Cornflower

Not seasonal, but still ...

    This is "Summer Reading" by William Hanna Clarke (1920), and it's being auctioned by Bonham's in their Scottish Art sale this week.

    Clarke (1882-1924) trained first as a dentist before turning to painting, and he settled in the artists' colony of Kirkcudbright*, dying in a tragic accident during the construction of his new house.You can find more of his work here. I like the light and freshness of this piece, and I'd love to know what the girl is reading.

 

*This suggests some actual 'summer reading' - for the background to that book click here.

Dreaming Spires

   

    Since posts this week have had an Oxford theme, let's continue that with something which looks as though it's a lot of fun.

    By chance this morning I discovered the as yet unlaunched board game Dreaming Spires which lets you build an Oxford college and lead it from the medieval era to the present day. It sounds a bit like Monopoly in caps and gowns, with bonus points for attracting the great scholars of the day and the ultimate prize of the Chancellorship, while you "discover a world of cobbled streets, misty quads and dreaming spires!"

    The team behind the game are raising funds to get it off the ground via Kickstarter, and they have already left their target sum far behind so that every new pledge of support helps them to reach so-called 'stretch goals' which will allow them to add to or improve the components of the game. You can find all the Kickstarter information here. Needless to say, I have backed them, and can't wait to get my copy of the game in a few months' time; in a house where Monopoly is played very competitively, and where one of our number used to indulge in the dubious Oxford pursuit that is 'punt jousting', I think it will prove very popular.

Useful and beautiful

    By chance I discovered the shop Objects of Use in Oxford's Market Street, and I was very taken with their stock which comprises a brush for every purpose, beautifully made garden tools (such as these with very specific functions), kitchenware and more. In the end I bought a suede brush, and some Finnish soap which has a bracing but lovely scent that is a cross between pine oil and wood smoke. Very much worth a visit.

The Cornflower Guide to Good Places to Stay, chapter 4

    On our last two visits to Oxford we've stayed at The Old Parsonage Hotel, and as you'll see if you follow that link, I have nothing but good to say of it. It is currently closed for refurbishment and the creation of five additional bedrooms and a rooftop library (!), and will be open again in March, so this time we stayed at its sister hotel The Old Bank. We had a very spacious and extremely comfortable room overlooking St. Mary's Church and All Souls, and its central location was ideal given that we were back and fore to Magdalen (a 5-minute walk away) several times over the weekend.

    In the restaurant, the food was good and the service was slick, the staff throughout were very pleasant and helpful, and while the public rooms are not as cosy and almost cocoon-like as at The Old Parsonage, I'd still rush back any time.

Books and 'cakes' - 63

   

    The Pillow Book of Sei Shōnagon (this month's Cornflower Book Group book) rather stumped me regarding the usual accompanying baked goods. Rice cakes and heitan cakes were mentioned, and although I searched for recipes I didn't find anything that would do, so I have failed this time.

    However to mark - in culinary form - our reading of the book, I did make a point of having lunch on Saturday in a Japanese restaurant, and I can thoroughly recommend Edamamé in Oxford's Holywell Street, whose welcoming (and very welcome) cup of toasted green tea you see here.

    The restaurant is tiny and was packed from opening, and as quite a number of the customers were Japanese, I take that as a good sign. Service was fast, servings were very generous, and the food was delicious. I look forward to going back and exploring more of the menu.

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    Don't miss the little Oxford giveaway on Cornflower Books today.

Oxford, a panorama

    As I've explained over on Cornflower Books today, I've been in Oxford for the weekend attending a special event, and I took these pictures of the cityscape from the tower of St. Mary's Church (where, incidentally, I spotted graffiti from as early as 1612!).

Edinburgh - some signposts

    
       It can often take a visitor to help you discover your own city - all too often we don't know what is on our own doorstep - and here's a case in point as Rose has been up in Edinburgh for a weekend and has packed a lot into her short trip, taking in some places I've never been to.

    Rose has kindly let me post some of the highlights here for future reference for all of us, residents and tourists alike, so here are a few 'Edinburgh signposts':

 

    The Andrew Restall exhibition at The Open Eye Gallery - it's on until the 27th. of this month.

