Glasgow Gallivanting: August 2023

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Annie, John, Elizabeth and Elspeth Mitchell, 1937

The first half of August was dominated by two family events, one happy, one sad. We had an unscheduled trip up to Inverness for my Aunt Liz’s funeral – the baby in the photograph above, the last survivor of my father and his three younger sisters. My earliest memory of my aunt is when she married Uncle Rob – I’d have been two and a half years old. She picked me up and I remember disliking the prickly feeling of her dress against my bare legs. Years later she confirmed that, given the nature of the fabric, this is likely to have been a true memory. Strange the things that leave an impression. I also remember the newly-weds’ first dance and for years was convinced that dancing was how you got married. I presume I had been to the ceremony, but as the daughter of a minister (who allegedly shouted Daddy! for the first time as he entered the pulpit) this probably seemed an unremarkable event.

We stayed two nights so had time to walk around Inverness, which is an attractive city. Our hotel was on the banks of the River Ness and had its own distillery and brewery – we enjoyed sampling the beer.

Glen Mhor Hotel and Waterside Restaurant
Distillery at Glen Mhor Hotel

The church where the funeral took place was very close, and had an interesting grouping of statues – Faith, Hope and Charity – nearby.

Ness Bank Church
Faith, Hope and Charity

We wandered the banks of the River Ness.

River Ness
River Ness
River Ness
River Ness

In town, we found wolves by the Town House, a unicorn on the Mercat Cross, and a heilan’ coo in the market arcade.

Inverness Town House
Inverness Town House – one of two wolves at the door
Inverness Mercat Cross
Inverness Markets coo
Inverness Markets coo

The Victorian Market itself was something to behold, and had an interesting bench outside it dedicated to Billy Morrison, presumably a well-loved guitar player.

Inverness Markets
Arcade
Victorian Market
Inverness Markets clock
Market Inn bench
Dedication

Finally, at the War Memorial we found Cavell Gardens, named for the heroic First World War nurse. My women’s history antennae were working!

Inverness War Memorial
Cavell Gardens
Cavell Gardens
Cavell Gardens
Cavell Gardens

The following weekend was much more cheerful. My aunt on the other side of the family, Mum’s younger sister Annabel, celebrated her 90th birthday. Family and friends came from far and wide for an afternoon tea party on the Saturday and a trip “doon the watter” on the Waverley on the Sunday. As in Inverness, we had some time to wander. Here is Ardgowan Methodist Church (now defunct) where my parents met and to which I therefore owe my existence, the first flashing buoy installed in 1880, and some interesting yarn bombing by the river.

Greenock Methodist Church
First flashing buoy 1880
First flashing buoy 1880
First flashing buoy 1880
Yarn bombing on Greenock Esplanade

And here are the two An(n)abels at the party. I think you’ll agree that neither of us looks 90.

Annabel at 90
Anabel and Aunt Annabel

The following day, 20 of us took a short cruise on the Clyde. We boarded the Waverley, the world’s last sea-going paddle steamer, at Greenock and disembarked at Largs.

Waverley approaching Greenock
Cloch Lighthouse
Rothesay
Yacht at Rothesay
CalMac ferry (Argyle) leaving Rothesay
CalMac ferry (Loch Shira) leaving Largs
Waverley leaving Largs
Our party in Largs (photo Emma Rice)

Below is a short (11 second) video of the engines, which I find mesmerising – you can see the movement of the paddles through the porthole opposite:

We (John, myself, my sister and her husband) then got the train back to Glasgow while everyone else returned to Greenock. I was impressed with the small community garden next to Largs Station.

Largs Community Garden
Largs Community Garden

This was a fabulous weekend, and although the previous weekend had been for a sad event it too had its high points, not least that within ten days I saw almost all my closest living relatives. I can’t remember the last time that would have happened over such a short time period. Many, many years ago.

My other major jaunt was a day-trip to Fife with my friend Anna. We went to the Pittenweem Arts Festival. We saw a lot of art (mostly outwith our price range – I bought no more than a calendar) but also enjoyed seeing spaces not always open to the public. The Church of Scotland had beautiful stained glass windows (by William Wilson, 1905-1972) and a choir singing in the afternoon.

Pulpit and window by William Wilson
Pulpit and window by William Wilson
Window by William Wilson
Window by William Wilson
Gallery
Window by William Wilson
View from gallery
View from gallery
Male Voice Choir

The Episcopal Church also had lovely windows and an exhibition of paintings.

Exterior
Interior with paintings

In the Town Hall was an exhibition from the Wemyss School of Needlework, founded in 1877 by Dora Wemyss to teach local girls a skill from which to earn their living.

