• As part of the project Castle Mills: Then & Now | 900 Stories in Print, funded by the City of...
    Collaborative Drypoint Etching of North Britsh Rubber Company workers

    As part of the project Castle Mills: Then & Now | 900 Stories in Print, funded by the City of Edinburgh Council, Edinburgh Printmakers hosted a week-long pop-up exhibition at the St James Quarter. Facilitated by the Living Memory Association, many projects who were funded by the City of Edinburgh Council to help celebrate Edinburgh's 900 year anniversary were invited to host exhibitions and activities in the Edinburgh900 unit. 

     

    This exhibition featured a selection of stories collected over the past year, documenting the industrial heritage of Fountainbridge and the west of Edinburgh, people's memories and experiences of the area in the past and present, and hopes for the future. Many of these stories were collected through creative weekly workshops held at Castle Mills, Edinburgh Printmakers' home, which is one of the few historic buildings remaining in the area. 

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  • “I was employed at the age of 15 to work as a 'postboy' in the Postal Department (in the basement of the Head Office building) of Uniroyal Castle Mills, in May 1968. There were 3 postboys employed at any one time and the working regime saw them working in the postal department between 6 and 12 months until such time as a vacancy arose elsewhere in the Head Office and they transferred there. The postboys were in a somewhat unique position within the offices and factory/production spaces as we were allowed access to the entire complex in order to deliver and collect mail. The majority of employees were restricted to only accessing the areas in which they worked.” - Bruce Stewart

     

    “There was a buzz in the stair in 2011. A duck had been spotted in a second-floor window box. An unusual sight for an Edinburgh tenement, even one so close to water. 28 days later little ducklings appeared and hopped out of their high-rise nest! Canny residents were ready with duvets and inflatables to soften their landing and ‘Stop! Ducks Crossing’ placards to halt the traffic on their journey to the Fountainbridge Union Canal.” - Jude

     

    "Fountainbridge seems to be in a constant state of change. " - Anonymous

     

     

     

  • We are still collecting stories to reach our goal of 900!
     
    We welcome written, audio and film digital submissions. Please email your contribution to info@edinburghprintmakers.co.uk with the subject line: "Edinburgh900"
     
     
    or you can post hand-written stories to:
     
    Ilaria Casini - Edinburgh Printmakers
    1 Dundee Street 
    EH3 9FP Edinburgh 
    Scotland (UK) 
     
     
    There isn't a story too short or too long to submit!