I tried to switch on my old laser printer so I could print some labels for a DHL pick-up. There was no response whatsoever - it was completely dead. Believe it or not, despite being a teckie I only very rarely upgrade for the sake of upgrading, and get rather annoyed when technology dies. It's not just the expense, but it's the hassle of the disposal and hassle of the set-up.
Anyhow, I managed to delay the pick-up by 3 days, and ordered a reconditioned laser printer on a 2 day delivery. Thankfully the label printing and package pick-up went according to plan.
However, I had not tested out the scanning facility. I thought it might be nice to scan-in a hand-written letter from my parents (now deceased) but instead I found a hand-written note from the wonderful Lucinda Lambton. As a teenager I was intoxicated by her TV documentaries on Victorian architecture. My father was also a fan. As far as I can recall, she first burst onto the screen with a documentary on the Victorian lavatory, and appeared to giggle over 50% of the soundtrack. It was a breath of fresh air.
While my love of architecture was already latent, when someone so publically rejoices in a common enthusiasm, it somehow emboldens one to embrace that passion.
In 2007, I invited Lucinda to attend a party at Balintore Castle to celebrate the success of the compulsory purchase of the building. The legal work had been an 8-year long nightmare, so finally getting the chance to save a Victorian building which was perilously close to dereliction, was definitely something to celebrate. The invite was a way of thanking her.
The note is a snapshot in time from when I was working for the games company Realtime-Worlds in Dundee.
Sadly, Lucinda could not make the party, but the note was such a delight in itself that receiving it was the very opposite of a disappointment. Making a "no" feel like one has been bestowed an honour is an object lesson in good etiquette. :-)
The architectural illustration is the old rectory where Lucinda resides. Her husband Sir Peregrine Worsthorne passed in 2020. I see Lucinda is still writing copiously for the Oldie Magazine. Her TV programs are still around on iPlayer, and will reward the time spent viewing them many fold.
From the 30th of May to the 4th of June this year, 44 staff and students from Weber State University descended upon Balintore Castle to construct 3 small Scottish Baronial turrets from scratch.
When I purchased Balintore, most of turrets were salvageable but all 4 on top of the Great Tower (3 small and 1 big) were too far gone. Weber State got in touch suggesting a working visit, so we discussed a range of possible construction projects that would fit into their time window, and Weber favoured the 3 smaller turrets.
I was delighted, as apart from de-slating the Great Tower turrets about 12 years ago from a safety point of view, I simply had not considered how I was going to move them forwards. These turrets are cosmetic features with stone floors, so even in a derelict condition they do not let rain into the building, so unlike the main roof, they have not been a priority for me. On the other hand, the sight of the turrets listing drunkenly at the top of the tower with sky clearly visible through them, has been the cause of great stress and shame - the result of which has caused me to avoid looking square on at the castle.
My friends Chris and Sarah came up from Norfolk to cater for the multitude for free. I am deeply grateful for their kindness. Sarah had a grand plan for the Servants' Hall in the basement, and in cahoots with my carpenter Gregor, they kept me out of the room until it was ready for the "big reveal" at the end of the day.
Sarah preparing 44 beetroot mousse starters
Basically, by using long tongue-and-groove floor boards sitting across my small bistro tables, they had concocted refectory seating for 44! It was an inspired idea, and I was delighted by the outcome.
The Servants' Hall made-over for 44 covers.
The visit was huge fun but pretty full-on, as I tried to troubleshoot problems and oversee operations, basically making sure that the staff and students were not blocked and could continue with their construction work unimpeded. The power went down, the Internet went down, and toilets galore broke. Thankfully, we were able solve these problems fairly quickly.
Twenty-nine pages of detailed and beautiful plans had been drawn up by Weber, which I showed with great delight to Gregor. Gregor is this quintessential "no plans" builder: he holds things in place, and then cuts them to fit. In fact, I would go so far as to say he is anti-plan. :-) When I have drawn plans for him, eyeballs are rolled, and the plans are dismissed as useless, and then ignored. Obviously, I have drawn plans to communicate my vision without ambiguity.
A sample Weber plan
The extensive Weber plans caused Gregor's eyeballs to roll with an greater amplitude than usual. I did my best to explain that plans are needed when a large group of people are involved as here, but I could tell he was not convinced. I went through the plans more thoroughly than Gregor, trying to identify any issues in advance. The Weber plans were based on the original Victorian construction (I had sent sketches, photos and measurements), but they had adapted them to make construction easier with fewer intricacies.
Gregor did save the day by pre-fabricating a core "octagonal prism" that the 8 roof struts of each turret connected with, and by providing advice connected with tools and timber even though he felt way out of his comfort zone with the very different construction techniques and social dynamic of the American group.
