Germany autumn adventure

It had been a good few years since we ventured out to Germany during the October school

holidays. It would also be my first visit to my mother-in-law's new apartment. She's still in the same village, just a short walk from the old family residence. Our outward flight had a 6.30am departure, which meant taking the airport bus from the Ferrytoll park & ride facility in the middle of the night. At least that was the theory. Our expected bus sailed by on the adjacent motorway, without even looking in. We surmised it had filled up at Halbeath, much to the consternation of the assembled throng around us. Fortunately a double-decker soon rolled in to take up the slack. It would be tight, but I knew we would make it.

Normally we stuff everything into small rucksacks and carry them on board as hand luggage. This time we had the luxury of two suitcases and it was the first time I'd used the Ryanair self-service baggage drop. Basically you put your own case on the scales and attach the printed label, before sending it off on the conveyor belt. I do wonder who came up with the idea of scanning digital boarding passes screen-up, which seems counter intuitive and confused a lot of people. There was a lengthy queue at security but we negotiated that and reached the gate without panic setting in. I dozed off on the plane. Surely the onward travel would be hassle free, right? Wrong! The first issue was a minor irritation. The German government introduced a generous scheme last year where you could travel on regional and local trains anywhere in the country for just €9 per calendar month. Buses were included too and we made full use of this ticket. Such a deal was ultimately unsustainable and we had heard the price had been increased to €49. Even so, we calculated it would be worth our while to take advantage of the revised rate. Berlin Airport has an attached railway station but we couldn't see the monthly option on the ticket machines. We enquired at the tourist office and discovered the Deutschlandticket is only available as a subscription via the Deutsche Bahn app. I guess we should have done out homework beforehand - but the the regional VBB (Verkehrsverbund Berlin Brandenburg) individual fares aren't too steep. The Airport Express train to was busy, but that's par for the course. We changed at Gesundbrunnen for a service to Angermünde - the nearest station to Schönermark village. This journey takes 55 minutes and it's not normally a problem to find a seat outside of peak commuter periods. Today the carriages were rammed and we couldn't proceed beyond the vestibule. Somehow we wedged in our cases and stood for the entire trip. But at least it wasn't late. Nicole's Aunt Elke picked us up and took us to her house. My mother in law (Bärbel) lives on the same plot of land in a separate ground-level apartment. She had rustled up a pot of pasta in DDR tomato sauce for us. A tasty throwback to the communist era. I spent the afternoon catching up on sleep and we had a relaxing evening around the kitchen table. Great to be back in the Vaterland.

On our first full day, Nicole's Aunt Gundi took us into Angermünde (7.5 miles) and we hopped on to the BiberBus - a circular route that links up local beauty spots. A rather grumpy driver issued us with day return tickets and we travelled three miles to the visitor centre at Blumberger Mühle - part of the 500-square-mile UNESCO Schorfheide Chorin Biosphere Reserve - established in 1990 and one of the largest protected areas in Germany. The sparsely populated landscape features thousands of moors, 240 lakes and extensive meadows and fields. The Blumberger Mühle territory contains a network of paths through meadow orchards, bog, moorland and a herb garden. Admission is a very reasonable €4 and the building is modelled on a hollow tree stump. An interactive child-friendly exhibition can be perused and there are toilets, lockers and a small shop on site. The café was unfortunately closed today. We had been here a few times before and were already familiar with the layout. Heading outside, we passed an enormous pumpkin, or rather what was left of it. Much of the flesh had already been cut out. We passed the sheep and saw Frederick the woolly Mangalitza pig - an old Hungarian breed almost lost in the 90s when the worldwide population fell to 150 sows. Nowadays the picture is rosier but I couldn't understand why Frederick was living alone when I'd always been led to believe that pigs were highly social animals. A sign informed us that his companion had recently died and due to restrictions regarding a porcine virus, a new buddy could not yet be sourced. A picture board displayed examples the typical bird life on the reserve. From a hide, we observed shoveler duck out on the water and great white egrets in the distance. Meanwhile a blue flash signalled the brief presence of a kingfisher. A hen harrier flew high above us. We drew a blank when skirting the swamp containing the European pond turtles. Normally a few of them can be seen sitting on logs and rocks but today they were well hidden and several slow sweeps with binoculars failed to reveal any signs of life, although a number of colourful dragonflies were buzzing around. Pond turtles are thought to have lived in the UK around 8000 years ago but any examples today are escapees from the pet trade. It is Germany's only native turtle and the conservation status is precarious. The young are mostly victims of wild boars, foxes, seagulls, martens or predatory fish such as pike. Raccoons (found in Germany) are able to open the shells of adult turtles. We wandered out to the far corner and a train hurtled by beyond the boundary fence (always a good sign). We had seen green woodpecker here before but they were not in evidence today. I climbed up the wooden lookout tower for a view across the lake and observed several egrets through my binoculars. The great white variety isn't commonly seen back home but they frequent the wetlands around the German Polish border. The general appearance is very similar to the little egret and the birds spear their prey, generally fish, insets and frogs. The species is related to the heron.