Pattern board
Pattern board

We saw a tiny window, a big witch, and the inside of St Fillan’s Cave.

Pittenweem window
Pittenweem street art
St Fillan’s Cave

We were able to walk through buildings to gardens, some of which were normally private.

Pittenweem garden
Pittenweem garden
Pittenweem garden

We fell in love with Craig Mitchell’s sculptures, even though at £2500 a pop they were never going to grace our homes.

Vases
The Reluctant Gardener
Munro Debacle
Thoroughly Modern Mother

And of course, we sat on a bench by the sea, drank coffee, and put the world to rights. What a grand day out!

Closer to home, Glasgow has been sharing its beauty with the world lately. The Cycling World Championships took place here and, although we missed a lot of it by being away, we watched some of the Mens’ Elite Road Race which passed through our area. There were three of us and we all took lots of pictures, but none of us managed to capture the eventual winner, Mathieu van der Poel of the Netherlands. Included below are some examples of cycling murals around the city (not all of them new).

UCI logo
Mens’ Elite Road Race
Mens’ Elite Road Race
Cycling frieze, Gallowgate
Stairwell, Evans Cycles, Glasgow
Stairwell, Evans Cycles, Glasgow
Cycling mural, Strathclyde University

Just after that we had the World Pipe Band Championships, with several bands using ground near us to practice. I don’t know which band this is but they entertained us in the Botanic Gardens. A band from Scotland won this year – not a given, since the Scottish diaspora means there are pipe bands in many parts of the globe.

Pipe band practising in the Botanics
Pipe band practising in the Botanics

I seem not to have visited the penguins at all this month, which is very remiss of me. However, in other bird life – this pair of swans has done very well to maintain a family of six cygnets almost to adulthood. And we got all our ducks in a row …

Firhill swans
Claypits ducks

I’m finishing the month with a cold, which is not enjoyable. However, I hope it will not curtail September’s adventures too much. See you next month!

Scotland, UK , , , , , ,

72 Comments »

  2. Surprise, surprise, WP let your post slip in today, the first time that’s happened in ages, and all the nicer for the surprise. Loved to read about all the interesting towns I’ve never visited in Scotland (let’s face it, I’ve visited very little in your country) and the pictures help the text along so well. Loved the sculptures and the murals – especially the ones in Glasgow during the Cycling Championships. And re Edith Cavell, will you be writing more about her and her connection to Inverness? Finally, I too, had a trip on The Waverley a few weeks ago when the old lady sailed from the Island along the S.E. coast – her usual autumn trip – but I picked the wrong weekend, the wet one!

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    • Nice to hear from you, Mari, in fact I think I’ve heard from you twice as there’s a very similar anonymous comment awaiting approval! I’ll just leave it where it is.

      I’m glad you enjoyed the post, and have had your own Waverley adventure, even if it wasn’t the best of weather. You are the third person to say that you have taken part in her southern tour. I’m not sure Edith Cavell had any connection with Inverness, they just chose to honour her. We’ve also been to Mount Edith Cavell in Canada!

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  3. I’m so very sorry for your loss Anabel. But it’s great you had the chance to see so many of your relatives in such a short space of time – your Aunt Annabel looks incredible for her age. I haven’t been to Inverness for some 25 years, so your photos, especially those of the River Ness, brought back fond memories. I hope you’ve recovered from your cold!

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  5. I’m sorry about the loss of your aunt, Anabel. What an amazing month, though, getting to meet so many of your relatives and then having time for gallivanting as well. Mike would have been very interested in the Cycling World Championship; he’s out cycling this very minute. The River Ness looks very pretty and your Aunt Annabel looks very fit and healthy for 90!

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  6. Anabel, sorry to hear of your loss. Your other Aunt certainly does not look her age! Great to see so many cousins though and have time to explore in those areas. I am amazed at the embroidery work on those wall hangings.

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  7. Wow! You always fit in so much Anabel. Thanks for posting so much about Inverness. I quite regret not going now. Love that wolf!
    Your trip on The Waverly looks good fun.
    Nice to see the community garden in Largs. Don’t remember seeing one when I was there last year.
    Have a great September!

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  8. Hi, Anabel –
    My sincere condolences on your loss.
    Two and a half years old is an incredibly remarkable age to have memories from. That’s awesome! My earliest is four and my son’s is five.
    Hope you get rid of your cold soon!

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    • Thanks Donna. I do have identifiable memories from an early age but, like this one, they tend to be impressions of how I was feeling rather than events. And by this stage, are they really memories or just memories of remembering? At least this memory of the prickly dress could be verified (I asked my aunt at her son’s wedding)!

