Recent acquisitions
Author: Janet McKee
I currently wear many hats. My interests are genealogy, history, reading, knitting, and more. I now live in an assisted living retirement community.
Postcard Highlights
I found this postcard at the recent meeting of the Postcard Club here in Ballard. I have 1 other postcard of “Herring Girls” and would be delighted to find any more. I find something fascinating about them.
Day 24 – Monday – July 2 – Loch Awe – Stirling – Edinburgh
On the road again. From Loch Awe they went to Lochearnhead, stopped and walked around. Libby took photos of Scottish bicyclists wearing kilts. Drove through Woodsey hilly country. like the Trossachs. Saw the edge of Rob Roy country. Came down to flatter country. Stopped at Strathyre Hotel for fair lunch.
At Stirling they walked around the castle which had become a barracks. Pretty little gardens. Saw the room where Douglas was stabbed, the William Wallace Monument. Had a good tea at the Golden Lion – sandwiches, scones, cookies, cakes. Saw Allyn from the east. Stopped at the Fprth Bridge – magnificent span.
Arrived Edinburgh. Walked down Prince’s Street, attractive things in the windows , people good-looking and well dressed. Sight-seeing King Arthur’s seat. Holyrood, the Castle. Strolled back to the hotel. Played bridge and ate candy.
Old Station Hotel. Strathyre
Stirling Castle
Forth Bridge
Day 23 – Loch Awe – Ford – Oban – Loch Feochan – Loch Awe
Loch Awe Hotel
Loch Awe
Off in the bus again foran editing ride. They stopped at Ford for lunch. Weather very pleasant. She felt lazy. They had a rather different lunch with fluffy rice pudding with jellying Gorgonzola cheese.
Change of tempo stopping in Oban. It was more alive after the serenity of the lochs in the Highlands. People strolling about, sailors. She had good fruit cake at a nice hotel for tea.
Visited Castle Dunuffinage ??
Viewed sheep moving along a narrow path high above the black River Awe.
St. Conan’s Church 
Church of the Campbells – she notes that Mrs. McIntyre who showed them around was darling. (I can just hear my mother saying this)
She and Lib and Mrs. Duncan walked home – 1/4 mile. (Home being the Loch Awe Hotel) She saw a double rainbow on the walk home.
Dinner consisted of Scotch broth, fish, haggis, duckling, ice cream.
She went for a walk later and saw motorcycles, bicycles, walkers. The clouds were like pink lihjys in the sky at 10 o’clock.
Day 22 – Glasgow and Lochs
(The days were full as they covered a lot of ground)
Sauchiehall Street Glasgow
They headed north from Glasgow up into the Highlands.
From Glasgow they went north to “Beautiful” Loch Lomond. They were traveling through wide, narrowing, steep hills – which she likens to the Lake Winnepasake area of New Hampshire. A stop for lunch and then more riding on the narrow twisting roads. Finally reached Loch Awe at 5 p.m.
She and Lib got the props and rehearsed for a play they were going to present at 9 o’clock. The play was called appropriately “Mary of Argyle”. The performance – they couldn’t remember their lines and they laughed too much = (so hard they couldn’t speak!) Afterward they played charades and other games. They couldn’t go for a walk later because the hotel had to be locked.
Day 21 – Keswick to Glasgow
Nice weather today. Their first stop was in Gretna Green where she “married the blacksmith,” whom she found very funny. Beautiful rolling hills, animals – horses, cats, dogs, cows. Fairly good lunch at Dumfries. Saw Burns Mausoleum. Tea at Ayr-Station Hotel Saw Robert Burns birthplace. Saw Loch Doon. Found the monument to Burns entirely out of keeping. Very attractive gardens, more natural than English gardens. In general the Scotch scenery is more natural than the English and less neat, but the cities and houses look dirtierIn Scotland – and the children appear healthier.
She notes that Glasgow is a large busy city with fine .golf links on the edge. Stayed at the St. Enoch Hotel. She noted many men hanging about the street corners. Went window shopping, ate candy, laughed – and people stared at the 3 of them (my mother, Lib, and Lois).
Ayr-Station Hotel
Day 20 – In the Lake District – Grange Over Sands – Windermere – Grassmere – Keswick
Another long day riding in the coach. She liked riding up front part of ye time. They went to Dove Cottage of Wordsworth and De Quincey, a very pretty garden. They road around Lake Windermere. She notes the usual things – boats, islands, beautiful cloud shadows, foxglove, rhododendrons. They stopped for a cold lunch at the Prince of Wales Hotel in Grassmere. Afterward she “putted terribly” – (was there a miniature putting green attached to the hotel?}
More riding in the coach to Keswick. A delicious tea at an “old fashioned” hotel with china all over the walls, big vases, pictures.
She and Lib and Lois went downtown – they got bridge tallies and prizes for the big party planned for later. They dressed up for their big 6 course dinner. They played 3 rounds of bridge, then trades and professions.
She, Mr. Thomas, Lib, and Lois walked down to the lake. Great to get out and walk. It was very dark – seemed romantic.
Prince of Wales Hotel, Grassmere
Keswick Market Square
Walking near Keswick
n.b all images from Google
Following My Mother
In tracing my mother’s trip to Europe in 1934 I am learning more about the geography of England in particular. For example yesterday I bloggedabout her stopping in Ormskirk for ginger cookies. I had never heard of Ormskirk before. Today as I was working on my genealogy project – tracing my ancestors – I find that a 13th Great Grandfather was born in Ormskirk. Bingo! Lancashire = not a part of England that I am familiar with.
Ormskirk Church
And as I follow her footsteps I also am reminded of my travels and I can “compare and contrast” as examiners love to design exam questions.
Day 19 – Onward from Chester to Ormskirk, Southport, Lancaster, Grange-Over-Sands
Their journey took them through relatively industrial country and the Mersey River and Ship Canal. They stopped for gingerbread at Ormskirk. On to Southport, a pretty aside resort with fine hotels and interesting shops, a nice bathing pool and a good amusement park. Had a good lunch at the Prince of Wales Hotel She had a good thrill on the chutes but the roller coaster was tame. From there they went on to Lancaster for tea. Onward to the Grand Hotel. She and Lib and Mr. Lewis had very amusing and enlightening game of 18 holes of golf. They saw a sheep which disconcerted them for several shots.
At the end of their round of golf they had whisky which tasted good after their nearly freezing by 9 o’clock on the course. And a good cold supper at 10. Ate gingerbread with real ginger in it.
Below is a postcard sent in 1904 from Newcastle to someone in Gateshead. These friends were probably fond of cats.
Day 18 – June 25 Tuesday – Leamington, Shrewsbury, Chester
It was cloudy and rainy for them today. They started at 9:30 and rode through beautiful farm country. They saw old English, pigs, cows, horses, colts. They had lunch at The Raven in Shrewsbury.
The Raven Hotel (Google Images) (The Raven Hotel was demolished in the early 1960’s) )
While walking around Shrewsbury she got caught in the rain, which ruined her hat. She enjoyed talking with a Mrs. Duncan and Mr. Thomas – very amusing – about food.
They went on to Chester to the Queens Hotel. She walked around Chester and also visited the Cathedral, walked along theRows, and also walked the Walls.
In the evening she played bridge and Russian Bank.
Queen Hotel. Chester )Google Image)
Janet's Thread 2 