This part of Corstorphine Town was known as New Market (1900) and was on Commercial Road . The shop with the New Market clock above , stood just outside Readheads Dock gate . Just down the left hand street (West Holborn) and on the right is present day Commercial Hotel shown below .In the 1930/40`s the shop below the clock tower was occupied by a local character called Mattie Todd . The shops address was 123 West Holborn and Mattie Todd lived at 52 Westoe Parade - the old name of Mortimer Road . The other photograph is taken besides Readheads Office and the Cookson Arms with the Newmarket Clock building in the far distance .

What follows is a recollection of my sister Irene who regularly was sent there on an errand - she would have been 10- 12 years old .

" I had to go there after school, once a week , to buy a 1/4 Stone (1.6 Kg) of Soda for the washing and to save 1/2 d ( £0.002p). I wore that much leather from my shoes in order to buy it . You should have seen Mattie Todd - sinister is the only word to describe him . I now think he used to watch me from a spy hole he had and kept me waiting for maybe 20 minutes each time . My Dad told me about the spy hole , so I was up to his tricks . His suits were meant to be black serge but when a certain chemical , which was used in the black dye in those days , started to wear away through use , the material turned green - odd is`nt it . He always wore a black Bowler hat and he must have had some complaint because his face was really purple , very thin , slight , built not very tall and a deep , deep , sonorous voice . Also a Chapel man - never trust a Chapel man so they say . "

Both these pictures are of the junction of Laygate Lane with Commercial Road . On the left is Trinity Church dated about 1900 , which was built on the 22 May 1833 and demolished in 1980 ~ it looks like a Funeral was taking place . The Church site is now a small park situated behind the trees in the right-hand picture .In the far distance is the junction with Laygate Lane and Frederick Street and below are some pictures of Frederick Street taken about 1914 and one I took on New Years Day 2000 .

What follows are pictures taken in 1982 of the beginning of the end of the old area around Frederick St / South Palmerton St and Eldon St . Weeks after these pictures were taken it had all disappeared . Copyright D .Ord
View from near Frederick St looking up towards So Palmerston St - 1982		Looking down So. Palmerston St towards Laygate and Frederick St in the far distance - 1982 .
So . Palmerston St. looking West with the wall surrounding Barnes Road School in the distance . Over the years 1000,s of kids walked up and down this street going to and from school . They represented a nightmare to the housewifes who left their washing hanging out in the back lane on "washday" , usually a Monday .		The left hand green door is 184 So Palmerston St , where I spent my early years .
South Palmerston St. back lane . The first door on the right was the entrance to our back yard . In the distance is Laygate		South Palmerston St back lane but taken in 1947/48 . .
Eldon St . looking west towards South Eldon St - 1982		General view of Eldon St - 1982

The Eureka pub at what is now the bottom of Frederick St.		The Palace Cinema in 1960 , now long gone . It was located at the top of Frederic St , near Laygate

Going back to the Commercial Road area , there were many pubs sited on this road during the early part the 1900`s and my Mother recalled there were at least 50 . Until recently there were only 4 , the Tyne Dock Hotel ( now Kennedy's ) , the Commercial Hotel , the Dolly Peel , and the West End Vaults which was sadly burnt down in August 2000 .

This is the Tyne Dock Hotel circa 1938 and how it is today , it is now called "Kennedy's" after the original manager .

The Commercial Hotel located beside the old Redhead`s Shipyard and the burnt out shell in Commercial Rd.of the West End Vaults .

The Dolly Peel pub and a view of Commercial Rd. looking west - the Dolly Peel pub is just on the left. It was originally named the Earl Gray , but known to the locals as " Old Mother Reilly`s as it was owned and run by a woman .Just across the road from the Dolly Peal , so to speak , was the Middle Docks . The docks had been in existence since 1768 but are now long gone . The number 3 dock was completed in 1909.

Middle Docks - 1920		Middle Docks - 1970