Sunday, January 06, 2019


Another day of very considerable weakness. What’s the matter with me?

Our niece came and fetched me this morning and we drove back through the quiet Sunday city to an early Mass at the University chapel where Christina (niece’s daughter) and Manaba were married in September. Very nice indeed.

Julie, thank you for the tip about Ardkinglas on Youtube. Here’s a link, but once you’re there you’ll find several offerings, including one about the arboretum. It’s famous.

No, Mary Lou. The “big house” does weddings, but our wedding – Hellie and Matt, three? years ago, -- was in Alexander and Ketki’s own garden, half a mile away.

The house at Ardkinglas was built by Andrew Noble in the early years of the 20th century – in 18 months. It seems fantastic. It wasn’t a family home, just a shooting lodge and a summer place. He had four sons. The elder two didn’t want to take on the responsibility, so the estate passed to the third son, grandfather of the author of the book I am reading on the subject. Lady Gainford of kilt hose fame was the daughter of one of the elder two sons.

It is unsettling to think of the amount of wealth involved. The current generation seems quite well endowed. Here in Edinburgh, I am acquainted with two great-grandchildren of Andrew Carnegie. They are not particularly well-off, except by their own endeavours – but their great-grandfather’s name is known around the world. We have a Carnegie library at Oberlin. I think there may be a moral to be drawn there.

Some rehearsals for the D-Day landings were staged at Ardkinglas. Churchill and the King came along. The book isn’t indexed, and I can’t find the passage – someone or other was disappointed in the King. A rather small man, and he wasn’t wearing a crown. Churchill threw away a cigar butt which was treasured locally (perhaps still is) and the place where it landed is still known as “Churchill’s cigar  bay”.

I didn’t do any knitting at all today.

5 comments:

  1. It will be the after-effects of the stomach upset. You will need time to build your strength back up. we'd still like to see the raspberry knitting, though.

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  2. hello Jean, hope you better soon, love the new pic at start. the boys can no longer be called little!!!! take care

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  3. Anonymous10:59 PM

    I visited the Cooper-Hewitt museum (Carnegie's former home) in NYC this past summer & took a little tour, which included the history of the home and some bits about Carnegie himself. Worth a visit both for the museum exhibits and for the history.

    Andrew Carnegie didn't believe in huge inheritances and gave away the vast bulk of his fortune, leaving his wife and only child, a daughter, small trusts. This Forbes article does a good job of detailing the situation: https://www.forbes.com/sites/chloesorvino/2014/07/08/whats-become-of-them-the-carnegie-family/#45e8e49a7b55

    Beverly in NJ

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  4. My father comes back from rampaging around Europe (cruises down the Rhine, Tour of the Dolomites, package holiday in Cyprus) and then, for a week or so, says 'I don't know what is wrong with me, I keep falling asleep and feeling tired.' I suspect the fact that he is 90 next birthday may have something to do with it; I'm struggling this morning after playing for church yesterday, followed by big family reunion tea in London, and I'm a mere 62! And if I am unwell for any reason, it knocks the stuffing out of me for a week... - then I just have to pace myself. Which might mean dozing and mooching and fiddling with bits and pieces. Hope you feel more like yourself soon,

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  5. Anonymous12:11 PM

    What a helpful bunch of comments you have here Jean. Interesting about Carnegie. It's probably wise to avoid large inheritances to children, but to deny his wife? Of course it depends on circumstances and what is meant in Carnegie's category as a "small" trust. Chloe

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