As a child Beatrix and her family enjoyed long summer holidays in the Birnam area of Perthshire. Staying in the countryside, away from the more formal life they led in London, Beatrix and her young brother, Bertram, were able to study the local wildlife. It was from Eastwood, Dunkeld, in 1893 that Beatrix wrote the now famous picture letter to Noel Moore which was later to become The Tale of Peter Rabbit. The following day she wrote a letter to Noel’s brother, Eric, about a frog called Jeremy Fisher. People she had met there on holiday inspired the loveable characters of Mrs. Tiggy-winkle and Mr. Jeremy Fisher.
Beatrix Potter is renowned not only as an author and illustrator, but also as an eminent scientist. During her time in the Birnam area she met and formed a special friendship with Charles McIntosh - the Perthshire Naturalist - sharing a mutual interest in fungi and wildlife.
The Birnam Institute houses a wonderful exhibition telling the tale of this 'Fascinating Acquaintance', and the nearby Beatrix Potter Garden magically recreates the lovely countryside which so impressed the young Beatrix Potter and features flowers, fungi and characters associated with her relationship with the area. Footpaths lead past the houses of Mr. Tod and Mrs. Tiggy-winkle , alongside the stream and pond where Mr. Jeremy Fisher lives and 'Peter Rabbit's burrow'.
The Birnam Institute, Exhibition Centre and Garden, Station Road, Birnam, Perthshire.
Below is a slide show of our day at the Beatrix Potter Gardens....I have warm memories of many an evening snuggled up reading the tales of Jemima Puddleduck and all her friends and their adventures to my kids when they were smaller...We have strolled these gardens a number of times but it is all especially beautiful in the autumn....Dunkeld with its architecture, art, scenery and scrumptious dining experience is beautiful all year round.
Link for art exhibition sculptural ceramics at Ivy cottage venue.. by Shona Leitch is on side bar. There were a number of galleries featuring local art throughout this week in October 2008 with many local artists also exhibiting at certain times in their own homes.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment