Bartimaeus

While in our trip to the forest with bluebell carpet, Ewan speculated about whether they would be Scottish or Spanish bluebells. I hadn't heard of Spanish ones but they were a popular import in Victorian gardens and then spread. We decided they were the smaller Scottish bluebells, with a deeper blue, a very well established local population, far away from gardens.

By contrast the houses around where I live in Edinburgh are very much more likely to have the Spanish import, whether planted on purpose or spread. I took a look at the bluebells in our front garden. I think they look Scottish too. Many a wild flower is to be seen there. I spotted a white bell flower I hadn't noticed before, while examining the bluebells.

Another white flower was found beside bluebells in the woods at the Hermitage of Braid, where I joined my niece for a walk. Wild garlic is readily recognised by its smell, rather than its flower, a welcome addition to the wood or kitchen. Don't get their leaves confused with the bluebell or the ivy beside them - a most unwelcome addition to the cooking!

Meanwhile I had a foreign invasion of my own raising it's ugly head - shingles had appeared. I had a sore arm for a couple of days and thought I had RSI from lots of knitting (frustrating knitting that was almost all abandoned or ripped back as it turned out). However when spots appeared at night then blistered in the morning, I hightailed it to the chemist and embarked on a course of antiviral tablets, five times a day for a week. More spots appeared but they did not blister so I assume, though the various associated pains and discomfort didn't vanish, and indeed have continued well beyond the anti viral treatment, that the medicine was reducing the symptoms somewhat. Shane was fortunately vaccinated already, but I did not qualify for the vaccination.

Still the lack of weepy spots meant I was not infectious and was able to socialise. I kept the spotty arm covered up all the same. I was glad to be able to visit my sister on her birthday and bring with me a tea towel with wild flowers on it. She may or may not use it to dry her dishes, but we enjoyed reading all the names. The illustrations were based on a Victorian wild flower book and were arranged in colour order. Strangely the one that looked most like a bluebell was not blue (they can be white or pink) and labelled harebell. It was not like the harebell I know but much more like the wild hyacinth, that our (Scottish) bluebells are.

The flower chart included one of our favourites, the grape hyacinth, which was on the wrapping paper I had chosen for the birthday girl. In front of us were more bluebells. These are quite tall and may well be Spanish, being in the garden of an old house.

As the blisters dried, I was able to bare my arms with confidence. Still it wasn't a pretty sight. I took a trip to Dundee to meet Mugs and see Catwalk, an exhibition at the V & A there. 

We met for coffee first and took in an exhibition of Maggie's centres with architects models from around the country, each a different design. My friend Peter rang me just as it came to our time slot for the exhibition, but he understood this was not a time to chat, but requested photos. The lighting and layout wasn't ideal for this with reflective glass, many video clips and getting far enough away for a good picture all conspired against me but a display of miniature gowns put on display in a post war era as fashion tentatively became a public interest again.

Human models showing off clothes were at first called live mannequins and initially just showed off clothes in tailors' shops to let prospective buyers see a design in action. Later it seems they were more of a statement and art show, a public invitation and less related to a direct purchase of the modelled clothes. 

The fashion shows made superstars of the models and an extravaganza for the designers, who made their name and ideas famous. Some were already well known names, before entering the fashion world. Stella McCartney was appealling to the ethically minded animal loving fashionista with faux leather accessories and vegetarian heritage.

I was looking most unfashionable and overheating, once we left the exhibition. I might have been dressed in blue, but I was far from being a belle. I had brought easy knitting for the train. I won't be needing a scarf for a while but as the rows get longer every time and I  have two other projects on the go, it will take a while until it is wearable.