The Font of all Knowledge....Edinburgh Foot Clinic 1980-1983

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Leading foot fetishists from last century....where are you all now?

 

Edinburgh Foot Clinic & School of Chiropody was located next to Bratisani's chip shop on Newington Road. Rumour has it that their famous crispy batter had something to do with the copious amounts of callous shavings that found its way into the fryers....but who was complaining? Therapeutics was the domain of Isobel (Fanny) Adams - the final year course tutor - who was much exorcised by a succession of ne'er do wells.....

 

First year course tutor - the late Jack Ellis - was a formidable figure to most, but had a keen eye for the ladies. As did one or two other lecherers - sorry lecturers.... Open days were a highlight of the year where visitors would flock in their thousands to glean a glimpse of the fascinating and secretive world of feet.

 

Wat no Larry Grayson? - where's Brian

I remember them well. BTW my head hair now grows through my nose.

 

So that was you after all (CNV00005)! Wasn't sure if it was Milke Monaghan as you two luvvies were peas outa the same pod, but then he didn't smile that much - at least not to me. I have some more oldies being digitised, some quite incriminating, and I'll post as I get them. BTW who is the student sporting the fine pair of legs in CNV00003 ??

 

Not sure Mark but I do know someone who will.

Syd

 

Cool....think her first name was Marion. If you could find her telephone number too that would be great. If you take another look at CNV00004 in the first batch, you can see the salary scales for graduate chiropodists and lecturers. You need a keen eye to make out the numbers, but not one of the salaries tops £10,000 - either district chief or head of school. Rumour has it that Craig takes home in xs of AU$500K p/a these days - how times have changed, huh? BTW who's the gal sitting next to Gloria in the same pic - is it Pat Boyd?

 

Mark

We were never in it for the money.

>Rumour has it that Craig takes home in xs of AU$500K p/a these days - how times have changed, huh?

I am sure he appears in the top ten list for the highest incomes in Australia.

>BTW who's the gal sitting next to Gloria in the same pic - is it Pat Boyd?

That is Lyn Flynn (nee Burbridge) aka Barbie, now the Head of the Podiatry Department (and Radiology?). I noticed George Rendall appears in one of the photographs too .Do you know he used to be able to recite the whole of the Faulty Towers episodes (playing each of the characters). We did have some fun in the olden days and Geroge introduced me to the Oxford Bar (famous haunt of fictional detective John Rebus creation of your mate).

There you go, Strawman.

 

Silly me, you are right that is a young Pat Boyd (beforeshe went to LaTrobe, Melbourne). Pat's brother William Boyd isthe well known writer William Boyd.

Syd

 

Mark

The young lady is Liz Cowling.

Willy send his regards

Cheers
Syd

 

Mark,

Many thanks for your posting - it stirred up some fond memories of Norrie, Novar and Cathcart Clinics and my feeble attempts to learn the craft. What really frightened me was that they looked the same in 1990 as they did in 1980. It was also fun to see my tutors Willie, Lynn, Mairghread, Sid, George and Gloria in their formative days!

Regards,

Martin Nunn
Podiatry Service Manager
Hotter Comfort Concept

 

Cheers Syd & Martin. Not sure if Brights Crescent was still in operation during 1990, but in the 70's & 80's it was a salacious establishment and the scene of many perversions and depravities. The owner, Mrs Hepburn, was creeping into her nineties during my tenure but was ably assisted by her daughter, Ruth, who used to fit glass eyes in the basement. Paying the rent was an uncanny experience, but occassionally we used to try and swap a marble for a gless-ee so we could have some fun down the pub later that night - dropping them into an unsuspecting customer's beer after a protracted coughing fit. The Hepburns also had a mangy poodle called Rex who used to bark incessantly at the students, especially after a late night drinking spree. Sammy Clarke (CNV00020) once tried to lure it into his room with a trail of raw mince so he could slash it to bits with a No 10 scalpel, but (un)fortunately the dug was too wise for him. Them were the days.

