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Just been reading on 'Lost Edinburgh' Facebook page regarding graffiti around Edinburgh over the years, people were going on about one particular in the 90's 'McCabe Grass' around Sighthill area I do remember it but does anyone know the story behind it? People think its something to do with a drugs!?
Was all over Dalry as well when I stayed there in the nineties. Don't know the full story but whoever was doing it made a grand job of getting the message across. It was everywhere.
Not sure if its related but there was similar around Oxgangs about the same time.Quote:
Originally Posted by s2hart
Different name but was along the lines of 'xxxxx grass'. The story with that one was definitely drugs related and the person who was mentioned in the graffiti committed suicide.
I was told it was someone from Broomhouse who grassed on drug dealers.Quote:
Originally Posted by s2hart
Memory is hazy so might be wrong.
This managed to arouse my curiosity somewhat so done a wee bit digging.Quote:
Originally Posted by peterdouglas
Best source I could come up with was actually Kickback. According to them its all a bit of a non story. One guy grassed another for involvement in relatively small scale drugs, the graffiti was about as bad as the retribution got seemingly.
Also asked around re the other graffiti that I mentioned around Oxgangs. The name that escaped me earlier was 'Fergie' and the graffiti was 'Fergie fat grass'. Sadly that story seems far more sinister. Seems my earlier recollection was accurate and whether through a reaction to the 'publicity' or genuine fear he did indeed take his own life.
The story seems a bit all over the place but rumour has it that the character Feardie Fergie from Ian Rankins Black and Blue was loosely based on him.
There was one on the side of a Hyvots block for aslong as I could remember. It was xxxxxx fat grass cow. Can't remember the name but it was there for years.
There was also a 'mention' young gillie '89' on a shop shutters until a year or two back.
There used to some permanent graffiti on the bus stop on London Road by The Masala Pot heading into town. It was all about some lassie, whose name escapes me, and how she was a cow, slut and god knows what else. Every week it would get scrubbed off, and every week it would come back.
There was also the whole "Who is Ryder" (was it Ryder??) thing around the centre of town, that turned out was by some student of anthropology or some other slightly ****y but interesting subject, as a project to see how people reacted as a mass to a repeated message on a subject they knew nothing of.
Thats a great facebook page :agree:
OE is everywhere in the city. Someone told me it's a group called Own Edinburgh?
There's the letters 'V O M' in Musselburgh, absolutely everywhere, no idea what it means, I like graffiti if it's tasteful/artistic/creative but this "tagging" is just utterly woeful.
I remember him from primary school. Fergus macfarlane was his name and he was in my sisters class. Don't know the background but its sad that it came to that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pretty Boy
As for other graffiti...I see "mate" and "yeah" everywhere I go in edinburgh. "Mate" and "yeah" and the other ones in their gang who are as frequent should do time because they are responsible for a lot of ugliness. I wouldn't mind if it was artistic.
I've seen 'NSA' written quite a lot around town.
I never really thought much of it, I assume it's more than some proud univeristy student promoting 'Napier Student Association' ?
Cheers for the replies. I also remembered in the early 90's 'Marilyn Clarke is a s***' also not sure the name but 'X fae the Inch has aids' Quite harsh graffiti back then!
As for people's names, FUZZY used to be everywhere late 80's early 90's, I'm sure he was a CCS boy!!
s.h.i.e.l.d
back s.h.i.e.l.d
Anybody remember "Bay City Rollers - FAB" on the Waverley Steps and at the Back Sands in Musselburgh?
Also there used to be one "Free Mike Lynch" on a derelict site - where Scotmid is now - off West Nicolson Street.
(Both circa early 70s).
Just spent an hour looking at the photos wi the football on in the background.
You must be mistaken, he was in MY class:greengrin, can't remember anyone with Douglas for a surname though??Quote:
Originally Posted by peterdouglas
That's not my surname. :-)Quote:
Originally Posted by speedy_gonzales
I left oxgangs in 1987 and my sister was two years above me. I'm sure Fergus was in the same class as her but maybe he was only one year above. God, that was a long time ago!
Either way the whole school knew who Fergus was. He was one of a kind back then.
Unless I'm going absolutely mad and its a different person altogether I'm thinking about.
Free Mike Lynch was a bit further towards Princes St, on the medical school wall at South Bridge directly opposite where Costa coffee is now (was James Thins Booksellers in the 70s). I walked past it every day outside Primary School.Quote:
Originally Posted by Filled Rolls
There was a bay city rollers painted on a wall near the RBS at Salisbury place . Recall it was first time I'd heard the name and it was there for some time. About 71/72?
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I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?0on1vs
That was painted by the band themeselves all over town as a pre-myspace publicity lark.Quote:
Originally Posted by alnewhaven
You can still see the last vestiges of the one they did on the wee bridge over Niddrie burn between Niddrie Mill and Niddrie Mains. 40 odd years it's lasted.
My two favourite pieces of graffiti were.... (names excluded)
Castlebrae High School on a main wall about a year after it opened....
" Mr Ingles is a baldy c***, by ****** ******** ",
....signed by the 'artist' himself which shows class and balls. Silver spray paint too. Beautiful.
and
"Rab ****** f***** his cat",
.... right outside a first floor window near Hay Drive with an arrow pointing to the guys bedroom. As far as the gossip went the content displayed veracity.
I was trying to remember the name. There was all sorts of stuff written about her, including her dress sense.Quote:
Originally Posted by s2hart
I remember there used to be a couple on the Waverley Steps: "Jimmy Reid" and "Wattie Buchan is a plastic punk just like his shoes". Wonder what became of Wattie.
Still with the Exploited I think ..saw him up town a few months back outside the Bank Bar ..Quote:
Originally Posted by Filled Rolls
You might have left a clue as to the teacher's name! :greengrinQuote:
Originally Posted by Kato
McCabe the grass is classic :faf:
Same hairstyle and shoes?Quote:
Originally Posted by happyhibbie
There was practically a novel scrawled on the bus stop outside St Paul's and St George's on York Place for about 2 months, a few years back.
It related to the adjacent buildings which housed some kind of centre which dealt with the rehabilitation and/or monitoring of paedophiles. It was pretty vitriolic and made some fairly serious claims.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hibs Class
Mr Inglis? Headmaster of Niddrie Marischal/Castlbrae secondary?
Don't care about him he actually was a baldy c***.
Same hairstyle..didnae see his shoes though ..:greengrinQuote:
Originally Posted by Filled Rolls
Was looking through the photos earlier...cracking page they've put together. Found the next door neighbour of my Grandma photographed aged three in 1950 very coincidental!
Quick question...does anyone know what the "mains" part of area names means? Like saughton mains, colinton mains etc....
Stupid question but its been bugging me :greengrin