Back at the herb garden, we had lunch at a picnic table and a member of staff offered to cut us a few strips of pumpkin to take home. Offer duly accepted. There was an adventure playground around the corner but we had no young nephews or nieces in tow today. The reserve is run by NABU (Naturschutzbund) - the oldest and largest environmental association in Germany, founded in 1899. I purchased ice cream and postcards at the shop and we caught the BiberBus back to Angermünde town centre, where we had an hour to kill before the connection to Schönermark arrived. We visited a few familiar shops and had more ice cream (well, it was a holiday). Soft Eis from the dispenser is a popular choice over here. Angermünde is a small town of 15000 people and has an attractive historic centre. The bus to Schönermark was very quiet. Many of these rural services must be subsidised but full marks to the authorities for maintaining a decent public transport schedule. We had to be up before dawn the following morning as we had a day trip to Saxony planned. The 6am bus took us back to Angermünde, where we joined a Berlin-bound train, stepping off at Bernau. This time there were plenty seats available and a Berlin-Brandenburg day ticket (valid for up to five people across the two states) was the cheapest option. We met up with Nicole's father (Jens) who proceeded to drive us down the Autobahn on a 600km round-trip that would take over three hours each way. Popular wisdom insists there is no speed limit on the German motorway network, but this is only true for certain sections. A restriction of 130 kilometres per hour is often in place, equivalent to 81 mph. We made one stop where I picked up a Laugenstange - a pretzel bread stick encrusted with salt. Eventually we rolled into Hohenstein-Ernstthal and located the care home where Nicole's Oma Evelin resides. The roof terrace had a pleasant outlook across the town centre and afterwards we had lunch with the Sachse family. Wolfgang and Carmen are excellent hosts, the latter being the cousin of Nicole's dad. Their house overlooks the famous Sachsenring circuit - best known nowadays for hosting the German leg of the Moto GP series, the highest class of motorcycle track racing in the world. Two-wheeled motorsport has been staged in the area since 1927 but the modern Sachsenring arena with its high grandstands (visible in picture below) was constructed in 1996 and now attracts huge crowds for premier events.

We had previously stayed for a few days here while the Grand Prix was taking place. It was certainly loud. Today, the surrounding environment was rather more sedate and we tucked into a hearty meal of Sauerbraten & böhmische Knödel. It was soon time to head back up the road and we passed a mural dedicated to Hohenstein Ernstthal's most famous literary son. Karl May (1842 - 1912) was best known for his Wild West novels, all written before the author set foot on the American continent. The main characters were Apache chief Winnetou and his white blood brother Old Shatterhand. May compensated successfully for his lack of direct experience through a combination of creativity, imagination, and documentary sources - including maps, travel accounts and guidebooks, as well as anthropological and linguistic studies. His 90 books have clocked up a collective sales tally of 200 million. Film and TV spin-offs followed in the decades to come. As we neared the end of the homeward car journey, the enormous Tesla Gigafactory came into view. Opened in 2002, the plant assembles the Tesla Model Y and manufactures battery packs. 12000 workers are employed on site and the production target is half a million cars annually. Permission to extend the operation has been granted but environmental protests have highlighted concerns about water supply and the felling of trees. The controversy featured on news bulletins during our stay. The train trip back to Angermünde ran smoothly and we were collected by Elke. After sleeping like a log, we rose at 8am in preparation for Einkaufstag - the weekly shop. Our destination was Rewe supermarket - a major chain in Germany. They recently opened spacious new premises in Angermünde and separate bakery is also included. I was surprised at the amount of vegetarian and vegan produce on prominent display. Germany's stubborn meat-eating culture is at last showing signs of being eroded! It's always a novelty, searching for my favourite treats. Too many to list individually, but Paula's creamy pudding deserves an honourable mention. Also scooped into trolley with glee were a selection of cold cuts and little tubs of various "salads" - which often contain little or no leaves! After leaving the store, we stopped at the Dönerladen - the kebab shop. A warm lunch is traditionally the main meal of the day over here (particularly in rural parts). The modern sandwich version of the German doner kebab was created in Berlin by Turkish immigrants. Lamb is not used here. Instead, the large bread bun is filled with shavings of chicken or beef. You can also ask for a mix. Sauce and salad is added at your request. A very popular form of street food.

