The mills were the major employers in the community and as thus were the focus of the community. Annual trips were provided for workers and their families, John Galloway and Sons also took the local postmaster and policeman on trips. Holidays in the mills were usually two weeks in summer as a trades holiday, one day in April and one day in September. Until the 1950s New Year was considered a Scottish holiday and Christmas an English holiday. It was not uncommon for people to work through Christmas and have two days off at New Year.“New Years Day was the only day you got off until, oh, many years after. And they start- but you could take a holiday, but you got no wages”. Former worker in the Salle at Kinleith Mill.
The Mills were heavily involved in many areas of social life within the community. Galloways owned the community hall, the tennis courts, bowling green. Many mills had their own football team which played in the Edinburgh league. Woodhall had a social committee which ran various events and a fishing club which would go on trips to various locations in Scotland, this was funded by a ‘numbers lottery’ which employees would contribute to. On the annual gala day employees would take part and lorries from the mill would be decorated and take part in the parade. Annual dances of the mills would be held often in Balerno village hall or at the Glenburn Hotel in Currie.
“And the mill used to- they didn’t have holidays at that time and they used to in the summertime hire a train and it took all the employees away for a day.” Former overhauler in Galloways Mill
