Not the best day . . .

. . . to arrive in Edinburgh, by any stretch of the imagination. Cold, wet and windy. However, we had the train tickets, so little choice in the matter.

My main object in going was to see an exhibition at the Dovecot Studios. Lady Marchmont visited here a while back and more recently friedaquilter went to see the exhibition I was aiming for.

This was Michael Brennand-Wood's work. He is an artist working in textiles, embroidery and a lot else. It was fabulous. His work is extraordinary in its breadth, scale and imagination. It's an amazing exhibition. I like some of his work very much; some of it I am not too sure about. However, the really important point is that he has been, over several decades, instrumental in blurring the distinctions between art and craft and in raising the profile of textiles as an art form. I could go on about this, as it is an issue I am quite passionate about, but I will leave it for another day.

What I hadn't fully appreciated was that the Dovecot Studios is a working tapestry studio, over a hundred years old, and recently rehoused in a renovated Victorian swimming pool. It's a lovely building and it is possible to go up to a balcony and view the weavers in action. Fascinating.

So much to see, but the only place where photography was allowed was on the stairs! So, here is a section of an amazing piece of weaving that spirals up the stair well. It was very difficult to get an angle on it, but this picture is the one that best gives an idea of how it threads and swirls between the flights of stairs.

Incidentally, the café at the Dovecot is excellent.

Lunch at one of our favourite French restaurants, La Garrigue. A walk through the Christmas Market. A bit of Christmas shopping and the train home. So not a bad day at all, despite the weather.