July 2022

13
ve
the
oric
illar
ere
Sandra didn’t just
capture moments in
her photographs,
she captured people’s
lives. She was an
incredible woman
such as The Niddrie Adventure Playground,
‘The Venchie’ and The Niddrie Mission.
Jimmy Hewitt, Sandra’s former partner said:
“Sandra didn’t just capture moments in her
photographs; she captured lives. She was an
incredible woman, and she never did anything by
halves. She would have been happy that we were
seeing her work, but not for herself - for the
thousands of people she captured on film
throughout the decades.”
"What Sandra loved most about Craigmillar
was the people. Whenever we went through, the
amount of people who would wave, or call, or
stop and talk to us, and the children who would
run after her screaming "Sandra! Sandra!" - and
she had time for all of them. She was adored, and
she adored Craigmillar. It is incredibly moving to
see these images at the White House, and I am
excited for visitors to experience Sandra's
stunning view of the area."
Tyler Hewitt, Sandra’s son and member of the
Craigmillar Now Archives Team said:
"Sandra would be overwhelmed by this in a
way. Thinking back on it she has to have been one
of the most humble of people - she did so much
and was committed to achieving whatever she set
out to do. It is amazing to see just how much she
did over the years, and both to see and hear the
recognition and praise so many have said when
they talk about the community work she did and
the lives she touched. I'm thrilled that her work is
being displayed."
Sandra studied Photography at Edinburgh
Napier University, Drawing and Painting at
Edinburgh College of Art and Community
Education at The University of Edinburgh. She
worked extensively as a freelance photographer
for over 30 years for organisations and
publications such as The Sentinel, The Tollcross
Times, Shelter, and the Craigmillar Chronicle and
Festival Times, and taught photography and other
arts skills to people of all ages in communities
across Edinburgh.
She started working in community
development at Wester Hailes in the 1980s, and
was a founding member of several successful
social action projects, including in Craigmillar.
As Youth Services Manager with Hunter’s Hall
Cooperative from 2008, she administered
outstanding programmes of youth arts
engagement in Niddrie, and across her career she
captured thousands of photographs documenting
the social history of Craigmillar, Edinburgh, and
Scotland at large.
Craigmillar Now is based at the former
St Andrew’s church on the corner of Fort
Kinnaird Retail Park.
The body’s volunteer archive team meet every
Monday between 10am – 5pm at the Craigmillar
Now Arts Centre to develop the archives.
Sandra was one of
the most humble
of people – she did
so much and was
committed to
achieving whatever
she set out to do
At the movies
With LINSAY GIVEN BLACK
Owner, Art & Craft Collective on Causewayside
IN THE FIRST of a new series we share a
bucket of popcorn and a jumbo soft drink
with Linsay asking about her favourite film.
After over 30 years in marketing and public
relations, she opened Art & Craft Collective, a
gallery and gift shop on the Southside of
Edinburgh which celebrates its fifth birthday
this year.
Linsay said: “I’ve loved cinema almost
all my life: I remember being allowed to stay
up late and watch King Kong in black and
white on the TV with my gran when I was
about five. I was thrilled to be up late but
terrified! I don’t count scary movies
amongst my favourites.”
MY TOP FILM - THE SEARCHERS
“I’ve chosen a film I can watch time and again:
The Searchers, the 1956 Western starring
John Wayne and Natalie Wood, directed by
John Ford. I’m not a massive John Wayne or
Western fan but this is a classic. Beautifully
filmed and a subtle story.
“Natalie Wood plays the young daughter of
a homesteader captured by Comanches and
taken to live with the tribe. Wayne is the uncle
who searches for her long after everyone else
has given up. I won’t spoil the end but it is
bitter sweet and unexpected. I love it for the
dogged determination of John Wayne’s
character who won’t be persuaded from what
he believes is right. He succeeds against the
odds but is shown as a rather sad loner who
ploughs his own furrow.“
“It is a good metaphor for the small
business owner: don’t be distracted from
what you believe is the right path. Keep
trying despite setbacks. Accept that
sometimes it is a lonely road but hold true to
your vision to succeed.
“I watched the ‘women’s pictures’ of the
1930s and 1940s starring Bette Davis or Joan
Crawford, often on TV on Saturday
afternoons when I was a teenager and there
were only three channels. I think I absorbed a
sense of style from these movies and an
image of a strong woman and how she
should behave - outdated now but served me
well in the formative years of my career.”