Just a few things around Glasgow

There are, I suppose, quite a few ways of walking into the city centre from the west end. In days of yore I used to end up on Sauchiehall Street, or maybe St Vincent Street. But these days I have discovered my favourite way of walking into the city: this is via Renfrew Street (did I post the Beethoven picture earlier in my blog? That was on Renfrew St). It's easy, from where I live, to take Woodlands Road, where one can either wait ages for the lights to change, and criss-cross your way across the motorway, or you can go on the footbridge which avoids all the traffic and safely deposits you on Renfrew Street. I of course, prefer the latter. 

One of my favourite sights on Renfrew St - the window in an antique store.

Almost to Great Western Road - the Kelvin

The old (derelict) railroad station.

The bridge on Great Western Road from below - near the old train station

This one is for Heather. She got me started on a Medieval Mystery series set in Glasgow (before I ever moved here!) and there's a rascally character in it whose last name is Doig. I always thought it was an odd name, so I was delighted the first time I saw one of these busses about town. 

Madeleine Smith house

A photograph of Madeleine Smith

Recently I happened upon a most interesting story. In Glasgow, in 1857, a young girl named Madeleine Smith was tried for murder. And this is the story: Her father was a well-to-do architect, and had hired Pierre Emile L'Angelier (a fellow from the Channel Islands) as his apprentice. In 1855, Madeleine and Pierre began a clandestine love affair, right under the noses of her parents. It wasn't until a suitable fellow proposed to her in 1857 that Madeleine broke off her connection to L'Angelier. Despite the fact that it was established that she had purchased arsenic (and L'Angelier died of arsenic poison), and despite the vast amount of love letters found among his effects, Madeleine was not convicted of the crime. It was a very odd case of 'not proven' and she was let go.

One of the courtroom drawings of Madeleine

A key element in the trial was the chronology of Madeleine's letters to L'Angelier. This was established not from the letters themselves, which were undated, but by the post-marks.

She left Scotland, changed her name, and ended up marrying a George Wardle, a friend and associate of the Pre-Raphaelite William Morris.

Having found out that the house was still standing, I went to have a look at it yesterday.

The front door of the house.

No. 7 Blythswood Square

A view of the square opposite the house.

Walking down the Road

Before I left New York, our friend Todd Messinger did a photo-shoot for us - of Heather, Katie and myself. One of the pictures from the shoot shows us walking down Water Street towards the derelict mill at the corner of Water Street and Route 41.

When Alice (Rachel's younger sister) emailed me some recent pictures of herself and her mother, one of them reminded me of the picture of the three of us, and so I asked her if I could use it in a post (she said yes).

There seems to be something picturesque and contemplative about the images of women walking down the road together - connected, yet separate. We will all go our separate ways (Heather, Katie, Alice, Shonaidh and myself) yet we stay connected, linked together through our relationship as sisters, daughters and friends. Oh, dear. This does sound cheesy.

My apologies.

Heather, Katie and myself.

Shonaidh and Alice.

To welcome in the May!

I confess that on the 1st of May, I did not go a-maying. I worked in the morning, so I postponed it till the 2nd of May (I felt justified, after all, the Cornish don't go Maying until the 2nd). In any case, this year Rachel came along with me, which was really nice. We walked around the Botanic Gardens, smelled the blossoms, sat and talked for a while, and I even sang a snatch of a May-day song. It was really lovely. It wasn't as warm as it was last year, but it was a beautiful morning.

Another of those spring figures in the trees - this time a bird!

Rachel smelling the blossoms

Smelling the blossoms

Monkey-puzzle tree!

A squirrel in the weeping willow

A blackbird, searching for worms.

Good-bye to Elder Lee

Elder Lee, one of the Chinese Elders, leaves this week. Even though he is a Chinese Chinese Elder, he spoke Cantonese and had to learn Mandarin to come to this mission. Before going away, he cooked food for all of us in the FHE group.

Elder Lee busy in the kitchen!

Elder Lee with Elder & Sister Hicks

Trisha (from Edinburgh) make Elder Lee a going-away cake.

That's not me doing the fingers behind Han, that's the other Elder standing beside me! 

Traveling North

Ever so often Aberdeen puts together a YSA ward, as they call it - where any YSA that are around are invited to come up and spend a day together, and go to church together, and there is food afterwards. As Rachel lived in Aberdeen for a time, she likes to go up to these, and has gone to several in the past. This time, I went with her (this was on the 22nd of April). We took the train up - oh, I *do* love traveling by train!

Before going to the church, we met up with Rachel's good friend and former flat-mate Lauma, from Latvia. She had baked Rachel a gorgeous cake - a late birthday present for her. 

It was an enjoyable day - I had a headache all the while, though, which took away some of the enjoyment I might have had. 