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  9. I’m so sorry for your loss. But also happy for your other aunt’s 90th birthday celebration! That’s a huge milestone, and just what you needed to cheer you up after the funeral. And you have some beautiful churches in Scotland, by the way….

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  12. Anabel, Sorry to hear of the passing of your aunt but good that you were able to have what sounds like a welcome extended family reunion. Lots of activty during August and lots of lovely photos…. I can almost here you talking about the coo’s from here in Australia 🙂 Albert

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  14. Well there’s a coincidence. The Waverley is heading our way and we’re booked for a jolly down the Thames on it. Hopefully I get to enjoy the engines too.
    Always love the street art and I was v jealous Glasgow had all the various cycling championships. What a grand idea to bring them all into one place!

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  15. Always such a treat to read your posts, you certainly get around. You must be very good at keeping in touch with family, I haven’t a clue where any of my cousins are. Your aunt looks amazing, what a beautiful woman, and no you don’t look 90 either 😘

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    • Thanks Jude, it’s very kind of you to say so! Sometimes I feel 90, then I remember I am still, like Miss Jean Brodie, in my prime. I am better at keeping touch than I used to be – now that there are so few of the generation above me left I feel the need much more. It helps that I only have a handful of cousins (5, used to be 6) and mum was always really good at keeping up with everyone.

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  17. Gallivanter by name, Gallivanter by nature. You do get about! So sorry not all your expeditions were for happy reasons, but the send-off seems to have revived memories. Hope the cold is sent packing soon.

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  20. Anabel, the photo of you and your aunty is really lovely. I, too have an aunt who defies her age. Funnily enough as we age we need to be more active not the other way around. Isn’t that the only time family usually all get together is at a funeral? Luckily, only for a short while. On that happy note, get well soon.

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  21. I’m sorry to hear about your Aunt. Even if she lived a long life, it’s still sad but, at least, you got to explore the area a bit. I already read a little bit on that nurse…what a shame! She needs to be more well known. She is a true hero not a sports player who makes millions for whatever.
    I love the pictures you have shown here and am amazed at how quiet the steam engine especially are and they look like new!
    Happy Birthday to you other aunt and that was a way to ease the earlier sadness. I’d love to see the art everywhere. I like watching the British shows called Portrait Artists of the Year and Landscape Artists of the Year.
    You always have a wondrous time. Now, rest, have some peppermint tea and get better.

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  22. What a month, Anabel! I have only hazy memories of Inverness on a grey old day so it’s nice to see it in a better light. I always wanted a trip on the Waverley. Perhaps I’ll get back to Scotland one day. Hope you’re soon well enough to enjoy September.

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  23. Hi Anabel – what a delightful post – I appreciate the sad aspect of it – time comes around … but your aunt definitely doesn’t look 90 – she’s done so well – as are you (and John) by the look of it. Fascinating pieces of information – I really need to spend more time looking … my ducks are not in order!! Cold and chilly here too … but you and John do yourselves justice – keeping the brain active, as well as stretching those joints … cheers Hilary

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  24. I always enjoyed the River Ness island walk and all the unicorns around the city streets. Got some more good photos of the Waverley at Largs last week and was told by a fellow walker that it was off soon to fresh pastures for the autumn – winter months.

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  25. I’ve visited Inverness a few times (work and pleasure) and recognise most of your photos from the attractive little city.
    Your aunt certainly looks very good indeed for her age. Longevity seems to run in your family, Anabel, so plenty of posts from you to come!

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  26. No, neither of you look 90!!
    Shooting a nurse for helping people – ugh.
    Lovely places to walk and interesting art.
    Am amusing duck photo, but not quite up to penguin standards!

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  28. Your aunt Annabel looks amazing for 90, I would never have guessed her to be that age! I’m sorry for the loss of your other aunt. We had similar unplanned trips to Newcastle last year (one for an aunt of my husband’s, one for an uncle) and I recognise your description of enjoying the opportunity to meet up with family members even if for a sad occasion. I love the stained glass, the old needlework, the swans and ducks in a row – the latter ALMOST make up for the lack of penguins 🤣🐧

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  29. Good grief! No way is Aunt Annabel 90, she looks at least twenty years younger if not more – I’d love to know what her secret is 🙂
    I like the stained glass windows and the sculptures, especially the vases one, but I’m disappointed there are no penguins this time, I was looking forward to seeing what they’ve been doing this month.

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  30. Great post, as always. I realise I haven’t been to Inverness this century, which is a terrible shame. I love the place.
    Thank you for the grand tours of places I’d love to go to (again).

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