DUNDEE

I have been in Dundee staying with my sister, Dorothy for the best part of a week and doing all sorts of textile things. We went out one day to Glamis Castle and walked round the woods and gardens with her dog, Jake. Here is the castle - Scottish baronial in spades with  turrets everywhere. They are developing the enormous walled gardens which currently are grassed down. Fruit trees are trained against one wall and a lot of soft fruit has been planted. But they must have several years work in front of them as it is very large.

There is a pinetum full of very ancient conifers. They lost a lot of trees in the recent gales. In fact, everywhere you go up here there are trees on the ground.  

I saw two red squirrels and managed to get a photo to prove it. There are still a lot in Scotland. They are smaller than the greys.

Highland cattle in the fields and a nice Italian garden. No wonder the carpark was full by mid-day.

We visited Cambo gardens in Fife which also has a walled garden but this is marvellous. It is a very personal garden with beds of flowers, vegetables and fruit, a piece of grass for sitting out on and a stream to listen to. Photos would not do it justice. It is just wonderful.

Dorothy has lots of birds visiting her garden including a family of woodpeckers. We only saw one of the young ones visiting but we think there was at least one more. Flocks of goldfinches. lots of tits and finches and sparrows. We don't see many sparrows in Malvern.

I taught a class in Japanese bookbinding while in Dundee and here are some samples. They all did a paper covered book in the morning and a cloth covered book in the afternoon.

Then I came home. It was a lovely day and, as usual ,I was very smitten with the countryside in Galloway. I stopped off in Tebay service station to buy some food, mutton pies and Selkirk bannocks. For those of you who don't live in the UK, Tebay service station is a miracle. It is an independent and serves only local food. I believe the owners are farmers. There is a farm shop where you can buy local meat and bakery goods. 

That was Tuesday. Wednesday I went to Newbury to take part in a day of weaving Shibori.  We used a Round Robin. There is nothing to show yet and there will not be until all the samples are dyed. We plan to do that in early August when we shall have an indigo vat at the Guild meeting for our 'Dyeing in the Churchyard' annual event.

Now I need to write letters, pay bills, finish various jobs urgently . Oh and redo two posters for the Newbury Coat. That is now only ten days away.