The Old Edinburgh Club News

The Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, Sat 17th June 2006

The Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh was founded in 1670 on a modest plot adjacent to Holyrood Palace by two Physicians, Andrew Balfour and Robert Sibbald. Its original function was to cultivate plants for medicinal use – a Physic Garden. The garden outgrew its boundary on this and two other sites before finally, in 1820, it was transferred to its present site. It is the second oldest botanic garden in Britain.

On a pleasant, balmy June afternoon, 24 members and guests enjoyed a tour of the Garden given by Sally Heron. We toured the Demonstration Garden, passed by the new Queen Mother’s Garden (to be opened by the Queen in July), the Alpine terrace, the 1858 Palm House, the 1967 glasshouses and the extensive rockery - all the time being enlightened by Sally’s enthusiastic and interesting commentary.

	Merchant’s Hall, 26/07/07 In the 15th century, the merchants of Edinburgh, builders, ship-owners, farmers, etc, formed a corporation called the guildry from which the Merchant Company of Edinburgh was founded by Royal Charter in 1681. From the Company’s membership (presently numbering 600) a Master, Treasurer and twelve Board Members were elected, originally to control trade in the City and supervise education and charities. To the present day, education and charities are still the Company’s raison d’être. Money, land and property are endowed by the members. Consequently the Merchant’s Company owns a vast amount of property and investments, the interest from which funds pensions for the infirm and elderly and grants to students. These are all awarded within Edinburgh and the Lothians. The Merchant Company of Edinburgh started life in Merchant Street before occupying a building on the site of the City Chambers; this was followed by a move to Hunter’s Square. In 1879 they finally moved into their present site in Hanover Street which was originally built for the Savings Bank of Glasgow. HRH the Queen is Patron and members of the Royal Family have served as Honorary Master. There have been many influential members, some of whom founded Edinburgh’s top schools such as Mary Erskine’s, George Watson’s, Daniel Stewart’s and James Gillespie’s. Many past Lord Provosts of Edinburgh have been members. Forty-seven Old Edinburgh Club members appreciated the talk by Hall Manager Mr. Glynn Kay (to whom we are very grateful) who then conducted a tour of the extensive premises. This enjoyable visit, the last of the series, was rounded up with a welcome glass of wine.

	Old College, University of Edinburgh, Tues 3^rd July 2007 On the evening of the above day, forty-seven Old Edinburgh Club members and guests enjoyed a double treat. We were privileged to have a tour of the Old College conducted by Dr. Andrew G. Fraser and a rare viewing of the rooms of The Speculative Society revealed by Prof. David Purdie. Both Andrew and David are OEC council members. Old College Andrew has written a book on the subject (Andrew G Fraser, The Building of Old College: Adam, Playfair and the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press, 1989) so he was best qualified to conduct the visit. Robert Adam (an Edinburgh University alumnus) designed the building and his brothers, James and William, supervised the building into the 1790’s. William Playfair used and adapted Adam’s design to complete the Old College by 1820 and Adam’s dome over the entrance was redesigned by Rowand Anderson in 1887. After a brief introduction to the architecture from the steps of the Quad, Andrew Fraser started his tour in the magnificent Playfair Library (late 1820’s) which is lined on both sides with columns and marble busts. We were then conducted around the Elder Room and Raeburn Room in which, as it name implies, hang three Henry Raeburn portraits of past Principals. ‘The Spec’ In November 1764 William Creech, then a University undergraduate, and 5 others determined a new society (The Speculative Society) to encourage public speaking and philosophical debating. Its membership consisted of 30 ordinary members who would serve for three years after which they (if elected) became extraordinary members. Members met, and still meet 243 years later, by candlelight and the debate is still ferocious. Essayists read out their work and members vote to decide whether to commit the essay to the Society Archive or throw it on the fire. An eclectic range of subjects are debated into the small hours when the Society meets once a week, throughout the winter. Sir Walter Scott, Leonard Horner (co-founder of Edinburgh Academy), Robert Louis Stevenson, Sir Nicholas Fairbairn and Lord Cullen were all members but there have never been any female members although there is no constitutional bar to them. One member, John G. Lockhart (editor of the Quarterly Review), publicly criticised ‘The Spec’, since which time his portrait in the debating room faces the wall. The Society made a donation to the University when the Old College was being built and therefore has use of its own debating room and library in perpetuity.

	Halifax Bank of Scotland Museum, visit 19th June 2007 As every school boy knows the Bank of England was founded by a Scotsman, William Paterson in 1694, but how many of us knew that the Bank of Scotland was founded by an Englishman? John Holland is credited to be its founder in 1695, making it the oldest bank in Scotland. The Bank’s first office was in Myln Square (1695-6), then it moved to Parliament Close (1696-1700) and Gourley’s Close (1700- c1800). The building on the Mound was initially designed for the Bank by Robert Reid and Richard Crichton, pupils of Robert Adam, and opened for business in 1806. This four-storey, domed building was extended and the north-facing elevation improved by David Bryce in 1864-70. More recently, extensive internal alterations were carried out. These included the challenging re-instalment of Bryce’s glorious Banking Hall and drilling deep down through Edinburgh’s earth mound and volcanic rock to provide a heat exchange system. About 34 OEC members and guests were treated to a very informative presentation by OEC member Malcolm Fraser, the architect responsible for the major refitting of the HBOS Headquarters. This was followed by another interesting presentation by Doug MacBeath, the Curator of the HBOS museum. The museum contains artefacts from over 300 years of history including archives from mergers with other companies (most recently Clerical Medical and Halifax, 2001). After coffee we were invited to meander around the well-laid out museum before finally viewing the Banking Hall with its gilt ceiling, re-fitted consoles bearing Neptune-like figures and, of course, that wonderful vista of the New Town and distant Firth of Forth.

