Interviews of Winifred Smith aged 103

DG13/9/1/1 track 1 of 4, 01 February 2014

Short biographical interview (1 of 4 tracks) with Winifred Smith who was born in Edinburgh over 100 years ago. Winifred describes her home, in Restalrig, which was near St Ninian's convent. Her father worked with the council and she could remember being aware of bombing during World War 1 and also going to Portobello beach and the trams in Edinburgh city centre. She also remembered the barracks at nearby Piershill. After leaving school, the family moved to Yorkshire where her father part owned a mill. She became a teacher and taught in West Riding.

DG13/9/1/3 track 2 of 4, 01 February 2014

In the second track (of 4), Winifred recalls here time teaching at West Riding. She also recalled the milkman coming round on a horse-drawn float. He would dip a pint measure into the milk and decant this into jugs or vessels that the customers brought out to him. She also remembered, aged 4 or 5, being in Restalrig and watching the searchlights and the bombers flying overhead.

DG13/9/1/5 track 3 of 4, follow up interview, 11 February 2014

In the third track (of 4), Winifred talks more about her childhood in Restalrig. She describes the day to day activities around the home and recalls playing peevy stones outside the house and visiting her grandparents, who lived in Bonnyrigg. Her grandfather had been a stationmaster at Saughton and told her about a train crash on a bridge where he had been one of the first to crawl out and help people to safety. She thought her grandmother would sing them songs and talks about the role of music in entertainment. She also mentions Christmas, sunday lunch and walking to Portobello barefoot.

DG13/9/1/7 track 4 of 4, follow up interview, 11 February 2014

In this fourth track (of 4) Winifred talks about her home life in Restalrig and remembered it was possible to walk along a promenade from Leith to Portobello. Of World War 1 she remembered the noise of the bombs and seeing soldiers from nearby Piershill barracks marching by on their way to disembark at Leith. She was sad to leave Restalrig to move to Keithley. She recalls the noise in the weaving mill her father joint owned and spoke about her teacher training. Once qualified she taught infants and remembered having 48 pupils in her class.