Baird & Hardie

We took a different way to our usual walk up the Back Walk by the castle today, and found some more tree sculptures we'd not come across before (usually we go past the phallic postbox, these ones are a bit lower down the hill).  This represents the unfortunate fate of John Baird and Andrew Hardie, weavers who were hanged and beheaded in 1820 at the Stirling Tollbooth.  According to the blurb by the sculpture, they were later recognised as "among the pioneers of Scottish democracy".  They were weavers who led a call for reform during the Scottish Insurrection of 1820, calling for fairer working conditions and a government more responsive to high food prices and unemployment. For this they were charged with treason. Their fellow campaigners were sent to penal colonies in Australia, but all pardoned 15 years later.

After our walk we had a very welcome (and delicious) soup in the Stirling Smith Museum cafe. Also had a quick look at the current art exhibition (which finishes tomorrow), by the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour. Have to say, there didn't seem to be that many watercolours in the exhibition - lots of acrylics, pastels, mixed media - but I did really like a lot of the paintings.

My ability to add extras seems to have disappeared (this is the first time I've posted since the email that my membership has expired. Presumably this means I'm going to have to pony up some cash).