Photograph courtesy of
peter.stubbs@edinphoto.org.uk

This week’s photograph shows David Dorward of the Edinburgh City Parks Department laying out the Floral Clock.

This year’s theme commemorates the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Royal National Institute for the Deaf. Designed by William Henry Playfair, Donaldson’s Hospital was founded in Edinburgh in 1851 from money left by newspaper publisher James Donaldson.

Like George Heriots’s, the school provided special bursaries for poor children. Applications for enrolment from the parents of deaf children were encouraged. From 1938 all of the pupils attending the school were deaf.

The mechanism for the Floral Clock was set up by James Ritchie of James Ritchie & Son. The clockmaker’s great uncle Robert Ritchie who lived at 28 Candlemaker Row sheltered Greyfriars Bobby.

The following poem has been sent in by Colin Johnston to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the One o’ Clock Gun.

 

To the memory of  Tam the Gun
Aberdour is heaven
Of that there is no doubt
But Tam the gun was a chum
of Edinburgh
and thereabouts.

Everyday at one o’clock
All below would turn
“Dear me, I say, what was that ?”
then, recognition comes
“Oh,  it’s just Tam, the locals say
Firing that big bloody gun”

Who’ll replace him at Mons Meg
The light, the charge,
The powder keg
Who’ll will mark that lonely hour
Now Tam has gone
To Aberdour.