A weekend in Edinburgh. Jan 23. Ocean Terminal. Leith. "The Wee museum of Memories"

So following the simple directions I popped in to feast my eyes on social history, it was a bit like urbex without the grot, and without having to climb through windows

The museum first opened its doors in the 1980's popping up in various locations before settling here as a, hopefully, long term resident.

This place and hopefully my snaps appeal to those of a certain age who remember some of the things, or the younger generation who need an explanation!!

Kids rocking horses from the 50's to the 80's

In the days before apps there was a book and a card for everything, I love the fact that there was a sign you handed door to door for communal tasks. Does anyone still have that community spirit where a pride was taken in the local neighbourhood?

A typical medicine cupboard, very similar to my parents bathroom cabinet, all sorts of stuff, though this being scotland I am amazed that the meths isn"t mixed in below

Cinzano and lemonade, the go to drink for young ladies out on the town in the 1970's.

Alas, no Netflix and chill for you. just monotone bbc from alexandra palace.

Ditto: no spotify or apple music. But in my youth I bet I had more fun playing with father's wireless not "surfing the web", but carefully turning the dial to tune into exotic sounding places like "Stavanger. Helsinki, Breslaw or Rabat et al" trying to listen through the static to strange and hypnotic accents, all the while pretending to be a spy. "The man from U.N.C.L.E": I was always Ilya Kuryakin. The intelligent one as opposed to Napoleon Solo, the smarmy one. Happy days.

How the youth of today would cope with this I don't know, having to dial in a number which would take ages, no button pressing, no speed dial, nothing. Other than a book to store all the numbers of friends and acquaintances. or just pick up the telephone directory that listed every person alphabetically in the wider area. together with full name and address and telephone number!!!! Did anyone shit the bed over data privacy? How easy for burglars to suss out an unoccupied property.

Life went on.

A typical food cupboard and selection of recipe books, no pandering to the fussy eater, or the faddy diets, no nanny state demanding calorific counts or fat and carb. contents, and no silly use by dates, our creators gave us a nose for that.

A time when no one had a peanut allergy, or suffered from lactose intolerance, WTF was gluten?. Happy days we just had rickets and polio and diphtheria.

Life went on

Hark back to the 1970's, folk would pick up and use these basic cameras, take the film to the chemist to be processed, get the snaps back and think, " fuck, someone invent a mobile phone, these snaps are crap"

London to Edinburgh by steam train took just under 11 hours a distance of 390 miles, those that could afford it travelled over night by sleeper, and woe-betide any noisy sleeper

Don't ya just love scary starey dolls.

So that was it out I strolled into the cold evening air to find the male side of the next two generations of my family standing waiting. Apologising for my lateness only to be told.

"Don't worry Anne and Sophia are still shopping"

Life goes on