Thursday 30 September 2010

Earlier - in 2008

Today's dip into my photographic archive comes from early in 2008 - looking back at them I can't possibly believe that it's two and a half years already. We'll start with a quick trip to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh which you can't go and visit for a year or two yet because it's closed for refurbishment. In the hall and around the main staircase is a wonderful frieze by William Hole, painted in 1898, of scenes from Scottish history. I remember them being a feature of a history book I had when I was at primary school.


St Columba converts the Picts


A door into the Battle of Bannockburn

Saint Margaret arrives in Scotland

The Battle of Largs


Some strange goings on in Glasgow

I've no idea either???

Much of that time was spent driving about the area with Bev and the following few items we managed to knotch up in a particularly busy weekend. This drystone ball, for want of a better description was found half way up Queensbury hill (the highest hill in Dumfriesshire). I think we'd been to the top before this picture so really it's half way down.



A siamese fish from Hawick museum.


Langholm, where I lived during my secondry school days, has two famous sons - Thomas Telford, who built a bridge in the town and has a street named after him and Hugh Macdermid (or Christopher Murry Grieve as his parents called him) who was one of the giants of 20th century Scottish poetry, writing in an almost unreadable scottish tongue. He very much split opinion in the town so some time after I left they put a monument up to him which also split opinion somewhat. Actually, I quite like it - you'll find it hidden round the back of one of the local hills, quite out of view from the town.



Miss B grabs a quick snap


Our local make of cow - the belted Galloway


Fuelling up to type up another monster blog



8 comments:

Becky said...

That Macdermid monument is very beautiful and very much like art you would see at Burning Man.

Sandy's witterings said...

And it does rather suit the remote location. Many of the locals think of it more as rusty rather than beautiful.

The burning man looks like it could provide your year's quota of sculpture, oddities and general bloggable goings on for the whole year. I'm working hard on winning the lottery so I can chuck the old rat race before next years (some hope!).

DeniseinVA said...

And a magnificent monster blog post this one was. A first class tour with the most wonderful photos. Thanks for sharing them and thanks for stopping by. It's been a pleasure visiting here.
An English Girl Rambles

Sandy's witterings said...

Thanks for you kind comment Denise - it's been a pleasure having an excuse to sort out some old pictures before I get back into the world to take some new ones.

Curiosity Anne said...

Lovely pics and well worth a second airing. Oh to be so artistic and paint such murals. One thing I can do though is enjoy a cuppa and, is that a choc marshmallow or a conker?!

Sandy's witterings said...

Right 1st time Anne, it's a chocolate marshmallow, a celebrated Tunnock's teacake to be precise, but, my goodness, what a conker it would have been if it was (floats of in a small schoolboy reverie......)

Anonymous said...

did your sister's friend ever succeed in her breeding programme for belted hamsters?

Sandy's witterings said...

Dear friend Anonymous, I don't think she ever succeeded but if nothing else it keeps a potential Doctor Frankenstein's hands busy and out of trouble for a while. A commend you for remembering this and adding a touch of mystery to this blog.