Glasgow Gallivanting: March 2017

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In March, we gallivanted as far away as Budapest! More, much more, to come on that in due course.

So what else has been going on?

Aye Write!

Aye Write! is Glasgow’s book festival. For a couple of years I volunteered at it, but last year and this year we missed most of it by being on holiday. However, we attended a couple of sessions on the last weekend of this year’s festival.

Elaine C Smith and Anne Galastro
Joan Eardley collage

Elaine C Smith is a Scottish actress, comedian and activist. Outside Scotland – and I’m not even sure how far this travels – she’s probably best known as Mary Doll from Rab C Nesbitt. In discussion with novelist Alan Bissett, Elaine considered The books that made me – six titles that had a defining effect on her life. She’s maybe a year younger than I am so it was intriguing to match experiences: for example, we were both entranced by The lion, the witch and the wardrobe when a teacher read it aloud to our class of seven-year olds (and we both checked our Mum’s wardrobe in case Narnia was lurking there). I’m not sure if there was meant to be time for questions – there usually is – but the conversation flowed on and on. It was great!

The other session was more formal, an excellent talk by Anne Galastro based on the current exhibition in Edinburgh Joan Eardley: a sense of place, which we saw at the end of last year, and her book of the same title. I’m not sure how many of you will have heard of Eardley (1921-1963) because she died tragically young just as she was becoming well-known outside Scotland. She had two main subjects – the area around her studio in Townhead, Glasgow, where she befriended and painted the local children, and the fishing village of Catterline in North East Scotland where she had a (very primitive) cottage. If you’re anywhere near Edinburgh I recommend going to the exhibition before it closes on May 21st. Follow the link above for details and some highlights.

Women’s History Month

Maryhill WHM Editathon

March was Women’s History Month. To celebrate, we had a Wikipedia Editathon at Maryhill where we looked for articles to update with information about women’s history and wrote some new ones.

International Women’s Day (8th March) fell while we were in Budapest, as did the European Day of the Righteous on the 6th which honours those who have resisted crimes against humanity and totalitarianism. Jane Haining brings both these commemorations and Budapest together: She was a Church of Scotland missionary working in the city when she was arrested by the Nazis in 1944. She died in the concentration camp at Auschwitz later that year, and is the only Scot to be officially honoured for giving her life to help Jews in the Holocaust. We found her name on a memorial in the synagogue that we visited, and on a road called after her.

Memorial in Budapest
Jane Haining rakpart, Budapest

Wedding anniversary

On 21st March John and I celebrated our 36th wedding anniversary. We do have some more formal photographs in the loft somewhere, but finding them would involve climbing a ladder. This one comes from some old slides of Mum’s that I’ve been scanning, and shows the less than picturesque car park at the back of the church. As you can see, we didn’t go for the big white wedding – we were keen on being married, but not so keen on parties, so we kept it very small. We look so young!

Glen Finglas and Loch Ardinning

I thought I was going to have to report zero country walks, but the last weekend in March was absolutely glorious. Luckily, for the first time in weeks, we had nothing else planned so out we went.

Glen Finglas

Thanks to Elaine at I used to be indecisive whose post Glen Finglas Reservoir inspired us to take this walk on the Saturday. Our circular route climbed above the reservoir then dropped to the dam, and the site of Ruskin’s painting by Millais, before taking in the Byre Inn (excellent late lunch / early dinner) on our way back to the car.

Loch Vennacher
On Lendrick Hill
On Lendrick Hill
On Lendrick Hill
On Lendrick Hill
Glen Finglas Reservoir
Glen Finglas Dam
Glen Finglas Dam
Glen Finglas Dam
Glen Finglas Dam
Ruskin’s portrait
Site of Ruskin’s portrait
Brig o’ Turk
Byre Inn, Brig o’ Turk

Loch Ardinning

On Sunday, we went back to a walk that I’ve written about before – Loch Ardinning – so I’m just including a couple of shots here.

Loch Ardinning and Dumgoyne
Muirhouse Muir

The last bit

Instead of offering you a Scottish word to enrich your vocabulary this month, I’m offering you a phrase. You might have wondered about the title of Glasgow’s book festival, as mentioned above, Aye Write! I’m not sure exactly what the organisers intend, but I see several levels of pun. Yes, write! and I write! are probably obvious, but non-Scots might not know that Aye, right! is a Glaswegian expression of some scepticism, a double positive resulting in a negative meaning, i.e. I don’t believe it! or Not likely! (Anabel: I don’t eat out much, I prefer to watch my waistline. You: Aye, right! Your observation would be quite correct.)

So that was my March. How was yours?