Negotiations over timber sizes before and during construction were rather fraught. The Americans had asked for "two-by-four" timber (i.e. lengths with 2" x 4" cross-section) . We had supplied 45mm x 95mm which we call "two-by-four" but obviously in a modern metric country this is the closest common equivalent. There was some concern that the plans would have to be redrawn, but the Americans improvised on the hoof, and instead used some 1 1/2" by 3 1/2" timber which I had also supplied. Ironically the Americans call this "two-by-four", as in wall construction with the addition of drywall/plasterboard, the dimensions get taken up to 2" x 4".
turrets under construction
Every evening after dinner, there was a "reflection" on the day with around 6 individuals standing up and giving their individual reflections on the day, generally on particular theme such as "flexibility" and this was indeed much needed in the turrets' construction where things did not always go to plan. I enjoyed the "reflections" a great deal, and I think the British could learn something from these in bringing disparate individuals together.
I was somewhat doubtful that three turrets could be built in two days, but after the first morning of everyone trying to find their feet, I was left impressed by how the 4 teams self-organised, with more experienced team members passing on their skills and indeed being assisted by the less experienced. It also helped that the Americans stayed one more day than that I had been told about. :-) And on the evening of the third day, the turrets had been built and clad in green roofing membrane - hurrah!
the completed turrets
The students departed on the 4th day (a Sunday) at 2PM, but were still able to build a garden bench for the castle's inner courtyard in the morning: so three turrets with a garden bench thrown in for free. :-) Other tasks undertaken included gardening and painting - if only I had more tasks primed for the visit as then many more things could have undoubtedly been achieved.
and a garden bench thrown-in for free!
I had been planning to make a little video about the visit using my mobile phone, as I have a great interest in film and documentary, and this was definitely a special occasion for the castle. However, any embarrassment I was harbouring at the prospect of sticking my lens into other people's business, fell by the wayside, as it turns out Weber had brought a full film crew to do exactly this. I couldn't have been more delighted. A 3D "Matterport" VR scan of the castle's interior was also undertaken - something I had wanted for a long time. And there was even a historian who researched the history of the building during these 3 days. Watch this space for further updates on the outcomes of the filming, scanning and archive research.
And finally, a big thank you to everyone involved! I am particularly indebted to the staff and students of Weber State University who gave their time and labour for free - to help save and celebrate an A-listed building. Assuredly, the 3-day construction project showcases the very best side of the human condition.
Balintore Castle can turn up in the "funniest" of places. I am indebted to an eagle-eyed friend of Balintore called Paul, for this latest sighting. The castle appears briefly 17 minutes and 30 seconds into the video of Alan Partridge's latest comedy tour "Stratagem" which is currently bundled for free on Amazon Prime.
The image is from a long time ago, possibly around the time I purchased the castle, judging from the size of the yew trees in front of the building. I trimmed the tops, and then removed them when they subsequently died. And they say you can't kill yew! :-)
Apart from Steve Coogan, I think I can identify one other member of the shooting party. Can anyone else supply any names?
The question of course is whether the shoot gathering knew about the comedy interloper, and indeed whether he introduced himself as Steve or Alan. :-)
Sometimes, Facebook's reminder of historic postings gives you a new perspective on a narrative, perhaps even that it might be blog-worthy. :-)
On the 8th January 2016, I visited UK Architectural Heritage: a veritable treasure trove of a reclaim yard in Herefordshire. I was picking up a fossil marble fireplace I had bought on eBay. Incidentally this fireplace was only installed last year - 6 years later!
Naturally, I had a look around the yard. One of the many items I regretted I could not afford were these lovely gates from Kensington Gardens.
gates at reclaim yard
On the 24th January 2016, I watched the film "Pan" (2015) and spotted the very same gates:
gates in movie "Pan" (2015)
Wowzers! Had these gates really been removed from Kensington Gardens in the last year? I did some online detective work, and discovered the actual gates for Kensington Gardens are very different and even grander. The UK Architectural Heritage website revealed that the gates were genuine period gates, that had "KENSINGTON GARDENS" added to turn them into a film prop. Mystery solved!
The coincidence that I should be watching the film a few weeks later, and the fact I instantly recognised the gates are both astonishing to me. The Balintore connection is that J.M.Barrie, who wrote "Peter Pan", visited Balintore Castle!
Already this winter, the snow has advanced and receded at the castle a number of times. For the fortnight up to my return to the castle on the 18th December, the landscape had been held in a deep-freeze state of Narnia-esque beauty. Just two days later the snow had all gone. Snow returned over the festive period, and my friends and I went for a daily walk in these conditions, while it was light to make the most of the short days.
