While in Comrie, we also visited Cultybraggan Camp, the most complete remaining POW camp in the UK (according to this source). It was built in 1939 and covers 8 acres in a remote spot of Perthshire countryside, containing over 100 Nissen huts in varying states of repair.

The whole site has been bought by Comrie Development Trust, who are in the process of turning it into a community resource. It's a large site and the area towards the back is now hired out to businesses and used for allotments. The enormous firing range that sits behind them is kind of incongruous, but it's great to see the land being put to good use.

Quite a few of the huts have been renewed and repaired ready for tenants.

Other are left exactly as they were when the MoD left - mattresses on the floor, forgotten furniture, tattered posters and remnants of military life.

They do scrub up nicely. This hut (close to a ginormous nuclear bunker, just in case) is now someone's office.

The site is open from morning until dusk so anyone can go in and have a look around. I'm still reading up on it all hence the lack of background in this post, but there's some good info on Secret Scotland. More photos on Flickr.

Posted on July 1, 2010 | Filed under: Architecture Travel | Permalink | Comments (0)

Colonel Windpipe's Musical Brigade will blow you away! A collaborative project from uberkraaft and Lesley Barnes, this merry band of mischief makers (including Morris Buckfast on maracas and Brigadier Anton Rupee on drums) has already marched right into my heart.

Illustrators are invited to submit their own band members and the collection of merry misfits is growing by the day. I haven't seen illustration this exciting for a long time. It deserves to be turned up to 11.

Posted on June 29, 2010 | Filed under: Illustration | Permalink | Comments (0)

So, we bought a second-hand motorhome and took it on its inaugural trip to Perthshire at the weekend. In the evening we took a trip to Earthquake House in Comrie (pictured above). Comrie was particularly prone to earthquakes and is still known as "the Shaky Toun" because of all the seismic activity in the area. This little hut was built in 1874 to house experimental instruments developed by local men to measure the earth's movement.

Inside, the Comrie Pioneers built a seismoscope - a wooden cross holding different sizes of skittles. The stronger the earthquake the larger the peg it displaced, and the direction of fall gave some idea to the pattern of movement. This was superceded by the inverted pendulum seismometers which became used more widely.

The building now contains a modern seismograph, which records the earth's movement in a more conventional manner (by tracking movements on a roll of paper). Thanks to the kind guidance of Chris, Earthquake House's curator, we found out that if you jump up and down at the back of the hut you can make a little earth tremor. This squiggly line above was us. There were no reports of building damage or tsunamis in the local area, so no harm done.

The building is on public land but it isn't usually open to the public. We were lucky to get a guided tour and to see it on such a beautiful night.

Posted on June 28, 2010 | Filed under: Travel | Permalink | Comments (2)

I like this Nice biscuit ring by Victoria Mason from Lark in Australia. Victoria specialises in using everyday objects as inspiration for her silver jewellery, including pencil sharpenings and toast.

This is just one of the lovely designer and handmade goodies available from Lark and they now ship internationally, hooray! I'm proud to see my cards and postcards in such amazing company in the paper goods section. Lovely work Allison! If you want to see more design treats check out the Lark blog too.

Posted on June 7, 2010 | Filed under: Shopping | Permalink | Comments (0)

Another visit to The Stewartry Museum in Kirkcudbright, to check it hadn't changed. Thankfully, it hadn't. It's a small, Victorian museum collecting the flora, fauna and found objects of the local area (known as 'The Stewartry'). Everything is crammed in there - birds, fish, animals, fossils, war posters, lighthouse lenses, butter churns, turnip scythes. You name it, it's in there.

Taking pictures in museums (with permission of course) is always a tricky thing. I spent ages taking pictures from every angle to avoid the glare but in the end, my favourites were these outtakes, reflections and all. More photos of The Stewartry Museum on Flickr.

Posted on May 31, 2010 | Filed under: Museums | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today, a visit to Carfin Grotto, Scotland's mini-Lourdes. I love it here, it's incredibly beautiful whether you believe or not. Built in the 1920s it's an amazing collection of statues and shrines to the Virgin Mary and associated saints.

