tourist boon that would be? Imagine it: people from all over the world flocking to Leith to enjoy the architecture and see a way of life that was long gone.
By the time she had stopped raving to herself about the myopic planners she was at the pend in Bernard Street that gave you access to the houses above the two pubs on the Shore. Even although the entrance was in Bernard Street, the windows of the flats overlooked the Water of Leith on the Shore.
True, the houses were ancient and in sore need of renovation to bring them up to habitable standard. But Sally smiled, as she willingly believed the rumour that as a matter of urgency it was planned to upgrade and modernise the houses and pubs.
However, she had to accept that that expediency, to the powers that be, could mean within ten years. This stark realisation set Sally pondering about the state of the houses today. She shuddered. Would anyone appreciate that when she was a child she had lived in such a house in Ferrier Street, which you approached through the hole in the wall in Leith Walk?
Relaxing slightly, she recalled that when they had been allocated the house in Iona Street she had thought that never again would she or any of her family have to live in such squalor.
The flat that Ginny was renting to Josie at a nominal rent belonged to whoever was the licensee of the Four Marys pub – in this case Ginny – who also held the licence for the adjacent pub, the King’s Wark. It was obvious both hostelries had at one time been a solitary establishment.
Sally began to argue with herself again, but, no matter what, she had to accept that this was the abode that Josie would be required to move into. It was true Ginny had done her best to revamp the place. She had had the walls painted, and had laid new linoleum and even rugs upon the floors of the two-roomed house, but even she could do nothing to upgrade one cold-water tap and an outside lavatory.
Getting into the Four Marys pub on time should have been Sally’s priority, but she was detained by wondering how Josie would feel about going through these rusty iron gates before entering into the dark, dank, eerie courtyard and then climbing the ancient, crumbling, worn stairs?
If only, Sally prayed, Josie can hold on until the promised upgrading is carried out, which will mean the knocking of two houses into one and installing modern facilities in the form of hot water and a bathroom. She will be in a good position to be considered as a tenant for one of them.
Sheer panic started to rise in Sally’s breast until she reluctantly remembered that Flora had said it was time Josie was standing on her own two feet and her moving into a flat on her own could be the start. Sally exhaled forcibly as she admitted to herself that as far as she could she had always sheltered Josie from the cruelties and realities of life, but now she had to give all her support to Helen and Bobby, who had been so ruthlessly abandoned by their father. Sighing, she thought, Yes, it is about time thirty-one-year-old Josie is responsible for herself, and there is no reason that she cannot do more to make the flat as comfortable as possible.
Sally remonstrated with herself before she continued, I know what I’ll do to have Josie know I still care for her – I’ll buy her a commode so she won’t need to go downstairs at night to use the outside lavatory. She convinced herself that she had come up with a brilliant idea to protect Josie – because there was the possibility, in the dark, that she could be mistaken for an accommodating lady of the ancient King’s Wark and find that instead of relieving herself she had been propositioned. Sally gave a wicked little chuckle as she conceded that would never do.
It didn’t take much imagination when you looked straight on at the front of the Four Marys and the King’s Wark pubs to accept that once they had been the same building.
Sally smiled as she remembered when as a child how she had been
By the time she had stopped raving to herself about the myopic planners she was at the pend in Bernard Street that gave you access to the houses above the two pubs on the Shore. Even although the entrance was in Bernard Street, the windows of the flats overlooked the Water of Leith on the Shore.
True, the houses were ancient and in sore need of renovation to bring them up to habitable standard. But Sally smiled, as she willingly believed the rumour that as a matter of urgency it was planned to upgrade and modernise the houses and pubs.
However, she had to accept that that expediency, to the powers that be, could mean within ten years. This stark realisation set Sally pondering about the state of the houses today. She shuddered. Would anyone appreciate that when she was a child she had lived in such a house in Ferrier Street, which you approached through the hole in the wall in Leith Walk?
Relaxing slightly, she recalled that when they had been allocated the house in Iona Street she had thought that never again would she or any of her family have to live in such squalor.
The flat that Ginny was renting to Josie at a nominal rent belonged to whoever was the licensee of the Four Marys pub – in this case Ginny – who also held the licence for the adjacent pub, the King’s Wark. It was obvious both hostelries had at one time been a solitary establishment.
Sally began to argue with herself again, but, no matter what, she had to accept that this was the abode that Josie would be required to move into. It was true Ginny had done her best to revamp the place. She had had the walls painted, and had laid new linoleum and even rugs upon the floors of the two-roomed house, but even she could do nothing to upgrade one cold-water tap and an outside lavatory.
Getting into the Four Marys pub on time should have been Sally’s priority, but she was detained by wondering how Josie would feel about going through these rusty iron gates before entering into the dark, dank, eerie courtyard and then climbing the ancient, crumbling, worn stairs?
If only, Sally prayed, Josie can hold on until the promised upgrading is carried out, which will mean the knocking of two houses into one and installing modern facilities in the form of hot water and a bathroom. She will be in a good position to be considered as a tenant for one of them.
Sheer panic started to rise in Sally’s breast until she reluctantly remembered that Flora had said it was time Josie was standing on her own two feet and her moving into a flat on her own could be the start. Sally exhaled forcibly as she admitted to herself that as far as she could she had always sheltered Josie from the cruelties and realities of life, but now she had to give all her support to Helen and Bobby, who had been so ruthlessly abandoned by their father. Sighing, she thought, Yes, it is about time thirty-one-year-old Josie is responsible for herself, and there is no reason that she cannot do more to make the flat as comfortable as possible.
Sally remonstrated with herself before she continued, I know what I’ll do to have Josie know I still care for her – I’ll buy her a commode so she won’t need to go downstairs at night to use the outside lavatory. She convinced herself that she had come up with a brilliant idea to protect Josie – because there was the possibility, in the dark, that she could be mistaken for an accommodating lady of the ancient King’s Wark and find that instead of relieving herself she had been propositioned. Sally gave a wicked little chuckle as she conceded that would never do.
It didn’t take much imagination when you looked straight on at the front of the Four Marys and the King’s Wark pubs to accept that once they had been the same building.
Sally smiled as she remembered when as a child how she had been
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