Strawberry picking

Last weekend we went strawberry picking. In Scotland, I know. Very warm day, perfect strawberries in abundance. Beautiful day at Craigie's Farm between Crammond and South Queensferry.

Georgian maps

New passion to explore I think... Maps, Georgian maps. Don't know if you can make out the detail but each house has its own personality. This one was in the Starbucks on George street, Edinburgh. Nice.

Hill Top Farm - Home of Beatrix Potter

Went camping in the wet and beautiful Lake District last week and took the opportunity to go and see the home of Beatrix Potter. The house is so popular that you are allotted a time of entry. It is so dark in there, to preserve the paintings and artifacts, that when you come out the garden is white. Yes I did see rabbits in the garden, a lot of them. Went on to the Gallery in Hawkshead which was well presented and again, completely dark inside.
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-beatrixpottergallery
 

Search for inspiration

Went on a bit of a jaunt around the borders last week. Apart from being told to take my backpack off by a National Trust Nazi, like I were a jittery 14 year old on a school trip (I'm 38 and have never knocked an antique vase from a table on to the floor by any accidental or deliberate means, with or without a backpack) it was a great day at Culzean castle...http://www.nts.org.uk/Property/97/

Anyway... on to Burn's birthplace. Simple. There's a well conceived collection of period items and 'Burnsabilia' in the new purpose built museum and the little stone farm building, where he lived in his early years, has some nice graphic touches. Hats off to whoever was bold enough to suggest these items featured below instead of plumping for the predictable 'tartan and haggis'.

The Burns children's bedclothes floating above the cabin bed

Nice font, Sir!

Pittenweem

Another day out and about looking for inspiration. Pittenweem, fife. It was established as a fishing port in 1228! 

Remarkably, they still have the same public toilets.

My dad used to sing this to anyone who'd listen...

Pittenweem Jo
I’m gaun wi a lass frae Pittenweem,
She’s every fisher laddie’s dream;
She guts the herrin doon by the quay,
And saves her kisses just for me.

Oh last July it came tae pass,
I met this bonnie fisher lass;
Wi her een sae blue and black her hair,
I met her doon at Ainster Fair.

Chorus:
Pittenweem, Pittenweem,
She’s every fisher laddie’s dream;
She guts the herrin doon by the quay,
And saves her kisses just for me.

I says tae her “Can I tak ye hame?”
She says “Oh fine I ken yer game;
But ne’er the less ye’re awfy kind,
In fact I widnae really mind.”

I took her hame that Saturday nicht,
The moon was shinin oh sae bricht;
And as we lay there on the grass,
I says “Hey Jo, wad ye be ma lass?”

She’s my lass noo, and weel I ken,
She disnae gang wi ither men;
For I was quick where they were slow,
And that’s how I won ma Pittenweem Jo.

Chorus:
Pittenweem, Pittenweem,
She’s every fisher laddie’s dream;
She guts the herrin doon by the quay,
And saves her kisses just for me.

Just in case you were unsure as to this buildings function.

Culross, fife...

And, as if it had never existed, 

back in to the coastal mist, 

vanished the magical little port 

on the Fife coast, Culross.

Work Bench

I don't think of myself as a 

messy worker, however, 

this photograph might 

make me change my mind.

Boxed in

Was feeling a bit boxed in, tried screen printing on my recycled boxes for The Red Door Gallery and some old boxes I had lying around.