Thursday 11 March 2010

Cranston Street - turning back the clock

In November last year we moved house! The first time in 25 years, before that moving was a regular past-time for the Campbell's. When we moved to our new home, (it has a name in Hebrew it is called Mibtach, the translation is 'Sure Dwellings') it was supposed to be down sizing but turned out to be a sideways move to a slightly larger house - more floor space and it also has an attic space - previous house had a flat roof - Margaret (the lady I live with) reckoned it was not really a proper house not having a pitched roof.

Anyway, the new house has a large yard which up until this morning had quite a few shrubs - not any more - we decided shortly after our move to Dechmont that the shrubs should go. Shirley, my middle daughter, spoke with a friend in the village, who came across and had a look, indicating that she could find a home for the shrubs.
Today the shrubs have been removed from the garden, placed in the back of a van and off! Now you may wonder -'what's strange about that?' Well the thing is; where the plants have gone to! A community garden in Cranston Street, Edinburgh to fill a space beside the Women's Hostel. Many years ago - in the early years of the last century Cranston Street School (now used as the Hostel) was the School my father attended before he started work with William Younger and Co the brewers.

Some would say that it is quite a coincidence that plants in a garden in Dechmont have been donated to a garden just off the Canongate and that is it! I take the view that the plants from the garden in Dechmont turn the clock back even further coincidence or not - when I heard where the plants were destined for I immediately thought of my long since departed dad, of what he means to me, both as a father and friend. The principles he instilled in us by his gentleness and kindness, those plants will never make mutch of a statement, they will not be loud or difficult to handle, they will do the job that they were planted to fulfil - just like my dad.
Somethings you might like to know about Jimmy Campbell.
  • I never heard him ever raise his voice in anger
  • I never discovered the secret of his never losing his temper, he had plenty of reason to, my mother being one!
  • I never heard him complain, even in his final illness after he had been used as some kind of test (guinea pig) for the medical profession
  • He went off to war, willingly, he had a deep seated distaste of facism, he demonstrated against the brownshirts during the 1930s
  • He made a great number of friends during his service time in the army, serving with the Royal Scots, the Kings Own Royal Rifles and finally with the Kings Own Scottish Borderers. His discharge papers from the Army have a short statement concerning his character and commitment - exemplary!
  • He returned from the Burma Campaign physically a wreck, having contracted typhus fever, malaria and some kind of parasitic worm.
  • He came back to Edinburgh and picked up where he left off 6 years before.
  • He was born in 1912 at 19 Canongate, when he married in 1938 he lived with my Mother, brothers and sister at No 6 Canongate.
  • Most of his adult life until about 1970 was spent half a mile away from Cranston Street, where those plants have been sent to.

I don't even need to close my eyes to see my 'Old Man', I can hear him whistling as he came up the stair, I can hear the tune 'D'you ken John Peel', it was his signature tune. The plants from Dechmont are now embedded in the Cranston Street of my father's youth and a reminder at least to me of where my roots are!

Quite a leap, by any stretch of the imagination. I honour his memory and the memories I have of my growing up in the Canongate.





Sunday 7 March 2010

Peterhead - A flying visit!

For a few hours yesterday, I was able to turn the clock back! That does not happen too often but it did for me when I visited Peterhead in Aberdeenshire. The occasion was the funeral of the matriarch of the Duncan Family - 'Granny Pearl - at the grand old age of 93 after a very long and productive life, Pearl passed away - in the words of the funeral oration - 'absent from the body - present with the Lord!' - which is far better. An old acquaintance of many years ago would comment at times like this 'from the promise to the presence!'!

Pearl Duncan took over the reins of the family following the sudden death of her husband. She had to be strong of character to be able to make sure that the business operated by her husband would continue to go from strength to strength. They were 'fisher' - pure and simple - the family for many generations had sought out and caught fish! No mean feat! I only spoke to her maybe a dozen or twenty times during my time living and working in Peterhead and the last time was about 10 years ago on the early death of her youngest son Michael. Her impression on me was made through my friendship with her son Peter, his wife, Jean and their children, Peter junior and Jennifer.

With Peter, the strength of character that he had learned from both his father and mother came through. He was and still is great company. His tales of fishing and the sea are absolutely fabulous and a great source of material for any one who will take the time to listen. More than that he is the kind of friend that will prove his friendship in ways that will surprise, astonish and astound! I am looking at this moment at a photograph taken of the MFV Marigold PD145 just as she was about to enter the inner harbour at Peterhead. She had been to sea for a fishing trip and Peter, the skipper had decided that he needed to attend a meeting of the church of which for a short time I was minister. The only trouble was that his decision to make the meeting of the church came during one of the worst storms of the winter - he had been fishing 150 miles off - probably near Shetland or the Fair Isle. The wind was hurricane force and blowing contrary to the way he would normally travel home. His decision to come home caused him to take his vessel sixty miles out into the North Sea to a point at which he would safely turn the ship and head her back in a north westerly direction towards Peterhead. The term batten down the hatches would not mean much to a person such as myself - born and bred in the heart of the City of Edinburgh - but it meant something to the 8 members of his crew. The order was made secure all the hatches and every man on the vessel was instructed to come on to the bridge and there they watched as the drama unfolded. Battling through enormous seas being thrown about like a cork on the ocean the skipper at the wheel and making what some would say was a foolhardy attempt to make port - but he was and still is a man of resolution - at least to me! Others will have their opinion, naturally - but I have mine - he came in that day for me!

He believed in me! Why I do not know, there is nothing much of me, I was not and never will be a great orator, a charismatic leader, all I was then was a fellow who had come to live and work in a community I had nothing in common with, except a desire to serve people. He believed in what I was doing and was willing to put his presence at that meeting as a top priority! I watched the Marigold enter the harbour, I was standing at the door of his house, which overlooks the bay at Peterhead speaking to Jean, I drove her down to the Harbour and as the boat was being tied up I overheard a couple of seasoned fishermen say, 'that in all their years working in Peterhead they had never seen such a feat of seamanship'.

He stepped ashore gave his shocked wife a gentle cuddle and assured her that all was well, recounted to me what had taken place, and said quite clearly - 'I'll be there tonight!'
I had never had the chance to acknowledge my thanks for what he did that day. Maybe that was why when I heard of the passing of Granny Pearl, my first thought was to mark her passing with a visit to my friend, his wife and family. I had the privilege of meeting up with them and spending time with them - all be it only a few hours - but nevertheless it was the least I could do for a family that have such a large part in my life.

The outcome of the meeting? - inconclusive! It will be recorded in a minute book; will show nothing of the emotion, the effort, the sacrifice, of those involved either for or against! I know however that there was an outcome! A bond was created on that occasion which would tie Peter Duncan and myself, that will be hard to break. I eventually left Peterhead, but the Duncans of Peterhead and the Campbells of wherever are linked, and who is responsible for that, you might ask - Oh I would say quite simply on this occasion - Granny Pearl. The strength that along with her husband she engendered in Peter worked out through his life and affected me.

He was not the only person to influence my life during my time in Peterhead there are others and I will probably return to their effect on me, but for the time being my Flying Visit has brought to my attention the fact that I had never really said:

Thanks Big 'D'!