I took an afternoon walk around Schönermark village, sending off my postcards and dropping empty jars into the recycling container. No bottles, they had all been processed by the machine at the supermarket and a redeemable voucher issued. Both glass and plastic bottles are covered by a national deposit scheme. Sadly, attempts to introduce a similar system in Scotland resulted in the proposal being used as a political football and we are no further forward with that one. Schönermark has a population of 350 and belongs administratively and postally to the town of Schwedt. The convenience store closed a few years ago and the place has a quiet and sleepy feel. It was now Friday and 11-year-old nephew Elias was due to arrive for the weekend after school. I accompanied Bärbel and Nicole's Uncle Gerald on the "baccy run" to Poland. The border is a 12-mile drive, just beyond Schwedt and across the River Oder. The village on the other side (Krajnik Dolny) seems to base its entire economy on supplying German visitors with bargain goods and services. No regular passport checks have been carried out since Poland joined the EU in 2004. Back in the Fatherland, we had a relaxing day but did venture out in the late morning for a quick bird-spotting expedition in Elke's car. Not much doing in the wildlife department, but we stopped by at an organic farm shop on the way back. Gut Kerkow has been one of our regular haunts over the years. They raise Black Angus cattle and perform slaughtering and packaging duties, selling the premium beef in the well-stocked store. Other foodstuff is sourced from a network of high-quality German farms and dairies. There is also a good beer selection and I purchased a few Störtebeker ales. This artisan brewery is based in Stralsund and their output is widely available across the northeast of Germany. We like to support the venture and grabbed a few items from the shelves. Non-meat produce for Nicole, who has been vegetarian for some time. There is little light pollution around Schönermark and we went for an evening drive with Nicole's cousin Monique, in search of a comet that had been visible recently. Elias and Monique's young daughter Lissie were also present. The tell-tale streak didn't make an appearance tonight but we were treated to a moody sunset across the flat landscape and the moon was showing well. Back at the Hof, we caught a glimpse of a scantily-clad Uncle Bodo disappearing into the sauna outhouse.

As the weekend rolled round, I phoned my mum over Facebook Messenger and played ten-pin bowling alongside Elias on the Nintendo Switch. My days of regular gaming are long behind me but I enjoyed strapping the controller to my wrist and sending the ball down the lane. Playing in a networked tournament with multiple rounds added to the appeal. We also stoked the wood-burning stove. I think I must have tended fires in a previous life. Later in the afternoon, Nicole, Elias and I drove the short distance to the tiny Grünow village - up and over a ridge - with the birding scope and binoculars. A couple of cranes stood in a neighbouring field. We also saw several deer and a goods train rumbled by. The line runs to Stettin and a branch connects to the PCK oil refinery on the outskirts of Schwedt. Cranes are an extremely common sight in the Uckermark - the historical region (and current political district) where we were staying. The graceful long-legged grey birds have a wingspan of two and a half metres and feed primarily on seeds, roots, insects, snails and worms. They roost and build nests in shallow pools of water and the Uckermark has become something of a stronghold, with its countless swamps and small lakes. Climate change, however, is making its present felt in the form of spring droughts. Cranes were once numerous in the UK, appearing in many records of medieval dining. Hunting, along with the draining of many potential breeding sites led to the species disappearing around 400 years ago. Strangely enough, Henry VIII was aware of the issue, introducing fines for anyone caught removing eggs from the wild. Which means we should also add the conservationist string to his bow. Limited numbers of cranes have returned to Britain in recent decades and the current total population is estimated to be around 250, with six breeding pairs being resident in Scotland (Aberdeenshire). Nicole's cousin Madeleine came round later in the evening and a game of Kniffel ensued around the kitchen table. Marketed as Yahtzee back home, it's a multi-player dice game of skill and chance. Tremendously popular in Germany, I always love to play. Afterwards, news filtered through that former First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond had died suddenly at the age of 69. A huge loss to Scottish politics. He secured the referendum back in 2014.