 

    Shopping in Thistle Street, specifically at Jane Davidson, which Rose describes as "wonderful, wonderful wonderful!", and Covet (where you can find the ring).

 

 

    

    Lunch Chez Jules in Hanover Street; the verdict was "excellent service, lovely menu".

 

      

    Cocktails at The Dome complete with fake snow falling at the entrance.

 

 

    

    Then to Harvey Nichols and a pop-up display for Scotland Re:Designed which led Rose to the Assembly Rooms and the SR:D shop where she discovered Silken Favours.

 

   

    Lunch at The Balmoral Bar (to which I've been only once, for a smart book launch), and a suitably Scottish dish of Haggis, Neeps and Tatties and Whisky Cream, and again Rose commends the service. For those keen to sample the Scottish national drink, the Balmoral has "a signature whisky bar", Scotch, with over 400 single malts and blends to try - and don't blame me if you come out fou.

 

    Many thanks, Rose, and I hope you'll come again soon!

Scotland in stitches - 4

    Miscellaneous pictures from The Great Tapestry of Scotland to end this short series. From the top: John Duns Scotus, The Battle of Sheriffmuir, Charles Rennie Mackintosh's Glasgow School of Art building, Dr. Elsie Inglis, women's suffrage, the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, and to show that the piece is right up to date, Andy Murray's Wimbledon victory, which was happening as were putting the final stitches in our panel.

Scotland in stitches - 3

    Textiles and skill with the needle(s) are the themes of today's collection of details from The Great Tapestry of Scotland.

Scotland in stitches - 2

    Some details of ecclesiastical panels from The Great Tapestry of Scotland, including - second from the bottom - The Apprentice Pillar at Rosslyn Chapel (see posts here and here), and below it, one of the Chapel's many Green Men.

Scotland in stitches - 1

    I've been to see The Great Tapestry of Scotland again as it's on display at Cockenzie House and open for viewing until the 8th. of December. My pictures this time are mostly of details from the panels* rather than the broader subjects themselves, and I plan to post them in three or four batches so that there is not too much to take in all at once. I hope they will show something of the range of stitches used in the piece and the very creative ways in which the designer Andrew Crummy and the many embroiderers who worked on the panels have interpreted Scotland's history from its landscape and buildings to its people, ideas and institutions. You'll find some pictures with a literary theme on Cornflower Books, and there will be more to look at here very soon.

*Every panel is shown in colour - with notes - in the new hardback book on the Tapestry.

Friday flowers (& fragrance)

    Viburnum x bodnantense Dawn (I think); that rich almond scent is wafting through the house.

They dined on mince and slices of quince

    No runcible spoons in evidence (nor mince, actually), but I did have quince purée with my roast pork at supper at Moro the other day. I've never eaten quince other than as membrillo, so this was a first, and it was delicious* - it was the reason I chose the dish.

    That was our second visit to Moro, the first one having been seven years ago (and I see I chose the same things then ...); no Michael Palin to chat to this time, though.

    For those who haven't been, read Nigel Slater's description of the place and book a table at the first opportunity. I hope I won't have to wait another seven years before going back.

 

*Sue will be glad to hear that.

Upstairs, downstairs

    Upstairs at The Courtauld Gallery - three floors of comfortably-sized rooms housing treasures from the Renaissance to the 20th. century - it is intimate, quiet, and worth the climb. Downstairs - in the café - we got fast, friendly service, (despite the fact that it was packed) and excellent cake.

    Interestingly, the subject of the café came up during our chat with lovely Alice of The Sight of Morning at the Slightly Foxed Readers' Day; she was surprised to hear our experience had been such a positive one as it has had a bad press of late, but it looks as though new management has recently made many changes for the better, and I'd certainly go back.

A rosy glow

    I have Fiona Cairns' lovely new book Seasonal Baking, and was very taken with her stunning Autumn Celebration Cake: meringues enriched with finely chopped nuts, sandwiched with ganache, the top layer decorated with marzipan oak leaves, acorns and rosehips.



    Having neither the time nor the bits and pieces necessary to make these autumnal adornments, I crystallised some rose petals (Blush Noisette), and scattered them over the top instead.



    The birthday girl approved.