A month of contrasts of temperature, starting off cold and ending warm and promising. A month of tulips galore, they have brought wonderful colour to the garden. A month of happy crochet projects, including a special gift. A month when I visited some old haunts and places I'm glad I re-acquainted myself with.
This is the first time this year I've been able to post lots of flower photos, something which makes me very happy! Enjoy :-)
I took a trip to Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. I hadn't visited for a good while; the lure of the 'Glasgow Boys' Exhibition enticed me there. I couldn't take any photos at this, but if you are anywhere near the gallery in the next few months, do go and see it, it's brilliant, a feast of colour and style, landscapes portraits and still life.
I could take pictures everywhere else, and did! Here's the imposing facade........
A room full of sculptures, busts of Queen Victoria and Homer are there, and hanging above were lots of.....?
grimacing and smiling heads......tragedy and comedy.
On the other side of the building, a Spitfire hovers above a stuffed giraffe and elephant
Some of the standout sights for me were........this Cezanne still life, simple but beautiful
I love the dreamlike quality of this lady's beautiful face
A portrait by Sir Henry Raeburn, 'Ann Pattison, Mrs Wiliam Urquhart'.
Donald Dewar, sculpted by Archibald Forrest.
Wipe away the tears, this sculpture is called 'Motherless'.
Elegant lady in a watercolour by FCB Cadell
And some more beautiful portraits
Robert Louis Stevenson, looking very dashing, as if he has stepped out of the pages of one of his adventures.
I could go on and on posting more photos but I think that's probably enough! What a great place to have so close to home, a veritable treasure trove of wonderful art and inspiration. I believe that Kelvingrove is one of Glasgow's top attractions, and it was very busy on a Wednesday afternoon, which must prove that to be true. Whatever, it was a wonderful way to spend a few hours.
I went for a stroll around Queen's Park, a few miles from where I live. When I bought my first flat in Glasgow, it was just up the road from here, so I often visited, but that was some years ago and I only manage the occasional visit these days. It is looking good (better than I remember).
Lovely rhododendron and azalea bowl
Glasshouse (nice cafe inside, that's an addition since i was a resident)
Camellia flowers
Sculpture in the Scottish Poetry Rose Garden (no flowers yet, but it will look wonderful in mid-summer, I'll go back)
Lush greenery
The view across the rooftops
Time for another monthly round-up; during April there has been a trip to Liverpool, the garden has started to come to life, colourful crochet, time spent with friends and family, and the Knitting and Crochet Blog Week rounded it off nicely; all in all a good month with plenty to be happy about:-)
I noticed I'd taken quite a few photos of statues whilst wandering around Liverpool; some new, some old, some of famous Liverpudlians both real and fictitious, and some flights of fancy.
John Lennon
Eleanor Rigby
Ken Dodd in Lime Street Station (sadly there were no Diddymen to be seen!)
He is right next to this lady, just as thought they have met in the station, and are having a natter. She is Bessie Braddock who was the MP for Liverpool in the 1950-70s and an ardent socialist campaigner.
She was known as 'Battling Bessie'.......I can see why!
William Gladstone (I bet you didn't know he was a Scouser)
The 2 angels at his side represent Truth
and Justice. Taken in the gardens behind St. George's Hall, where the Law Courts were once housed.
Inside the Walker Art Gallery, this imposing fellow presides over the cafe
Nearby is the Sculpture Room
Outside the World Museum these 2 giant inflatable flowers adorn the building
The flowers grow larger and the petals open out during the day, just as a real flower would
And there are still some of the SuperLamBananas
I haven't gone mad, they really are called that! There were 125 of these colourful statues all over Liverpool during 2008, when it was the European City of Culture. As their name suggests, they're a cross between a lamb and a banana, and all were differently painted and themed. (There is a great Flickr group here if you'd like to see more.) I really like them; they are fun and make me smile, and I'm glad they're still adding a touch of good-humoured colour to the city.
And finally, here's some rock of a different kind!
On Sunday I found myself looking across to the beach I was standing on in my last post.
I went over to the Wirral to see my brother and sister-in-law and we went for a windy and bracing stroll on the sea front. There's no beach over here at this point of the coast, but there's a long walkway, next to the sea wall.
All along this side of the Wirral Peninsula were once many lighthouses in Liverpool's history as a thriving port. They would guide the ships safely into the harbour and stop them running aground on the reefs close to the shore. With advance of technology, they are no longer in use, but some of them survive as historic buildings.
Just a stone's throw from the sea is Leasowe Lighthouse, looked after by a trust who open to the public on certain Sundays; luckily this was one of them. The trust have done a fantastic job of restoring this once derelict building, last used as a lighthouse in the 1900s, unoccupied since the 1930s. Apparently when they began work, the pigeon droppings reached the second floor........what a delightful cleaning job that must have been. Anyway. we climbed up the spiral staircase to the top.