Sunday was a family day and Nicole's brother Maik visited with his wife Jenny and their daughter Malia. Still a toddler, she amused everyone by running around constantly. Kaffee und Kuchen (coffee and cake) was served mid-afternoon, a strong German tradition. Nicole, Elias and I took an evening walk and spotted a red kite in flight, quite a common occurrence around here. Monday was much quieter, as people returned to their normal working routine. We borrowed a car and headed into Schwedt with Bärbel, who wanted to purchase an induction cooker, following a short hop over the border. The journey was around 12 miles and on the way I realised I'd forgotten my passport. It's compulsory for all people in Germany to carry ID, although the chances of being randomly stopped in the countryside are slim. Crossing an international frontier without papers however isn't a good idea and I asked Nicole to drop me off in the middle of Schwedt, arranging to meet up in half an hour. On first glance, Schwedt resembles a new town, but appearances can be deceptive. Heavily bombed in the final stages of the war, the settlement was largely rebuilt in the 1960s and new housing constructed for workers in the oil and paper industries. Many local jobs disappeared after German reunification in 1990 and the population of Schwedt fell by a quarter. Nowadays 33,000 people call the largest town in the Uckermark home. I headed for the Oder Center - a shopping complex built on a radial plan and opened in 1994. I located Nicole and her mum in Media Mart, the German equivalent of Curry's. I remember the mall thriving 20 years ago but the same challenges for this type of retail outlet exist here as in Great Britain. The pervasive nature of online shopping has drastically reduced footfall and you often walk by premises with nobody inside. Likewise, it's not difficult to find a table at the catering facilities. Speaking of which, we strolled into the Chinese noodle bar and I ordered crispy duck, washed down with mango juice. Afterwards we decamped to Café Florenz, an Italian ice-cream parlour and I had Spaghetti Eis (yes, really!). Apparently invented in Mannheim in the late 60s, the dessert resembles a plate of the famous pasta dish (achieved by using a modified potato ricer) and is topped with whipped cream and sauce (chocolate for me, naturally). I love a trip to the Oder Centre, although it is something of a novelty for me, and I don't habitually frequent shopping centres back home. We didn't have much planned for the rest of the day and I hung out with some of the cats in the central yard. Little Pepina was the friendliest. In the evening we enjoyed a few rounds of rummy. As a child and teenager, I played many card games with my family. Nowadays youngsters are probably buried in solitary screen pursuits. Is that a good thing? There was an unexpected visitor in the form of a hedgehog, who strolled in through the back door, bold as brass. The spiky intruder was wrapped in a towel and safely deposited outside.

