No.42

The Fountain at Lake Geneva

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HOW I BECAME INVOLVED WITH THE MERRY WIDOW  

and how I acquired a title.

Many years ago Jean and I had a holiday at Evian on Lake Geneva. We were staying in a big Centre which attracted a lot of young people of different nationalities. One day I was approached by a German woman who explained in broken English that she and her friends had been listening to me playing the piano. They were musicians and they had been wondering if I would like to play with them. Of course I readily agreed and we fixed a time for our get-together.

The three of them would be in their 50s, she played violin and the two men cello and clarinet. Language was a big problem, but we got on well together, and the music which was the grand hotel type sounded fine. I discovered that her late husband had been a professional violinist, and every year they had holidayed at Evian, along with the other musicians.

Frau Hamza (I can’t recall her Christian name) was a “touchy feely” person and a bit eccentric. She kept saying “thank you, sir” and “excuse me, sir” to me and of course I told her that she was to call me John. So, for the rest of the week I was “Sir John.”

One morning she and I were practising together, making up a programme which the group would perform on the final evening of the holiday. When we had finished, she said to me “Kom to my house,” - she meant her room - “I vant to gif you cuddle.” Wow! That WAS a shock! I don’t think I said anything for a moment, and then the penny dropped. She had used the French word “cadeau”, she had a gift for me! It was a CD by her late husband’s group The Georg Hamza Ensemble (2 violins, cello, bass, clarinet, piano and drums), and included 3 of his own compositions.

So I didn’t get a cuddle, but at least I was “Sir John” for a few days!

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No.41

This famous painting “Bubbles” was the work of John Everett Millais (1829-96). It was sold to the owner of the Illustrated London News. Thomas Barrett, the Managing Director of the well-known Pears Soap company was a good bit ahead of his time as regards advertising, and he bought the painting to promote his product. As one might expect, the artist was very upset when a cake of soap was added in the foreground of the picture, but since Pears owned the copyright he could do nothing about it.

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DID YOU KNOW THAT -

1) In 16th century Scotland, the minimum age for marriage was 14 for boys, 12 for girls.

2) In 1791 a labourer earned 3 old pennies per day, a carpenter 6 old pennies per day and a mason one shilling [5p] per day.

3) There were quite a number of French people living in Kirkintilloch.

4) Mary Queen of Scots with her husband Lord Darnley intended to come to the town in 1565, though there are no reports that the visit actually took place. 

5) It’s likely that King James IV passed through Kirkintilloch, because it's known that he had a short stay in a mansion in Campsie.

6) Bonnie Prince Charlie and his men marched through the town in 1746. One inhabitant shot and killed one of the soldiers who, it was claimed, had been trying to steal something. The Prince wanted to burn down the town, but some of the local leaders pleaded for mercy, and a fine was imposed.

7) The road through Kirkintilloch was the main thoroughfare from west to east - from Dumbarton through Glasgow and Stirling to Edinburgh.

8) In 1710 church elders were appointed to ring a bell on Saturday nights at 9 o’clock to warn drinkers that it was time to go home.

9) It’s believed that there was a settlement in the Kirkintilloch area before the Romans came, since Pictish graves have been discovered 17 feet further down than the Roman road.

10) Most people know that the name Kirkintilloch means something like “the fort at the end of the ridge”. Some of the variations of the name in old documents include Kirkentolagh, Kyrkintullauch, Kirkyntulach, Kirkintholach, Caerpentaloch and the Pictish version Chirchind.

SO NOW YOU KNOW!

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No.40

Thames Frost Fair

by Thomas Wyke c.1616-77

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Two photos of

Niagara Falls completely frozen over in 1911

and

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No.39

The Scotch Thistle

The Scottish thistle has been the emblem of Scotland since the reign of Alexander III in the 13th century.

The story of how this humble plant acquired such an honour goes back to the feuding between Scotland and Norway. It’s said that one dark night an invading army of King Haakon’s men were stealing up on a camp of Scots, hoping to surprise them. One of the Norwegians in his bare feet stepped on a thistle and let out a cry of pain. This alerted the Scots and the attack was repelled.

In 1470, when James III was on the throne, the thistle appeared on Scottish silver coins.

It seems that not everyone admires our emblem. In some parts of America it has been declared Public Nuisance No1 and was said to be “a noxious and annoying little Scottish weed.”

Scotia's Thistle

Henry Scott Riddell 1798-1870)

Scotia’s thistle guards the grave,

Where repose her dauntless brave;

Never yet the foot of slave

Has trod the wilds of Scotia.

Free from tyrant’s dark control -

Free as waves of ocean roll -

Free as thoughts of minstrel’s soul,

Still roam the sons of Scotia.

Scotia’s hills of hoary hue,

Heaven wraps in wreathes of blue,

Watering with its dearest dew

The healthy lochs of Scotia.

Down each green-wood skirted vale,

Guardian spirits, lingering, hail

Many a minstrel’s melting tale

As told of ancient Scotia.

Wake, my hill-harp! Wildly wake!

Sound by lee and lonely lake,

Never shall this heart forsake

The bonnie wilds of Scotia.

Others o’er the ocean’s foam

Far to other lands may roam,

But for ever be my home

Beneath the sky of Scotia!

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No.38

Ivan Shishkin
1832-98
Nationlity - Russian

View on the Outskirts of St.Petersburg

1856
Oil on Canvas
96 cm x 66.5 cm

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WORDS OF WISDOM?

For Him

We men have many faults,
Poor women have but two.
There’s nothing good they say,
There’s nothing good they do.

For Her

Women’s faults are many,
Men have only two.
Everything they say
And everything they do.

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Next post - Saturday

No.37

Gustave Caillebotte

1848-94

Nationality - French

A Balcony: Boulevarde Haussmann

c.1880

Oil on Canvas

69 cm x 62 cm

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Life has Loveliness to Sell
by Sara Teasdale

Life has loveliness to sell,
     All beautiful and splendid things,
Blue waves whitened on a cliff,
     Soaring fire that sways and sings,
And children's faces looking up
Holding wonder like a cup.

Life has loveliness to sell,
     Music like a curve of gold,
Scent of pine trees in the rain,
     Eyes that love you, arms that hold,
And for your spirit's still delight,
Holy thoughts that star the night.

Spend all you have for loveliness,
     Buy it and never count the cost;
For one white singing hour of peace
     Count many a year of strife well lost,
And for a breath of ecstasy
Give all you have been, or could be.


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No.36

William Merritt Chase
1849-1916

Nationality - American

Surprise

1883

Pastel on Paper

74.9 cm x 59.7 cm

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THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS
by Ashley Cooper

Truth, if it becomes a weapon against persons.
Beauty, if it becomes vanity.
Love, if it becomes possessive.
Loyalty, if it becomes blind, careless trust.
Tolerance, if it becomes indifference.
Self-confidence, if it becomes arrogance.
Faith, if it becomes self-righteous.

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