During these walks, any exposed colour would stand out sharply, and one's eye would be drawn to this previously unobserved delight. One such are these red lichen growths. Can anyone identify? On enlarging the photo, I spotted the red "crusty" lichen is growing on top of the green "leafy" lichen. It is known that the lichen is a symbiotic relationship between an algae and a fungus. It is not without the realms of possibility, therefore, that different lichen species could be symbiotic either in whole or in part.
red lichen
During this second cold snap the temperature hovered around zero, sometimes above; sometimes below: perfect conditions for slow crystal growth. There were white lakes of crystals in fields glinting in the sunshine. I have never seen Jack Frost being so masterful before, even down to this crystal growth on Balintore's east drive, which I initially thought was the imprint of a leaf:
Jack Frost's finest in microcosm
While I was driving through Glen Quharity, I had one of those moments: the land was totally covered in snow, the mist had come down so even the air was in white-out. Above me two buzzards were circling, presumably looking out for small mammals breaking cover. Their forms were deeply etched in black on a white ground. It was elemental.
welcome to the annual Christmas blog entry! 2022 has been quite a year for most people as we distance ourselves from Covid, and this is equally true for everyone involved with Balintore Castle.
The restoration work has continued, but my personal involvement is very limited in terms of time as I am working full time for the UK Meteorological Office. I do my best to attend to "castle admin" in the evenings. This shortage of time explains the limited blog entries: 28 this year compared to a record 56 last year. Far too much time has been taken up attending to the unnecessary problems created by Angus Council.
My builder Gregor is still doing good work at Balintore, but he is now moonlighting part time at another architecturally impressive Victorian shooting lodge in Glen Isla, called Knockshannoch. Knockshannoch is just 6 miles from Balintore. As Gregor has been working for me for ten years, I understand that a little bit of a change is good for him so I do my best not to pout too much. :-)
One of the highlights of this year, was a guided tour round Knockshannoch by the new owners. They also have a huge restoration project ahead of them, though not quite as daunting a one as Balintore. The building has very definitely gone into the right hands, as the couple have an understanding and appreciation of the architecture that means they will do the very best by the building.
Strangely enough, I thought my days of seeing other restoration projects were over, but over the course of the year I was invited to see Park Hall Manor outside Manchester, Llwyn Celyn in South Wales and Gwrych Castle in North Wales. All these visits got me very excited and enthusiastic, which is confirmation that despite the enormous hardships involved, Balintore is the right path for me. Park Hall Manor and Knockshannoch are private residences, so naturally I am discreet and did not blog about these.
My Belgian friend and friend of Balintore, Karel came to visit in the autumn. We decided to turn up on spec for lunch at the Fife Arms Hotel in Braemar. Unfortunately, they were fully booked, but a staff member said if we could wait an hour, they could fit us in. An hour was just the right amount of time to see the flowers outside the gates of Balmoral Castle. To witness the massed ranks of flowers laid by the public was a special thing, and somehow we became part of history in doing so. I am so glad we made this diversion, even though I would never have planned a dedicated trip just to see the flowers.
I was also grateful that I had held a special castle open day on the Platinum Jubilee weekend, as my instinct was that Her Maj would not be with us for much longer, and this was my little gesture of homage during her lifetime. I am not a Royalist as such, but I am a close observer of history and history in the making, and believe by reconciling ourselves with the bigger picture, we can become better human beings.
"In Memoriam" flowers for Queen Elizabeth at Balmoral Castle
After my usual Christmas with friends in Norfolk last year, I decided that to spend my first Christmas at Balintore, and my Norfolk friends joyfully agreed to come up. This was on the principle of "I have a castle so I should use it!". It helps that my Norfolk friends are fantastic cooks, and won't let me anywhere near my own kitchen - heavenly! :-)
Driving back to the castle for Christmas was an unexpected adventure. Although the weather was bitterly cold, the roads from Oxfordshire to Balintore were clear and the long journey passed without incident. However, just five miles short of the castle, snow and ice appeared on the roads, and my ABS started cutting-in with its characteristic judder on icy bends. Extreme caution was required while driving.
I started up the castle drive in 4 wheel drive in first gear. After 20 yards there was a strange man standing on the side of the drive with a torch. Aha, I had been phoned a couple of times during the drive by a German chap wanting to visit the castle. I had explained that I would be back at the castle around 7PM if he was prepared to wait until evening.