I hadn't yet gone on a proper walk and it was time to rectify this. I consulted Open Street Map and plotted a straightforward course along a farm track to the village of Passow, three miles distant. It was a fine day and the path took me on a pleasant wander between fields. I gained some head and could appreciate the gently undulating Uckermark terrain. The rural idyll is pleasant on the eye (and ears) but scan a little deeper and the depletion of nature becomes evident. Monoculture is widespread here and modern farming machinery allows crops to be sown right up to road boundaries and in places that would have previously more difficult to reach. Safe havens for animal life are now fewer and further between. Thankfully the marshy pools on the landscape are left in peace. A tractor was doing its rounds but I saw precisely zero fellow walkers. That's a normal state of affairs in these parts. Official walking trails do exist, but it's not a popular local pastime. As I entered a short wooded stretch, I suddenly became aware of a significant increase in bird activity. Finches fluttered by I passed over a pipeline that runs from the Schwedt refinery (opened 1958) to Rostock on the Baltic Sea coast - the most principal port in the former East Germany. Passow is now bypassed by the main road to Schwedt but retains decent bus connections and a railway station. The line to Stettin in Poland is currently being upgraded and a bus replacement service is in operation. The village has 1500 inhabitants and was recently absorbed administratively into Schwedt. There are a handful of businesses: a bank, flower shop, bakery and convenience store. The post office (formerly run by Elke) has gone. Nicole went to school here. On the way back I spotted what looked like a ruined farmstead. Crumbling walls remained and piles of rubble lay inside the overgrown compound. A standing stone by the roadside bore the inscription Gut Augustenhöhe bis 1952, suggesting the place was abandoned over 70 years ago. It was good to undertake a bit of local exploring and find an old relic. I spotted a hooded crow sitting high in a tree and took a nice photograph. Back home they are distributed across northern Scotland and the whole of Ireland. On Wednesday Nicole and I returned to Schwedt and visited the smaller shopping centre - buying ourselves woollen hats - before heading across the the Altstadt. The evangelical church dominates the old quarter and an artistic street fountain stands nearby. The church was burned down in 1945 and restored over the following decades.

We popped into the tourist office and I purchased a few postcards. Across the street is an independent bookstore, which previously had a branch previously had a branch in Angermünde. I bough a tourist's guide to the Uckermark - which should give me a few ideas for future missions. In the twenty minutes we spent inside the shop, several people (including a young girl) came in to collect books they had ordered. I believe Germany has legislation to prevent supermarkets and online traders offering large discounts and undercutting traditional booksellers. It was nice to see locals making use of the facility. The picture isn't completely rosy, as the Thalia outlet in the Oder Center closed a few years ago, but any measure that prevents Amazon running rampant gets my vote. We drove out to Criewen, a small village on the River Oder. The surrounding area (on both sides of the border) forms the Unteres Odertal National Park, German's only wetland example. There is a visitor centre in Criewen which hosts an exhibition about the history of the natural flood plain landscape. The water flow along the main river channel is controlled by levees which can be opened to allow any excess to spill across the flat polders. Thick guidebooks in English and Polish (with enclosed fold-out map) were available free of charge in the visitor centre and I helped myself to one. Navigation of the Oder is conducted via a parallel canal and we crossed over before reaching a tarmac path atop a substantial embankment with commanding views, which also serves as part of the 600km Oder-Neisse cycle route. Now there's a nice little retirement walking project! The park vegetation is near-native with mixed deciduous woodlands and grasslands full of blossoming flowers. Numerous river tributaries and regularly flooded meadows make the valley a paradise for waterfowl. Almost 150 species of birds breed within the park boundaries. Fish also thrive in the many river channels. We saw cranes and great white egret in the distance. A white-tailed eagle flew overhead, now a common sight around these parts. Conservation efforts have been highly successful and the magnificent raptor is no longer regarded as endangered in Germany. Seeing them glide across their territory in search of prey is a wonderful sight. We polished off an ice cream before heading back to Schönermark. Our holiday was nearing an end and another supermarket day rolled around. In the afternoon, I ventured out with Manni, who lives in an adjacent apartment. He is a licensed hunter and we set off in his 4x4 Lada - a mixed terrain vehicle that can tackle the Uckermark landscape with ease. We traversed local tracks in varying condition and I think he was rather taken aback at my knowledge of the local area (including, of course, the dismantled railway). Nothing like a series of walks to create a good mental map! We passed the birthplace of Ehm Welk (1884-1966), an award-winning writer and journalist and Biesenbrow's most famous son. An excellent tour and Manni insisted I join him on a night-time hunt next time I'm in town.

