Dollickers; Tunnels; And The Centre Of The Universe

As the Jesuit saying goes 'Give me the child for the first seven years and I will give you the man.' (Ignatius of Loyola).

For those of us who grew up in the Oxgangs area we all went through a similar socialisation process (parents; wider family; education; church; neighbours; etc.) but one that was also unique to each and everyone of us too.

Peter Hoffmann; Mrs Anne Hoffmann; Anne and Iain Hoffmann 6/2 Oxgangs Avenue summer 1962

For many years Oxgangs was at the centre of our universe; and particularly so when you're around the age of four to seven years of age before we begin to explore the frontier and push the boundaries further.

Looking back to those years from 1960 onward we had an extraordinary amount of freedom to go out and play and to roam and the school summer holidays played a key part in influencing the people we became.

6/2 Oxgangs Avenue was the base from which we set out and whence we returned each day from our adventures gradually exploring the world beyond. But everything was progressive and back in the day, knowledge came slowly.

Mary Ball shopping at Oxgangs Broadway

To the south it was initially to the shops at Oxgangs Broadway; then aged only two or three keeping up with Mrs Helen Blades' (6/6) party of older children as she pushed her elderly father in a wheelchair up to the Army's Polo Fields at Dreghorn; and a year or two later further on to Swanston Village and as we got older still we climbed atop the Pentland Hills and ventured deeper into the glens.

Caerketton Hill; photograph Dave Hennicker

To the north we soon had The 'Craigies' (Craiglockhart Hill) in our sight.

To the west was 'The Gully' and also Braidburn Valley and as we became braver beyond that to the Hermitage - gosh the Braid Burn extends further and through an exciting big tunnel (under Braid Road) - fancy that.

Photograph 'I Love Edinburgh'

Similar to exploring 'The Gully' we got a buzz from going in to the Hermitage as there was always the danger of bumping into older boys from other areas in the capital that bordered either Caiystane or the Braid Burn as it flowed onward toward Portobello and the sea.

In an easterly direction we quickly became familiar with Colinton Mains shops, then as we got older following and jumping the burn; playing footie at the nets at Redford Barracks then there was Colinton Village further afar with an interesting sweet shop, 'The Snuff Box'.

But more locally at what we called 'The Four Blocks' (2; 4; 6; and 8 Oxgangs Avenue) there was much to amuse and interest us.

Oxgangs Avenue - 'The Four Blocks' numbers 2; 4; 6; and 8

The older boys including Dougie Blades (6/6) and Laurence Calder (8/5) used to put us inside an old pram and cover us up completely under a blanket so that we couldn't see out and then push us at great speed around two of the blocks; with four right angles to negotiate as we swayed back and forth this was terrifying stuff.

Douglas Blades had a fascinating shed which doubled as a gang-hut and inside it were fascinating books and candles.

For a few years 'Guiders' (bogies) were a regular feature.

For me to own one I had to buy it as it would have been beyond Father to make something like that but I recall buying a 'Rolls Royce' off Andy Allan (4/7) - it was both carpeted and came complete with a hand-brake! It was fun being pushed around 'The Four Blocks' and being able to freewheel down Oxgangs Place with my next door neighbour Gavin Swanson (now an academic and an editor for many years with the Cambridge University Press) until his mum Molly got wind of it and he received a life-ban sine die!

Iain and Peter Hoffmann (6/2); Norman Stewart (6/3); and (Dr) Gavin Swanson (6/1) summer 1962

Marbles were great fun too and we would play out in the back garden although some games were held further afield. I used to keep them in an old blue ginger jar which I dropped and it smashed - PANIC! - with all my marbles spilling around and others scrambling after them and pocketing a few There was a real buzz about winning and adding to your collection but despair at losing some of your rare dollickers - now there's a word I haven't used in half a century.

I've always been a bit hard on my father but reflecting on those days just before I went to Hunters Tryst Primary School he brought me back a great wee leather jacket from New York with an NY badge on it when such items were rarities as well as a little red bicycle which initially had stabilisers; so he was perhaps a better father than I sometimes give him credit for at that stage in my young life.

Jumping the burn was great fun and we always got wet; but if it was raining or come the early evenings sometimes I used to slip some clothes on over my pyjamas and sneak up the stairs to watch 'Batman' at the Hanlons' home at 6/7; being on the top flat they were able to pick up the signal for Grampian and as STV didn't screen the Gotham City super-hero this was very exciting.

And afterwards we could smoke reflectively with our plastic bubble pipes; the little man with the hat always fascinated me.

Yes there was a world beyond Oxgangs and we visited our grandparents at Portobello in Gaga's car each Sunday and on the bus to Stockbridge in the 16 followed by the 24 to Nana Hoffmann's; but such trips and routes were too much to take in at that stage and I used to feel amazed that my father knew how to travel across the capital - how the heck does he do that - how does he remember what roads to go down and whether to turn left or right - the small but gradually expanding world of an Oxgangs child.