The National Museum of Scotland is calling for memories of famous artist and designer Bernat Klein ahead of a major exhibition of his work opening next month. Klein (1922 – 2014) was born in Yugoslavia (now Serbia) but settled in the Scottish Borders where he lived and worked for over 40 years.
Drawing inspiration from the landscape around Galashiels and collaborating closely with skilled Scottish manufacturers, Scotland and its textile industry were central to his success.
Curators hope to capture the stories of those who knew, worked with or admired Klein in his adopted homeland. From visiting his shops or producing fabrics, to wearing his spectacular pieces or completing a Klein knitting pattern, anyone who would like to share their story is encouraged to get in touch by email at info@nms.ac.uk with their memories and pictures.
In the centenary year of his birth, Bernat Klein: Design in Colour (5 Nov 2022 – 23 April 2023) will explore the life and varied career of one of the 20th century’s leading forces in Modernist design.
He is renowned for innovative couture textiles created for the likes of Chanel, Dior and Balmain, and his work was adored by royalty and fashion editors alike. He also produced fabrics for interiors, designed ready-to-wear collections and worked as a colour consultant and industrial designer.
Lisa Mason, Assistant Curator of Modern & Contemporary Design at National Museums Scotland said: “Bernat Klein’s philosophy influenced fashion, fine art, interior design, architecture and colour theory and continues to inspire artists and designers today.
“He chose Scotland to build not just his home, but his business, and we’d love to hear more from anyone who remembers his time here.”
Personal accounts will be collated by National Museums Scotland and may be shared on the Museums’ digital channels and social media accounts.
Bernat Klein: Design in Colour 5 November 2022 to 23 April 2023 National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh Admission: Free
From nervous beginnings, and the rewarding elation of performing at the Fringe for the first time, to the butterflies of finding new or everlasting love. The Fringe Society is delighted to share amazing moments gathered from artists and audiences, from the past 75 years of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Anecdotes have been gathered over the last few months and include memories such as the excitement of bumping into a favourite celebrity, to taking inspiration from a performance and setting out on a new career journey.
“I first discovered street performing at the Edinburgh Fringe. I was there for the first Fringe Sunday in 1981 and that’s where I first saw a street band called Pookiesnackenburger (from whom Steve McNicholas and Luke Cresswell later became STOMP) who played huge gigs on the street. That got me interested in street performing.” Eddie Izzard
“Whilst here I met a guy who was working at the same venue, we hit it off… 19 years later we are married, have two girls, two cats and we both work in the arts and cultural sector in Edinburgh. I would just like to say thank you to the Fringe for positively changing my life.” Sharon May
“I love the unexpected, the chaos, the anarchy of the Fringe. Trying to find your way through the programme knowing that while you’ll see excellent shows, you’ll always miss other great ones; talking to strangers while queuing up about their favourite performances so far and sharing yours; watching the audience and actors mix … All of this with the dramatic and incredibly beautiful backdrop that is Edinburgh, a perfect place for the festival.” Uta Bretsch
“We have attended the Fringe every year since 1998 and it is something of an obsession for us. So much so that we decided to get married there… in secret.”Richard Brownsecret
“Edinburgh Fringe has been a highlight of our summer since we moved to Edinburgh in 2013, an opportunity for our whole family to indulge in culture and the arts together, to dip our toes into new experiences and deep dive into some familiar favourites. Come rain or shine, we pack our rucksacks and disappear into the crowd and into another world of magic and endless possibilities.” Julia Whitaker
“It’s just great being part of it; it’s the biggest arts event in the world. It’s the only place to be in August – the two years I didn’t go at all, I just felt like my friends were having a big party and I decided not to go. I would feel like I was in the wrong place, not being in Edinburgh.” Arthur Smith
“This year will be our 20th visit since first coming up to see our son in a college production. Every time is magical, trying to take in as many diverse shows as we can.”Merlyn Anne Goudie
“There is no place in the world like Edinburgh Fringe in August. The energy is fantastic and you feel alive doing what you love, during the height of summer.”Clare Harrison Mccartney
“To this day I have met lifelong friends and some of the most inspirational people at the Edinburgh Fringe having participated in more than 10 Fringes. The Fringe tests your resolve, your patience, your abilities and your energy. Yet it also rewards you with an amazing experience that will forever leave a mark on your soul.”Paul Perez
Shona McCarthy, CEO of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “It has been an absolute joy to read memories from audiences and artists from across the years, and it is testament to the resilience of this great festival, and all those who have played a part in building it, that it is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.
“The stories that have been shared with our team highlight the impact the Fringe can have on inspiring young people, captivating audiences, and being the place to be every August.
“From childhood memories, to the transformational affect the festival has had on artist careers, we thank each person for taking the time to share their favourite Fringe memory.”
We encourage the public, and those performing at this year’s Fringe to share their own memory on social media and tag it #FringeMoments.
We recently put out a call asking for people to share their Fringe moments and memories as part of our 75th anniversary celebrations this year, and we’re overjoyed with what we’ve received so far.
From staffing the box office in the 1980s and bumping into celebs on the Royal Mile, to discovering unknown relatives and even getting secretly married at the festival(!), it’s amazing to hear about the place the Fringe holds in people’s lives.
We’re still on the hunt for more stories and pictures, so if you haven’t had a chance yet, please take a moment to share your Fringe moments with us.
Whether you’ve attended the festival to work, perform or enjoy a show, we want to hear about any Fringe memory that makes you smile when you look back on it.
All the stories we gather will be catalogued and presented by the Fringe Society as part of our 75th anniversary celebrations, and potentially incorporated into the special edition of our printed programme.
