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Marchmont Crescent

Started by starcross, Jul 05, 2016, 11:36 am

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starcross

Just south of the Meadows this Box was mostly empty until it was sold in 2014.
These days it is home to Cobolt Coffee which opened in March 2015.

Box in 2005:
A10 - Marchmont_Crescent - 5 August 2005.jpg

Box in March 2015:
A10 - March 13 2015.jpg

Open for Business:
11836731_1479646712329780_1927374955055351272_n.jpg

I don't approve of the modifications on this Box.
I understand the necessity of it to make it work as a food stall, however they did a bit of rough job of it.

The trim and the castle casting have been damaged to make way for the door.
Unlike most of the coffee boxes from the Oughts the Right Side Window was also cut to make open, probably for ventilation.
I do sort of worry they just threw away the Speaker Panel to replace it with a steel plate. These panels have mostly been welded shut but could still be repaired by the motivated individual.   

galacticprobe

Jul 06, 2016, 03:54 am #1 Last Edit: Jul 06, 2016, 03:58 am by galacticprobe
Jeez! Would that extra couple of inches higher on the door to preserve the Castles casting have made that much of a difference with the door's operation and customer service? Judging from the massive gap Smuggarelli (that look on his face just shouts "Please throw cricket balls at me!") has between his elbows and the top of the cropped part of the door, I would say not.

This is one I would consider a case of "mutilation" rather than "modification".

Too bad the Castles are cast as part of the door, rather than being a separate bold-on piece. At least then they could have been removed for the modification and then replaced without damage. I've seen some really great close-up photos of those Castles, and the detail in the casting is very fine (used in the sense of someone describing a very high-end car as a "very fine" auto).

I agree with you on this one, starcross; I don't approve of the "mutilations" to this box at all.

Dino.
"What's wrong with being childish?! I like being childish." -3rd Doctor, "Terror of the Autons"

starcross

Quote from: galacticprobe on Jul 06, 2016, 03:54 am
Too bad the Castles are cast as part of the door, rather than being a separate bold-on piece.
At least then they could have been removed for the modification and then replaced without damage.


Ah but there is where you are wrong, they are a separate casting. It is literally the matter of four screws.
However I suspect that the casting ends at the 3/8" upper ridge, and the 1/2" lower trim is actually part of the door panel.
This is because the Trailer Coffee Box  has one on it's door and it appears to only have the 3/8" upper trim part. Or that could just be how it pokes through the door on the trailer. Hard to say as I've never been in Edinburgh while the trailer was operating.

Back of door.jpg

Castle on trailer box.jpg

I would be interested in seeing the cross section of that casting on this box, it might make for interesting study.
Same with the reverse of the windows and the various cut panels. If it's cut already no sense not to investigate.

galacticprobe

Jul 06, 2016, 05:10 am #3 Last Edit: Jul 06, 2016, 05:12 am by galacticprobe
Quote from: starcross on Jul 06, 2016, 04:50 am
Ah but there is where you are wrong, they are a separate casting. It is literally the matter of four screws.

Okay! That's one more piece of info to add to my knowledge of the Edinburgh box. (And if only I had the money, I'd try to find a way of contacting one of the foundries that made the Castles and see if I couldn't work something out with them. The cast iron would be a bit heavy to hang on something, but with an original casting I might be able to find someone to vac-form a replica to hang on my wall. The casting would then get some protective coats of paint and find a place of honor on my shed... once it eventually get here. :P)

Quote from: starcross on Jul 06, 2016, 04:50 am
However I suspect that the casting ends at the 3/8" upper ridge, and the 1/2" lower trim is actually part of the door panel.
This is because the Trailer Coffee Box has one on it's door and it appears to only have the 3/8" upper trim part. Or that could just be how it pokes through the door on the trailer. Hard to say as I've never been in Edinburgh while the trailer was operating.

Well, you may be back for a visit one of these days. Then you can hunt this thing down and have a proper look! :D

Quote from: starcross on Jul 06, 2016, 04:50 am
I would be interested in seeing the cross section of that casting on this box, it might make for interesting study.
Same with the reverse of the windows and the various cut panels. If it's cut already no sense not to investigate.

Very true. And I would be curious to learn more about those items as well. From what I've seen in the photos, the window's "X" muntons looks pretty thick, both in their width and in how far they stand out from the glass panes. (And nice image of the back side of the Castles mounting from the inside - never thought I would get to see it from that angle!) And was I right about the detail on the front of that casting? Very beautiful!

Thanks for the info on the separate Castles castings, starcross. (I doubt I could afford it, but this smells like another eBay search for me to plug in, if noting else just to see what turns up.)

Dino.
"What's wrong with being childish?! I like being childish." -3rd Doctor, "Terror of the Autons"

dr hue

May 05, 2019, 07:55 am #4 Last Edit: May 05, 2019, 08:05 am by dr hue
Being vegan myself, this popped into my WhatsApp yesterday:

Vegan cake and coffee shop opens in Marchmont police box this Bank Holiday weekend 5th May 2019

https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/best-in-edinburgh/restaurants-bars/vegan-cake-coffee-shop-opens-16211792

vegan-police-box.jpg

Missy's Vegan Cake Box:

Vegan cheesecakes, cupcakes and carrotcakes on offer, as well as Artisan Roast coffee.