YOUTUBE TENEMENT HOUSE VLOG LIVE...

My YouTube Tenement House vlog is now live!

Link:-

https://youtu.be/B9ESvTUrEwQ

This Glasgow building dates from 1892 and the flat in question is a first floor time capsule, occupied by Agnes Toward- a shorthand typist- from 1911-1965. Miss Toward amassed artefacts from all aspects of her life- including letters, postcards, recipes and theatre programmes- so we are able to get a very good view of what she was about. She lived alone with her dressmaker mother, as her father died when she was three and her two sisters had passed in infancy. After her mother died, in 1939, she lived here alone and never married; altering very little about the apartment, except for having electricity wired in. Come and take a walk in my shoes through this shrine to early 20th century life. It's a truly delightful and well-proportioned flat.

Don't forget to check out the blog I put together about this fantastic modern historical flat.  I will always be a writer before anything else.

https://elainerockett.blogspot.com/2024/06/miss-elaineous-visits-tenement-house.html

Remember to like and subscribe, and don't forget to follow my blog as well!

TTFN

The Miss Elaineous

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YOUTUBE PANOPTICON VLOG LIVE...

 My Panopticon YouTube vlog is now live!

Link Here:-

https://youtu.be/QnM_nCzfVa4

The Britannia Panopticon was a word that I couldn't fathom or consciously remember with ease, and apparently I wasn't the first.  When it acquired this moniker, Glaswegians couldn't pronounce it either, so began calling it "the pots and pans," which then evolved into "that potty place."  Potty, of course, can mean one of two things: 

1) a chamber pot for pissing in

2) someone who's quite mad!

More on the significance of urination later...

It took me a while to master the word, and until then I referred to it as:

1) The Pygmalion

2) The Porphyrian

3) The Papillion

4) The Pangolin

5) The Pornocopian

Come and take a look and I'll tell you why the three Ps are significant, show you where Stan Laurel first trod the boards and entertain you with details of the downstairs menagerie, include a married chimpanzee couple!

Don't forget to check out the blog I have put together about this interesting building.  As you know, I will always be a writer before anything else!

https://elainerockett.blogspot.com/2024/06/miss-elaineous-visits-panoptican.html

Remember to like and subscribe, and don't forget to follow my blog as well!

TTFN

The Miss Elaineous

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THE BONE CODE by KATHY REICHS

 THE BONE CODE

by

KATHY REICHS

THE BLURB:

A hurricane hits the Carolinas, uncovering two bodies.

They are found in a container, wrapped in plastic sheeting, bound with electrical wire- and they bear a disturbing resemblance to a case that has haunted Temperance Brennan for fifteen years.

Meanwhile, panic erupt when a rare flesh-eating bacterium is discovered that affects people who have a genetic mutation.

With unrest growing, time is running out for Tempe. When her search for the truth reveals that both the murders and the disease outbreak are linked, she realises that someone will do whatever it takes to stop her from getting answers.

THE REALITY:

The thing I loved most about this novel is the fact that her romance with Andrew Ryan gets a big mention. I always like for him to be involved! It humanises the character of Tempe and adds a bit of humour and backdrop to her life. This novel is set in both of her home towns; Montreal and South Carolina. I tend to enjoy the Montreal books a bit more, and I think that's because Reichs' first- and best- novel was set there. I also enjoy reading about the add-on character of sharp and surly detective Claudel, who is situated there.

This was a novel I read in fits and starts, which is not always a good idea with crime novels as I feel you need to go with the flow to really get into them. So, a bit of backtracking did take place from time to time. As stories go, it was easy to pick up, despite the esoteric terminology used.

I didn't really get the reason for Polly Beacroft's story, which was an add-on storyline, and it didn't appear to be resolved in any way. It didn't seem to add anything to the book. I did enjoy this novel, though, and found all of the characters very interesting and described in a very human and relatable fashion. I've read all of the Temperance Brennan books to date, and whilst this was not the best it certainly wasn't the worst.

The build up to the dramatic ending was good, and I enjoyed the way the perpetrator tried to (spoiler alert!) kill Tempe by attempting to drown her and make it look like an accident. I also liked that Birdie- Tempe's cat- got his own little acting part! Give this a read- it's worth a go.

MISS ELAINEOUS VISITS GLASGOW BOTANIC GARDENS...

If ever there was a most relaxing part of a trip then this was it!  Glasgow Botanic Gardens is quite small, at 8 acres, and so easy to traverse.  Whilst a Londoner like me might be used to the behemoth that is Kew Gardens, that place makes for a very tiring day out; this doesn't.

A special shout out to Glasgow Subway, which got us the four stops to where we needed to be (I don't drive, and many of my posts reference using public transport.)  It opened in 1896 and is the third oldest underground train system in the world, after the London Underground and the Budapest Metro.

The trains were super cute!

Back nearer to the subject, and here we are at the entrance to the gardens, looking back at Òran Mór.  Once Kelvinside Parish Church, it is now an impressive entertainment venue.

I'll leave more pictures of that for my general Glasgow blog, though.

Looking over the Main Lawn, with the Main Range of Glasshouses in the distance...

