Saturday 17th July 1971

Photograph Graeme Paterson

I finished the milk early this morning; although we're on holiday Saturday still has that different wee feel to it. After breakfast I went down to the National Garage; Mrs Munro gave me my pay. In the afternoon I sold all my Edinburgh Evening News' dead quickly perhaps because it was a Saturday and there were more visitors in to see the patients. However I was only paid a £1 by Pamela Baird. 

In the early evening Nana dropped by to see us. I then went out and played on the bike going off for a wee cycle ride up to Colinton. Mum and John are away for an evening out.

Old Parky was interesting this evening. There was quite a line up with some great jazz musicians but mainly because the show had John Lennon and Yoko on; Lennon told him that if he (Parky) mentioned The Beatles once he'd have to conduct the interview from a sack which he duly did!

Thursday 15th July 1971

I was out first thing on the Edinburgh & Dumfrieshire milk float. The big news is that our boss, Sid, is leaving; it took us all by surprise. 

I came home for my breakfast before going down to the National Garage to put in a wee shift. I'm starting to get used to the job. I'm much better now at the oil 'n petrol mix; I've got my customer-care off to a tee and I'm better at dealing with the quirks of old man Munro whose bark is worse than his bite. 

Mid-afternoon I went back down to Morningside to collect the Edinburgh Evening News' to sell around the City Hospital wards; once again I managed to sell every copy but I had to work hard to get them off my hands; anyway Pamela will be pleased when I go into the shop tomorrow. 

Later on Boo-Boo; Ali; Iain and I went to the Dom (Dominion Cinema) to see That's The Way It Is with Elvis. It was absolutely brilliant. I'm a big fan of The King. There were some great numbers in there -  'I've Lost You'; 'One Night'; 'Suspicious Minds' all alongside Elvis's good humour. 

I'm hoping to see something decent on the box tonight. 

On the big world news front President Nixon says he's going to China. It must be the same in America as Scotland - difficult to find a good local Chinese Restaurant! We're lucky with The Bamboo and the old boy's pal Ben who opened up his own place up at Bruntsfield.

Wednesday 14th July 1971

I was out ' n about first thing this morning delivering the milk. 

Similar to Monday and Tuesday, after my cornflakes 'n milk I walked down to the National Garage to work there again. It's funny how the world changes. It's not so long ago we used to sneak over the back wall to play in the old wrecked cars before getting chased by the mechanics; now we're part of the team although very junior. 

I managed to sell all my Edinburgh Evening News' around the City Hospital wards which was very satisfying. 

In the evening Nana, Gaga and Aunt Heather were out. I went away in the huff for about 5 minutes. Huffy Hoffmann, that's me! Later on I watched a very good and interesting programme called Paid Off by James Burke. It was all about unemployment and the secret world of people who live off state benefits questioning whether it's worth people even bothering to work. 

Tuesday 13th July 1971 - Who Says Men Can't Multi-task!

I did the milk around the lovely tree lined streets of Morningside. Once I'm up I enjoy being out 'n about on a lovely summer's morning; I like this time of the day; it's got a different feel to it. The birds are in full voice and singing away, particularly the blackie. It's already warm and light; the world is still quiet but slowly coming to life with all the potential of a full day in front of me. I love the sensation of the physical exercise hopping on 'n off the milk float darting up 'n down the garden paths with either silver, red or gold tops; it's great building up a wee sweat and enjoying the feeling of being lean, fit and athletic; I'm definitely in my prime. It's all enhanced by knowing that I don’t have to go into school; it's something parked away on the horizon in August or the Twelfth of Never! 

After some cornflakes 'n milk I went down to the garage to put in another shift at the National Garage. When you’re multi-tasking on the work front somehow the variety makes it feel like it's not really work at all plus it's all new and novel. My wee kiosk on the forecourt is great; I have to nip out every now and then to serve petrol to the customers. You tend to feel a wee bit more of an expert with the women customers than the men but they're all very pleasant to me and you get an occasional tip too. 

Mid-afternoon I went down to Baird's Newsagents. Pamela Baird was very pleased with me as yesterday I'd sold every single Edinburgh Evening News around the City Hospital wards. It's a good feeling getting positive feedback. It makes you want to get out there and deliver the goods again to get more praise. I suppose that's what they call motivation but I think it's more than that, because I like pleasing people through doing something for them. 

I don't know why but late afternoon I felt very sick; it wasn't a nice feeling' perhaps I maybe had too much sun. However I made a decent recovery as Ali Douglas and I have been out looking for the 'icey'. Whilst we were doing that we went down to the dodgy Rowntree's vending machine. Ali got three extra packets whilst I got one. We eventually found the 'icey' but only after searching Tony's down, way up at Oxgangs Farm Drive.

