Lamplight - Kemps Corner

Lazy blipday today. Da Hood!

"Restalrig Road South brings back memories of the late-1940's and early-1950's. We used to call it 'The Village' - why, I have no idea.

On the left, is the church and the graveyard. There used to be shops. The one that I remember was the barber, Peter Easton and his son. They cut my hair and my Dad's many a time over the years. Moving down, there was the church hall, where the cubs, scouts etc use to meet. I was one of those cubs, at least for a short time.

Moving further down, there was the fish and chip shop, then Rintouls. If I remember correctly, they were something to do with whisky. Then, there was the doctor's surgery, Dr. Ferguson, or at least it was his when I was a lad. Then, there was the newsagent. I remember using my sweet coupons there at the weekend, the only time I had any money. Round the corner from Kemps was Marionville Road and I lived just a couple of entries (remember that word?) along there.

Across the road from the Doctor's surgery, there were the allotments. There's a housing estate there now. At about this point, there is a road leading to the Loganlea area, then there was a pub, 'The Bunch of Grapes', I think. It was owned by the Dodds.

Past the pub, there was a small parade of shops:

- The Dairy.

- The Greengrocer's, Mrs Lea.

- Kemp's the off-licence. I remember Charlie Kemp well.

No doubt things have changed, but I have still memories of playing kick the can, hide and seek etc., and playing on the swings and roundabout in the park opposite.

I don't get back that often now and the lads I used to knock around with have gone their separate ways, but I am still in touch with a few of them, even though one is now living in New Zealand. They were happy days."

The recollections of Robert Fender ~ July 29, 2011



Note:- The Bunch of Grapes is in fact The Bunch of Roses, unless of course, it too changed from one to the other over time.