• 5 months ago
Edinburgh has changed quite a lot over the years – and it’s meant some of the things we were once lucky enough to be able to do have disappeared. There are so many great things that locals used to love doing in Edinburgh which are no longer available, including some of our once favourite shops, restaurants and nightclubs.
Transcript
00:00Edinburgh has changed quite a lot over the years and it's meant some of the things we were once lucky enough to be able to do have now disappeared.
00:07There are so many great things that locals used to love doing in Edinburgh which are no longer available, including some of our favourite shops, restaurants and nightclubs.
00:15There was also the iconic Little Marcos, Softplay Centre, Gorgie City Farm, free entry to the Hogmanay Street Party, the Fun City Amusement Park and the flumes of course at the Commie.
00:28Here we take a look back at some of the things we no longer are able to enjoy in Edinburgh.
00:33The world's greatest Hogmanay Street Party on Princes Street used to be free.
00:37However, after the 1997 event drew an estimated 400,000 people to the city centre to see Brit pop star's Ocean Colour scene, the event became ticketed, with locals having to queue to get a hold of Goldust tickets.
00:49Now you have to pay to go to the party, but from the comfort of your own home by booking online.
00:54The popular flumes at the Royal Commonwealth Pool, otherwise known as the Commie, delighted youngsters for years in Edinburgh after they opened in September 1988, with the Stingray flume described as the fastest water slide in Europe.
01:07Despite the massive popularity, the flumes were removed at the turn of the century, following a spell of constant closures due to safety and maintenance issues.
01:15Gorgie City Farm was shut to the public in February 2023.
01:19The farm officially opened in 1982 as a working farm, selling lambs, pigs and was home of other animals including cows, sheep and goats.
01:27There is currently a community led campaign to reopen this once hidden gem in Gorgie.
01:33Little Marco's in Grove Street welcomed 1 million children through its doors from 1980 until it closed in 2008, creating precious fun childhood memories for thousands of Edinburgh kids.
01:45Although there are now soft play centres across the capital, this was the only place to go for kids in the 80s and 90s.
01:52Popular multi-level nightclub Espionage on Victoria Street was a popular night spot for years in Edinburgh, where you were always guaranteed to lose your friends due to the intricate maze of tunnels and rooms inside.
02:05Sadly it closed its doors for good in 2019.
02:10The Fun City amusement park at Portobello Beach was a great treat when spending a day in the Edinburgh sunshine.
02:15As well as fairground rides, the park also had a lot of slot machines and arcades to enjoy.
02:20It stood for over 100 years and was renowned as the second oldest fun fair in Britain until it closed in 1998 and the site was stripped away to make way for new flats.
02:31Bratisani's was a family run fish and chip shop empire that had two of the best known Edinburgh restaurants, Morrison Street near Hermarket and Newington Road, just round the corner from the Royal Commonwealth Pool.
02:42The beloved eateries sadly vanished from the capital for good in 2004.
02:47Leaf Water World was a leisure pool built on the site of the former Leaf Central railway station.
02:53It had flumes, a fast river run and a wave machine.
02:57The splashing venue was very popular with locals from when it opened in 1992 until it closed in 2012 in order to save funds for the Royal Commonwealth Pool's renovation and reopening.
03:10Goldberg's department store opened in 1960 in Toll Cross.
03:15The five floor building had an entrance facade of marble and glass flanked by copper sculptures.
03:21The opening of St James Centre in 1973 and Waverley Shopping Centre in 1985 hit Goldberg's hard.
03:27The iconic shop ceased trading in 1990 and was demolished six years later.

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