The Store

I joined the choir at Marchmont St Giles today. I also read the lessons. I felt quite stressed having to cope with all these new things at once, not to mention that my vertical challenge meant I was peering over the lectern. Don't think I missed any words though.

The shop at the end of Spottiswoode Road is being renovated and you can see the old sign, 'St Cuthbert's'. When I was young that was a weel kent name in Edinburgh. St Cuthbert's was the co-op in the city but always known as The Store. The main shop in Bread Street was where we got our shoes and school uniforms, and 'the divi'. They delivered milk and everybody knows Sir Sean worked for them on the house drawn milk floats. They ran a funeral service and were coachbuilders to the Queen, renovating the State coaches.

St Cuthbert figured in other ways in my life. I've already mentioned that St Cuthbert's church in Lothian Road was where we went for school services. Living in Colinton both the churches, Church of Scotland and Episcopal, were dedicated to him and I was married in the parish church nearly 34 years ago.

So who was this man who inspired the founding of churches and grocery businesses? He was a 7th century monk probably born around Dunbar. He lived in monasteries in Melrose, Ripon and Lindisfarne and he was a missionary in southern Scotland and northern England. After his death his remains were eventually moved to Durham Cathedral.

The demise of The Store came in 1981 when, after an amalgamation, it became 'Scotmid'. No Scotmid in Spottiswoode Rd though, it's one up on Thirlestane Rd. 'Scotmid', so much more prosiac than 'St Cuthbert's' - that sign will soon be covered over but the memories and the history will remain.

Edit - finally caught up with #1 son and #1 d in l. The plans for June advance. The Ritz-Carlton in KL has been booked but not, as yet, St Andrew's Church. Apt, as one of today's sermon was about weddings.