We had originally planned to travel to Berlin and stay overnight with Madeleine and Sven, before catching our early flight back to Scotland. This changed when we learned American president Joe Biden would be in town on official state business, thereby affecting local transport connections. Elke and Bodo offer airport transfers as part of their travel business and we booked a trip for the middle of the night. It also meant we wouldn't have to find a taxi firm to collect us from Madeleine's place. Off we set at 3am and the journey progressed without incident, which couldn't be said of the airport experience. The metal detector at security let me pass through without comment but I noticed my hand luggage being placed aside after the usual x-ray procedure. I assumed they were interested in the birding scope. Imagine my surprise when the police were summoned as apparently my bag contained traces of Sprengstoff (basically explosives!). I was flummoxed but the security officer said they just needed to perform a quick analysis. Meanwhile the policeman present was jovial about the affair. I learned that certain types of hand gel can contain glycerine and this was what had triggered the alarm. Bärbel uses such a product and had handled the scope the day before. Problem solved, but I fetched a cold Cherry Coke to steady my nerves. After a night of virtually no sleep I zonked out on the plane and next thing I knew, we were back in Scotland. The bus back to Ferrytoll Park & Ride was quiet and Dolly Duster whisked us back to the house. The German goodies pictured above were stashed in our case. Another great adventure.

Paisley Doors Open Day

The month of September offers many opportunities to explore local heritage across Scotland. Each local authority organises a programme for Doors Open Day, allowing the public to tour historic buildings and other interesting locations. Having a peek behind the scenes is all part of the experience. I perused the online brochure and noticed Paisley was offering a number of venues that appealed to me as part of the Renfrewshire schedule. I took a bus to Glasgow and wandered down to Central Station, where frequent trains depart along a busy channel to Paisley Gilmour Street, a mere ten minutes away. The four-platform early-Victorian facility opened in 1840 and services fan out to Greenock, Wemyss Bay, Largs and Ayr/Stranraer.

Scotland now has eight official cities but Paisley - despite having a population of 80,000 - remains steadfastly a town. Our largest at that! I was on familiar ground as I’d undertaken a heritage walk a couple of years ago. Today's itinerary encompassed as handful of sites in the town centre, which meant the walking distances would be short. My first port of call was the Russell Institute, now a council-owned employment hub. A tour had just started as I arrived and I joined the group. The A-listed building was commissioned by Agnes Russell and donated to Paisley Burgh, as a memorial to her two bachelor brothers Robert and Thomas who had run a successful law firm in the town. Miss Russell stipulated that the building be used as a clinic for the children of Renfrewshire and placed no financial restrictions on the construction phase. Work commenced in 1924 and the project made architectural history by using the first skeleton fabric of reinforced concrete in the West of Scotland. It was clad in Blaxter Freestone from the Borders, on a base of black Aberdeen granite. The windows were arranged to provide the maximum amount of natural light without distracting from the overall external appearance and have quite imperishable bronze frames. Italian marble was used internally to embellish the large hall and main staircase. Busts of the brothers ("Rab" and "Tam") flank the first set of bannisters. The formal opening ceremony was performed by the Princess Royal in 1927 but Miss Russell unfortunately didn't live to see this event, having passed away the previous year. The property was eventually absorbed into the NHS and functioned as a medical centre until 2011, when it closed. After a few years of dereliction, Renfrewshire Council secured funding from the Scottish Government through the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund, Historic Environment Scotland to help restore the building and bring it back into public use. The tour progressed through the various rooms, some of which weren't yet incorporated into the new skills hub. The old gymnasium reminded me of my early days at Beath High School on the original campus. We were shown the ancient elevator and some of the old electrical boxes and bell systems that had been left on display. A visit to the courtyard revealed hidden entrances and disused storerooms. The whole experience really did have a behind-the-curtains feel about it. Highly enjoyable. A short walk brough me to my next destination, the imposing Paisley Abbey.

