Joppa rocks are at the east end of Portobello beach. Joppa was a small fishing village next to the rocks and had a salt pan which captured sea water which was evaporated using coal from the coal seam in the rocks to create sea salt.
Alex was born in Joppa and often played on the rocks as a child. James when visiting his grannie would often walk along Portobello Promenade (Party Prom) to Joppa rocks. When Alex danced with the Edinburgh Branch demonstration group in the early 1960s another member of the team, Agnes Lofthouse, also lived in Joppa.
The alternative tunes, “Coal Seams and Salt Pans” and “Party Prom”, were both composed for this dance and indicate local landmarks in Edinburgh.