The first photo is Bright's behind the graduation present I bought myself - an Alfa GTV Bertone - with Kenneth Thom, Duncan Brown, Marina Walsh and AN Other. The second is yours truly (sporting an unusual sporran - some prize or other) and Marina Walsh on graduation day 1983

 

Vengeance will be mine...

 

Mark

Are you the one in the kilt ?
{-)
Syd

 

Hockey Trophy

Mark,
We have wondered for years where the 'Teachers Trophy' that we used to play hockey for each year had gone - now we know, you wear it as a sporran. We'll be after it!!
Nice tights though.

Willie Kerr

 

Hoots

Ah well, you'll have to run a bit faster than you did twenty- three years ago, Willie! If memory serves me correct youse got quite a drubbing that afternoon - 6:2 to be precise - but then you did have Brian Ellis on your team. What did you expect? Do you remember the incident with the shark's head?

Love & Kisses to all.

Mark

 

Mark wrote

>Do you remember the incident with the shark's head?

Who could forget. They made a film about it and called Grissly Fanny Adams

Syd

 

One of the abiding memories of Edinburgh Foot Clinic in Newington Road, was the camaraderie that existed between the academic staff and the students. I often wonder whether this was due, in part, to the self-contained nature of the college - for although there was links to Edinburgh University for the provision of anatomy, medicine and surgery - the majority of students' time was spent at EFC. It would be interesting to hear from academic staff or graduates from Queen Margaret College (where EFC was subsumed during the 1990's) whether that spirit endured. The college had several boarding houses in Edinburgh that were reserved for student accommodation. As previously mentioned, Brights Crescent enjoyed something of a legendary status amongst student alumni - conveniently located within 20 minutes walk of the Newington Road clinic and more importantly, several salacious drinking dens. Brights had several prominent residents over the years - Bob Main (master of the occult and astral-flyer extraordinaire), Damien Kelly (a formidable Irishman of ill-repute who used to p!ss on the gas fires to extinguish the flames after a drinking session - sometimes with disastrous results), Cheryl Banner and Karen Baxter (the original all-night clubbing babes), and of course, the aforementioned Sammy Clarke, whose exploits cannot be fully recounted as Lothian & Borders Police still have open files on several incidents he was allegedly involved in. Sam still uses many of the instruments shown below to great effect!

Many friendships made during these years still prevail today. The Queens of Clubbing - Karen & Cheryl were inseparable during their three years at EFC and today - nearly a quarter of a century later they are both heads of service for Fife Primary Care Trust and still very much on the same wavelength - whatever that may be!

 

Mark

>, was the camaraderie that existed between the academic staff and the students.

That was Kerr, honest.

I have worked in several schools in the many years I have been around and would agree with your observations entirely . The "school" contained a family and whilst the numbers were not too big, it went well. In the three year program as long as the first year were welcomed on board by the final year this cycle would repaeat. When there was a stand off third year this had an adverse influence on the first years when they got to that stage. So there were cliques or pockets of friend and associates that would not mix. Certainly in Glasgow and Edinburgh the academic staff were mindful of these dynamics and would encourage what was described in the early Chiropodist as "health intercourse took place." I know the other centres had similar approaches. Many of the kids were straingt from school and away from home for the first time. So they were vulnerable and as the program rolled on and the need to meet and treat people forged a greater bond between them.

The smaller the class the more likely when divisions took place these would be for life and so great pains were taken by the staff to avoid this as it had implications. There was a study published looking at podatry students moving to bigger campuses in the official hope this would help them integrate into the bigger intellectual communities but all it did was isolate the group further. The other wind of change which I think took the gool old days away was the influence of "political correctness" and a loss of humour.

Mayeb it was age in my case but after a while you become divorced form the main body of the students who no longer see you as a fellow traveller

Have a good weekend