Founded around 1163 as a priory by Walter FitzAlan, High Steward of Scotland, the abbey is believed to occupy the site of a Celtic church established by St Mirin in the 6th or 7th century. Not much concrete detail is known about Mirin (c. 565 - c. 620) and it is difficult to separate fact from fable. His name lives on through the local football team St Mirren - who have had many ups and downs over the years. A Catholic cathedral church in Paisley also bears the Mirin moniker. Full abbey status was granted in 1245 - answerable only to the Pope in Rome. Under royal patronage, the institution quickly became wealthy and powerful. The abbots became power brokers in national as well as local politics, and the settlement of Paisley grew around the flourishing abbey, which became a centre of trade and learning. It is rumoured that legendary freedom fighter William Wallace was schooled here. English forces burned down the abbey in 1307 as retaliation for the fifth High Steward supporting the Scottish cause during the Wars of Independence. The church was rebuilt over the remainder of the century. The sixth Steward (Walter Stewart) married Marjory Bruce, daughter of King Robert in 1315. Marjory died at the abbey the following year after a tragic riding accident, but her baby was saved and became King Robert II of Scotland - the first of the Stewart monarchs. Our present King is descended from him. Marjory is interred at Paisley, along with the two wives of Robert II. A grand tomb marks the resting place of King Robert III, for whom Queen Victoria laid a memorial stone on her visit to the abbey in 1888. A wall plaque commemorates the six High Stewards (and their wives) who are buried within the church. Seven years prior to the Scottish Reformation of 1560, the central tower collapsed and destroyed the transepts and choir. There was no serious prospect of repair during the great religious change and the walled-off nave became the parish church of Paisley. Restoration commenced in the mid-1800s and was largely complete by 1910. A magnificent timber ceiling was added in 1981. I wandered around the cavernous church, admiring the interior architecture and stained-glass windows. I decided to climb the tower, paying £4 to a local Scout troop that was organising the experience.

Our group was given the nod to ascend the narrow spiral staircase. It was a long way to the top but worth the effort as the view across the town was stupendous. The A-listed Anchor Mill with its flame-red brick exterior (pictured right) was visible by the White Cart Water. Opened in 1886, it was home to the largest thread manufacturer in the world - J & P Coats Ltd. Industrial decline forced closure in 1980. Work began in 2003 to transform the derelict textile factory into 60 luxury apartments and an innovative business space. The £11 million refurbishment respected the original structure and style, restoring the stonework, lead trimmings, arched windows, wrought iron frame, concrete floors and central atrium. The Prince of Wales opened the restored building in 2005, much to the delight of the local community. Today, it remains an exquisite reminder of Paisley’s proud industrial past and forward-thinking future. We had around 20 minutes on the rooftop to enjoy the Paisley panorama before being led back down. It had been a great start to the day and I headed along the High Street, in search of a doorway that would take me below ground-level into to the Paisley Museum store - known locally as the Secret Collection. I was ushered down a flight of steps and a long corridor stretched ahead of me, with glass-fronted storerooms on either side. Museums often own more material than they can actually display at any one time and a diverse range of objects were featured here today. The town's textile heritage was well represented with looms, spinning equipment, printing blocks, shawls and pattern books. Paisley was also known worldwide for producing thread. Other collections were drawn from the fields of archaeology, social history, science, ceramics, natural history and world cultures. In total, around 350,000 items are held in the vaults. An interesting walk through an Aladdin's cave of treasures! The actual museum is currently undergoing a £45 million refit and is scheduled to reopen in 2025 - a couple of years later than anticipated. I shall certainly visit. I walked past the rebuilding project en route to my next destination, the John Neilson Institution - known affectionately as the Porridge Bowl due to the shape of its dome. Neilson, a Paisley merchant, set up a trust to build a boy's school for disadvantaged learners and the project was complete by 1852. Entry was granted to pupils who had lived in Paisley for a least three years, and whose parents were either poor or deceased. The school eventually moved to new premises in 1968 and the original building (now A-listed) was converted to luxury apartments in the 1990s. The central atrium (formerly the school hall) is available to view on Doors Open Day.

