Time Away and the Things I Did (2)

The day after Falstaff, we did something that I've been wanting to do for ages, and that's go to Kirkcudbright to see Broughton House, once the home of the Scottish Artist E A Hornel.  I like Hornel's art very much and there's a lot of it in the house, and Broughton is as famous for its garden as for the  house so both of those were a draw. In addition the local gallery was having an exhibition of art by the Glasgow Girls and I was keen to see that too. So off we went to Kirkcudbright. 

The journey there was a bit fraught. The OH didn't like the road - he had opted for the non-motorway route and in retrospect that was a bit of a mistake, as the alternative was a hard drive. It wasn't helped by the fact that there were constant signs for Gretna Green pointing in the direction we were going and which I thought must mean we were going in the wrong direction, as I couldn't see why we would be making for GG. The OH does have occasional form for putting the wrong thing into the satnav so I was worried, but not wanting to say anything as that would display a Lack of Trust and just be Yet Another Irritant. So I kept quiet.

And of course we got there fine as the satnav had the right directions after all. I think part of the reason we were both a bit on edge is this thing where you have to book a slot to visit many places these days  (and Broughton House was no exception) which puts you under pressure because you are worried you will miss your time. In the event we had time for lunch before our slot at BH, and the gallery you didn't have to book a time for, even though I had. 

Broughton was lovely. here's the outside. 

Sadly you're not permitted to take pictures inside the house so you'll have to take my word for it that it was comfortable, a bit cluttered in that late Victorian way and the studio was interesting and had lots of Hornel's pictures, many of which I would be perfectly happy to hang on my own wall given the chance.

The garden was beautiful, even on a damp day. I took lots of pictures there and here's a selection 

The exhibition at the Galleries was good too. I was very taken with some prints by someone called Annie French, of whom I had previously been ignorant and I keep meaning to look her up and find out more about her. There is a very very nice cafe and an equally good shop at the gallery and honestly, if you're in the area, it's well worth a visit. I'd go back in a heartbeat. The OH not so much, I don't think; the memory of the road lingers, even though we came back via the motorway. 

The next day, which was the OH's last one in Glasgow before he returned to Orkney we spent going into town for what turned out to be a less than successful shopping trip, although to be fait it was lovely just to see shops!. On Tuesday the OH set off quite early to get back to Orkney and I settled in for ten days hanging out with my boy in Glasgow.