A Mark In Time

Mark Knopfler Discussion => Mark Knopfler Discussion Forum => Topic started by: dmg on November 14, 2013, 06:38:10 PM

Title: Dirty Dick's
Post by: dmg on November 14, 2013, 06:38:10 PM
I was always going to do this for you all, but never actually passed by this end of town.  However today I did a little detour just for you guys (and ladies).  Now some of you may recall an interview where MK said he wrote the song WII when he was going back to his hotel after a concert he did in Edinburgh in '96.  Well, in '96 he was supposed to play The Usher Hall but due to bad weather the building was damaged and there was a venue change. However, I've always suspected his hotel would have been The Roxburghe on South Charlotte Street since that is nearby for The Usher Hall:  "On Charlotte Street I took a walking stick from my hotel."

Corner of S Charlotte Street and Rose Street:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/davids_leicas/8413053711/in/set-72157633280839909

Charlotte Square (view from Roxburghe Hotel) by architect Robert Adam:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/davids_leicas/8665201773/in/set-72157633280839909

Still there?  Good.  Just around the corner is Rose Street where there is a pub called Dirty Dick's!  Now, do you think he maybe saw it or maybe even went in and got the inspiration from the pub name?

Dirty Dick's (was in here in the late 90s when I was at uni, pre WII):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/davids_leicas/10856211735/in/photostream/
Title: Re: Dirty Dick's
Post by: sweetsurrender on November 14, 2013, 06:50:01 PM
dmg, this is great ! Thanks sooo much for taking these photos and did your detour just for us.  You're soo sweet like Mark likes to say.  Did you stop to get some pints ???
Title: Re: Dirty Dick's
Post by: dmg on November 14, 2013, 07:00:26 PM
dmg, this is great ! Thanks sooo much for taking these photos and did your detour just for us.  You're soo sweet like Mark likes to say.  Did you stop to get some pints ???

No drinks!  Just had lunch and went to walk it off before getting some shopping.  As I said, I haven't been in there for many years.

I have this wee theory in my mind about how MK put together the song and thought I'd share it.  Probably way off, but the pieces fit when you put the location and lyrics together. :think
Title: Re: Dirty Dick's
Post by: Justme on November 14, 2013, 07:16:56 PM
Thank you. I really like this kind of insight into the places of his songs. Gives you an idea of how the songs were born.
Title: Re: Dirty Dick's
Post by: Banjo99uk on November 14, 2013, 08:28:51 PM
Nice work DMG. Edinburgh is on my list of places Id like to visit before shuffling off the other end of the bench. I've only ever been to Glasgow.
Regarding WII I remember an interview where he talks about Edinburgh. He also mentions ghosts being all around us but not the ones so called physics would have you believe in, but all the architecture and history around us.
Title: Re: Dirty Dick's
Post by: dmg on November 14, 2013, 08:34:07 PM
Nice work DMG. Edinburgh is on my list of places Id like to visit before shuffling off the other end of the bench. I've only ever been to Glasgow.
Regarding WII I remember an interview where he talks about Edinburgh. He also mentions ghosts being all around us but not the ones so called physics would have you believe in, but all the architecture and history around us.

Well, if you're ever up then let me know.  That goes for all at AMIT.
Title: Re: Dirty Dick's
Post by: dustyvalentino on November 15, 2013, 07:46:37 AM
Good work dmg, I too had suspected the Roxburghe but I've never heard of Dirty Dick's. :)
Title: Re: Dirty Dick's
Post by: Silvertown on November 17, 2013, 11:43:37 AM
Edinburgh, what a great city! I could easily live there.
Title: Re: Dirty Dick's
Post by: Jules on November 17, 2013, 03:21:09 PM
Edinburgh is one of my favourite cities and Dmg pictures are always a remind that I should go back.

When in Glasgow, I paid a visit to the old cemetery (necropolis its the name if Im right) and I took a picture if a grave, which was the one of the writer of Wee Willy Wincky mentioned in What it is. The mention of it was in the grave (not what it is, but wee Willy wincky), if I remember I will post it.
Title: Re: Dirty Dick's
Post by: dmg on November 17, 2013, 03:29:41 PM
Edinburgh is one of my favourite cities and Dmg pictures are always a remind that I should go back.

When in Glasgow, I paid a visit to the old cemetery (necropolis its the name if Im right) and I took a picture if a grave, which was the one of the writer of Wee Willy Wincky mentioned in What it is. The mention of it was in the grave (not what it is, but wee Willy wincky), if I remember I will post it.

It is a nursery rhyme, Wee Willy Winky!  See if I remember:

Wee Willy Winky runs through the toon
Upstairs, doonstairs in his dressin' goon
Knockin' at the window, cryin' at the lock
All the weans in their beds, it's past ten o'clock. ;D
Title: Re: Dirty Dick's
Post by: superval99 on November 17, 2013, 03:30:21 PM
When in Glasgow, I paid a visit to the old cemetery (necropolis its the name if Im right) and I took a picture if a grave, which was the one of the writer of Wee Willy Wincky mentioned in What it is. The mention of it was in the grave (not what it is, but wee Willy wincky), if I remember I will post it.

