Scotland and Robert Burns Birthday

 

January 25th is the birthday of the famous Scottish author and poet Robert Burns who was born in 1759.

And loving Scotland and all things Scottish has been famous for years...

 

 

 Queen Victoria and Prince Albert loved the Scottish Highlands, and Prince Albert redesigned Balmoral Castle into their Highland retreat.

And Queen Victoria splashed tartans... including several they designed themselves... around the interiors...

Above is a family drawing of a drawing room at Balmoral, that has hardly changed, as Queen Elizabeth II loves it as well...

Her Majesty at the Ghillies Ball in 1971...

Burns is still remembered by many with Burns Night festivities which include poetry, whiskey and haggis...he even wrote a poem to the famous regional dish of Scotland... which I don't like.  

I recently re-read a cozy murder mystery by Canadian author C. C. Benison called Eleven Pipers Piping, where the murder occurs at a very rancorous Burns Night supper. A very fun read! 

  I also love his series featuring transplanted Canadian Jane Bee who finds herself a housemaid at the Royal palaces and sleuthful helper of the Queen. Great fun!

These 2 photos of the Scottish Highlands, some of the most popular posts in the last few years on my Facebook page, may go someway to explaining the beauty and appeal of the highlands...

the above photo is of an unidentified location, and the photo below is of Loch Muick in Aerdeenshire...

Or this of the Cairngorms on the Balmoral estate...

And always a popular theme in decor. Shelley China, England, a marvelous pottery which unfortunately closed in 1966, had a long lived popular pattern called Heather. 

Below is an example of the wonderful Scottish landscape with multicolored heather by what I am sure is a salmon stream in a gorgeous large plate or charger...

So remember to sing For 'Auld Lang Syne today...one of Robert Burns most famous compositions. I won't suggest raising a glass of whiskey...don't like that either! I make a poor Scot... good thing I'm English...I'll have that cup of tea now...

We're All Scottish On Burns Night January 25th

January 25th is the birthday of the famous Scottish author and poet Robert Burns who was born in 1759.

And loving Scotland ad all things Scottish has been famous for years...

 

 

 Queen Victoria and Prince Albert loved the Scottish Highlands, and Prince Albert redesigned Balmoral Castle into their Highland retreat.

And Queen Victoria splashed tartans... including several they designed themselves... around the interiors...

Above is a family drawing of a drawing room at Balmoral, that has hardly changed, as Queen Elizabeth II loves it as well...

Her Majesty at the Ghillies Ball in 1971...

Burns is still remembered by many with Burns Night festivities which include poetry, whiskey and haggis...he even wrote a poem to the famous regional dish of Scotland... which I don't like.  

I recently read a cozy murder mystery by Canadian author C. C. Benison called Eleven Pipers Piping, where the murder occurs at a very rancorous Burns Night supper. A very fun read! 

  I also love his series featuring transplanted Canadian Jane Bee who finds herself a housemaid at the Royal palaces and sleuthful helper of the Queen. Great fun!

These 2 photos of the Scottish Highlands, some of the most popular posts in the last few years on my Facebook page, may go someway to explaining the beauty and appeal of the highlands...

the above photo is of an unidentified location, and the photo below is of Loch Muick in Aerdeenshire...

Or this of the Cairngorms on the Balmoral estate...

And always a popular theme in decor. Shelley China, England, a marvelous pottery which unfortunately closed in 1966, had a long lived popular pattern called Heather. 

Below is an example of the wonderful Scottish landscape with multicolored heather by what I am sure is a salmon stream in a gorgeous large plate or charger...

So remember to sing For 'Auld Lang Syne today...one of Robert Burns most famous compositions. I won't suggest raising a glass of whiskey...don't like that either! I make a poor Scot... good thing I'm English...I'll have that cup of tea now...

Tea On The Titanic, Titanic Commemorations

The Whiye Star Line Titanic was the most opulent ship afloat when it sailed away from Ireland on her maiden voyage only to hit an iceberg and sink in 1912.  I am joining Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage for her Tea On The Titanic, and Tuesday Cuppa Tea with Antiques And Teacups

These photos were taken by passenger Father S.M. Browne and found on various Titanic sites, I don't know if he survived or not.

The Titanic was one of 3 sister ships: The Olympic, the Titanic and the Britannic. They were designed by Harland & Wolff of Belfast.

I don't have any Titanic memorabilia to share, but I do have a silver plated tea strainer dating to the 1930s from her last sister ship, the Britannic, that was launched in 1929 and used as a passenger ship between Southampton, England and New York until she was decommissioned in 1960. The tea strainer is available at Time Was Antiques. Just click the photos for more information.

