The new branch of the V&A Museum in Dundee, a museum of Scottish design and its impact on and from the world, opened to visitors today.

As we quite often visit or pass through Dundee this is a building I have seen growing from the waterfront over the past few years and it is a splendid piece of architecture.

It lies beside Discovery Point, latest (and last?) home of Scott’s and Shackleton’s research ship the RRS Discovery. There are hopes the V&A will do for Dundee in terms of tourism an draising the city’s profile what the Guggenheim did for Bilbao.

It’s exciting to think I’ll be able to visit it soon. We’re niot going straight away as we expect it will be fairly busy. I believe entrance has to be booked for the first few weeks.

These photos were taken in February when the building was pretty well completed on the outside. We had been round the Discovery – itself well worth a visit – and the opportunity to take the photographs couldn’t be missed.

RRS Discovery and V&A Dundee:-

Part of it looks like the prow of a ship. V&A from the stern of RSS Discovery (Tay Road Bridge in background):-

Stern sprit of RSS Discovery, V&A in background:-

In other aspects it resembles a cliff, the architect Kengo Kuma‘s inspiration. V&A from RRS Discovery:-

From plaza:-

From east northeast:-

The inside exhibits promise to be as distinctive as the outside.

I liked this frieze above the windows of Rochdale Museum:-

Also these stained glass windows which seem to be on someone’s extension:-

Across the road from the Museum was a green park-like area with this iron pedestrian bridge:-

Nearby was this statue of John Bright:-

This spire-y thing is by the side of the road. I’ve no idea what it’s for:-

The town centre has this statue of sheep (rams):-

And spot the dedication on the bridge (which I ought to have placed in yesterday’s post):-

Rochdale is the home of the modern Co-operative Movement, through the Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers

The original site of their first shop, in Toad Lane, is now a museum:-

Side view with Co-op Tea painted on the brick:-

The museum extends into the modern building you can see on the left in the first photo.

Just up Toad Lane are two shopfronts which are Victorian in appearance with lovely stained glass:-

On the other side of the entrance to Toad Lane is a memorial to the Kobe earthquake, which, from its inscription, seems to have something to do with the Co-operative movement:-

I thought I had posted about this shortly after I published my review of Orhan Pamuk’s book The Museum of Innocence, to which I alluded two posts ago.

However, I have searched for such a post on the blog and can’t find it, so it seems I did not.

What there is, though, is an actual Museum of Innocence in Istanbul.

It was set up by Orhan Pamuk at the same time as he was writing the novel, to reflect upper-middle class life in Istanbul from the 70s to the 2000s.

The big former oil tank at Lyness now houses a large video screen showing films about Scapa Flow and the ships which once used it, plus several exhibits of large(ish) military machinery.

A troop carrier with US markings and searchlight in background:-

A DUKW (or Duck) + Crane:-

Wheeled anti-aircraft gun. Not the best photo I’ve ever taken:-

Signs outside pointed to an air-raid shelter. We followed them to the entrance:-

It was quite extensive inside. This is a view of the corridor:-

I suppose the rooms may have been furnished with chairs or bunks but they don’t look very prepossessing now:-

Interior exhibits. On entering there is a display of photographs of ships in Scapa Flow and pieces of naval equipment/relics from both World Wars.

There was also a model of Scapa Flow showing dispositions of the interned German High Seas Fleet ships after WW1 but before the Grand Scuttle.

Island of Hoy to right, Fara left middle, Flotta towards top:-

Island of Hoy to bottom left, Rysa Little to bottom right, Fara top middle:-

Island of Hoy to bottom (Lyness to right,) Fara in middle ground, Rysa Little to left. Flotta top right:-

A naval torpedo, part cutaway:-

A typical 1930s room:-

Compton Mackenzie‘s battledress! Apparently he owned a couple of the Orkney islands, was stationed there and donated this uniform:-

Church Army Rest Hut sign. This was above the present day café inside which we had a very nice cake and coffee. It was done out in 1940s style. Unfortunately it was so well patronised I felt unable to take a photo. I had meant to go back for one but the ferry departure time crept up on us before I could:-

More external exhibits at Lyness Naval Museum, Hoy, Orkney.

A naval mine:-

Oil pipes:-

A propeller from HMS Hampshire:-

The last remaining oil tank at Lyness. Now houses museum exhibits:-

The Scapa Flow Visitor Centre and Museum is almost directly ahead of you as you disembark from the ferry at Lyness, Hoy.

It’s not very prepossessing from the outside but is packed with exhibits relating to the miltary use of Scapa Flow in the two World Wars.

Several naval guns lie in the forecourt:-

You’ll see in the first picture two information boards. This board relates to the complex as a whole:-

Also exterior to the main museum is this example of anti-torpedo netting:-

The Flåmsbana Museum is more or less on the dock side at Flåm. The railway’s story is fascinating. They had to dig the line, which has lots of tunnels, out of solid rock by hand, using hand tools and horse driven carts. Construction was started in 1924 and the line did not open till 1940 by which time the Germans were in control of Norway.

It’s the steepest standard gauge railway in Europe. The information card said that because of the safety considerations required by the railway’s steep gradients and no rack and pinion back-up this early locomotive had six different braking systems:-

A more modern locomotive, no longer used, outside the museum building:-

Another obsolete locomotive, a bit further away:-

Old railway poster, showing a stavkirke, or wooden church. These can be almost Russian Orthodox in appearance:-

Almost the first thing you notice making your way out of the ferry terminal at Lyness on Hoy, apart from the last remaining oil tank servicing what was the naval base there and the building housing the Lyness Naval Museum is two flags and two upright stone markers.

This is the Arctic Convoy Memorial. Some of the convoys’ ships sailed from Scapa Flow.

Memorial from road:-

Memorial Plaza:-

Memorial Dedication:-

Russian Inscription and Flag. (I note that the flag, strictly, should be that of the USSR):-

Russian inscription:-

British Inscription and Flag:-

British Inscription:-