Lauma & Rachel - and the lovely cake!

The man on the train punched our tickets with a darling train-shaped stamp!

In Aberdeen, with our friend Heather Currie. 

Elizabeth Von Arnim and other loves

Left to right: Joan Plowright, Josie Laurence, Polly Walker and Miranda Richardson in Enchanted April

I thought I should put up this post while it is still April. When the film "Enchanted April" came out in 1992 (I can't believe it was that long ago!) I was only ten. I can't remember when I first saw it, but I feel sure it might have been at the cinema. Perhaps they re-released it? My sister Morag had the movie-poster on her door. In any case, over the years, we obtained it on video and watched it whenever we liked. It wasn't until I moved to New York that I realised that Heather had made a beautiful tradition of the film, and only watched it once a year - in April. I resisted this idea at first, but have now adopted it whole-heartedly. You may remember that I myself had an "Enchanted April" party last year. 

Polly walker as the lovely Lady Caroline Dester

You will be glad to hear that I am having another one this year - it is coming up this Sunday (Heather has already had her party - I was able to speak to our mutual friends Jessica, Chantal and Regina on Skype before it began!) and even my mother had one, with her sisters Dianne, Jeannine and Laura. 

"Enchanted April" was written by a woman named Elizabeth Von Arnim. Actually, that is a pseudonym. Her real name was Mary Beauchamp. In 1891 she married a Prussian count: Henning-August von Arnim-Schlagentin. She turned to writing on account of her rascally husband who was arrested for fraud. Her first novel, "Elizabeth and Her German Garden" was wildly successful, and other novels followed. I have not read this first novel of hers, though I own a copy (in one of my many, many bookcases scattered across the American continent). And I only just read "Enchanted April" a few years ago. And I must confess, it was a rare case of realising I preferred the film to the book! The book does have some good background information on the characters - especially regarding Rose Arbuthnot. But there are other things which I see as improvements in the film (for one, Caroline Dester is blonde in the novel, but thankfully is a dark-haired beauty in the film. Also, the character of Mr Briggs is much better in the film).

Michael Kitchen (oh, I do love Michael Kitchen!) as Mr Briggs.

Josie Lawrence as Lottie Wilkins. I include this photo as it shows the amazing clothes that the cast wore, most, if not all of which was original from the early 1920s. You can tell when you watch it - the clothes are stunning.

Miranda Richardson and Michael Kitchen

Every time I watch Enchanted April I am astonished by how beautiful Miranda Richardson is.  I don't know that she's ever been prettier than she is in this film.

And every time I watch Enchanted April the scene above (and Rose in general) reminds me of this lovely painting by John William Waterhouse.

All in all, I have read four of Elizabeth von Arnim's novels (Mr Skeffington, Love, Enchanted April, and I can't remember the title of the forth one). The one I will now talk about is "Love". I have read it at least three times. It is such a beautiful novel. It is about a twenty-five year-old man who falls in love with a woman who is about forty-seven (he sees her first in a dark theatre, and supposes her much younger than she is). Of course, it is about other things as well, and it is a deep, touching novel, full of humour and sadness, and I love it! 

I am always trying to cast it in my head, as if it was going to be made into a film (and it really, really should!). I used to think that Miranda Richardson would be perfect in the role of Catherine, the forty-something woman, and indeed, she would have been, but is now too old (alas!). I have been trying to find a perfect Catherine (who is small and lovely) and haven't found the perfect actress. I have come up with a few ideas, though: 

Julia Sawalha. Though she doesn't fit the description of Catherine, she is a fabulous actress and would do very well. Plus, she is the right age for it.

Rachel and I have been watching films with Helena Bonham Carter in them lately (A Room with a View and Twelfth Night) and it occurred to me that she is also the right age, and might do very well.

And then, as I was looking up pictures from The King's Speech which would give an idea of how HBC might look in the role as Catherine, I came across these pictures of Jennifer Ehle - also the right age. She might do a very good job as well.  

But then, there's the problem of the young man, Christopher. He is twenty-five, and very energetic and has flaming red hair. I could only think of two actors:

Eddie Redmayne: he doesn't have red hair, but he has a gingery feeling about him.

Yes, Rupert Grint! Don't laugh! Even though both my mother and Rachel pooh-poohed my idea of casting him (in my after all imaginary film) I still think he'd be better than Eddie Redmayne. For one, he's a little younger, besides, he really does have red hair. 

And now, the only thing left to do if for you all to go out and read it, and tell me your opinion. But even if you don't read it, tell me what you think anyway!

Also, from my 1920s copy of the book "Love" I wanted to share these pictures:

The cover of my book

This is fabulous - a wee slip inside the book to return to the library! I was sure Heather would be thrilled with this - I think that libraries should still offer this service! (also a reminder that Boots used to have a library)