Robert Burns and his younger brother Gilbert were encouraged by their father to grow acreage of flax on the family farm at Lochlea. There was also some level of encouragement from the government to raise the crop, though the viability of the crop would subsequently be challenged by imported cotton from America. The treated flax… Continue reading Robert Burns in Irvine
Robert Burns: A mother’s legacy
Quite deliberately and quite effectively, the recent biography (The Bard) of Robert Burns by Robert Crawford stresses the important role of his mother in introducing him at an early age to the legacy of Scottish word and song. As a child Burns was possessed of a highly retentive memory as evidenced by his ability to… Continue reading Robert Burns: A mother’s legacy
The Penny Wedding in Scotland
Every picture tells a story of some sort and ‘The Penny Wedding’ by Alexander Carse in the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh records a old Scottish custom. At a wedding celebration guests would contribute to the function after the wedding ceremony with the passing round of a hat. Any surplus funds would be passed… Continue reading The Penny Wedding in Scotland
On the Trail of the Elgin Marbles
A Portrait The collection on display at the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh, Scotland is like a treasure trove of things that were and which very likely are still with us. Take for example, what is referred to in the United Kingdom as the ‘Elgin Marbles’. For being constantly in the limelight of international… Continue reading On the Trail of the Elgin Marbles
Modern Art #1 Edinburgh
In the line of chasing up some family relations living in Edinburgh, there was time to call in at one of the sites of modern art in the city – Modern Art #1. Driving by car, I seemed to navigate with ease, perhaps emboldened by Google Maps to check progress. The gallery is essentially on… Continue reading Modern Art #1 Edinburgh
Lochlea Distillery, a link with the Bard
In an age of social media, it is all too apparent that the best way to inform an audience is by way of personal presentation. This was the observation of learning about the rather unique Lochlea Distillery, established on the site of a farm once worked by Robert Burns in Ayrshire in Scotland. The occasion… Continue reading Lochlea Distillery, a link with the Bard
The Robert Burns Memorial in Irvine, Scotland
It was a blustery, overcast day with threatening rain, but the gathering at the Robert Burns memorial in Irvine in Scotland recently on Sunday 28th January was in fine fettle. The mood could be described as ‘canty’. Essentially organised by the Irvine Burns Club which was founded in 1826, the memorial itself was unveiled in… Continue reading The Robert Burns Memorial in Irvine, Scotland
The Scottish Play in Edinburgh
There are very few plays that written over 400 years ago succeed in enthralling an audience consistently and with heights of engagement. The recent production of Macbeth staged in Edinburgh and due for onwards productions in London and Washington DC, forges an abiding memory. A keynote of the production can be described as ‘never a… Continue reading The Scottish Play in Edinburgh
Perception of Subtleties
We had stopped in the main town car park in Troon in Scotland and about to leave the car for bits of shopping. I found myself saying something like ‘Do not get confused about this’ without really thinking what I was saying. Anne’s answer was spot on as she recognised a strangely out of character… Continue reading Perception of Subtleties
Goldmark: An Extraordinary Gallery
The Leicestershire Town of Uppingham is noted certainly for its famous private school but the Goldmark Gallery in the town certainly deserves more than a passing mention. One connection with school is that this was attended by the brother of Vera Brittain who would write Testament of Youth to immortalise her deep personal losses of… Continue reading Goldmark: An Extraordinary Gallery