To find out how sentimental the country is, Ryman decided to find out which moments top the list for which Brits would relive, given the chance. And it turns out, Edinburgh residents are not always as sentimental as the rest of the nation.
The moment Edinburgh dwellers would most like to relive is the birth of their child. 35.29% of respondents said this is the moment they’d most like to experience again – slightly higher than the national average.
Second on the list was in fact their wedding day, with 29.41% of respondents, more than 10% higher than the national average!
Coming in third place is a less sentimental answer – highlighting the love Edinburgh dwellers have for getting away – with 25% voting to relive the holiday of a lifetime.
Despite being more sentimental to some key moments such as the birth of their child, fewer residents of Edinburgh would opt to relive the day they got their pet; less than 9% of respondents agreed this would be the day they’d hurry back given the chance. This compares to almost 15% nationally.
In fact, more people would relive their holiday of a lifetime (25%) over the day they got their beloved pet!
In other shocking news, Edinburgh residents were less interested in reminiscing about the day of their proposal, with only 2.94% of respondents selecting this moment, making this nearly 5% less than the national average – the second lowest score out of all of those quizzed!
See the full table of results below, while the national results can be found here.
What moment(s) or day(s), if any, would you most like to relive?
The birth of my child/children
35.29%
The holiday of a lifetime
25.00%
The time I first met my partner
19.12%
A family holiday from childhood
17.65%
My wedding day
29.41%
The day I got a pet (dog, cat, etc.)
8.82%
The day I found out I was having a baby
11.76%
There is no moment or day that I would like to relive
10.29%
The day I bought my first house
11.76%
Achieving a lifelong ambition or skill (winning an award, graduating, etc.)
11.76%
Eating the best meal I’ve ever had
4.41%
The day I left a job I didn’t like
5.88%
The day I was proposed to/proposed
2.94%
Ticking an activity off my bucket list (skydiving, charity work, etc.)
Ditch the latest trinkets, toys, and tech and give the most treasured gift of all this Christmas.
Blair Drummond Safari Park’s Animal Experiences provide an unforgettable opportunity to get up close and personal with some of the park’s rare and exotic animals, all whilst creating memories that are sure to last a lifetime!
This year Blair Drummond have launched their brand new Meerkat and Giraffe Family Experiences. For the first time ever, children aged 8 and over will gain access to our most exclusive behind-the-scenes areas and handfeed some of our most popular animals, alongside their family members. Family experiences will be exclusively hosted for your family, with tiered pricing reflective of your group size.
The Junior Keeper experience gives budding keepers the chance to spend time with the animals in Pets Farm, including llamas, penguins, meerkats, and ponies. They’ll also receive a fun goody bag afterwards!
For the grown-ups, individual Animal Experiences start at £60 for the Meerkat Experience which gives guests the chance to hang out with the park’s most inquisitive creatures.
Guests can get up close to the world’s most iconic mammals as part of Blair Drummond’s Large Mammal Experience. Roll up your sleeves and get ready to spend an hour with their elephant, rhinos and giraffes.
You’ll get to prepare their enrichment, handfeed them, and learn about the incredible work the team at Blair Drummond are doing to protect these fabulous animals from extinction.
For those who’d love nothing more than an exclusive behind the scenes look at what it is like to be a keeper at Blair Drummond, the Keeper for a Day experiences are where it’s at.
For £250, keepers for the day get the chance to handfeed the lemurs, take a VIP tour of Chimp Island and the reserves, give the lions their wake-up call, and spend the day meeting giraffes, elephants, rhinos, and birds of prey.
So, look out your wellies, and create wild memories this Christmas at Blair Drummond Safari Park!
Head of Marketing, Liz Gunn of Blair Drummond Safari Park said: “Our Animal Experiences offer a unique opportunity to get closer than ever to our incredible animals, and to meet the experts that provide outstanding specialist care here every day.
“Whether you’re treating yourself or a loved one to an extremely special gift, you can enjoy the experience even more in the knowledge that you’re supporting vital conservation work right here at Blair Drummond, all while creating memories you’ll never forget.”
LAST CHANCE to contribute your story to the oral history of Covid-19 in Edinburgh and the Lothians!
Every single person has a story worth telling: any age, any background, any language.
For every contribution we donate to one of our charity partners (https://lothianlockdown.org/community/) and give you £15 to keep or donate to the charity of your choice. DEADLINE 15 JULY!
Send us a fb message or email at lothiandiaries@gmail.com with any questions.
My mother, Marion Fyfe Reilly (nee Banks) was involved in protesting and squatting in Lochend Gardens and West Ferry Road sometime around 1943-46. She had her first child in July 1943 and raised him alone while her husband was still overseas in the army.
She died (aged 95) last week and I only became aware of this yesterday from her younger sister (aged 90). There were apparently reports and photographs in the newspapers at the time. I am amazed and impressed.
I was wondering if you had any records from that time as I would love to share her struggle with friends and family at her funeral on Friday. It feels like it may be a very important aspect of her character that wasn’t known to us. I have viewed the Scotsman digital archive with no luck.
Thanks
Steven Reilly
If any reader remembers Marion please get in touch and we will forward details to Steven Reilly
Do you remember playing in North Edinburgh when it was fields?
North Edinburgh Grows is holding a meeting on Tuesday (16 September) from 11am – 12 noon at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre to share memories and look at photos of North Edinburgh back before it was built on.
All welcome. Free coffee and cake!
Picture (top) supplied by George Hunter – Pilton folk at Silverknowes beach 1954