This glasshouse is called Kibble Palace...

Back view, and it seemed to be quite low and flat...

It contains this stylish and elegant rotunda...

The gardens started off life a couple of miles away in Sauchiehall Street, in 1817.  The gardens flourished, and a new home was acquired.  They opened on this site in 1842. 

The entrance fish pond has an Australian Soft Tree Fern growing on its central island...

On entering the main circular section we are greeted by this sensual statue...

Eve

Statues also adorn the outside of the circle...

Ruth

The Kibble Palace was once a private conservatory- designed for John Kibble- situated in Coulport, on Loch Long, about 42 miles away.

The Sisters of Bethany

This looks like a fox running across the armrest.

🤎

The Kibble Palace was moved here in 1873, and initially operated as a concert hall...

The Elf

These stained glass artworks are from a collection called...

Photosynthesis

I saw three of these- apparently there are nine in total.

They represent divided light...

Photosynthesis is a system of biological processes by which green plants and other organisms convert light energy into growth energy...

Kibble Palace was also a meeting place, and the likes of Gladstone and Disraeli have spoken here...

Stepping Stones

The Nubian Slave

Glasgow Corporation took over the running of the gardens in 1891...

Kibble Palace houses temperate plants...

...Including the national tree fern collection; containing plants mainly from Australia and New Zealand...

Plants from southern Africa, temperate Asia and South America also feature here...

The flower beds are interspersed with colourful plants...

Strelitzias.  They are named after Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, and I adore this flower- it reminds me of a bird of paradise.🧡

King Robert of Sicliy

Cain

A section dedicated to carnivorous plants is housed inside one of the transepts...

These are called sundews...

Sarracenia purpurea (purple pitcher plant).

Pitcher plants are one of my favourites.  I always seek out paintings of them when in the Marianne North Gallery (my favourite artist) in Kew...


The curator gave us a demonstration of how a Venus fly trap works...


Peter Walker Memorial Fountain, 1906.

He was a wealthy Glasgow businessman who frequented the gardens.

Inside the Main Range Glasshouse, and it starts with an explanation of a biome- a geographical location with a distinct climate, and vegetation and animal life specific to its region.

Expect to see begonias, orchids and palms in here...

...And more filmy ferns...

Is this a bug hotel or just a decorative feature?

These look like bromeliads, but don't quote me on that- I didn't photograph the name and I am no botanist!

It's like a jungle in here...💚

Succulents...

More beautiful, fecund succulents.

This botanical garden was a real treat, and I'm already looking forward to coming back here...

Orchids...

This didn't look like an orchid, but apparently it is of that genus...

Arid and alpine plants...

Cacti plain...

Closer view...

It's free to enter these gardens, and it's certainly worth a couple of hours of your time...

Is this an irrigation or heating system?  I'm asking as I wouldn't have thought that these would need much irrigation- horticulturally minded friends, help me out!

Purple profusion...

This part really was like being in the jungle...

It was warmer in this part of the glasshouse, and I had to be careful to ensure my camera lens didn't steam up!

Palms...

This tropical section was the pinnacle of this glasshouse for me...💚

Abundant ferns...

Glorious fern curtain.

💚💚💓💚💚

Plants being nurtured...

Potted begonias...

Closer view...

Purple and pink (my favourite colours) flourishing flowers...

Goldfish swimming in the pond...

It was such a lovely surprise, finding a little pond here.  It reminded me of a similar unexpectedly placed pond in the conservatory at Syon House, Surrey.

I can see a pinecone ginger plant peeping out at the top left...🧡

Red hot cat's tails...

Outside, we took the steps down to the River Walk, which was labelled as closed on maps I'd seen.  But they appeared to be very much open.😕

The handrails are very rickety, though...

This woodland bridge runs beside- not over- the River Kelvin...

Looking over the River Kelvin...

...And the other way, over towards Queen Margaret Bridge...

The Humpback Bridge...

These were labelled Alexander 'Greek' Thomson's 60 Steps, so we thought that's what they were.  But we were wrong!  These steps lead up to a road...

A bit of belated online searching reveals that the actual 60 steps referred to are a short walk away, and here's a PDF of them...

But we didn't know that at the time, so just walked up the rustic steps then down again!  Talk about confusing!😕

We walked back the way we came, and took a walk around the back section of the gardens.

Pergola...

Arbour...

Roses at the end of the Rose Garden...

Hangin' out with my friends...

Scented Border and Herb Garden...

More little friends as we made our way towards the Vegetable Garden...

This part was the Potager, and the word is French for kitchen garden.  Potagers traditionally are supposed to be visible from the house, so therefore should be aesthetically pleasing. 

Saying goodbye to the Main Range of Glasshouses...

As we left, Dean said: "Oh look, there's you in the flower bed at the front!"

There was no need for that now, was there?!😆

Glasgow Botanic Gardens I will return- more investigation has revealed the existence of two disused railway stations on this site, so some nosy-parkering beckons. We also missed the Long Pit Glasshouse, so I'll make sure that doesn't happen again, plus I'll slip around the back and find the OTHER Alexander 'Greek' Thomson stairs!

Until then,

TTFN

Miss Elaineous.

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