy ball, playing bools on the roundle in the terrace, cawing the skipping ropes, hide and seek, making liquorallie water (was awful). Hand knitted jumpers, wellies and balaclavas, and blue hands as you always lost your gloves, Edwards shop for 78, radio relay and radiograms! Shillings for the gas, coal being delivered and walking everywhere with the greyhounds. The Blair family having the only telephone and going to ask them to telephone the Doctor and giving them the sixpence.

Alhough we have all gone our seperate ways the memory of these happy days warms my heart.

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