The Secret Bunker

The Secret Bunker in the East of Fife has been open to the public for 24 years, but I hadn't really thought of visiting until I saw some photos on Instagram and realised that it would not just be interesting to military history buffs.

I was a bit nervous about visiting because I sometimes get a bit claustrophobic (I've had to abandon attempts to climb various towers on holiday because of tight stairwells and low headroom) but the bunker didn't cause me any problems of that sort. In fact, it feels very like being inside a school (something I'm used to, having worked in one since the very year the secret bunker opened to the public!), with similar sized corridors and rooms. I didn't even really notice the lack of windows at all.

The first surprise I got when going down the long corridor into the bunker was that I was greeted by two cats! It was a bit disconcerting to see something moving at floor level in my peripheral vision as I was taking a photo, and my first thought was that it was a rat! I was very relieved to see it was two cats, who would presumably deal with any rat or mouse problems there might be!

My main reasons for visiting the bunker, after seeing it on Instagram, were all the old technology and typefaces, dating from the 1950s when it was built until the 1980s when it was decommissioned. I was not disappointed!

It was a really thought-provoking place to visit. It got me thinking about what life would have been like for those in the bunker if it ever had to be used for its intended purpose as a command centre in a nuclear war. 

Dundee Howff cemetery

The Howff is a very old cemetery, right in the middle of Dundee. I'd always planned to visit it, because some of my mum's ancestors are buried there, but I hadn't realised just how easy it was to get to. I had been visiting the McManus Gallery, and it's very close to there.

The cemetery is a real haven of tranquility, right in the middle of the city. There are beautiful old gravestones, with lovely carvings on them, and there are lots of flowers growing around the place, attracting bees and butterflies.

It was a stunningly sunny day when I visited, and it would be interesting to go again on a damp misty day for a totally different atmosphere.

Unfortunately I didn't find the gravestones of any family members, but I'll keep looking next time I visit!

Beauty in Brutalism

I've obviously had this blog post in mind for a couple of years, because there was a folder full of these images of Glenrothes in my blog folder. It fits in well with this month when I'm talking a lot about Glenrothes architecture.

Brutalism is a style of architecture I didn't always appreciate, but when my old high school and the swimming pool I'd gone to were being demolished I started to get interested in it and eventually to find it beautiful. I'd also seen some pictures of St Peter's Seminary in Cardross, which had bits that reminded me of elements of my old school which you can see at the top of this post and in some of the collages.

I think this style of architecture works really well in black and white, which is why I've converted most of the photos. Whether it's because the grey of the concrete works so well in black and white, or the fact that the photos look like they come from a past era, I'm not sure.

And a wee bit of colour to finish off - this block of flats was being demolished, and with all the coloured walls on display it made me think of the Unité d'Habitation by Le Corbusier!

Glenrothes town art

Glenrothes is famous for its town art. There have been a couple of different town artists, and through them we’ve ended up with hippos, mushrooms, standing stones, a dinosaur, and much more! There have also been more recent artworks, with a lot of underpasses and shop fronts being painted in the past few years.

My drawing at the top of this post is a high resolution, so you can download it and print it out to use as a colouring page! Some of the pupils at the school where I work used it for this, as you can see below.

There's a new leaflet just been released, which you can get from the library in the Rothes Halls, and it has various different walking routes for exploring the town art.

Glenrothes display

I was looking through some Glenrothes memorabilia in the run-up to the 70th birthday of the town, but it wasn’t until I hung my new Glenrothes 70 tote bag in the hall that I had the idea of creating a Glenrothes display. 

I kept a couple of the Moomins from my previous display out, because I thought they looked a bit like the hippos that are a symbol of Glenrothes (because of the concrete hippos found around town). I also found a wooden mushroom I’d painted which represent the concrete mushrooms also scattered about the town.

I added some books, postcards, leaflets, and some of the items that I got at the 70th birthday celebrations. I also included a brooch and a piece of pottery that remind me of some of the town art.

Glenrothes books

I was lucky enough to rescue some books and leaflets about Glenrothes that were going in the bin at work some years ago (yes, the bin! I don’t seem to have convinced them yet to give books to charity!). These, along with other things I've found or been given, mean I've managed to build up a good local history collection for myself!

The cover of the guidebook below is one of my favourites. It really captures that utopian feel of how the new towns were planned to be.