Monday 12th July 1971 It's work Jim, but not as we know it!

Well it may be the school summer holidays but compared to last week's leisurely week I put in a heck of a good shift today; and yet busy as I was it didn’t really feel like working at all. I really enjoyed myself. 

I started a new milk run this morning so I was up with the birds at the crack of dawn; however on a light, summer's morn and with no school I took it in my stride. After a wee bit of scran for my breakfast I went down to job number two at the National Garage to work on the pumps. Mrs Munro is as big a character as her hubby. They're like two peas in a pod. 

Mid- afternoon I took a number 16 bus down to Bairds Newsagents to begin my new paper-round for Pamela Baird. 

Pamela Baird

She gave me a bundle of Evening News' to sell around the City Hospital wards. It's completely different to a few years back when I did the early morning slot where I saw some bonny (not) sights. On a bright, sunny afternoon the hospital is a much sunnier place to go around in both senses of the word; there's more staff on the go and the visitors were in. Anyway, I managed to sell all the papers so Pamela will be pleased, which makes me pleased too. 

Photograph courtesy John Stirling, Currie

Afterwards I had a quick tea then I went back down to put in a few more hours at the garage - my pockets will be jingling this week. Meanwhile John and Mum are up the The Good Companions having a wee tipple or two; I've just had some chips.

Friday 9th July 1971

I worked for a good part of the day at the National Garage at the back of the Store on Colinton Mains Drive. Mr Munro the owner is a big, bluff sort of a character but is okay. I got the job through Iain and Ali Douglas who have both been working there too. I quite enjoy being at the garage and serving the petrol from the wee kiosk. The petrol's straight forward enough but it's a wee bit trickier with the oil 'n petrol mixture for the motor-bikes. 

There's a great smell about the place; it’s the mixture of petrol and heat. It's been another hot and sunny day with the sun beating down. I like the whole feel of the place; there's a certain timelessness and tradition about a garage. It's a wee bit messy with odds 'n ends and some car stuff lying around. I also like the free badges we get to distribute to the customers. On a warm, dreamy afternoon it's a good way to spend a school holiday. 

Pamela Baird

Later on I cycled down to Morningside Drive to re-introduce myself to Pamela Baird and pick up another job at Bairds Newsagents. I've always enjoyed working at Bairds - it's in my DNA. It's actually been a wee while since I've been in the shop. 

Mr Baird

The shop has a good feel to it with the double shop at the front with newspapers; chocolate; cigarettes; stationery and cards and a few toys and then the contrast of the smaller, secret world of the back shop where we fold the newspapers and make up the rounds; brew the tea as well as the wee sink and loo. 

Gaga picked up Iain and me and we went down to Porty where he treated us to a St Andrew’s Restaurant fish supper; they must easily be the best in the world. Like the weather, the golf is hotting up and there’s only a stroke between Lee Trevino and Tony Jacklin. We sat in and watched a great film, Robin Hood; I've always fancied a life in the greenwood. Before bed I settled back to read my comics. All 'n all a fantastic day - another excellent day of holiday and work too, but with lots of good stuff packed in there - happy days! 

Munro's National Garage; Wacky Races; and Butch Cassidy and Graeme Robb

Until we began working at the petrol pumps at Munro’s National Garage Oxgangs Road North our familiarity with the garage was playing in the line of wrecked cars at the rear end. It was a bit of a junk-yard and I suspect they were used as handy on-site spares for repairs.

From a disused and overgrown patch of ground to the side of the Store (St Cuthbert's Cooperative) we used to climb up and then clamber over a ten foot high wall; whereas on the garage side the wall was only three feet high or indeed low in contrast to the drop on the other side.

Quiet as mice we daredevils would open the doors of the old cars and play inside on the drivers’ seats kidding on we were racing one another as we wrenched the steering wheels wildly from side to side with big smiles on our faces. From the sun beating down on the old leather seats there was a distinctive smell inside those old cars 

Eventually we would be spotted usually by one of the young mechanics; Derrick Nicol was the scariest and it was quite thrilling having to run away. The only real escape route for us was to throw ourselves over the three foot wall with the ten foot drop. No one would chase us that way; I guess it was rather like Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid - would you jump off from there? And of course all the staff wished to do was to scare the kids off until another day.

Graeme Robb (Oxgangs Park) tells a nice story about how one day he arrived at the garage in tears because his bicycle had picked up a puncture in Colinton Dell. The owner, Mr Munro, a large bluff chap kindly instructed one of the mechanics to repair it for Graeme; from watching the mechanics in action he thereafter knew how to repair future punctures for himself.