What Trades or Professions did we take up after our School Days?
What did our days at Bonnington, Dr Bells, DK or Leith Academy, et al prepare us for?
Did we turn out to be a credit to our Alma Maters?
Come on, even a scaffie was a required pursuit. LOL.
Lets hear from you.
I will start the ball rolling.
John Stewart, Livingston, West Lothian. 16th Dec, 2008
Starting as an office boy at 15 in 1949 with Baillie,Gifford & Co in Glenfinlas Street, Edinburgh, I left to work in Henry Robbs after two years to serve a 5 year apprenticeship as a ship`s plumber.
With a break from this from 1956 to 1966 during which time I emigrated to Canada and became a bus driver on my return, I returned to my trade and worked as a maintenance engineer/plumber until I retired in 1994 at the age of 60. During this time I was employed by Hugh C Gibson`s Heirs in Elbe Street, Leith, Uniroyal, tyre manufacturer, Newbridge, West Lothian and Abbey Chemicals in Livingston.
Magnus Ganson, Sittingbourne, Kent. 16th Dec, 2008
Left Ainsley Park School in 1956, also left Scotland moving south to Grimsby, Lincs. with dad`s new job. I joined deep sea trawling fleet as galley boy, fishing round Iceland, Greenland and Norway etc.
Moved through the ranks to the dizzy heights of Skipper. Stayed there till the Icelandic 'cod wars' made our deep water trawling fleet redundant. Moved to the middle water fleet, fishing the Faroe Islands and all round the top of Scotland, until the Grimsby trawling fleet was gradually eroded.
Joined Costain Blankeevoort as captain on one of their barges working with their dredger up and down the country on various contracts. Made redundant again! I decided to swallow the 'anchor'and work ashore. Moved south to Kent,(the garden of England). Worked for local borough council as an enforcement officer, (what a contrast.) Retired in 2006,(hate it.) Now just a grumpy old man.
Bill Elliott, Edinburgh 17th Dec, 2008
I started as an office boy with Menzies Old Dock, Leith 1954 then served my time as a welder from 1955 to 1960. As very little work in the port went down to the Thames and worked with M.B dredging on maintainance.
Came back in 1965 and worked with Bruce Peebles, Blakes, Cameron Iron Works in Livingston and finally with N.E.I. in all its reincarnations for 31 years, until retirement in 2002, in their big blue box at the Edinburgh Dock. After serving my time at the Old Dock and after all my travels I ended up only about 1/4 a mile away from where I started. SUNNY Leith is like a magnet.
Keith Flockhart, Hamilton, New Zealand 19th Dec. 2008
I finished secondary schooling in NZ and was working on a dairy farm part time so went farming full time. But milking 350 cows 12 months of year and up at 4 to 4.30 each morning was hard on my social life.
When you take a girl to the pictures and fall asleep is hardly romantic. I then moved to be a Meat Inspector in a slaughter plant checking that the cattle, sheep and pigs being slaughtered were suitable for human consumption. I did this for 25 years and have spent the last 11 years in same industry as technical and compliance manager, ensuring all regulatory and customer requirements are maintained.
Jack Mackenzie, Lower Hutt, New Zealand 20th Dec 2008
On leaving school in 1950 I joined Scott Lyons as a vanboy. I left after about four weeks to start an apprenticeship as a Photo Engraver with McLagan & Cummings on Warriston Road. On finishing my apprenticeship I did my two years N.S. in the RAF as a photographer. Shortly after returning to McL & C I moved to Manchester, and worked for Phoenix Photengravers for about ten months before moving on to Bristol.
In Bristol I worked for Vandyke Printers as a trainee Gravure Carbonprinter, as Photoengraving was a dying trade. It was also a means of returning to Edinburgh which duly happened after working down south for about two and a half years. 1961 saw me employed by Wm Thyne at Sighthill as a Gravure Carbonprinter/Etcher until 1974 when I moved to New Zealand. In New Zealand I was back to being a PhotoEngraver with the NZ Government Printing Office. In 1976 I joined a gravure packaging firm, DRG Containers, as a Print Planner, but ten months later I was on the move again.
This time to work in a photo lab for Hanimex Film Processors as lab supervisor. By 1984 big film processing labs were struggling, and as luck would have it, DRG came looking for me and offered me my old job back which I gratefully accepted. I remained with the company until I retired in 1999.
