Glasgow!

Here are a few photos from my first two days living in Glasgow, which I’ve mainly used to find routes (with the exception of swimming) across the Clyde, visit the Burrell Collection and Kelvingrove, get a bit lost on the buses and scout out the best wool and fabric shops (Marjory’s and Mandors so far).

Yesterday I visited the Burrell Collection, which is set in the middle of a very woody park south of the Clyde. On the way to the museum I attempted to befriend these beautiful young Highland cattle by complementing them on their bangs. I’m not sure whether they could see, or understand me.

Amongst an impressive array of Chinese pottery, ancient Egyptian carvings and Rodin sculptures, the Burrell collection includes walls and walls of tapestries. I’m going back tomorrow for more.Linen silk/ silver-embroidered waistcoat, made in Britain 1615-18. Amongst the symmetrically-curling foliage and flowers sit caterpillars and butterflies. Linen coif (a type of cap) embroidered in silk with plants and animals. Squirrels, boars, dragons and deer happily coexist in this embroiderer’s mind.  Silk petticoat, possibly owned by Anne of Denmark, wife of James I/VI. 1610-20. Both this and the waistcoat feature in this excellent video about the exhibition ‘Gilt & Silk’.

As you can see, the Burrell is pretty darn amazing for historical textile enthusiasts!After the Burrell, I made pilgrimage to Marjory’s, a tiny shop on Holmlea Road lined floor-to-ceiling with wool. I hope to try this out later in life, since it seems to me to be a good way to insulate rooms and do away with the heating bill.At bus stops, in shops, on hats, windows, badges and lips..
A rare wild haggis specimen in the natural history section of the Kelvingrove Museum.An Irish Elk – these ginormous deer roamed Scotland 10,000 years ago.
The Tall Ship at Riverside

While waiting to board the ferry across the Clyde, I took these photos of a family of swans. I slowly realised that they were in fact performing an elaborate synchronised swimming act in return for being pumelled with bread by a little girl.