 

A postcard I have of the Britannic:

 As it is the centennial of that horrific disaster, there are many commemorations. The Fred Olsen Cruise Line cruise ship The Balmoral left April 8th following the exact route of Titanic carrying the same number of passengers, 1309, and serving as much as is possible, the same menus, with many of the passengers in period dress. The passengers include many family members of Titanic passengers.  The ship will rendezvous with an Azmara cruise ship for special services at the Titanic site. The Fred Olsen line is operated by Harland & Wolff.

Elsewhere, in conjunction with the Titanic commemoration, The Titanic Museum opened in Belfaast, Ireland on the site of Harland & Wolff's docks were Titanic was built. The museum opened on March 31st and is sold out with timed entrance into June. The museum itself is a facinating design of ship prows. Here is a photo from the BBC of the opening night fireworks:

When we were last in Southampton, England to sail home from the UK on the Cunard Queen Mary 2, we visited the memorial to the band that went down with Titanic, as most of the members were from the city and area around Southampton. It was such a sad thing.

On the voyage across, the Captain, Commodore Warwick, let us know when we passed over the Titanic and we had a minute of silence. Cunard is actually descended from the White Star line.

I have added some links here to the Titanic Museum website and others with fabulous resources. One, Titanic Stories, has a day by day interactive view of Titanic's voyage with dramatized portrayals of various passengers, accurately portrayed from historical documents.

The Titanic Museum In Belfast 

Titanic Stories

Titanica Exhibit - National Museums of Ireland

August from Country Diary Of An Edwardian Lady, Teacup Tuesday, Zara's Wedding, Scotland Shelly Thistle Teacup

I am joining Teacup Tuesday and Sandi for Tea Time Tuesday today . The more the merrier...I just love seeing the fab teacups all you ladies share!

Ruth ~ http://antiquesandteacups.blogspot.com/
Teacup Tuesday

Wanda Lee~ http://silkenpurse.blogspot.com/ 
Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday 
Pam~ http://breathoffreshair-paperbutterfly.blogspot.com/ 
Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday 
Wanda Lee~ http://theplumedpen.blogspot.com/
Tea For Two and Wednesday Tea For Me and Thee 
Donna~  http://thehomemakingarts.blogspot.com/ 
Tuesday Tea 
Trisha~  http://sweetology101.blogspot.com/
Tea Party Tuesday 
Lady Katherine~ http://ladykatherineteaparlor.blogspot.com/ 
Teatime Tuesday 

This is one of my favorite books. The Country Diary Of An Edwardian Lady by Edith Holden was written in 1906 and is a scrapbook, diary and sketchbook of a lady living in Warwickshire, England close to my husband's birthplace. I love her watercolor nature sketches. She records almost daily what she has seen or observed and  quotes bits she has read or heard that catch her interest. A truly enchanting view and record of a lost time in what was then rural England. The area now is pretty much all built over.

Mottoes for August

"All the tears St Swithin can cry

St Bartlemy's mantle wipes them dry"  

Note: St Swithin's Day is traditionally July 15th, St. Bartlemy's is another name for St. Bartholomew is usually celebrated on August 24th of the Anglican calendar

"St. Bartholomew (August 24th)

Brings the cold dew"

"If the 24th of August be fair and clear

Then hope for a prosperous autumn that year"

Poetry for August

"Fairest of months!  Ripe summer queen

The hey-day of the year

With robes that gleam with sunny sheen,

Sweet August doth appear"

by R. Combe Miller

The moor cock springs on whirring wings

among the blooming heather,

Come, let us stray our gladsome way

And view the charms of nature,

The rustling corn, the fruited thorn,

And every happy creature"

by Robert Burns

And in Scotland at Balmoral Castle for her summer holiday, Queen Elizabeth attended the wedding Saturday of her eldest granddaughter Zara Phillips to Mike Tindall. Zara is the daughter of the Princess Royal, Princess Anne.

And in celebration of the Scottish theme of the week with the wedding in Edinburgh, here is a Shelley China Thistle design cup and saucer that I love.

And to go along with that, an antique Victorian silver plated thistle knife rest that is so cute! Knife rests were another of the great Victorian table top gadgets the Victorians were so fond of. Because table cloths were so difficult and time consuming to launder, the knife rest kept dirty knives off the tablecloth so helping keep it clean. There were sizes for table knives and larger ones for carving knives. A great Victorian dining gadget!

For more info on the Shelley teacup or thistle knife rest at Time Was Antiques, just click on the photos.

http://silkenpurse.blogspot.com/