ROBERT MATTHEWS, 74, a retired council worker from Edinburgh, recalls the carefree summer days of his childhood and especially his strongest memory of the Miners' Gala Day festivities around 1950.
Robert describes the variety of events offered during the Gala Day as "everything you can imagine". Children and adults alike would enjoy the attractions of wrestling and boxing matches.
Others would play football, tug of war and sack races, much
like the school sports days of today. However, Robert claims there can be no comparison between his childhood fun and that of the modern era.
The summertime events in 1950 represented a "totally different" Edinburgh to the "spoiled" one he lives in now.
The other pastimes and children's games enjoyed at the Miners' Gala were of a traditional nature. Robert remembers the girls playing with skipping ropes and hopscotch.
Meanwhile, the boys played a game called "perie". This consisted of a stick with a leather thong on the end which they would spin.
Although most families brought picnics, as Robert claims society just wasn't as privileged as it is now, he used to love the fresh fruit offered on the Gala Day. He describes the bananas and apples as "beautiful" and excitedly remembers the toffee apples made with a delicious syrup quite unlike those we enjoy today.
Robert's animation when describing Tony the ice cream man shows what a rarity and delicacy this snack was considered – quite a treat. "Tony's real Italian ice cream, served with a cone with strawberry or chocolate sauce provoked a great fuss and commotion from all the children," remembers Robert.
Another delicacy which he recalls with relish was the mussels offered up by the fishwives of Newhaven.
Newhaven was previously appreciated as a great oyster port with a thriving fish market before the expansion of Leith Harbour. Robert loved to eat the mussels and oysters on a plate or saucer for tuppence.
The rest of Robert's memorable summer days were spent on the sun-drenched beach at Portobello, in Queen's Park, outside Holyrood Palace or in Princes Street Gardens, much like today. He said that families did not have enough money to take their young children abroad to Spain or other sunny holiday destinations.
The full article contains 379 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
