Interviews of Betty and Suzanne Watson

In this interview, sisters Betty and Suzanne, talk about growing up in Fisherrow. Their father was a fisherman and their home, at Bush Street, was one of a complex they believe was built by their great-grandfather.

The sisters talk about their childhood, playing on the shore and going in and out of the homes nearby. They describe a close community where everyone knew everyone else and where, to venture 'over the water' into Musselburgh was unnecessary or unwise. They describe different aspects of life, including: play, schooldays, the Fisherman's Walk, Christmas and New Year traditions, Sunday School, the bathing pool at Portobello, going into Edinburgh to work and the local shops and businesses at Fisherrow.

They recall how many houses had a one-room shop, such as Jenny Hannah's (where they bought sweeties) or Jackie Penman's, where you got sherry from a barrel. They share a number of funny stories and anecdotes, such as when they remember being sent out, while still very young, to get their demijohn re-filled with cider. They also recall the hogmanay cleaning and how their father would often rest on Sunday afternoons before he headed back to the boat.

Towards the end of the interview, they describe their family home in great detail, including referencing the part of the house where, in the past, the nets would have been tarred. Suzanne also talks about how her father believed one branch of the family came from Holland to fish in the 1540s, which the other side of the family, coming from Perth around 1800, were still described by him as incomers.