'My Edinburgh', Hamish Coghill

President Peter gave a warm welcome to Hamish Coghill who is Edinburgh born and bred and spent much of his career as a Journalist with Scotsman Publications. He is a member of the Old Edinburgh Club and is Honorary President of the Currie and District Local History Society. Hamish is an avid photographic recorder of the changing local scene in Edinburgh and has written extensively about Scotland's magnificent capital city. His many publications include "A Century of Edinburgh", "Edinburgh: The Old Town", "Discovering the Water of Leith" and "Lost Edinburgh". Who better qualified to give a talk about "Auld Reekie, wale o' ilka Town" (Robert Fergusson).

With the aid of photographic slides, Hamish provided a whistle-stop tour of Edinburgh highlighting the history, architecture and natural beauty of his home city. From  Edinburgh Castle, the famous fortress and citadel of the town, we toured the High Street examining both happy and sad statue faces and pondering the secrets of the many dark closes of the Old Town. "I gulp down the winter raw. The heady darkness swirls with tenements." (Poem: November Night, Edinburgh by Norman MacCaig). The unpleasant deeds of famous Edinburgh worthies such as William Burke and William Hare and Deacon Brodie were recounted including their ultimate demise of public hanging at the Old Tolbooth in the High Street.

Hamish then contrasted the dark history of the Old Town with the New Town, the masterpiece of city planning initially designed by James Craig in 1766, with its neo-classical and Georgian architecture, incorporating wide streets ("Draughty Parallelogram Streets"- Robert Louis Stevenson) and light-filled buildings sharing beautiful gardens. Photographs of Charlotte Square, Moray Place, Rutland Square and Heriot Row were shared and enjoyed including the precious gardens at Abercrombie Place where our speaker lived and enjoyed as a child. Hamish also spoke fondly of characters lost to his favourite city and of the statues which are the favourite attraction of the many visitors to Edinburgh including Greyfriars Bobby (shiny nose), David Hume, Philosopher (golden toe), Walter Scott (Scott Monument) and Robert Louis Stevenson.

In concluding his informative talk Hamish commented on the old and new aspects of Edinburgh and how 'progress' was sometimes achieved by "pulling down historical buildings because they were old". He spoke generally about the opportunities to see wildlife in the centre of town, the existence of old street lamps, steep steps, pavement flagstones and police-box cafes and how Edinburgh never fails to enchant him wherever he goes.

Following a number of interesting questions Robert Menzies thanked Hamish for his excellent talk and slides.

Report By Graham Low