I've been before in winter when it was quiet but today it was in full swing. There was a procession snaking its way round the grotto and Hail Marys blasting out over the PA system. We had a little chat about religion as a family (we are not religious). Danny (4) is too small to care about God but he liked it because it was like Doctor Who, full of weeping angels.

I visited the reliquary for the first time - a collection of saints' relics. One of the largest collections around, it is extraordinary. Whatever you believe, it's a beautiful, striking place. Makes you think. I'm always knocked out by the design - things that are not 'good taste' look great together (silver and gold together?). The old signs are so grand and the ironwork throughout the grotto is just beautiful.

It doesn't feel part of the modern world at all. More photos here.

Posted on May 23, 2010 | Filed under: Travel | Permalink | Comments (1)

I like foxes almost as much as I like birds, so here's a foxy Folksy Friday. From L-R: Murgatroyd & Bean, Old Wives Tale, Kirsty Elson Designs, Finest Imaginary, Dee Beale and Fox Bunting.

Posted on May 21, 2010 | Filed under: Folksy Fridays | Permalink | Comments (3)

I'm just getting round to blogging about our lovely trip to Derbyshire. We went to a number of theme parks. Well, two. Two is a number.

Firstly, Gullivers in Matlock Bath. We pulled into the car park by mistake and there was no going back. It was occasionally rubbish in an astounding way, like the animatronic bears that sang country and western classics. They were old and slightly broken, which made them super creepy. The whole park is an odd mix of Gulliver's Travels, (the original theme, now mostly gone), country and western (flashes of Westworld), pirates and new 'character' rides like Dora the Explorer. It felt like they get a job lot of new rides once every ten years.

It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. It was however, our first introduction to tourism the Derbyshire way, which was like being in Royston Vasey but real - the world of the hostile tourist attraction, an astounding (and hilarious) mix of eccentricity and mild outrage at one's paying customers.

Then, a few days later we went to Drayton Manor (warning: musical website), home of Thomasland - a must for all engine-obsessed youngsters. It's quite small but very well done. The kids loved it and after we'd been there I got to sniff round the old bits of Drayton Manor looking for nice signage. Of which there was some right up the back.

More holiday delights to come.

Posted on May 19, 2010 | Filed under: Travel | Permalink

This is a combined Folksy Friday/currently reading post on the subject of birds. I love birds. When I was much younger I was a member of the Young Ornithologists' Club (the junior wing - ha! - of the RSPB). I had a bird book and went on birdwatching trips. As I got older it got a bit dull and that was the end of it. An embarrassing hobby, consigned to the dustbin of history.

Fast-forward to the present day when I'm too old to care what's cool and the ole birdwatching skills are coming back. We upgraded our bird-feeding infrastructure late last year and now my days are broken up by quick surveys of the garden to see who's arrived, who's eating what and who's fighting with who. The latest arrival (and my favourites) are two goldfinches who finally eat all those nyjer seeds we bought last year.

To complement this obsession, I'm reading Birdwatchingwatching by Alex Horne, which is a very enjoyable story about a year spent competitive birdwatching with his dad. It covers a lot about birds and birdwatching as you might expect, and also the whole idea of turning into your parents which I can relate to. Recommended.

Folksy Friday picks from L-R: Through The Round Window, Rae Welch, Kate Broughton, Ink Me Up, Lupin, London Clay Birds.

Posted on May 14, 2010 | Filed under: Folksy Fridays | Permalink | Comments (2)

Coast magazine are running a seaside poster auction in aid of the Marine Conservation Society. There are seven original posters to bid on, including beautiful pieces of work from Angie Lewin, Andy Tuohy, Rob Ryan and Wayne and Gerardine Hemingway. See them all on ebay and get in before 16 May if you fancy your chances.

Posted on May 9, 2010 | Filed under: Seaside | Permalink | Comments (0)