Ian Whyte, Harrogate 20th Dec, 2008
On leaving D.K.School in 1964 I was employed at the Leith Provident Co-op in a couple of branches for 5 yrs before serving for over 35 yrs with Edinburgh Corporation at Leith Community Centre before retiring at Leith Academy/Leith Primary school in 2006.
Jean (Durie) McFarlane, Paisley 20th Dec. 2008
Cycled to work wearing ankle socks to my first job at "the store" check office in Bangor Road, then typist at Cowan Ad Service in theScotsman building (booking ads for the little top windows in the trams), followed by typing at Munrospun, Restalrig village, finally with Westfield Autocar Showroom, Lothian Road. Left there to be married in 1955 and moved to Paisley.
Didn't work part time until our son was at school - selling advertising space in the local newspaper then invited by client to join an estate agency followed by an invitation from local solicitors company to look after their property business and, lastly, became a Court Officer at Paisley Sheriff Court. I thoroughly enjoyed every job and am friends and still meet up with colleagues from over all these years.
Much as I enjoyed all my working years, nothing compares with being able to turn over for another snooze on a wet and windy morning - retirement is wonderful!
Graham Whyte, Harrogate 20th Dec. 2008
Having a job as a delivery boy doing milk/rolls, little did I envisage climbing through the ranks (so to speak) to the dizzy heights of an Articulated Lorry Driver, carrying loads of steel up to 20metres long. Little did I know that from one axle, I would now drive a vehicle with six axles.
And still on the odd occasion drive through Leith if only to get my supply of Bridies, and of course, Jessie's favourite - a Vanilla Slice.
Still at work, but much of my spare time is devoted to building a miniature village in our front garden. The satisfaction we get from doing that is immeasurable, both to me and my wife Christine.
Peter Sellar, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. 21st Dec. 2008
D.K & went to work at Todds Mill before starting my apprenticeship in the machine shop at Bruce Peebles then joined the Royal Navy and served 7 years before the mast. Demobbed I returned to Auld Reekie with my Irish colleen Sheila & worked for a Plumbers merchants, designing small bore central heating before leaving for Canada in 1960.
Arriving in Toronto I was hired as Production Manager by an advertising company then when they went tits up I joined United Steel which also went down the toilet. I worked for a short spell with a book publishing company in Toronto called Copp Clark then was hired by an engineering company in Brampton where I worked for over 20 years & became their production manager before retiring in 1990.
Moved down to Nova Scotia for 9 years then back to Mississauga where Sheila and I play golf all summer then snowbird down to Florida in the winter and play some more golf until the snow and ice melts. It's a tough life out their folks. But we get home almost every year and take a walk down memory lane.
Colin Bingham, Bathgate 22nd Dec. 2008
Left Trinity Academy December 1961 as it seemed like a good idea at the time. My first position was with Currie Line in Bernard Street, Leith. I gained lots of experience with them going down the docks delivering documents to the Edinburgh and Imperial dock sheds. (my father worked with Menzies so I could wander round to see him at work). Later worked at Currie Line's headquarters at Trinity Cottage (at the top of Inverleith Terrace)
Left in 1969 to join South East of Scotland Water Board as a Clerical Asst before moving on to work in the Hotels Division of Scottish & Newcastle Breweries (where the Scottish Parliament is now)as their Payroll Supervisor. Left there in 1975 for the new Lothian Regional Council and have remained in Local Government since. Now working for West Lothian Council, Education & Cultural Services in Bathgate.
John Furlong, Mississauga Ont Canada 29th Dec.2008
Left Bellevue High School in 1955 started at R.L.Rae as an Apprentice Cabinet Maker Steads Place. Left there to emigrate to Canada in 1957. Never did get back into that line. Started working for the Montreal Star Newspaper Photography Dept.
In 1961 I joined The Northern Electric Telephone Co. Engeering Dept., and in 1978 I transfered from Nortel to Bell Canada and also moved from Montreal to Toronto in the same job till I took early retirement in 1994. Did some consulting work in the industry then for twelve years worked at the Superior Courts as a Court Officer. Presently retired .
Belinda Malcolm, Livingston 7 January 2008
E-mail: linda@stevenson.co.uk
Secretarial Assistant, Nursing Auxiliary, Trainee Nurse Secretary
I left Broughton Senior Secondary School (as it was then) at the end of June 1970 and started work in the School Office the following day. I stayed there for two and a half years. I then tried my hand at nursing at the Northern General, Bangour and latterly the Royal Infirmary. Then went back to office work with Scottish Special Housing Association in Palmerston Place.