The view; the windows caused reflection and I only had a few minutes to snap, but it gives a good impression of the panorama, and how good a view the lighthouse keeper would have had of all the ships approaching. Flags identifying every ship were raised at each lighthouse on the approach into Liverpool so the staff at the harbour were advised of the imminent arrival of each particular ship and could be ready for the changeover of cargo and crew.
You can just see the plaque stating the year of construction as 1763, it's stood the test of time and the elements incredibly well. And the 130 stairs have worked off some of those lovely Easter goodies!
Down in Liverpool for the weekend, and no trip is complete without a visit to the beach. There's something liberating about being by the sea, feeling the sea air hit your face and walking on the sand.
This was Friday evening, an after-dinner walk. The sky was an mixture of pale and delicate pinks and greys
Watching the sky turn gold
then ink blot clouds become darker.
Till the sky was deep blue as night fell.
The weather has taken an upward turn, the temperature has risen, so happy days. Friday evening started with this amazing sunset sky
Then I went off to hear one of my literary heroes, William Boyd, at the Aye Write festival here in Glasgow at the Mitchell Library
WB is an engaging and warm orator, natural, warm and witty, and totally at home in front of an audience. It was a fascinating evening with a description into how his novels are conceived, researched and crafted, some readings from his latest book Ordinary Thunderstorms and a Q&A; one of the questions posed was about the particular difficulties of transferring a long novel to the small screen, especially one's own work, and WB told us that his novel (and my favourite of his books) Any Human Heart is just about to start filming in a TV adaptation, to be shown this autumn. I, for one, can't wait to see how such an epic novel of a long and full life will translate to the screen. All wonderfully interesting and entertaining - I'm so glad I was there.
Saturday, I put on my crafty hat and went to the Creative Stitches show at the SECC. I enjoyed much of the exhibits, and there were some lovely wools. But it was a bit of an effort to get round as there was lots of pushing and shoving - if anyone is familiar with the comedy show The Mighty Boosh, there's an episode called Nanageddon, when all the elderly ladies in the vicinity become possessed by an evil demon and go on the rampage, and I was reminded of this with increasing regularity as it got busier and wool-frenzy took hold. I left before it got really nasty! However, I didn't come away empty-handed (of course not!) I bought some lovely wool from the New Lanark Organic wool shop
and a pack of 10 balls of Rowan Alpaca in beautiful purple
and this lovely book
I think I'll be making something purple from this book soon, so watch this space!
Today brought an invitation from my sister to go the cinema, so off we duly went, armed with our 3D specs to see Alice in Wonderland. The plot of the film is an amalgam of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass and Jabberwocky, so if you are a purist, you may not like it. But I did, it looked so beautiful, wonderful sets and costumes, and the sombre, slightly spooky mood and sense of unease suited the reworking of the story. I liked Anne Hathaway's White Queen (like a crazed Nigella Lawson) and Stephen Fry's voice for the Cheshire Cat, all persuasive plummy purring! Well worth seeing if you like your films with a dark twist.
That's all I had time for!
It's Monday and March 1st already and there are nice things to show from today and the weekend.
Green shoots appearing in the garden; despite the cold, spring is on its way and I found myself out pottering in the garden yesterday for the first time this year
A peek at what I'm making just now.
Finding these in trouser pocket about to go in the washing machine! Happy days!
Lemon, sunflower seed and blueberry muffin with coffee
Some views of the hills surrounding Glasgow which I took this morning when I was in the north of the city.
Looking north - I think this hill is called the Sleeping Giant, today he has a snowy blanket!
Looking south, at the cranes at the Govan shipyards and to the Ayrshire hills
And after day upon day of unrelenting grey, the sky is so blue today
Happy Monday,whatever it brings you :-)
I've been away for a little break. Can you guess where from the pictures I took from the train window?
Leaving Glasgow Central
It's a bit grey and murky as we head east
Past Edinburgh and the sun comes out
passing through Berwick-on- Tweed
and Durham
Nearly there, have you guessed yet?
That's right, it's York!
The Minster is stunning
It was great to wander round and enjoy the unique atmosphere
so much history
so many beautiful and very old buildings
One day was sunny and springlike
The next day freezing fog and chilled to the bone cold
No matter, that's the best excuse for a day of shopping and cafe visiting anyone could ever need!
and to cap it all, I found the best button shop I've ever visited
Back home now, with the plastic put firmly away and cake off the menu for the time being!
I am Marie, a musician who likes to take photographs and write about what I'm making, reading and enjoying.
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