Beautiful views of the River Clyde set the mood for the day as we disembarked from our cruise ship at Greenock and wended our way from the dock to the train station. Only a short wait, and within minutes we were travelling the thirty-minute journey into Glasgow Central.
As an admirer of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, a major figure in the Art Nouveau movement, I was familiar with jewellery and fashion inspired by his interiors. I was eager to find examples of his architectural work too. Soon, we located some of the buildings for which he is famed, presenting their bold geometric lines and abundant glinting windows, with the sky and surrounding edifices reflecting in them. But we also wanted to visit the Mackintosh Tearooms and Museum, which Miss Cranston commissioned in 1903.
Our mobile app took us to the wrong venue, a lucky coincidence, as we found ourselves outside The Tenement House, constructed in red sandstone in 1892. Both locations are National Trust for Scotland properties, so there must have been a mix-up.
I remembered calling at a friend’s tenement flat in the 1970s, and social history fascinates me. As soon as we stepped over the threshold of the first-floor flat, I was immersed in the life of Agnes Toward. When her two infant sisters and father died, she and her mother moved to 145 Buccleuch Street in 1911. Agnes stayed on after her mother passed in 1939, completing a residency of more than fifty years.
As a shorthand typist, her life was ordinary, but she kept all manner of things, including letters, bills, newspaper cuttings, dressmaking orders from her mother’s occupation, and other paraphernalia. Home decorating was infrequent, and electricity wasn’t installed until sometime in the 1960s.
On Agnes’s death in 1965, Scottish actress Anna Davidson bought the flat and contents. Years later, she sold them to the National Trust for Scotland to be conserved for the enrichment of future generations.
After an hour or two of delving into the past and listening to knowledgeable volunteers, we savoured homemade crumbly cherry bakewell tarts topped with jelly tots, and then headed to our intended destination: The Mackintosh Tearoom and Museum (formerly Mackintosh at the Willow).
Miss Cranston already had three tearooms in the area when she gave Rennie Mackintosh total freedom with the exterior and the inside of her latest establishment, and the result is stunning.
From the gift shop to the exhibition areas, enchanting from ceiling to floor with nature-inspired decor. Catkins and snow are represented in subtle stained glass, but for me the rose and teardrop patterns are most captivating.
Filled glass cabinets illustrate his eye for detail, including menus and staff uniforms. Interactive displays and furniture are astounding, too.
Even though we had already eaten cake, it would have been a tragedy not to take advantage of the exquisite surroundings. I opted for a speciality infused tea and shortbread, all served by friendly, helpful staff.
With the outing’s end approaching, we ambled towards the train station, taking in the sights where dark Gothic and modern buildings complement each other.
Alas, our train had been cancelled. A bridge crossing the track was damaged by a road traffic accident. I hoped no one had been hurt, but wondered how we would get back to the ship before it sailed. By bus? But the bus stops had been moved. In their place, Batman was being filmed. How exciting. A Gotham City police vehicle was parked at an angle on the sleet-drifted pavement. Quite a novelty in the warm weather.
What wasn’t exciting was the elongated bus queue.
A taxi was an expensive outlay, but a treat, concluding our great day in Glasgow.
Best wishes,
Sue