Scottish Art and Photographic Calendars

Scottish Art is appreciated by people from all over the world. The creativeness of Scottish culture has spawned an interesting line-up of artists who create locally inspired art.

Scottish photographers are blessed with the immediate availability of rural landscapes and dramatic countryside. Not to mention the historical and thought provoking scenery of coasts and castles. Opportunities for Scotland’s artists and photographers are to be found in a vast variety of picturesque locations.

Scottish Artists and Photographers

One of the most well known Scottish photographers is Laurie Campbell who has a sharp eye for capturing Scottish nature at its best. His beautiful portfolio boasts an outstanding variety of mid-action, native wildlife. His photos also present the tranquillity of peaceful seasons, whether it’s a heart warming summer photograph, or something a bit more “chilled out”.

Robert Kelsey is an impressive and well established artist who paints an intriguing mixture of seascape views. Born in Glasgow, Robert creates an incredible perception of depth and contrast that bring his paintings to life.

Mike Caithness is an Edinburgh based photographer and a past president of the Edinburgh Photographic Society. He has been producing high quality work for over 20 years and features some meticulous naturalistic photographs. His photos can also be found on products such as Scottish calendars.

Scottish art calendars come in a more versatile range than one might expect. Dundee born Rikki O’neill is a highly respected artist with colourful and vibrant folio of work. His art is seen in calendars today which can certainly lighten the mood of any room. They are ideal for children, or anyone with a keen sense for a colourful environment.

Pauline Kemp is a brilliant Scottish photographer. She provides a beautiful collection of photos containing landmarks and other splendid sites. A fabulous selection of Scottish border photographs have been put together by her to form an exceptional compilation calendar.

Scotland hosts a great variety of individualistic photographers and artists, those mentioned here are a just few that can be found at www.bayattic.com. Bay Attic offers an extensive range in Scottish Photographic Calendars and similar products.

Was Andrew Carnegie a Murderer?

Andrew Carnegie the philantropist and Scottish American gave away millions of dollars each year (and still does through his charitable trusts) promoting education and world peace.

However many people believe he was also a person who planned the murder of strikers in his factories in order to bring about his own riches.

Born and brought up in Dunfermline Scotland Andrew Carnegie‘s father and uncle were being constantly attacked for their radical political attitudes and actions. As leaders in the Chartist movement they were fighting for the right of the working class to vote and stand for election in the belief that this would bring about a fairer future for the world. At this time only the richer people were allowed to do these things. Only property owners were able to have their name on the electoral register to vote so only they would be able to represent the people and of course were able to maintain power and influence.

The only way to give this power to the workers was by removing it from the rich who also in that area included the factory owners. Consequently the family were all blacklisted from gaining employment locally.

When Andrew Carnegie was only 13 years old the family decided to sell up everything they had left basically their furniture and borrowed money from other Chartist supporters and emigrated to the USA ending up in Pittsburgh.

However this was an opportunity for Carnegie to prove himself moving from his job as bobbin boy in a weaving factory he became a telegraph operator and attracted the eye of his employer who promoted him and took him to the big city as personal secretary. Possibly through insider trading knowledge and smart investing skills Andrew Carnegie amassed a small fortune to enable him to acquire his first steel works. When he later sold his steel interests he personally pocketed over 350 million dollars.

However his drive and ambition for new technology meant he was often in conflict with unions as he cut wages and introduced longer works to drive up profitability and win contracts eventually buying up most of his competitors.

Andrew Carnegie appointed Frick as business manager of his steel works was also known as a hard nosed business man when it came to fighting unions and they often brought in Pinkerton’s Detective Agency to defend their position. Pinkerton’s over the years had become the people to turn to when you wanted gunmen to fight strikes and had acquired a reputation for being violent in the way they handled themselves. The agency had even bombed a union HQ in Chicago and had been involved in a number of killings of strike leaders.

Andrew Carnegie at this time went back to Scotland for half a year at a time so he was present during the Homestead Steel Works dispute but we have come across cables sent between him and Frick the General Manager where he clearly supported “doing whatever was necessary to win the fight”. 10 men died on this occasion during a long gun battle but it led to the union collapse and a return to work. Andrew Carnegie immediately cut the wages again introduced a longer working week and ensured 500 men who were involved in the strike leadership would never again work in the steel mill.