	Visit and wine reception 14 Jordan Lane, Sunday 30 July 2006 By kind permission of the owners, Richard & Grace Ellis, we were invited to see round their fascinating home, first occupied in 1844 by David Ramsay Hay, the Queen’s Limner (Painter) who worked on interiors at Abbotsford House, Holyrood Palace and many Playfair buildings. The next owner was bohemian painter Sam Bough. In the 1940’s the house was lived in by Henry Harvey Wood of the first Edinburgh International Festival, then by architect Sir Basil Spence and by journalist Wilfred Taylor. Grace Ellis gave a short, talk on the history of the house – which contains many original features. About 100 members and guests then enjoyed wine and strawberries in the large garden.

	Drumsheugh Baths, Edinburgh, Sat 1st July, 2006 Drumsheugh Baths were designed in a Moorish style in 1882 by Sir John J. Burnet (1857–1938) who is better known for his former R.W. Forsyth store in Princes Street (now Burton’s). It is on a challenging, steep-sloping site on Belford Road and is one of those little Edinburgh gems of which even resident Edinburghers were unaware. Our guide for the visit was Operations Manager, Andy McSweeney who explained how fire destroyed the building ten years after it opened and that Burnet’s company rebuilt the baths at a cost of £6,000. Unfortunately, liquidation followed, so it was not until 1902 that the present company, Drumsheugh Baths Club Limited was formed. This non-profit making company is owned and run by a Board of Directors most of whom are members. In 1980 the roof was restructured to include two cupolas and ten years ago the Turkish bath converted into a gym. The 70ft by 35ft pool is still contained by the original tank and features trapezes and exercise rings. After the conducted tour we enjoyed tea and scones in the member’s lounge.

	The Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, Sat 17th June 2006 The Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh was founded in 1670 on a modest plot adjacent to Holyrood Palace by two Physicians, Andrew Balfour and Robert Sibbald. Its original function was to cultivate plants for medicinal use – a Physic Garden. The garden outgrew its boundary on this and two other sites before finally, in 1820, it was transferred to its present site. It is the second oldest botanic garden in Britain. On a pleasant, balmy June afternoon, 24 members and guests enjoyed a tour of the Garden given by Sally Heron. We toured the Demonstration Garden, passed by the new Queen Mother’s Garden (to be opened by the Queen in July), the Alpine terrace, the 1858 Palm House, the 1967 glasshouses and the extensive rockery - all the time being enlightened by Sally’s enthusiastic and interesting commentary.


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	Summer Visits - Reports

Graeme Cruickshank and the group at the long section of the Telfer Wall at Lauriston Place.	A walking tour round the old city walls, 18th July 2008 On the 18th of July 1908, John Geddie, Assistant Editor of The Scotsman, conducted a ‘Ramble’ around the remnants of Edinburgh’s walls. The trip was a joint meeting of the Edinburgh Photographic Society and the Old Edinburgh Club. Exactly 100 years to the day, historian Graeme Cruickshank guided Club members and guests around the walls. Members met in the National Library of Scotland where Peter Stubbs, the Edinburgh Photographic representative, gave a short talk about the beginnings of photography and the founding of the Society in 1861. Having given a brief introduction, historian Graeme Cruickshank, accompanied by a Times photographer, led about 30 members round the streets of Edinburgh. As Edinburgh Castle on its rock and Nor’ Loch formed natural barriers, the fortifications were built along the south and east borders of the town. They not only served as a military defence but also helped to control trade and acted as a barrier to the dreaded plague. A section of the 15th century King’s Wall still survives in Tweeddale Close and another section of its foundation was recently discovered during the upgrading of the west end of the Grassmarket. Graeme described elaborate Royal pageants which took place at the West Port and Bristo Port. Lengths of the Flodden Wall (16th century) were seen in Greyfriars cemetery and in the Pleasance and a long section of the 17th century Telfer Wall is seen between the Vennel and Lauriston Place. Walkers were privileged to be addressed by Dr. David Caldwell of the Royal Museum of Scotland who showed them one of two remaining short sections of the Flodden Wall which skirted the south side of the museum. Council member Dr. Allen Simpson briefly enlightened us about other sections of the wall which once lay within the Museum. The walk ended up at the Scottish Storytelling Centre where we were served delicious canapés and a glass of wine. President Dr. Iain Brown, who was sporting the Club’s new presidential regalia, described the John Knox House centre as the Club’s birthplace as it was here that William J Hay, one of the founders of the Club, conducted his printing publishing and retails business. As the excursion was oversubscribed Graeme generously conducted a repeat performance the following evening.