ALL PHOTOS CLICK FULL SCREEN.
I galloped out one fine sunny morning on my new metal steed, after six long years of vehicular lockdown... like Mr Toad in Wind in the Willows...., I was back behind the wheel of a powerful motor car again. No longer chained in the stygian gloom of a deep dungeon grim and cold. I was free, fancy, and on a quest/ request from my true Queen. The muse herself. "Go forth and seek out new murals throughout my fair Queendom" She commanded me. New murals to me at least.
The first one I tracked down easily enough on Paisley Road West. I am reliably informed this is early 1930s Winnie Drinkwater. A proud Cardonald resident back then and the world's first female to hold a commercial pilot's licence. Also went on to become only a handful of early female aeronautical engineers. So a true pioneer in both fields.
A short distance away, also Paisley Road West/ Cardonald District, I found another full gable end mural of a Scottish Piper and typical Highland scenery as a backdrop Both good additions to the neighbourhood. There is a third but that one will have to wait.
I then galloped onwards to the Love and Peace underpass where more colour filled scenes of wonder awaited my inspection. On arrival a large police presence made itself known to me. 'Terror and carnage at the Peace and Love Underpass' unfurled the news headlines in my fertile imagination.
"What's afoot here, Good Sir's?" I inquired of the nearest Rozzers. Information was not forthcoming however so I then asked them if they would keep an eye on my car instead. Despite the bright colours the surrounding neighbourhood had a fey disposition of the darker kind and having just acquired my trusty steed I did not want to see it disappearing so soon after purchase. My request was declined but I remained undaunted in my cheery optimism of humanity.
Local characters filled the walls of the underpass. "Where is this strange place?" I asked them.
"The House of Lint. " I was informed. " It sits on the southern edge of the Great Divide between two different realms... reached by descent into the underworld. This is but one gateway. Observe. Every day, every hour, numerous dragons of different sizes roar in and out of it breathing fire and fumes."
"Yes. Many, many years ago" I now remembered. "I myself have seen inside this great hole on foot..... and the ancient hole before that with my father as a young child. Cart and horse back then. Truly a remarkable sight."
"Today though I shall pass through this lesser hole to reach the other side. Goodbye sweet Pilgrims."
"Good luck then." They replied.
Like all these dark gateways of old many cautionary tales are told by brave travellers of the perils that may await unsuspecting folk within. Similar to passing from a bright green meadow to a dark brooding forest. Wolves, great beasts and bad tempered bears occasionally prowl through them and admittedly there was some evidence left of their spoor on this particular occasion.
I retreated back out again. "Forsooth! ....I must have an amulet or lucky charm before venturing through this foul abode." I decided belatedly. In one deep corner of the underpass entrance however I soon discovered an ornate bottle wrapped in lurid flowing script which winked at me with the words 'Drink me' stamped on it in tiny silver letters. Apparently a bravery juice created years ago by certain monks in the iconic and pretty Devon vale Fast of Buck...............for just such an event as this one....... So like all good storybook characters... I did take it. As a proud if minor knight I do like a good swally now and again. I drained the bottle in one go. A completely different and less pleasant taste to the last occasion I had need of it... but no matter... still a welcome find.....
Nothing happened for over a minute.... then this transformation occurred....
Now I was fully equipped to enter this underworld. Down the fuzzy rabbit hole I went.
In my newly befuddled state many strange things and sights occurred in that devilish tunnel. A white paper bag lying on the ground suddenly turned into a hopping rabbit. I also lost the power of coherent speech for a while.
"What way now White Wabbit? I muttered, as my voice slowly returned.
"We wait here for the red Queen." He replied. " She/he holds all the cards."
"Am I a card?" I replied, looking down at rapidly distorting hands and feet.
"You are not even in the game." He replied. Very Serious. "Pay attention."
A strange tiny creature then appeared up in one corner spinning a complex web of silken threads. It smiled down benignly at me. " She/he only thinks she does. I have more. Many more cards. You wait and see." With a huge grin it then vanished completely until only the silk web remained.
"That was Hieronymus." the rabbit explained. " He's in the habit of doing that. Very annoying."
Like all dark forests I eventually reached the other side.
Which was much more enjoyable.
A happy granny. In Govan....
Hope and Peace. In Sunny Govan. At the Peace and Love Underpass.
More locals.
And two gable ends... to end with...
Yet the quest was not yet over....
Ref. the first 2 murals - didn't know about the first ever lady aviator/aeronautics engineer - well done her. But the Highland Piper with The Highlands in the background would make me very frustrated to be out of the urban areas if I saw it.
ReplyDeleteI feel Bob has been kidnapped and replaced by a fairy tale character! I do hope he is ok. I have passed those last two in the car on the way through the tunnel but not seen them properly close up.
ReplyDeleteForgot to ask - what car have you gone and got?
ReplyDeleteI like the Scottish piper the best. But then, I would you see, that is something I wouldn't see here!
ReplyDeleteHi Anabel, I've passed them in a vehicle as well going under the Clyde Tunnel a few weeks ago but the decorated underpass was the real surprise and very unexpected.
ReplyDeleteHi Carol. I've been fairly lucky with buying second hand cars over the various decades until recently but the last two were the exception. Good at starting first time- very bad at distance so I was effectively trapped to my own small quarter of the city for the last five years and no way to rectify that. Saved several thousand £ on fuel though over that time which came in handy. Now thankfully I have a second hand 15 year old chariot, (thanks to friend Alan), that allows me further afield. No more details. Ears have walls on the internet.
ReplyDeleteHow do you mean 'bad at distance' with your latest 2 cars? don't they just go as far as you ask them to go? I've never had any of mine argue about it!
DeleteHi Kay, It's very much a stereotypical image of a Scot and of the Highlands in general, beloved of international tourists, including Americans. It is a strong image but much of it was created to please royal tastes... i.e. Queen Victoria and Albert in a sort of Disney like version of Scots and Scotland. Almost like an 1800s theme park or the roll out of Irish pubs today. Watched quite a few Viking films and TV shows recently and they are always set in mountainous Norway whereas most UK Vikings, I've since found out, came from flat Demark, hence the Dane Law region over Eastern England when they settled there. Similar to our own history films which are invariably set in the Highland mountains whereas most events happened in the Scottish Lowlands...where the money, fertile lands, and the bulk of the population resided, just like today..... presumably because it's more cinematic I suppose than the flatlands. For Instance Robert The Bruce and William Wallace ( you have probably seen the films) grew up not that far from Paisley/Glasgow/ Ayr. Rob Roy on the other hand was a true Highlander, born on Loch Lomond side.
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