Revamp revives family ties

But to Lisa Hendry the refurbishment of the art deco White House is much more personal.

The 61-year-old is the grand-daughter of the original owner and has been given a VIP tour of the revamp after reading about it in the Evening News.

She was just a young girl the last time she set foot in the building, which was owned and run by her grandmother Jemima Hood Gair.

While architects were careful to use as much of the original building as possible - following the historic blueprint and using items found inside the run-down shell - retired primary teacher Mrs Hendry, from Southside, admitted it was hard to remember what the building had been like years earlier.

"I was just a youngster, and we were brought here a few times, although it's only vague memories I have," she said. "There are certain things that bring back memories, though - the handrail on the stairs for example seems familiar, as does the old bar lounge, which is where we would have been given juice to keep us amused.

"My mother apparently chose the architect, although she would only have been a teenager at the time, and she went for what was then the very modern art deco look.

"My own daughter is fascinated by art deco, so she was thrilled to get a look round, and personally I'm delighted to see it restored to something approaching its former glory."

The B-listed building was re-opened to the public in March following a 2 million restoration project.

It was designed in 1936 by William Innes Thomson, and is a stunning example of art deco architecture, as well as being one of Scotland's last remaining roadhouses, which were made popular by the motoring boom of the inter-war years.

Empty for more than a decade, its crumbling facade and vandalised interior had become synonymous with the area's overall decline.

The building is currently being used to host a display on the history of Craigmillar and the regeneration of the area being undertaken by Parc.

Mrs Hendry said that as well as her grandmother building up the reputation of the White House as a stylish place to enjoy billiards, supper clubs and a game of skittles, her parents were directors of the pub. And she said its fall into disrepair was something that had saddened her.

"My grandmother would certainly have been disappointed by the state it fell into," she said. "I worked for the Craigmillar Festival society in the 80s, but while I remember the White House not being in the best condition it was hardly unusual for a lot of pubs at that time. I was horrified when it was painted black, though."It seemed such a strange thing to do."

Parc's operations director, Eric Adair, said: "We are keen to find a long-term use for the building and in the next few weeks we will be inviting community groups and local businesses who have expressed an interest to put together proposals for the White House."