Once Upon A Time In The Muirton

In this third part of our school trilogy the kids are now in Riverside Primary.

Dunks and me had the pleasure of hearing the kids share there first thoughts of the new school and talk about their first few days experiences at Riverside Primary.

Thanks again go to Mrs Gibb for facilitating this session and making it all possible.

Naturally, a huge thanks go to the kids that took part: Holly, Sasha, Alex, Murray, Fraser, Ruben, Ivy, Harper, Mia, Lucy, Marsellina, Nicole and Sophia. You have all been brilliant.

We've captured an important moment in time for Perth. The closure of two iconic schools with over 160 years of educating kids between them. That's a load of emotions and memories.

Now it's the time of Riverside Primary to create new memories for today and generations to come.

Good luck to everyone involved.

Happy Listening, Enjoy.

Dunks and Barney

Welcome to this, second part of our school trilogy.

This time we have gone outside of our usual stomping ground and find ourselves in North Muirton, a scheme built in the late 1960's early 1970's and the Primary school opened in 1977.

46 years later the decison was made to close North Muirton and Balhouise Primary, bringing pupils from both schools together in a new modern primary called Riverside. Which you will hear a little more about in part 3.

With every podcast it is made possible because of the people who take part, thank-you very much to Sophia, Rubin, Harper, Lexi, Lily, Holly, Harper, Kimberley, Ollie, Mason, Ethan, Millie, Isabella and Steph, Marie and Mandy, you were all brilliant.

It was a great pleasure hearing memories of their time at North Muirton Primary and a few things the kids think will be the same at the new school.

One thing that came through is the fondness for the school is just as strong in North Muirton as it is for those of us that went to Northern/Balhousie Primary. Bringing together two communities in a new space means new memories being created together which can be looked back on in years to come.

Happy Listening, Enjoy.

Dunks and Barney

Listen to voices of of the kids as they share a few thoughts just a few days after their experience of the newest Primary School in Perth Riverside Primary School, North Muirton.

The time has come - after 115 years Northern District / Balhousie Primary School has closed it's doors for the last time as a school. We have had the pleasure and the privilege of having regular access to the school over the last 18 months or so.

Originally named due to it's location on the Northern edge of Perth. 30 years later families began to move into a new local authority housing scheme called The Muirton.

Thousands of kids have gone through the iron gates and this episode you get to hear from some of the last ever kids to be able to say they were pupils at Balhousie Primary school.

This episode is in two parts - first you will hear from Lianne Gibb who was principle teacher at Balhousie through transition. Lianne shares her thoughts from a teachers perspective of what Balhousie means and what goes into getting kids, parents and teachers ready for the new school in North Muirton. (which is a fabulous new education space called Riverside Primary).

Then you get to hear from the kids - thank-you to Julia, Lucy, Marselina, Nicole, Oliver, Meah, Murray, Sasha, Alex, Fraser and Harry. They shared some of their favourite memories of the school and thoughts on going to the new Primary in North Muirton called Riverside

I was also joined by friend of the Podcast and previous guest, Brian Mcarthur, we shared a little of our memories when it was called the Northern.

It's been an absolute pleasure to have spent time at the school and for us to be involved closely in it's final months and days.

Happy Listening, Enjoy.

Dunks and Barney

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/275795401238996/

This is a live recording straight from the gym hall of Northern District / Balhousie Primary school on the morning of Saturday 25th of February. 

The school has served the community since 1908 closes this year and the Open Morning was an opportunity for auld pupils to visit and walk the corridors one last time. The school put on an amazing display with photographs and artifacts available for people to look through as well as being able to explore the building. 

It's fair to say that it was an amazing turnout with generations of auld pupils coming from far and wide. There was even a live stream for those unable to make it which was watched by people as far afield as New Zealand. Proving how important community, childhood and education are in peoples lives. 

As a primary school it had 20 classrooms. There were a couple of outbuildings which operated as classrooms, dining hall, changing space for the lollipop folk and eventually storage before being demolished. In addition St Ninians Primary School on Dunkeld Road was used as the Annexe for the Northern. Class sizes regularly exceed 33+ pupils and at times there would be 3 primary classes for each year - illustrating just how many kids attended the school from The Muirton, Hunters, Tulloch, North Muirton and other surrounding areas. (Tulloch Primary was built late 1960's, North Muirton Primary was built in the mid 1970's) 

Auld acquaintances were reconnected as people stopped and shared memories, some we have captured in this audio and there will also be video content available later in the year of a few folk sharing memories.

Many thanks to Annabelle Burns, David Scott and Lianne Gibb for making it all possible.

Happy Listening, Enjoy.

Dunks and Barney.

https://youtu.be/_3CS0S-RF5M - Youtube Bairns O The Northern song

https://www.facebook.com/groups/648376040355634/ - Facebook Northern District/Balhousie Primary School Past Pupils 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/275795401238996/ - Facebook Once Upon A Time In The Muirton 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/auldmuirtonbairns/ - Facebook Auld Muirton Bairns

https://www.facebook.com/groups/137051633046307/ - Facebook Auld Perth Bairns

@TheMuirton1 - Twitter

#Social Commentary, #Oral History, #Community, #School Days, 

This is a lovely poem that LIz Lamond has written remembering her times at Northern Primary School. The school had an Open Morning on the 25th of February which Dunks recites live.

The school, renamed Balhousie Primary, is due to close this year and a fuller podcast from the Open Morning is in the edit room being readied for your listening pleasure 😁👍

Happy Listening, Enjoy.

Dunks and Barney 

This Episode is Dedicated to the memory of Steven Manattini

First of all the Intro is in the car – so there is a bit of background noise – sorry about that. And Barney fecked up the edit and deleted 90 minutes of content. Doh! However he got to meet Arthur again and get some more stories from his time in Muirton. You get to hear sounds of Muirton today as they blether for a while at the spot where Arthur lived and Arthur talks a little more about his good friend Steven Manattini.

Arthur grew up at 9F Ainslie Place. Living there from 18 months old to his late teens. His mum and dad both lived in The Muirton as youngsters. So his roots go deep. Arthur would joke that his great pal Steve Manatinni who lived in Dunkeld Road wisnnae a real Muirton boy as his address didn't have a letter after the number like proper gadgies :-) 

Arthur tells his stories with great fondness for The Muirton and he has captured many photographs over the years. Including the last Saint Johnston game at Muirton Park and poignantly he filmed his old home being demolished in 2009. 

Arthur has a lovely way of telling his story and we know you will enjoy this latest episode of Once Upon A Time In The Muirton.

Happy Listening, Enjoy!

Dunks and Barney

https://youtu.be/kHAI5szXKr0 

Perthes' disease is a condition affecting the hip joint in children. It is rare (1 in 9,000 children are affected) and we do not clearly understand why it occurs.

Part or all of the femoral head (top of the thigh bone: the ball part of the ball-and-socket hip joint) loses its blood supply and may become misshapen. This may lead to arthritis of the hip in later years.

Arthur Rodgie lived at 9F Ainslie Place for 17 years. The full podcast covers many memories and takes you on a journey from the 1960's to the day Arthur filmed the demolition of his home. This is a little film clip of that experience.

Happy viewing. Enjoy.

Dunks & Barney