After establishing that the stranger, Lin, was the chap who had been phoning, I invited him into my passenger seat, so we could continue up the drive. However. we could make no progress on the snow and ice, in fact we were going backwards down the drive, no matter what I did with gears, brakes and steering wheel. I decided to reverse back onto the road at the bottom of the drive. Lin shouted at one stage "the road goes the other way" but in the dark and white-out conditions I had missed the sharp bend in the drive and was now dangling and rocking over the edge of a precipice with back and front wheels spinning in mid air. "Beached" is the correct technical term Lin used. My car was well and truly stuck: it was just very good luck we had not gone over the edge. My neighbour Rob was able to pull me out later in the evening with his powerful Defender with special tyres - huge thanks to Rob.
dangling over the edge in the bleak midwinter
By an amazing coincidence, six Chinese AirBnB guests arrived just after Lin and I got to the castle. They can only have made it to the kitchen wing on foot via a long trek through the snow. Later I found a message from them "It's very dark, and we are very frightened.", which they must have sent before I turned up.
It turns out Lin is half-German (mother from Berlin) and half-Chinese (father from Beijing) and he was able to talk to my guests in Chinese, when I gave everyone a tour round the castle. What are the odds of a Chinese reunion on a remote snow-covered mountainside in Angus?
I made Lin some dinner and put him up for the night, as road conditions were shocking. He mentioned that today was turning into an amazing adventure for him. I said that I couldn't explain why, but somehow every day at the castle is like this, so this was the norm for me.
At 4AM in the morning water started pouring into the room I was sleeping in at the castle, so I had to abandon ship. The next morning, I understood why. After frozen conditions for a fortnight, the ice-melt has started in the middle of the night. The next morning the snow has largely gone, and by the following morning the 3 foot of snow round the castle, with the icy base that has caused the drive to be impassable, has completely vanished.
I had asked Gregor to take a look at the leaks in the castle roof while I was away, but ironically when I had been away, due to the freezing weather, there were no leaks. These only started up again when I got back to the castle.
Last Thursday, we had the first fire in one of the upper floor fireplaces for at least 60 years - this first fire is shown in the video. The last resident of the castle died in 1963, so the fireplaces have lain unused since then, until of course my restoration started in 2007. My builder Gregor swept the chimney earlier in the week, and removed 2 large rubble bags of grot. I don't normally have time to sit around a fire, but with friends staying over Christmas, fireside chats are just what the doctor ordered.
Anyhow, a Merry Christmas to everyone and best wishes for the New Year,
Conscious of leaks in the castle's rooves, which have damaged antique art works bought for its walls, my brain finally settled upon an artistic medium that would be hardy against water ingress:
Bronze plaques!
I had never investigated the world of the bronze plaque before, but I quickly found out that they were expensive - very expensive. So much for that idea! However, in the quest I came across a "bronzed metal plaque" on eBay that looked the part and that I bagged for a modest £25.
the bronzed plaque - excuse sawdust
It came without a frame, so I asked Gregor (being a carpenter by trade) if he could knock me one up from some of the mouldings we had got from Brechin Castle's carpenters' workshop when the contents were auctioned off. This is exactly the type of job Gregor loves, something that can be done very quickly and yet something that gives a good visual reward.
Gregor's new oak frame
Naturally, I am not organised enough to actually have a picture of the bronze in Gregor's new oak frame, but I can report that, very satisfyingly, the frame looks like it could be the original one.
you too can stand around the piano and sing this jolly song
Some German guests at the castle assured me the plaque is southern German rather than Austrian, on account of the language of the inscription. "Grüß Gott grüß Gott mit hellem Klang" is a lyric of a German folk song which doesn't really have an English equivalent but my school boy German yields: "Sing greetings, sing greetings in a bright voice". My German teacher Mrs. Aitken instilled in us that a light beer was a "Helles" and a dark beer was a "Dunkles". This is where the adjective becomes a noun and so gets capitalised.
Anyhow, the plaque shows hearty types striding about the Alps and hailing each other joyfully. The modelling is in bas reliefi.e. not fully 3D but coming out of a 2D scene. Indeed, the bas relief is further very cleverly done in "false perspective" where the more distant the object the more shallow the relief. This mimics the stereo perception of human vision, and gives the illusion of a fully 3D scene using the depth of just a couple of centimetres.
In fact, the head of the man in the foreground is the only part of the scene done "in the round" and looking at the back of the piece you can see it is a separate piece of metal that has been inserted. This effect could not have been achieved with a single (rigid) mould.
I would put the piece as late 19th or early 20th Century. Believe it or not, it is actually cast aluminium with a bronze patination, so it is not as heavy as you might expect. The musical staves on the plaque are devoid of notes. I can only assume the sculptor did not have the sheet music, or had expended all the available effort on their technical brilliance in modelling depth.
