September 20, 2018

Visitors to Threipmuir Reservoir above Balerno will find themselves looking at an alien landscape. The main western basin of the reservoir is dry, apart from a trickle running through from the new dam structures at the bridge leading up to Easter Bavelaw Farm and a small pond gathered in front of the piers. This dam is holding water back into Bavelaw Marsh.

 Living in Balerno for all of my 60+ years I have never seen Threipmuir pond as dry before. 

Walking along the dry basin of the reservoir my wife and I, and the dog, came across what looked like telegraph poles, lying flat, sunk into the dry bed of the reservoir. This triggered an old memory. I remembered some older villagers describing defences that were erected around Threipmuir Reservoir during the Second World War. Large poles were sunk into the fields surrounding Threipmuir to stop aircraft or gliders landing. Poles were also sunk into the bed of the reservoir and large pyramid structures were also made to stop seaplanes landing.  I was advised that they didn't bother with these structures at Harlaw Reservoir as they had felt that it was too tight for a landing and ably protected by its fringe of trees.   

Douglas Lowe

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Pictures

March 04, 2018

Members please note that the meeting on the 5th March (Mr James Waugh - The Radical Road) has been cancelled due to the ongoing adverse weather conditions. We will endeavour to arrange this talk from Mr Waugh at a later date.

September 19, 2017

The ELB Archaeology Conference 2017 will take place at Queen Margaret's University near Musselburgh on Saturday 18th November. 

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A copy of the programme is below.

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Archaeology Conference 2017 programme

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Full details can be found at www.eastlothian.gov.uk/archaeologyconf2017

September 07, 2017

Arran Johnston, director of the Scottish Battlefield Trust and our speaker on 16th October, will be trekking 45 miles through East Lothian to the Pinkie Cleuch battle site, starting at Eyemouth on Thursday 7th September via Dunglass, Innerwick Castle, Dunbar, East Linton and Prestonpans ending at the battlefield at 1p.m. on Sunday 10th September the date of the battle. Arran and a colleague are following the route of the English army on their approach to the battle. There will also be a memorial service at the Memorial Stone in Salters Road Wallyford at 1.00 p.m. on the day. Arran gave us his talk on The Battle of Pinkie Cleuch last session where he described in detail the battle, the largest ever in Scotland, where 50,000 men took part, and 10,000 died in the battle. The Scots suffering a heavy defeat in this 1547 battle. 

There will be a re-enactment of the battle on Newhailes Estate (NTS) over the weekend 16th and 17th September.

February 13, 2017

After the success of the 2016 Summer Outing, where we explored the depths of Gilmerton Cove, do you wish to try for another outing this year?  If so bring your suggestions to the AGM on 20th March, and please do a little research on costs, access etc. We would probably have to use private cars again as hiring a bus, as we used to do in the distant past, is now prohibitively expensive. I will have a list at the AGM to collect names and contact details of those interested.

January 21, 2017

Copies of the Minutes of the 2016 AGM plus the 2017 Agenda and Accounts to December 2016 will, by 6th February, be issued electronically to those of you for whom an e-mail address is held. If you do not find this in your "Inbox" please check in both your  "Trash" and "Spam" folders just in case. If you still can't locate this please send me an e-mail   (douglaslowe51@btinternet.com ) and I will reissue the documents    Paper copies will hopefully be available from the 6th February meeting onwards for members not on e-mail to collect.   

If any members wish to, and are willing to, join the committee , please let me or one of the committee members know. You will need to be proposed and seconded by fellow members.  The relevant part of the Constitution is as follows;

Under (5) Administration

(g)     All proposals for new Committee Members must be in writing, signed by the nominee, proposer and seconder, and must be received by the Secretary 14 days in advance of the AGM. 

Thank you

Douglas Lowe

Secretary 

January 08, 2017

Please note - amendment to syllabus.

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20th February 2017 (change to programme) CDLHS Map Project and Research Workshop

6th March 2017    (change to programme) Then and Now - Douglas Lowe

November 02, 2016

We have received a reminder from Irene Grant that the Pentlands Book Festival, with events happening in Currie, Juniper Green and Colinton, will take place from 11th to 26th November.

 Looking at the Pentlands Book Festival website (pentlandsbookfestival.org)  members will no doubt be interested in the guided walk "James Thomson Currie's Weaver Poet" on Saturday 19th November, conducted by CDLHS member Liz Beevers. You can all swot up beforehand by re-reading the Currie Chronicle from September 2015  (number 84) "James Thomson, The Kenleith Poet", which you can access in the Downloads section of our  website.  If heading for a descent into the Poet's Glen we will hope for good weather on the day or at least  less rain - but suggest you wear boots or wellies anyway. 

At a "Meet the Author" event on 24th November one of the local authors appearing is Carol Tweedie who will talk about her recently published book "Fair Isle Ghosts". 

A visit has also been arranged during the Festival to the National Records of Scotland on Tuesday 22nd November at 10 a.m. when Alison Lindsay will do a presentation on Currie. Juniper Green and Colinton history,  books and documents will be available for perusal.   Anyone obtaining tickets for the visit to NRS will also need to contact Irene Grant  at 07731 645917 or at irene_grant@blueyonder.co.uk  so that she can have the names of those wishing to attend and compile a list like a school register and do a head count.

There is a cloakroom at NRS where you leave coats, jackets and bags. These are left in a locker for which you need a £1 coin this will be returned to you. If you want to make any notes, you use paper and PENCIL, NO PENS. The building is wheelchair accessible and has a cafe. Irene will be there in the foyer to meet people and she will wear an identity badge. I'm sure everyone intending to attend this event will be looking forward to what Alison Lindsay has to tell us about our area.

