The Marine Gardens

by **rathbone** » 02 Mar 2007, 11:24

Once it was clear that Bleriot’s aeroplane was not going to arrive that season, the Directors of the Marine Gardens announced an Aeroplane Competition. A prize of £500 was offered for the first British aviator who would fly on a British built aeroplane from the Marine Gardens to the Fife shore. Three simple conditions were to apply: One beng that the aeroplane must have been completely constructed in Britain, secondly that the aviator must be a British subject and thirdly that the flight must take place between 10 a.m. and sunset.

by **rathbone** » 03 Mar 2007, 10:04

On 21st August 1909 three baby lions were born in the Marine Gardens.

by **rathbone** » 04 Mar 2007, 08:25

25 August saw a fancy dress skating carnival held at the Edinburgh Marine Gardens .

Roller skating at the Gardens rink had proved to be a great succss, attracting huge crowds of skaters and spectators alike. The fancy dress carnival was the first of the kind held at the Gardens and for the occasion the rink building was decorated. The crowd desiring admission was enormous and it was impossible to accommodate everyone. There were about 3,000 spectators. The skaters numbered over 200.

There was a variety of costumes and the following were the principal prizes awarded:-

Ladies section.

Prettiest costume
1 Miss Marion Grieve as Black Spanish.
2 Miss E. Macauley as Roses.
3 Miss E. Douglas as Winter.

Most original costume.
1. Miss Taylor as Ivy.
2 Mrs. Barrett as Trilby.
3 Miss Macauley as Grapes.

Special prize Miss Shaw as Marine Gardens.

Gentlemen’s section.
Handsomest costume
1 Mr. H. Erskine as Mikado.
2 Mr. W. Grieve as Rajah.
3 Mr. W. Collier as Russian.

Humorous costume
1 Mr. W. Jackson as Punch.
2 Mr. J. M. McGillivray as Zulu.
3 Mr. W. Graham as Dutchman.

Most original costume
Mr. H. Ryle as An Incandescent Mantle.

by **rathbone** » 05 Mar 2007, 10:18

by **rathbone** » 06 Mar 2007, 10:41

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by **rathbone** » 25 Mar 2007, 09:50

by **rathbone** » 26 Mar 2007, 09:52

A considerable crowd turned up at Waverley Station on 27 April to greet the 10:25 from London. So big was the crowd that a number of police were present to keep order.

They were gathered to see the arrival of natives from Somaliland who would form the personnel of the Somali village which was to be one of the attractions of the Marine Gardens during the new season.

When the train drew up the Somalis poured on to the platform, men, women and children. The Scotsman reporter noted that all were of a negro complexion with wooly hair. The men were tall and lithe and many of them carried spears and other native weapons. Most of them were clad in white and wore ornaments in their hair.

The company, which included representatives of several tribes, numbered 75 in all, of whom 53 were adults. They were natives of Djibouti, in the province of Obock, French Protectorate of Somaliland.

The majority of the Somalis were accommodated in large omnibuses in which they were driven to the Marine Gardens, where they were to live in the specially built village for the next six months. When the supply of omnibuses gave out, cabs were requisitioned and the last of the troupe was driven off in a hansom.

The arrangements for the conveyance of the Somalis from Africa to their Portobello destination were made by Messrs Thomas Cook & Son.

by **rathbone** » 27 Mar 2007, 09:52

by **rathbone** » 29 Mar 2007, 09:38

The Edinburgh Marine Gardens were opened to the public for their second season at the beginning of May 1910 and were patronised by thousands of visitors.

The opening ceremony took place at half part two o’clock in the Concert Hall, where the band of the Horse Guards played selections while the company was gathering. Mr. J.C. Couper, chairman of directors of the Marine Gardens Company ,presided and among others on the platform were Lord Provost Brown, Bailies Laing, Cullen and MacFarlane, and about a score of other members of the Corporation wearing their robes and accompanied by the halberdiers.

Mr. Couper said that last season, from a weather point of view, was about as bad as it possibly could have beeen for the complete success of the Gardens, but notwithstanding three quarters of a million persons passed the turnstiles. This showed that the Gardens had filled a want in Edinburgh and he felt sure that as years went on more and more visitors would prolong their stay in the capital of Scotland to enable them to appreciate the pleasures of the Marine Gardens.

Some of the leading artistes and theatrical companies had been engaged throughout the season by the amusements manager. The skating rink had been renovated. As a special attraction, a tribe of Somalis with their chief had been brought from their native territory in East Africa, and a village complete in all details had been erected for their occupation. Every effort would be made to make the Gardens one of the foremost pleasure resorts in the country, not only for the population of Edinburgh, but the populations of the surrounding district.

Mr. Couper concluded by calling on the Lord Provost to declare the Gardens open.
Lord Provost Brown, who was received with loud applause, said the promoters deserved to be congratulated on their enterprise. The previous summer the gardens were shown to be a delightful attraction to the public. Of course such a resort required time to be sufficiently remunerative and he had no doubt, as time passed, that adequate support would be forthcoming and that large numbers of citizens, as well as great crowds of strangers, would be attracted to the Gardens. For that purpose the Gardens must be a place of amusement as well as instruction, and he was glad to see that music of a high class would be largely to the front. He felt satisfied that the Gardens would be a boon to the frequenters and that there would be nothing that the most fastidious taste could object to The Council heard a great deal about the need of providing counter attractions to the public houses in Portobello. Many would do well to take a leaf out of the book of the directors and those who had charge of such places and provide throughout the country places such as these, where innocent amusement could be found. On behalf of the Corporation, his Lordship expressed the earnest wish that the Gardens would be a success.

A short musical programme was given. Mr. Robert Burnett and Miss Mentiplay delighted the audience with their songs. Mr. George Short acted as accompanist.

Thereafter the civic body visited the Somali Village where they had the privilege of witnessing the natives engaging in a war dance.

by **rathbone** » 30 Mar 2007, 09:33

On 7 May the Marine Gardens Figure Eight Company Limited decided to acquire the mechanical construction or contrivance known as the Figure Eight Railway, and to carry on the business of public entertainers and of caterers for amusements. The Capital was £2,700 in shares of £1 each,but the venture was strictly private, the public not being invited to subscribe.

by **rathbone** » 31 Mar 2007, 11:11

by **rathbone** » 01 Apr 2007, 07:21

On 20 May 1910 the Edinburgh Marine Gardens were closed as a mark of respect on the day of the funeral of King Edward the Seventh.

by **rathbone** » 03 Apr 2007, 10:29

by **rathbone** » 04 Apr 2007, 09:24

The Marine Gardens

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