I went there last year, it was almost dusk and it felt incredibly spooky, especially when viewed from the cathedral.    :)
Title: Re: Dirty Dick's
Post by: BrianT on November 17, 2013, 06:33:49 PM
Tanks DMG for taking the time to put this together for all of us to share :clap

Brian
Title: Re: Dirty Dick's
Post by: dmg on November 17, 2013, 07:03:26 PM
Tanks DMG for taking the time to put this together for all of us to share :clap

Brian

You're welcome!  It was a labour of love! ;)
Title: Re: Dirty Dick's
Post by: dmg on November 22, 2013, 11:31:09 AM
A photo I took in September of the building that served as the toll gate from the song:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davids_leicas/9686423053/in/set-72157633711237974

There is a tavern within the building too!  The Tolbooth Tavern is part of the original Canongate Tolbooth.  "But the taverns are warm in town..."
Title: Re: Dirty Dick's
Post by: superval99 on November 22, 2013, 11:36:42 AM
Many thanks dmg!      Next time I'm in Edinburgh I'll take a look at all of these places! 
Title: Re: Dirty Dick's
Post by: twm on November 22, 2013, 11:37:07 AM
Yes, we have visited the Necropolis, too, and it is indeed a spooky place. It has featured in TV programmes such as "Taggart". And there are some spooky places in Edinburgh, too.
Title: Re: Dirty Dick's
Post by: Jules on November 22, 2013, 01:00:09 PM
This is the tomb of the writter of "Wee Willy Winky"
http://www.flickr.com/photos/atmilinko/6234927676/in/set-72157627747190367/lightbox/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/atmilinko/6234927676/in/set-72157627747190367/lightbox/)

And even these pictures has nothing to do with What It Is lyrics, I like them very much and maybe you would like them too

http://www.flickr.com/photos/atmilinko/6234859778/in/set-72157627747190367 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/atmilinko/6234859778/in/set-72157627747190367)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/atmilinko/6234937676/in/set-72157627747190367 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/atmilinko/6234937676/in/set-72157627747190367)
Title: Re: Dirty Dick's
Post by: superval99 on November 22, 2013, 01:20:40 PM
Thank you, jbaent!    Did you go inside the cathedral?    We did and it was so dark and spooky that I had shivers and goosebumps!   Then we went into the crypt below the cathedral, where there are some beautiful tapestries and also the tomb of St Mungo and it didn't seem so spooky.   :)
Title: Re: Dirty Dick's
Post by: sweetsurrender on November 22, 2013, 03:34:34 PM
A photo I took in September of the building that served as the toll gate from the song:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davids_leicas/9686423053/in/set-72157633711237974

There is a tavern within the building too!  The Tolbooth Tavern is part of the original Canongate Tolbooth.  "But the taverns are warm in town..."

Thanks sooo much.  Beautiful pictures.   :thumbsup :clap

Imagine the cruelty they treated prisoners  those days. :disbelief  Now," what's the story of Ghost of Dirty Dick's still in search of Little Nell ? "
Title: Re: Dirty Dick's
Post by: sweetsurrender on November 22, 2013, 03:38:35 PM
jbaent, love the pictures of the spider web.  Thanks for sharing the pictures.
Title: Re: Dirty Dick's
Post by: dmg on November 22, 2013, 03:53:57 PM
A photo I took in September of the building that served as the toll gate from the song:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davids_leicas/9686423053/in/set-72157633711237974

There is a tavern within the building too!  The Tolbooth Tavern is part of the original Canongate Tolbooth.  "But the taverns are warm in town..."

Thanks sooo much.  Beautiful pictures.   :thumbsup :clap

Imagine the cruelty they treated prisoners  those days. :disbelief  Now," what's the story of Ghost of Dirty Dick's still in search of Little Nell ? "

To be honest, I'm not sure.  I'm led to believe they were famous ghosts and that Edinburgh is the most haunted city in the UK.  There are guided Edinburgh ghost tours led by people dressed in Victorian dress (or maybe Georgian, I'm no expert on that either) so perhaps I should go on one some time! ;D

P.S.  Even The Playhouse where Mark plays is supposed to be haunted by a ghost called Albert!
Title: Re: Dirty Dick's
Post by: Silvertown on November 22, 2013, 05:17:22 PM
A photo I took in September of the building that served as the toll gate from the song:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davids_leicas/9686423053/in/set-72157633711237974

There is a tavern within the building too!  The Tolbooth Tavern is part of the original Canongate Tolbooth.  "But the taverns are warm in town..."

Thanks again. Good pics!
Title: Re: Dirty Dick's
Post by: dmg on November 22, 2013, 06:12:46 PM

Imagine the cruelty they treated prisoners  those days. :disbelief 
[/quote]

Yes, there are also stories of torture to prisoners in the cells of the building and one prisoner being scared to death!
Title: Re: Dirty Dick's
Post by: stormbreaker on November 22, 2013, 08:24:43 PM
Pics have the usual high dmg standard I would say. Weren't Little Nell and Dirty Dick not characters from Charles Dickens novels?

I always interpreted that line the way that he couldn't stand it alone in the hotel room, where there still is the book (that he chose for his travel compagnon) that he had stopped reading. When coming back after his walk, back to the lonely hotel room, the book is still open at the same page, where stopped reading, the lines where Dirty Dick was still in search of little Nell (both from the novel The Old Curiousity Shop, more than 700 pages in the Teutonian translation, called  Der Rarit
Title: Re: Dirty Dick's
Post by: sweetsurrender on November 24, 2013, 06:25:31 AM
Pics have the usual high dmg standard I would say. Weren't Little Nell and Dirty Dick not characters from Charles Dickens novels?

I always interpreted that line the way that he couldn't stand it alone in the hotel room, where there still is the book (that he chose for his travel compagnon) that he had stopped reading. When coming back after his walk, back to the lonely hotel room, the book is still open at the same page, where stopped reading, the lines where Dirty Dick was still in search of little Nell (both from the novel The Old Curiousity Shop, more than 700 pages in the Teutonian translation, called  Der Rarit