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Tickets for events were released on Wednesday 26th October and can be obtained from Currie library, RBS Juniper Green or on-line at Eventbrite. Although tickets are required,  all events are free, except for  the pizza event at Al Borgo where you pay entry at the door.

November 02, 2016

At the recent Heritage Angels Awards The Baberton Mains History Group were awarded a Cerificate of Commendation by the Scottish Civic Trust in the Investigation and Recording category. The Group, including a number of our CDLHS members, carried out in-depth research into  Baberton Mains  estate, the land and farms on which the estate was built and the the people. Talks were given, one to CDLHS, articles written, a booklet published, they assisted Juniper Green Primary pupils when they produced a quilt illustrating aspects of the area's history and took school children on a guided history walk around Baberton Mains.

The Group plan is to have the certificate on display in Juniper Green village hall, once the hall is reopened. 

So our congratulations to all of the Baberton Mains History Group on the receipt of this well-deserved award.

October 25, 2016

A Passion for Paisley is a collaborative project between Heriot-Watt University and Live Borders Museum Service, supported by Museums Galleries Scotland, to exhibit 20 shawls from the University’s Paisley shawl collection at Hawick Museum.  The collection is part of the Textile Collection at the Scottish Borders Campus which holds over 100 shawls as well as tweed, tartan, costume, furnishing fabrics, lace, embroidery and printed  material  from 1700 to the present.  Many are attributed to the Edinburgh Kashmir Shawl industry.

As part of this there is a study day at the Scottish Borders Campus  in Galashiels on 11th November featuring a range of speakers discussing the production and lasting legacy of the shawls and their distinctive design.   I’d appreciate it if you could publicise this amongst members.  The  event is free, although lunch is not provided, and booking is through Eventbrite  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-passion-for-paisley-study-day-tickets-28452649641?utm_term=eventurl_text.

If members can’t attend but are interested in seeing the exhibition, it runs until 23rd December and is open Monday to Friday 12 to 3pm, Sunday 1-3pm and again is free. http://www.liveborders.org.uk/news/a_passion_for_paisley.aspx

If any members would like to know about our shawl collection, or the Textile Collection in general please let Helen know and she will  be happy to answer any questions.

Helen Taylor,Archivist

Heritage and Information Governance

Heriot-Watt University

EH14 4AS

0131 451 3638

h.e.taylor@hw.ac.uk

http://www.hw.ac.uk/services/heritage-information-governance.htm

October 25, 2016

Iain Macintyre at the end of his excellent talk mentioned books on Elsie Inglis and some of us weren't quick enoughto make a note of these. For those who are interested  the books Ian Suggested were; 

Elsie Inglis: Founder of Battlefield Hospitals Run Entirely by Women (Scots' Lives) 
 Leah Leneman 
Published by NMSE - Publishing Ltd (1998) 

In the Service of Life: Story of Elsie Inglis and the Scottish Women's Hospitals 
Leah Leneman 
Published by Mercat Press , 1994 

SHADOW OF SWORDS 
Margot LAWRENCE 
Published by Michael Joseph London 1st edn, 1971 


Elsie Inglis: The Woman with the Torch (Illustrated Edition) (Paperback) 
Eva Shaw McLaren 
Published by Dodo Press, United Kingdom (2009) 

and the book on Royaumant is: 

Angels of Mercy: A Womens Hospital on the Western Front 1914 - 1918 
Eileen Crofton 
Published by Birlinn Ltd (2013) 

June 24, 2016

Details and pictures of Currie and District Local History Society 2016 Summer Outing

March 27, 2016

We have booked two tours at 11.00 and 12.00 midday on Wednesday 15th June. A number of members put their names forward at the AGM and there are a limited number of spaces still available, If you are interested please contact the secretary. The maximum number per tour is 12 and the costs are £7.50 (£6.50 concessions). As there is a maximum per tour it will have to be on a  first-come first-served basis.

We will be travelling by private cars, but once I establish the final numbers and names,  I will see what additional capacity we have and who needs lifts. Parking is limited around the area so we are hoping to meet at the nearby Faith Mission cafe  (544 Gilmerton Road) and "shuttle" the members to and from the venue.

March 27, 2016

A suggestion was made that we have a summer outing to Gilmerton Cove. The entrance to this is on Drum Street, Gilmerton. It is a series of linked caves which date back centuries. In the 18th century it was known to be a blacksmiths premises, but it's history pre-dates that by a number of centuries. It also featured as a murder site in a recent crime novel "Prayer for the Dead" by James Oswald.  Gilmerton Cove has an interesting website. The tours are limited to 12 and last 45 minutes. We would be looking to arrange the trip in the second half of May, or very early June. No dates booked yet as we need to know how many of you wish to go.If you are interested please e-mail the secretary and we will add you to the list and then in due course contact you with a proposed date to see if it is suitable.

March 21, 2016

The area around the Dougal Haston stone has been cleared of shrubs and a new surface laid.outside the Currie Post Office at the top of Riccarton Mains road. A rededication ceremony planned by Currie Community Council has been set for the 20th April 2016 at 11 o'clock.

March 21, 2016

CURRIE & DISTRICT LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY 46h ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

To be held on MONDAY 21st MARCH 2016 at 7.30

In the Gibson Craig Memorial Hall, Currie

March 20, 2016

Wellcome to the new redesigned Currie and District Local History Society  website. Here you can find out all sorts of information regarding Currie and the surrounding local area, whether it be walks, talks, family history, pictures or just general historical information this is the place to be. Visit this page regularly for news items that will be added periodically.