Antarctica, Portobello

Poppy · Post by **Poppy** » 19 Aug 2004, 21:49

I was reading an article today about the centenary of an Antarctic expedition which included a certain William Bruce who lived at "Antarctica, Portobello".

Anyone know where this house is/was?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 19 Aug 2004, 21:57

Poppy, I'm pretty sure this was covered in a recent issue of the Portobello Reporter, but unfortunately our online version is still down, pending a re-design. You can read back copies in the library though.

Poppy · Post by **Poppy** » 19 Aug 2004, 22:06

Bob, thanks. Thought I'd heard/read something about a plaque recently, so that must have been Mr B's?

Am going to library tomorrow to find out and report back.

ecm · Post by **ecm** » 19 Aug 2004, 22:43

Hi Poppy,
Feeling a bit better yet?
I seem to remember that the chap in question lived on Morton Street. If you would just get your lazy butt back to work you could check it out there!

Poppy · Post by **Poppy** » 19 Aug 2004, 22:49

Morton Street, eh? That's Joppa, they'd say!

PS I am feeling a bit better, thank you, but if I came back to work too early and saw you it might set me back

ecm · Post by **ecm** » 19 Aug 2004, 22:51

Jay · Post by **Jay** » 20 Aug 2004, 09:15

William Bruce led an expedition to the Antarctic in 1902/04, in a ship called 'Scotia', which, until Scott's ill-fated expedition of 1910/12, greatly enhanced our knowledge about the Antarctic. The Royal Museum had a centenary exhibition about Bruce and 'Scotia', which ended in May 2003. Lyndsay the Book might be able to confirm this, but I THINK there was a talk in Portobello library last year called 'From Joppa to Antarctica", which sadly I missed, but they presumably can tell you where in Joppa Bruce lived.

There is a website about the 'Scotia' exhibition

http://sites.scran.ac.uk/voyage_of_the_ ... index.html

and a profile of William Bruce at

http://www.south-pole.com/p0000093.htm

which does NOT tell you where he was living when he died!

Poppy · Post by **Poppy** » 20 Aug 2004, 17:15

Jay, interesting stuuf, thanks.

Bob, got myself to the library [met Porty on the way, but survived

], and read the article about plaques in portobello and Joppa - the house is over the railway bridge on Morton Street and is now called Cairnbank. Must do the suggested walk round all the plaques sometime!