Edinburgh Licensee.

Mr Donald (Dan) Campbell. 1970.

70 Years in the Trade.

Mr Donald “Dan” Campbell who had a total of 70 years’ experience in the licensed trade which must be a record, died in Edinburgh at the age of 95.

Mr Campbell, who was a popular and hard working personality, retired in 1959. He was a past president of the Leith Wine, Spirit and Beer Trade Association and a director of the Edinburgh, Leith and East of Scotland Benevolent Institution.

He was born in Abbeyhill, the son of a policeman in Edinburgh Constabulary. Apart from a brief spell in Canada, he worked most of his life in Leith, started as an apprentice in Portobello when he was 14.

His first job was with Rutherford’s of Drummond Street, where he received the princely salary of 7 shillings, a week, plus fifteen pence a week for his tea, which was consumed in the pub, a break of half-an-hour being allowed for this purpose.

Hours in those days were from 8am. to 11pm., with one half day. He was lucky if he got home by 1am. during the week and if he got home by 1pm. during his half day.

When he left Drummond Street, Mr Campbell went to St. Mary Street to work for Mr John Stenhouse, who weighed 20 stone and liked to dress in the kilt. It was he who first called Mr Campbell @Dan@ and it was as @Dan@ that he became affectionately known to his friends.

In October, 1914 he became a publican in his own right in Tolbooth Wynd, a public house tied to a brewery (G MacKay & Co.) wine merchants (Lawson and Smith) combination. The property was condemned in 1937 and a new site had to be found. This was made available the same years in Restalrig Road, where he remained the congenial host of the Lea Rig until he retired.

A close friend of his all these years was Mr William Whitson, who was with G MacKay & Co. from 1913 until he took over, in 1959, Whitson’s Bar in Henderson Street, Leith, which he was still running in 1970.