Blacklisted from employment after being branded a troublemaker by rich factory owners rings bells with how Carnegies own family was punished so he obviously learnt some lessons, didn’t he? You can read the full story on http://scottishjerk.com/09/andrew-carnegie-murderer/ and vote in our poll at the same time.

Robert Burns In The US House Of Representatives

Earlier this year the American House of Representatives passed a resolution recognising the close ties between the mutual inspiration between Scotland’s national poet Robert Burns and the Founding Fathers of America.

North Carolina Congressman Mike McIntyre (himself of Scottish descent) was the person responsible in proposing the resolution to be passed by the House of Representatives.

The Resolution also recognised that Robert Burns had truly inspired the Founding Fathers of America writing inspirational poems such as “Ode for General Washington’s Birthday” and “Ballard on the American War”.

“Scots Wha Hae”

Robert Burns went on to write the famous Scots Wha Hae song of independence having been inspired by the American War of Independence. Both Scotland and America were struggling to achieve their own independence again foreign rule by England

Robert Burns was one of many who hoped that the American victory for independence would lead to similar revolutions right across Europe including of course the Scots claim for independence against the English rule.

President Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was one of many Americans who took part in Burns Night celebrations. Shortly before his election he not only attended but gave the famous immortal speech to remind every person there exactly why they are meeting to celebrate the birth and life of Robert Burns who was an inspiration to so many around the world. It is said by some that Abraham Lincoln attempted to give the address in the Scots accent with a mixed success given the difficulty of this even by those brought up in Scotland but having to speak the standard English for most of the day in our workplace communications.

 

Marlborough Town, Wiltshire

Marlborough Town

Marlborough is a market town in the English county of Wiltshire on the Old Bath Road, the old main road from London to Bath. It is well known for having the widest high-street in Britain.

The first sign of human habitation is the pre-historic mound (tumulus), in the grounds of Marlborough College. It is possibly of similar age to the larger Silbury Hill five miles to the west. Legend has it that the Mound is the burial site of Merlin[1] and that the name of the town, Marlborough comes from Merlin’s Barrow. The town’s motto is Ubi nunc sapientis ossa Merlini – Where now are the bones of wise Merlin[2].

Further evidence of human occupation comes from the discovery of the Marlborough Bucket an Iron Age burial bucket, with decorations of human heads and animals on sheet bronze.

Roman remains and coins have been found two miles to the East of Marlborough, at Mildenhall (Cunetio).

A later Saxon settlement grew up around The Green and two early river crossings were made at Isbury Lane and Stonebridge Lane.

The first written record of Marlborough dates from 1087 when the Domesday Book was finished. The borough received its charter to hold a market in 1204.[3]

    * In 1067, William the Conqueror assumed control of the Marlborough area and set about building a wooden motte and bailey castle, sited on the pre-historic mound. This was completed in around 1100 and stone was used to strengthen the castle, in around 1175.

    * William also established a mint in Marlborough, which coined the William I and the early William II silver pennies. The coins display the name of the town as Maerlebi or Maerleber.

    * William I established the neighbouring Savernake Forest as a favourite Royal hunting ground [4] and Marlborough Castle became a Royal residence. Henry I observed Easter here, in 1110. Richard I (Coeur de Lion) gave the castle to his brother John, in 1186. Henry II stayed at Marlborough Castle, in talks with the King of Scotland. King John was married here and spent time in Marlborough. He even established a Treasury. Later, Henry III was also married here.[5]

    * Henry III held Parliament here, in 1267, when the Statute of Marlborough was passed (this gave rights and privileges to small land owners and limited the right of the King to take possession of land). This seven-hundred-year-old law states that no one shall seize his neighbour’s goods for alleged wrong, without permission of the Court. It is the oldest piece of English law which has not yet been repealed.

    * The castle fell into disrepair by the end of the 14th century but remained Crown property. Edward VI then passed it to the Seymour family, his mother’s relatives.

    * The 1204 Charter granted the Borough an annual eight-day fair, commencing on 14 August, the vigil of the Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady (15 August), in which “all might enjoy the liberties and quittances customary in the fair at Winchester”. He also established that weekly markets may be held on Wednesdays and Saturdays. These continue to this day.[6]

    * In 1498 Thomas Wolsey was ordained priest in (the now redundant) St Peter’s church. He later rose to become a cardinal and Lord Chancellor.

