The Rathbone Appreciation Thread

ali · Post by **ali** » 12 Jun 2006, 10:56

I thought that rather than spoil the continuity of Rathbone's "On the Beach" Thread I would start a new thread so that I could say how much I am enjoying these daily historical snippets of the story of Portobello beach.

I know from experience on the Scotsman Archive project how daunting it can be trawling through the archives trying to identify juicy little stories so well done Rathbone - your hard work is paying off handsomely.

I don't know how many more of these episodes are to come but they would make an excellent booklet with some well chosen illustrations.

rathbone · Post by **rathbone** » 12 Jun 2006, 11:41

Thanks. Much appreciated.

ali wrote: I don't know how many more of these episodes are to come but they would make an excellent booklet with some well chosen illustrations.

.

I've got enough stuff to run through the summer.... though there will be breaks for holidays (later on this week for example.)

I did a 26 page, illustrated booklet on Portobello Showmen, which I sent to Bob Jefferson as a pdf file and which was circulated to the Local History Society among others. (I think that Bob is still trying to work out how to incorporate that sort of thing into Porty On-line.) This will probably end up as something similar.

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 12 Jun 2006, 13:05

The plan is to give rathbone's work the credit it deserves by setting up our own History section on Portobello Online. There are others, including myself, who took out a membership of the Scotsman digital archive and although I am doubtful that any of us are as capable as rathbone of producing such entertaining, informed and interesting results, this would nevertheless be the repository for such work.

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 12 Jun 2006, 22:42

Bob Jefferson wrote:although I am doubtful that any of us are as capable as rathbone...

Or have as much free time to loll about playing with computers all day

Post by **wangi** » 19 Jun 2006, 10:42

Yes indeed, a very interesting series!

rathbone wrote:Up until the 1840s Portobello had a small harbour with a quay. It was allowed to go into decay and finally to ruin. For a while the remains could be seen in the sand at low tide and then they too disappeared.

Nah:

http://porty.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2313

rathbone · Post by **rathbone** » 19 Jun 2006, 11:59

Suitably contrite

I'd forgotten that thread until Ali p.m. me to point it out.

foxy · Post by **foxy** » 07 Aug 2006, 18:14

Give us this day our daily Rathbone

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 07 Aug 2006, 22:35

foxy wrote:Give us this day our daily Rathbone

He's on his hols Foxy - here

foxy · Post by **foxy** » 08 Aug 2006, 10:02

Ahhh I'd forgottoen about this thread...thank you whoever tidied up after me...I'm so not used to that

....hope you're enjoying your holiday Rathbone

Cleopas · Post by **Cleopas** » 08 Aug 2006, 12:40

All hail the conquering Hero of History, Rathbone!

*genuflects*

Thanks to Rathbone I now know more about Porty, than I do the ancestral homelands. My dad is not pleased! Which is pretty cool by me!

rathbone · Post by **rathbone** » 10 Aug 2006, 20:30

Thank you Foxy and Cleopas, I am deeply touched .....(some might say in more ways than one

)

Just for you, I'm posting an extra long entry on the beach to get things up to date.....

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 10 Aug 2006, 21:36

He's such good company..........

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 08 Sep 2006, 10:29

As Rathbone is far too modest to mention this, I thought you should know that one of the reasons we have made his 'Portobello Showmen' work available on the site is as a result of a request from Archie Foley.

An international conference on magic and magician performers takes place in London during the week beginning 18th September and Rathbone's research on Andre Letta in particular will be of great interest to historians of magic.

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 13 Sep 2006, 09:29

I love reading Rathbone's daily updates, though there have been some rather bleak ones lately.

I was amused to read that even in 1906 there were youth disturbances on the Prom .

Allegedly, it was owing to the narrowness of the Promenade that so much unseemly conduct was witnessed during the summer months.

There were frequently to be seen bands of young fellows amusing themselves by pushing people off the Promenade.

Poppy · Post by **Poppy** » 22 Sep 2006, 09:20

member of the Lothian and Border Horse

Eh??

rathbone · Post by **rathbone** » 22 Sep 2006, 12:30

Either he was a mutant

or they were a local cavalry regiment

foxy · Post by **foxy** » 30 Sep 2006, 17:05

rathbone wrote:Suitably contrite

I'd forgotten that thread until Ali p.m. me to point it out.

I see from your signature that you're suitably contrite again Rathers...what have you been up to?

rathbone · Post by **rathbone** » 01 Oct 2006, 07:20

I used a naughty word when replying to Impossible Voices over on his graffiti thread and was chastised by the moderators.

foxy · Post by **foxy** » 01 Oct 2006, 09:45

rathbone wrote:I used a naughty word when replying to Impossible Voices over on his graffiti thread and was chastised by the moderators.