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57 Comments »

  2. I missed all of this as I was preparing for and getting settled into my Japanese adventure. That walk at Glen Finglas Reservoir looks wonderful, but cold! I myself love walks in winter, but I’m sure many would balk. Interesting information about the Scottish woman who gave her life at Auschwitz trying to help the Jews. I love the sign, “Beer is God’s way of telling us he loves us…” And I’m loving your Scottish words and phrases lessons. 🙂

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  4. Watched a programme about the life of Joan Eardley recently and enjoyed it and her work. Can’t beat a highland walk in springtime.

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  6. I love the photos and description of your walks. The trees are so pretty. And that sign..hilarious!

    Congrats on your wedding anniversary! Wow that is quite an achievement. Fun to see your marriage day pic! Soubds like my kind of wedding.

    Peta

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  7. A busy month Anabel. I look forward to hearing and seeing more of Budapest. Somewhere I haven’t been to. Love your comments about photos in the loft!

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  8. That’s a lot of gallivanting in March. I’m glad you made it to Glen Finglas (and on a beautiful day too!), and also enjoyed a great meal at The Byre. I’ve had a few meals there too over the years – most recently their extremely delicious Cullen Skink. Did you have that by any chance?

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  9. 17th October, 2016 – I re-blogged my poem on Ruskin standing in the Falls at Glen Finglas and being painted by Millais. You might like it- aye, write!

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  10. Wow, did you have a busy and productive March! Happy anniversary (a week late) and thanks for the phrase “Aye Write.” It sounds like a wonderful title for a book festival!

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  11. love your wedding photo. Your other half has certainly changed (great beard!) – but haven’t we all – looking at my wedding photo I used to have hair too 😞

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  12. Oh what a fun March you have had and a very Happy Anniversary to you both. Having married hundreds of people over the years your wedding sounds like one of the ones I would have enjoyed as a registrar!!

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  13. This woman gave her life and how many did she help? How many people live now due to her sacrifice? Amazing how one person can make a difference. I love that older picture on your wedding day…you. Both look so happy which is nice. Love these pictures from your walk. I can’t wait to see your travels in Budapest. I was there when I was 18.

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  15. What a lovely, busy month. Congratulations to you and John. We have “yeah, right”, with much the same meaning; popularised (or possibly coined in) a series of beer ads. e.g. “Babe, can’t you just borrow your sister’s wedding dress? : Yeah right.” Or “U.S. Intelligence : Yeah Right”

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  16. Thank you for including this piece of Women’s History Month. I found it very interesting.
    I look forward to reading about your Budapest adventures.
    Happy Wedding Anniversary to you and John!

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  17. You are busy every month, in a good way! Congratulations on the wedding anniversary. I guess we all look much younger on those photos… 🙂 Looking forward to reading about Boedapast as I have been eyeing it as a weekend trip for when we are in Belgium. For now, though, I’d rather find a good deal for Barcelona. But, I have a feeling life will be busy enough “at home” without jumping on a plane. You know how I think about vacations… 🙂

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  18. Love Budapest Anabel (we were there in April 2014) so will look forward to reading about your adventures there! I started up the blog after our trip there so have done a few posts myself about it. Loved the old Buda area and found the history fascinating! 🙂

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  19. You certainly had a busy month and I am looking forward to seeing your pictures of Budapest, a city we truly enjoyed a few years ago. Lovely areas for a walk…I am jealous obviously as we still have snow on the ground so not much in terms of hiking around here…(Suzanne)

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  20. I love your gallivanting so do keep it up, whether it’s in Scotland on the far reaches of Transylvania.
    Lovely pictures too.

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  21. Hi Anabel – it’s ‘tough’ to take in all you are doing … but so interesting to meet new people with creative ideas … so sad to read about too. I’ve had a few interesting times out – sometime on the blog … but mostly mundane – watching the sea come in, and go out – mind you very pretty it is too … cheers for now – Hilary

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    • Glad to have introduced you to some “new” inspirational women! Budapest posts will follow – as soon as I finish off last year’s US trip. I’ve never, ever taken so long over writing something up. Perhaps the busy-ness might have something to do with that – less time for blogging these days.

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  23. My March was not all that exciting – Three funerals, a double Baptism and wandering with the dogs. We have not been for our promised Road Trip, but we have spent time at the beach and at the Wetlands – with the ducks and the Black Swans. We also took a trip out to the Lighthouse and during the coming week I hope to make a trip to the small town of Quorn – about 145 klms from here. I’ll pack the two burner and some food and the dogs and I can have a bit of a picnic. After a year of making a pin cushion of my hands and shredding several of my fingers, the WaWa ( short for Chihuahua) and I are now best buddies – kind of BFF. So March, although not wildly exciting, has been interesting. But then, that’s life in the outback :o)

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