Friday, December 30, 2011

past and present

















A short distance from the busy, bustling city of Glasgow are 260 hectares of ancient woodlands, moorlands, wetlands, river and loch at Mugdock Country Park.
Away from scurrying shoppers, concrete towers and cars is a place where faces in trunks peer at our ant-sized bodies. Let’s follow a tree-lined path through 5,000 years of Scottish history: from  a stone age site, a bronze age farm and an iron age fortified site, to ghostly memories of boats on the lake, animals in an ark and a zoo in the 1940s. The last picture shows Charlie the elephant with his beloved keeper Singh Ibrahim. They were inseparable and when Ibrahim decided to go for a drink in a local pub Charlie followed quietly behind. He was only discovered when he got stuck in the doorway and had to be removed by firemen. How many regulars swore never to touch another drop that night?

Best wishes all for 2012 from the Green Lady X

10 comments:

  1. What a magical place, beautiful images......Happy New Year to you and your family. x

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  2. Elephants are such wonderful creatures, I love the story. All the best for a happy and healthy 2012.

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  3. Lorna, you will not believe what an interesting post this is for me. I haven't come across Mugdock Park in spite of my mother spending her formative years in Glasgow! But there is a connection between Mugdock park, the Grahams who owned the Castle and where I live now in Montrose. The Grahams also had the title Marquis of Montrose and Laird of Mugdock (a small island in the Tay estuary. It's a small world. Thank you for a fascinating piece of information.

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  4. How lovely Janet, glad you enjoyed it. I have been there a few times before (and swam in a lake nearby one unusually hot summer many years ago) but it was only on this visit that I learned more about the history and was quite surprised how interesting a place it is.

    Thanks Jo. Oh and the book arrived while I was away. I'm really looking forward to starting it tonight, looks great. Thanks loads.

    Thank you Lily.

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  5. What a lovely story - best wishes to you for 2012.

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  6. Lovely story about the elephant Lorna, although the elephant must have been quite scared at being stuck, more so than the drinkers! I wish London Zoo still had elephants but they've all been moved out to Whipsnade which is probably nicer for them. Wishing you the very best for 2012, Happy New Year, Caro x

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  7. Here's to bountiful veggies Elaine!

    Hi Caro, You're right he must have been pretty freaked out. He must have been wondering what the hell he was doing in Scotland in the first place.

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  8. What a great story. I love the idea of the elephant stuck in the doorway, that does make me smile. I can just imagine the double takes and the looks given to the drinks in their hands as if something had been put in them.

    Hope you have a very Happy New Year and I look forward to reading more of your posts in 2012.

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  9. I am ashamed to say that I have never been to Mugdock Country Park - must pay it a visit some time. Thanks for visiting my blog.
    Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger

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