locals and visitors together…
MURIEL SPARK
Muriel Spark (1918-2006)
was born in Edinburgh, the daughter of Bernard and Sarah Camberg.
She attended James Gillespie's High School for Girls where her class teacher,
Miss Christina Kay, became the inspiration for Muriel's most famous creation –
the
Penicuik Community Development Trust presents this travelling exhibition from the National Library of Scotland shown February 2009 (twice) and February 2010 (twice)
schoolgirl Muriel’s crowning by Esther Ralston
Plus : Nabil Shaban bookstall
plus PemicuikU3A contact point
Displays arranged by Penicuik Community Development Trust
in the Cowan Institute,
travelling exhibition from the National Library of Scotland
SHOWN ALONGSIDE THE NLS EXHIBITION:
AMERICAN VENUS CROWNS A QUEEN OF POETRY
A newspaper cutting from 1932 of the award ceremony for a poetry competition run by the Heather Club, in memory of Sir Walter Scott. The Heather Club had been first founded in 1732, refounded in 1823, and was long associated with Professor Blackie (1809-1895) the Scottish classicist, radical and man of letters. The Club had its own premises at 291 Canongate, though this event took place in the full glare of publicity at the Ideal Home Exhibition. Muriel Spark won first prize – a welcome number of books – but was less enthusiastic about the ceremony, which involved being crowned as 'Queen of Poetry' by the actress Esther Ralston.
Is there a story behind this newspaper picture?
What brought former silent movie star Esther
Ralston “The American Venus” to this ceremony with an
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
“Esther Ralston born
Died
Spouses George Webb (1925-1933) (divorced)
Will Morgan (1934-1938) (divorced)
Ted Lloyd (1939-1954) (divorced)
Esther Ralston was an American movie actress whose greatest popularity came during the silent era.
EARLY LIFE AND CAREER
Born
In the late 1920s she appeared in many films for
RETIREMENT
Despite making a successful transition to sound, she was
reduced to appearing in B-movies by the mid-1930s, leading to her retirement.
By the time she settled down in 1941, she had made over 150 movies. During the
mid 1950's as Mrs. Esther Lloyd, a grandmother, she worked in the Seventh
Church of Christ Scientist in
IN 1932 ESTHER RALSTON
CAME TO
Esther Ralston had been brought to Britain by producer
Michael Balcon to star in the first film made at the
big new Gaumont British studio complex at Lime Grove,
Shepherd’s Bush,
“
Directed by Walter Forde, and in so many ways a model for Hitchcock’s later “The Lady Vanishes” the film is beautifully edited, smart with suspense and humour (“discretion is the better part of Wagons-Lits”), distinguished by stylishly nimble camerawork and excellent production design. Two huge studio sets accommodated both terminii and the impressive express train.
So what brought Esther Ralston to this ceremony with an
In “
Did the fatherly Finlay Currie, with
his Brooklyn-born wife, act as Esther Ralston’s friend and agent off-set? Did
he invite her north to see his home city and take part in an
And did the cosmopolitan glamour, the stylish racy morality of “
The film of Muriel Spark’s The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie was shown in the Penicuik
Film season on
FINLAY CURRIE
(1878-1968)
Finlay Jefferson Currie
His
first film was
He is seen here in Michael Powell’s 1936 film “Edge of the
World” shot almost entirely on location on the Shetland
NABIL SHABAN BOOK LAUNCH
locals and visitors together… .
ON STAGE ON SATURDAY 7 FEBRUARY
Jan Miller’s KELTY CLIPPIE
OTHER SATURDAY DISPLAYS
A few of over 100 Penicuik Open House weekly displays
THE COWAN PAPER ADVERTISEMENTS OF 1944
DAME MURIEL SPARK: Scottish by formation
childrens book illustration of GERMANO OVANI
Galashiels Co-operators & the ideas of William King
IMAGES OF ESKBRIDGE from Jim Neil’s collection
CORNBANK: Penicuik’s Radburn estate from the 1960s
PENICUIK RAILWAY and its designer THOMAS BOUCH
Penicuik’s Concorde Designer JAMES ARNOT HAMILTON
Penicuik’s International Photographer ALBERT WATSON
Carlops’ International City Planner THOMAS ADAMS
GENERAL
MACZEK & THE POLISH ROAD TO BREDA 1944
General MACZEK & the GREAT POLISH MAP of SCOTLAND
ALEXANDER COWAN’S INSTITUTE
illustrated by his great-great-great grandson Robin Macfarlan
The Cowan Institute -with library, halls and recreation rooms- was given to the people of Penicuik by the will of Alexander Cowan, papermaker. Operated for most of its life by the Cowan Trust, it was passed in 1960 to local management under the care of the Burgh of Penicuik.
On local government reorganisation in the mid 1970s the Burgh’s assets became vested in Midlothian Council, including the Cowan Institute and the endowments for social facilities the earlier Trust had provided. Penicuik Community Development Trust was formed by public concern for the fate of the building after reports of its possible sale in 2005.
The Trust is a registered
charity (SC037990) run
and entirely supported by the efforts of Penicuik people, and hires space in the
Institute to operate an Open House with displays every Saturday throughout the
year, and a fortnightly Cinema on Sunday evenings. It also works with the
locally-run charitable bodies operating Penicuik’s Leisure Centre at Ladywood and the Penicuik Community Arts Centre in
JOHN YOUNG Paris refiner, Edinburgh fruiterer and Western Australian
Efforts to save Jackson Street School 2010
Here are some upcoming events
And some back in 2008, in 2007, in 2006, in 2005, in 2004, in 2003, in 2002, and in 2001
Penicuik Arts Centre & Open Day June 2007
Penicuik Arts Festival: August & September 2009
See some of the faces of the friends of Penicuik Arts
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