V&A MUSEUM IN DUNDEE VISIT AND NORWEGIAN KRANSEKAKE

I am back from my Saturday visit to Dundee and still ‘recovering’.  I say that because I found it all rather overwhelming…so much on display and so colourful and detailed!  By the time I got to the mannequin room I was feeling that I simply wanted to go out and come back another day!  

I have always found this sort of thing e.g. going around an art gallery or in a clothes shop.  For example, when browsing through a rack of blouses don’t give me 50 from which to choose; give me 5 and I can make a decision!

Also what I would have liked to see more of was the actual construction. That's because I sew and might try to make one; the hard part is going to be finding beautiful fabric!   

I simply must read up on the topic.  I found the stories of how the garment related to social class, occasion, time of day quite fascinating.  Which did I like the best? The male garments!

* * * * * * * * * * 

On another completely different topic I attended the Norwegian Julefest of my friend Inger on Saturday.  It’s a sort of craft fair with lots of Norwegian food for sale.  They held a raffle and … wait for it… I won the main prize! 

Here it is; it was baked by a lovely Norwegian lady, Ragna, who lives in Milngavie.

I can think of a few occasions when I might share it.  At the moment, it is in my freezer, at Ragna’s suggestion.  

[photo is not what I won; just an image from the web]

REMEMBRANCE DAY GLASGOW 2024 - BUTE HALL, GLASGOW UNIVERSITY SERVICE AND MACLEOD FARRIER PHOTO

It is Armistice Day 2024. Photos: 1916 and 2024

This photo is from the MacLeod family archives.  It is of Iain's father, Donald, back row third from left, in the Farrier Regiment, 1916 "somewhere in France".

This is him in Gairloch. No date given.

* * * *  2024 at Glasgow University * * * * * 

A Remembrance Day service was held in Bute Hall. The Last Post was played (beautifully by a music student), we sang and thought about "those in peril on the sea" [the old hymns are the best ones] and the Choir sang from the gallery opposite the wonderful sounding organ. 

I have a friend in the Choir ... Observation: more members of the Choir turned out than the Academics....

Assembling on the south side of the Quadangle for the March Past lead by the pipe band playing 'Highland Laddie'... nice!

In the middle-ground are the Army cadets marching by (followed by navy and airforce cadets). Another observation: the cadets were all noticeably of 'average height', i.e. a handful were 6 foot or a bit over but not what I would call 'tall'.  I say all this because over the years I use to notice that Iain's students were getting taller, i.e. I looked into the backs of their heads in a room, not over the top. Not so today.

The Choir ... now dispersing.

WAVERLEY HEADING DOWN THE CLYDE - SQUINTY BRIDGE

x

x

x

x

The Waverley approaching the channel opened at the Squinty Bridge (at Transport Museum) on the upper River Clyde. 

The bridge returning to its walkway position.

PHOTOS - BIRTHDAY BOY AND CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

As it was Don's birthday recently I came across these photos included here.

On his bike, aged about 12 years old (1957) in front of one of the flat deck trucks

[left] me, then Don, Beverley Pipe. Fluffy dog was hers; the dachshund is Rex Mears family pet (who lived next door to the Pipe family) Year: 1957 or 58

In Canoe Boat Basin with Les Treat.  This boat was fibreglass, olive green and the very latest thing, i.e. fibreglass. Year would be about 1960 I think.

* * * * * *

This photo must be about 1950 when I would be 6 and Don 5 years old. The line-up is [left] Don, then Donald MacLennan, Marcella MacLennan* and me.

We are sitting on a toboggan or else a sledge of some sort.  The bush in the background is a lilac bush, one of 2 that were outside the front door of our house in an area which was a flower garden.  Why do I remember all of this? Because one day, when my mother was asleep having worked night shift (which she did fairly regularly) my father bulldozed the whole lot to out to make space for the 'boys' (drivers and swampers) to park their cars every morning upon arrival for work.  When she woke up to find what he'd done... she was furious...throwing  crockery across the kitchen smashing all on the cupboard doors above the sink!

______________________________________________________________

*  I believe they were from Barra.  The dad was a social worker.