    * In 1642, Marlborough’s peace was shattered by the English Civil War. The Seymours held the Castle for the King but the Town was for Parliament. With his headquarters in nearby Oxford, King Charles had to deal with Marlborough. “A Town the most notoriously disaffected of all that Country, otherwise, saving the obstinacy and malice of the inhabitants, in the situation of it very unfit for a garrison… this place the King saw would prove quickly an ill neighbour to him, not only as it was in the heart of a rich County, and so would straighten him, and even infest his quarters.” The King sent Lord Digby to take the town of Marlborough. He left Oxford at the head of four hundred horses, on the 24th November. When he arrived, he chose to parley first, thus giving the inhabitants a chance to prepare defences and to recruit troops. They mustered about seven hundred poorly-armed men. At this point, the Town issued a reply to Digby. “The King’s Majesty” he declared, “providing he were attended in Royal and not in war like wise, should be as welcome to that Town as ever was Prince to People; but as to delivering up the good Town of Marlborough to such a traitor as Lord Digby … they would sooner die”. After some early skirmishes, Royalist troops infiltrated the Town down its small alleyways. The Town was captured and looted and many buildings were set ablaze. One hundred and twenty prisoners were marched in chains to Oxford. The Town was later abandoned by the King and took no further part in the war.

    * On 28 April 1653, the Great Fire of Marlborough burnt two hundred and fifty houses to the ground.[citation needed] Fire swept through the Town again in 1679 and again in 1690. This time, an Act of Parliament was passed “to prohibit the covering of houses and other buildings with thatch in the Town of Marlborough”.[7]

    * In 1689, William III created Sir John Churchill, the distinguished Army general, Earl of Marlborough. In 1702, William’s successor, Queen Anne created Churchill Duke of Marlborough.

    * Nobel Prize winning author William Golding, author of Lord of the Flies, grew up in the town. Golding lived on a house in the Green. Golding was educated at the former Marlborough Grammar School, where his father was a science master.

In 2004, Marlborough Live celebrated 800 years of its Town Charter, among the celebrations was a street play by the Marlborough Players entitled “Wheels of Time” and a visit from HRH Prince Charles. During the rebuilding of the town after the Great Fire of Marlborough in 1653 which destroyed almost the entire town, the high street became what is claimed to be the widest in England. This allows ample space for a local market which is held twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Every summer the town holds a jazz festival with local pubs, clubs, hotels and various other venues playing host to live jazz music over the course of a weekend. Every October the high street is closed for the two Saturdays either side of 11 October for the Marlborough Mop Fair. This was originally a hiring fair for agricultural workers seeking employment but now has become a funfair. The right of the town to close the road to hold the fair is set down in the Charter.

On the north side of the high street is the Merchant’s House, which is currently under restoration but part of which is open to the public on Fridays and Saturdays in summer. The house was built following the Great Fire of 1653. It was the property of a silk merchant and, rarely for a house of this type in a town centre, still retains its original room pattern. Of great interest are the wall paintings recently uncovered, which are undergoing careful conservation. One room painted in a striped pattern, copying silk hangings, is perhaps unique in Great Britain.

Why Have Scotland Vacations This Year

If you have been watching the news things look pretty grim. I do not have to tell you what the newscasters are reporting, because you already know. Yip a lot of people have lost there jobs, but the vast majority have not. Some people are even prospering. Whatever your thoughts on the economy are, if you can travel right now then why not. If it makes you feel better then consider that you are helping to keep people employed. You might even be able to get a fantastic deal to. If you are going to travel this year then here are a few reasons that you should have Scotland vacations.

There is so Much to See and Do

Let us start with the obvious reasons to have Scotland vacations. Sometimes it is good to be reminded. Scotland has a long and interesting history. It does not matter if your ancestors are from Scotland or not. You can tour or even stay is historic castles. You can enjoy the cities and the night life they have to offer. Scotland is filled with lively pubs for you to enjoy. There are festivals like the one in Edinburgh in August accompanies the Edinburgh military tattoo. There are also highland games that will keep you entertained.

Scotland Vacations and the Exchange Rate

Here is the biggest thing to keep in mind when you are considering Scotland vacations this year. In many ways the US dollar falling is bad, unless you are traveling to Brittan. As of this writing it would take $130 of our dollars to equal there $100 which is better than it used to be. We are getting a better exchange on the conversion so that makes it a great time to visit Scotland.