There is a long-standing tradition in Edinburgh of ‘taking to the streets in pursuit of a cause,’ as a display inside the city’s People’s Story museum notes.  

The information board in the Canongate Tollbooth specifically highlights violent riots of the late 1700s in the Old Town against the rising price of grain, Catholicism, and other controversies of that time.

But this tradition remains alive and well today. This was evidenced when, earlier this year, the council proposed closing the museum down for seven months to save on running costs and plug budget gaps, with no prior consultation.

With the Capital’s only working-class history museum under threat, a campaign to save it mobilised at speed, gathering support from residents, trade unions, politicians and well-known local figures including Irvine Welsh. The Trainspotting author accused the city’s Labour administration of “betraying” working-class people and being more interested in creating "more wealth for the super-rich".

This culminated not in a bloody riot, but in people nevertheless taking to the streets in pursuit of a cause. A peaceful protest outside the City Chambers in October sought to send a clear message ahead of a meeting where the closure was to be ratified: that it must not under any circumstances go ahead.

It came as a shock, therefore, when it emerged the free Royal Mile attraction had already been shut to the public for two months. Not the least of which to councillors themselves, who were left frustrated about acting as a “rubber stamp” for decisions taken by unelected officials behind closed doors.

(Image: The Herald) While this meant it was too late to stop the temporary closure, campaigners secured agreement it would re-open in December, four months earlier than initially proposed.

They gathered outside the People’s Story on Monday for a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate visitors being welcomed back.

In a speech, campaign organiser Jim Slaven said this had to be the “first step” in a long journey of improvement for the museum, which has rarely been updated since its launch over 30 years ago.

For the seasoned community activist, it was never simply about "protesting about bad decisions," but rather “creating change” and keeping the stories of Edinburgh’s workers and their daily struggles alive.

He said the museum remaining in the Canongate Tolbooth in the Old Town -which has seen its working-class population move out in swathes in recent decades because of social housing stock and local amenities being decimated - was of utmost importance.

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This would be a “very tangible sign this city is for everybody, including working class communities that have been pushed to the margins of the city in every way,” he added.

“A lot of these tenements up this street and in the Old Town used to be filled with working-class communities.”

Mr Slaven said civic assets like the People’s Story will also play a vital role in combatting “racism and the politics of the far-right in working class communities”.

He said: “We’ll not do that with speeches from the political class. We’ll do that with solidarity for the working class. In other words, with the very stories that are told in this museum of working-class solidarity and struggles for rights.”

The museum was opened in the late 1980s by the city’s first-ever Labour administration, who wanted to create a collection reflecting the history of Edinburgh’s ordinary residents, as opposed to just the great and good.

(Image: The Herald)

Its exhibits, many of which include dusty, dated-looking mannequins, recreate scenes of the Tollbooth jail cell once housed in the building, a bookbinder’s workshop, an old tenement flat, and a fish market, to name a few. Information boards educate visitors on almost every aspect of life for Edinburgh’s working-class people in days gone by, from ‘slum’ housing to the rise of the trade union movement and even public health campaigns to warn about rabies.

Speaking to The Herald, Mr Slaven said a long-term vision for the museum was essential to ensuring it has a future.

But he added there was “a lot of low hanging fruit” to make short-term improvements.

“Some of these things are easy and cheaply done,” he said. “For instance, the collection could be refreshed quite easily, additions could be made to bring it up to date.

“Also outreach work, if the leadership is there, there should immediately be a priority to put on doing some outreach, both to take the People’s Story out to communities in Edinburgh, but also to get communities to feed back in.

“Similarly there should be a connection re-made with schools. We should immediately be getting school kids in here.

“The People’s Story does matter to people. Even if you go into housing schemes on the margins of the city, people like it. They came here as kids, they know it’s here, they appreciate it tells the stories of the tenements, the development of communities, the struggle for people’s rights, but also the industrial city.

“The other reason it matters is we were tapping into something very real, which is people are frustrated with the way that Edinburgh Council makes decisions.

“They were frustrated with the way Edinburgh Council imposes decisions on communities; they don’t listen to communities; they don’t involve us in the decision-making processes.”

Catriona Grant, another local resident involved in the campaign, has a family history in the Old Town stretching back to mid-1800s. Now, none of her relatives live in the area due to the “selling off of council housing” and the rise of short-term lets and purpose-built student accommodation.

“It’s all tartan tat shops now,” she said. “The transient population grew and grew and it was harder to become a resident.

“They’ve changed the whole fabric of the Canongate.

(Image: The Herald)

“So when they closed [the museum] without any consultation, without telling us why, I was actually quite upset.

“I think it’s particularly important the People’s Story stays open and is in this building… it’s the last bit of working class history left in the Old Town.

“We can bring in heritage money, there’s funds out there. I would like us to see us working with the council where they don’t just make decisions on their own.”

A new council report said in response to an outstanding £462,000 deficit in its museums and galleries service in the current financial year, operating hours could be cut at five city centre attractions: City Art Centre, Museum of Edinburgh, Museum of Childhood and the Writer’s Museum, in addition to the People’s Story.

Local authorities do not have the powers to introduce admission charges for museums and galleries, however Edinburgh Council has written to the Scottish Government twice in recent months requesting this be reviewed. 

The report said in the meantime officers will "continue to explore opportunities to increase revenue from activities within the service". 

Mr Slaven said he was “not wedded to the idea it should be open seven days a week, 12 months of the year”.

He added: “There is financial pressures on the council, there is financial pressures on the museums and galleries sector. We understand that.

“It seems to me that a model of going to opening five days a week in the winter is perfectly sensible.”

Edinburgh Council leader Cammy Day called the People’s Story “a valuable part of Edinburgh’s cultural heritage”.

He said: “Earlier this year, facing increased budget challenges, the museum was temporarily closed and it was proposed that it would remain so during the autumn and winter months. However, thanks to the incredible support and feedback from the public for the museum, we worked to secure the necessary funding and resources to reopen and to be able to offer this museum to residents and visitors.”

Convener of the culture and communities committee, Councillor Val Walker, said: “I am thrilled that we have now reopened, and I hope visitors take the opportunity to rediscover the rich stories the museum holds.

"Now in its 35th year, the museum spans three floors, each showcasing exhibits that reflect the lives of Edinburgh’s residents, from their daily routines to how citizens spend their free time and holidays and how religion and culture have influenced different generations.

"And of course there are more stories to tell. Our Museums and Galleries team are always grateful for donations to the collection, and for any ideas for temporary exhibitions. I would urge residents who feel that have a story to tell to get in touch.”