Isa's wartime memories of battle-hardened city

Published on Saturday 8 March 2008 11:01

ISA MOREY, 80, who currently stays in Crewe Road Gardens, has vivid memories of growing up in wartime Edinburgh.

One early incident that Isa recalls is being hit by a bottle, thrown by two boys, while standing at the door of Hendersons shop in Richmond Place, in 1939. The bottle cut the inside of her leg quite deeply and she had to be taken to the Deaconess Hospital for three stitches, but not before her mum had chased the boys to the Infirmary Street Baths. She caught up with them and the manager there banned them for a few weeks.

Isa had to take her school lessons in James Thin's bookshop as the Fire Service used part of her school during the war. She struggled up their stairs with her heavy leg dressing but enjoyed the classes she had there.

She says: "I remember looking out of the window there on Armistice Day. There was a lot of people standing very still, men with their caps off and the trams and the traffic all stopped."

In 1942 Isa left school at 14 to fulfil her ambition to work in a chemist shop on the High Street and received a working wage of 15/s a week.

"I loved the work. I got to package powders and pills and helped to mix ointments."