Posted in Curiosities at 12:00 on 9 October 2013
I just remembered today that I hadn’t posted this photo of a weird looking art gallery in the shape of a ship, with statue of a dolphin outside, that I took in Kelso during the summer.
Posted in War Memorials at 12:00 on 5 September 2013
The memorial is sited in a lovely garden hard by the Abbey.
The memorial centres around a pedestal surmounted by a cross. This is flanked by stone walls bearing name panels.
This aspect faces the road. The pedestal has a figure in a niche and the inscription on the stone is to the Great War.
This photo shows the plaques on the inner sides of the walls on which are inscribed the names. The lower plaque on each stone is for World War 2.
Lots of Polish soldiers were stationed in Kelso during World War 2 and trained there. This plaque – on the rear wall of the gardens – commemorates three who died in training.
An accompanying plaque acknowledges the welcome the Polish forces received in the town. I believe they caused quite a stir among the local ladies!
Also at the back of the gardens is this plaque to a soldier from Kelso who won a VC in the Boer War.
Posted in Bridges at 12:00 on 3 September 2013
At Kelso there is a fine bridge over the River Tweed.
From its parapet you get a view of Floors Castle in the distance. (You might have to zoom in on the photo though.)
Posted in Architecture, Art Deco, Cinemas at 12:00 on 2 September 2013
I have visited Kelso, in the Scottish Borders region, before but hadn’t explored widely so hadn’t seen any deco. Due to parking in a different place from my earlier visits the Tait Hall was one of the first buildings I noticed this time. Designed by William Barclay in 1933 it has typical Deco features, strong verticals and horizontals, banding and it looks like original fenestration! The cut-outs on the upper parts of the side extensions are also good.
Once home I found a much better picture than any of mine on the net. (No van in the foreground for a start.)
Not far from the Tait Hall is the Contented Vine Restaurant, once the Roxy Cinema. The railings were getting a paint job at the time.
Nice pedimenting and pastel outlining. Pity about the replacement windows on this one.
More photos of Kelso are on my flickr.
