Edinburgh retro: The Grassmarket in the 1950s and 1960s

Part of our Edinburgh retro series, this video looks back at pictures of the Grassmarket during the 1950s and 1960s.

Transcript

00:00 Hello, I'm Neil from The Evening News and this video is part of our retro series where

00:06 we look back at historic pictures of Edinburgh. In this video we'll be looking at pictures

00:11 of the grass market in the 1950s and 1960s. The grass market is steeped in history. During

00:18 the 15th century, the area became home to one of Edinburgh's main cattle markets, with

00:23 some historians suggesting the grass market takes its name from the grass that the livestock

00:28 for sale fed upon. But the area also shares a dark past, with the old town location seeing

00:34 hundreds of public executions during the 17th and 18th century. Today, it remains one of

00:40 the most lively areas in the city, with its wide selection of bars, restaurants and hotels

00:45 making it a hotspot for residents and tourists alike. Here are 13 pictures from yesteryear

00:51 taken in the grass market. This picture shows residents celebrating Victoria Day in May

00:57 1952, with locals gathering around a bonfire on the grass market. Here we can see the stunning

01:05 bar at the grass market's Beehive Inn in August 1956. And this picture, taken in the same

01:11 year, shows people dining in the venue's restaurant. Two policemen are seen here guarding a grass

01:18 market tenement in November 1959. Residents were told to evacuate the area after a large

01:24 crack had appeared in the building. This picture from January 1962 shows miners protesting pit

01:32 closures. The rallies saw workers march through Edinburgh, passing through the grass markets

01:37 on their way to the Usher Hall on Lothian Road. When a number of old buildings were

01:42 demolished in March 1962, residents suddenly had a new view of Edinburgh Castle from the

01:47 grass market. Here we see a woman pushing a pram past a police box and the former gent's

01:53 toilets in the grass market in 1965. This picture shows the Macintosh Antique Shop at

02:01 number 52 Grass Markets. Following the Second World War, food rations on certain items continued

02:08 until the mid-1950s. This photo from April 1953 shows residents collecting their rations,

02:15 some waiting for hours to enter the hall in the grass market, with the queue outside stretching

02:20 all the way back to Candlemaker Row. This picture from September 1961 shows cars of

02:27 the time parked at Westbowl at the foot of Victoria Street. The Grass Market Mission

02:33 Soup Service opened in the early 1960s, and here we can see Lady Mathers handing out the

02:38 first bowl in January 1963. Two years later, in December 1965, we can see the annual Children's

02:47 Christmas Party at the Grass Market Mission. And finally, in this picture from January

02:54 1964, children can be seen enjoying the RAF Association's Christmas Party. If you'd

03:00 like to check out more retro content, you can visit our website at www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com

03:08 and click on the Retro tab.

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