Tut tut...thank goodness for the thought police

rapunzell · Post by **rapunzell** » 08 Oct 2006, 00:09

I found photos of two of the submarines; the C22 and the C23:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/96947382@N00/263349045/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/93/263349045_f19931053f_m.jpg" width="240" height="143" alt="c23" /></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/96947382@N00/263350453/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/110/263350453_dc098840a6_o.jpg" width="280" height="163" alt="c22" /></a>

Where did you find the info about the visit? Were there any photos taken at the pier itself?

rathbone · Post by **rathbone** » 08 Oct 2006, 07:19

The info came from an article in the Scotsman. Unfortunately there were no photographs. These are great..... thanks.

Cleopas · Post by **Cleopas** » 14 Nov 2006, 13:14

I like that the powers-that-be have given you your own column(s), Rathbone ... but I have a question concerning your Magicians thread.

Marvello .... any relation to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?? I ask because maybe ole JK filched it for her boy-who-lived books? Which I've got and read them all ...

Okay so they're for kids ... sue me! I'll read anything ... even the back of a sauce or bleach bottle!

rathbone · Post by **rathbone** » 15 Nov 2006, 10:21

You never know...... she appears to have filched a bit (allegedly). Somewhere there must be a Pottermaniac who is researching all of that, so try posting a few questions on one of the thousands of he who must not be named websites.

Cleopas · Post by **Cleopas** » 08 Jan 2007, 09:58

I've been lurking a lot since I stopped posting in the main forum, and not taking part ... but I have to say, Rathbone, that reading your fabulous column is a huge part of what makes POL so very worthwhile to me. You conjure up simpler times and inject it with just the right amount of reportage that even the non-history buffs amongst us must appreciate Porty of old.

Along with Bob's brilliant postcard thread, the two of you have breathed a life into this forum that is unequalled by any Ediburgh site I've looked in on so far ...

I look forward to the book these threads should become.

rathbone · Post by **rathbone** » 09 Jan 2007, 10:12

Thanks for that....and I'm sure I speak for Bob as well.

I'm about at the end of the 'beach' thing (the Scotsman Archive only goes up to 1950), but look out for the Marine Gardens thread, starting soon

It's nice to know that you are still lurking (and starting to dip a toe back in). You were missed from the main forum.

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 15 Jan 2007, 23:14

Congratulations on another first-rate piece of work. I hereby confer upon you the title of Portobello Online historian in virtual residence.

rapunzell · Post by **rapunzell** » 24 Jan 2007, 17:04

I love the sound of the Marine Gardens. I want to visit. And was that a mention of a chocolate factory in Porty too?!

rathbone · Post by **rathbone** » 25 Jan 2007, 11:16

Virtual tours will start soon!

The Chocolate Factory may feature in a future thread on Portobello enterprises........ or perhaps you could revive it yourself!

rapunzell · Post by **rapunzell** » 31 Jan 2007, 10:01

We could have had a good POL outing to the chocolate factory if we'd been a bit earlier

Have you found any photos of the old harbour here Rathbone? I've been searching for ages and only found one tiny fuzzy one. I'd like a better look at it. Maybe it is rebuildable..

rapunzell · Post by **rapunzell** » 16 Feb 2007, 16:43

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/96947382@N00/392104841/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/156/3921 ... 25f7_o.jpg" width="146" height="221" alt="portobello harbour"></a>

This is the 'harbour' shot, tiny as it is. Can't find anything else unfortunately. I think they mistook the swimming pool for the harbour..

ali · Post by **ali** » 13 Apr 2007, 10:31

Its been 3 days now since Rathers posted on the Marine Gardens thread. Is it time to send out a search party yet?

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 13 Apr 2007, 13:01

ali wrote:Its been 3 days now since Rathers posted on the Marine Gardens thread. Is it time to send out a search party yet?

I noticed that too! A bit worried since I might have to book into a different 'hotel' for my holidays if he's snuffed it

rathbone · Post by **rathbone** » 13 Apr 2007, 16:34

Full details on the GTT ramblin' thread............

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 21 Jul 2007, 20:31

I have it on good authority that Rathbone is feeling a bit lonely on the Marine Gardens thread. Please feel free to speak to him here

. He gets up really early every morning and puts on very loud music to inspire him to write.

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 21 Jul 2007, 21:22

Rathbone, I for one am in awe of the dedication you bring to your local history research and of the effortless skill with which you appear to be able to interpret the source material and present it in an interesting and entertaining fashion.

Keep up the good work - your efforts are much appreciated.

Talk Porty ~ Portobello

The Rathbone Appreciation Thread

The Rathbone Appreciation Thread

Re: The Rathbone "On the Beach" Appreciation Threa

Submarines at the end of Porty pier