By this time I was married so left to have my children and only worked part time until they went to Primary School. During this time had a short spell in that foreign land over the border and was never so glad as when I managed to wangle it to come home. Had seven years at the Law Society of Scotland, about six years with various firms of solicitors in Edinburgh and Livingston and took up my present post with a firm of Chartered Accountants nine years ago.
Douglas Kerr Torrevieja, Spain 18/1/2009
E-mail: djkerr81@hotmail.co.uk
I went to Bonnington Rd school in the 1950s, then onto Leith Academy. After leaving school, I went to work at Wilsons in Gorgie, was employed as a scalemaker. repairing butchers weighing machines and meat slicers. We also repaired cigarette machines and factory ticket machines.
I was employed there for about 9 months and then paid off. No money around. Next job was working for GREYS of George St delivering paraffin and electrical fires. 1962 joined the army as a boy and went of to Dover in Kent as a Junior Leader in the ROYAL ENGINEERS. 1964 went into regular service, trained as a combat engineer, but decided it wasnt for me.
Joined the postal and courier service RE, good move. Did my training at Mill Hill north London. My first posting was Dusseldorf and then the rest of the world. Came out the army in 1987 as a Warrant Officer. Worked for Stagecoach Bus company till 2002 and then retired to Spain where I now live. Now waiting on my pension ha! ha! Hasta Luego from cold and sunny Spain. Keep up the good work, John. Yours aye Dougie
Murdoch Stewart Longniddry 3/02/09
E-mail: mstewart23@toucansurf.com
Went to Bonnington School 1930 later to Bellvue High. Worked as a milk and roll boy Leith Provy,Tennant street. I later worked with James Cooper as a porter before joining the Royal Navy, March 1943 .
Saw service in the far east. On demob we left Tennant Street. What a wrench that was. I have very good memories of the old Leith. This web site is super.
George Gray Edinburgh 5/2/09
E-mail georgegray@uwclub.net
Brought up in Primrose Street. Went to Lochend Primary School from 1945 until 1952 then to Tynecastle Senior Secondary. Joined the North British Rubber Coy in 1955 until 1970 when I became self-employed. This is a very interesting site but I am sure there are a lot more Leithers out there.
Jim Speirs Salisbury, England: 15/02/2009
E-mail: jamesspeirs@btinternet.com
Left Leith Academy end of 1962. Joined Geo. Gibson Line as galley boy for a couple of trips on MV Ettrick. Came ashore to work in Currie Line offices in Bernard Street as office boy for a few months then joined the Royal Navy in the Fleet Air Arm, served all over the place for 23 years then carried on working with the MOD as a "civvy", still there!!
Alex Walker Cyprus: 24 March 2009
E-mail: alex@sidewalksolutions.co.uk
Brought up in Broomhouse Street South. Apprenticed at William Thynes, Sighthill. 2 yrs in England, 8 yrs in South Africa, 2 yrs in Zambia, 14 yrs back in the UK, A year in Holland, 3 yrs in Poland, 1 yr in Hungary - rose from Apprentice to CEO (Western Europe) in the world's largest Printing Company - nae bother really! Retired to Cyprus with wife and dug. Watch out for the book!
Maureen Logue London, Ontario Canada: April 12, 2009
E-mail: henrylogue@hotmail.com
Left Leith Academy 1954, worked at Bonnington castings (boncast) for 5 years, then emmigrated to Ontario Canada.
Went to University there for a B.A. and B.Ed. Taught primary school. Married a Canadian had 3 children. Lived 5 years in Alberta and moved back to Ontario. Lived in several places including the far north teaching on an Indian reserve. After moving to London worked for the Federal Government at Canada Post. Now retired and pass the cold winters travelling around the world.
Douglas John Kerr Alicante, Spain 5th Sept 2009
E-mail: djkerr81spain@gmail.com
Who knows, we might need you. lol
Plumber
Oldleither Yellow Pages
Fisherman
Welder
Photo Engraver/Gravure Carbonprinter/Etcher
Meat Inspector
Shop Assistant/
School Janitor
Typist; Ad Sales; Estate Agent; Court Official
Heavy Goods Driver
Production Manager
Administrative Officer
Telecommunications
Trainee Nurse Secretary
Everything and aw thing
by the looks o` it. LOL
Porter
Management/
Self-Employed
Civil Servant,
Ministry of Defence
Printer and C.E.O.
Teacher
Retired
