Isabel and Peggy, who grew up in Peebles in the 1920s and ‘30s, have fond memories of foraging for summer fruits.
Isabel: When we were young, we swam in the river – that’s where we spent our summer holidays as children. We were thrown out in the morning by our parents and just played in the river and fished. It was a wonderful place to play.
In the school holidays there was no option. We were told to take sisters and brothers. ‘You want to take your sister along? You will take your sister!’ And all big brothers had their sisters to look after.
We used to go along the old railway up there. There used to be a farm out there [at Eshiels], MacGillivary’s, and we used to go and get strawberries in summer. All the children went up the railway to get these strawberries.
They used to get a gun, and they used to fire at us. Not to hit us; over our heads. That used to make us run, but we still got quite a few strawberries into the bargain!
Peggy: We used to go to a place way down at Scotsmill. Before you come to Scotsmill we turned right, you crossed a wee stream. We used to climb the gate and go away up – slanting we used to call it – the field, and with another hill to climb and oh, the raspberries!
It was at the back of the White Brig. Well, we went there and picked raspberries. And, you know, before we got home the juice was really beginning to come through the bags – bursting, you know – and we got covered. We just got in the door, and my mother would get the pan out and the jam was made in no time.
Peggy Ferguson and Isabel Taylor shared memories of growing up in Peebles in the 1920s and 1930s, which were recorded in the early 2000s. They are reproduced here by kind permission of The Tweeddale Society from their 2005 publication ‘Peebles Remembered’. Whitie’s Books and Crafts in Peebles have copies.
Images: Strawberries by Kiya Golara on Unsplash.