I gazed up at the glass dome that floods the communal space with natural light. Several doors led off to private flats and information about the building's history was posted on the walls. The centrepiece of the redevelopment is a statue of Greek philosopher Diogenes, who holds a miniature porridge bowl in his left hand. The artwork was designed by famed local sculptor Alexander Stoddart, who is a former John Neilson's pupil and currently the King's Sculptor in Ordinary for Scotland - a royal household position created by Queen Victoria in 1838. I walked downhill and passed below the railway line to reach the next venue on the list, grabbing a bite to eat on the way. Paisley Sheriff Court has occupied its current premises since 1885. Once again, a tour was just departing as I arrived and I joined the group. Quite a few families were present. An open day is a cheap excursion and I should imagine the chance to see the cells and climb aboard the paddy wagon appeals to kids. Certainly more so than old churches. We were led through the secure corridors and invited to peek through the bars. Perhaps a few temporary residents would arrive later in the evening. The secure vehicle used to transport prisoners could hold around 20 people and was decidedly cramped. Then it was up to the main courtroom to observe a mock trial and learn about the judicial process. The tour the proceeded to a grand part of the building that formerly served as the central offices for Renfrewshire County Council until 1971. The rooms are now used for small-scale hearings and various legal meetings. For my final stop of the day, I planned to combine an educational visit with some liquid refreshment. It was the first time I'd ever seen a working brewery feature on the Doors Open schedule and - moreover - the tap room would be open to visitors. An easy wander to an industrial estate on the fringes of the town centre brought me to the headquarters of Two Towns Down Brewing. This time, a tour was well in progress when I entered and I headed for the bar instead. Couldn't have timed it better! I perused the selection board and ordered myself a pint of These Streets - a 4% pale ale priced at £5.50. Twelve taps were in action and a wide variety of styles on offer, including a bought-in cider. I got chatting to the barman and found out that Two Towns Down isn't a cask-ale operation, rather high-quality keg. Arguments have raged among CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) members over recent years about the emergence of lovingly-made craft beer. My opinion on the matter is quite simple. It may not fit the strict definitions of real ale in terms of storage and dispense, but it can be bloody tasty. Good enough in my book.

Like many modern microbreweries, Two Towns Down is situated within a light industrial estate. Owner Sandy McKelvie was formerly employed at 71 Brewing Dundee, before moving back to his home turf in 2023 to establish Paisley's first new brewery in over a century. The tap room is open every Saturday from 2pm to 10pm and takeaway cans can also be purchased. I sampled a half pint of Orange Crush stout and managed to get it down before the start of the next tour was called. As a small producer, everything was contained in one room and the processes of mashing, fermenting and conditioning were explained to us. One of the large vessels had a dent in the side, apparently damaged in transit from China. The filled kegs are drained by thirsty customers on site or are sent out to the pub trade. As is the case with most new craft breweries, cans rather than bottles are the favoured method of packaging for retail outlets. I had always assumed this was to keep the weight down during transportation but - while that is a factor - the main reason is that canning machinery is cheaper to install and takes up far less space than a bottling line. Back at the bar, I tried a half pint of Mango Pale Ale (a whopping 7%) and head honcho Sandy came over for a chat. It was good to see the place doing a fairly brisk trade. Not everyone was here just for the open day. Greater Glasgow was always a tough nut for the cask ale brewers to crack. Tennent's Lager rules the roost but craft ales are finding a way into the market. Best of luck to Two Towns Down. I made my merry way back to Gilmour Street and hopped on a train to Glasgow Central. A fascinating day.

Cold War Scotland

While visiting visiting the National Museum of Scotland for the major computer gaming exhibition, I also checked out Cold War Scotland - a free display exploring the impact of this 40-year global nuclear stand-off. Scots played an active role in the eerie conflict, as soldiers within intelligence services and as part of voluntary civil defence organisations. The gallery explains how Scotland’s unique landscape provided a useful base for military preparations and research. Visitors can browse the exhibition until the end of January, 2025.

Today we can freely roam around Eas tourists and - until Brexit - we had the right and work in many countries. None of this was possible in the eastern half of the continent until the Cold War finally began to thaw in the early 90s. The landmark event was the fall of the Berlin Wall in November, 1989. I was just about to turn 18 and watched with great interest as the old regimes collapsed in several Soviet satellite states. Had I actually been East German, I would probably have been part of the last generation to face compulsory military service in the communist times. In the aftermath of WW2, tensions had risen between the USA and USSR. Alliances were formed and although the ideologically opposed superpowers did not directly declare war on each other, they supported violent conflicts in other territories around the world. The Korean War was the first major flare-up and around 1100 British personnel were killed in this theatre. Located geographically between the belligerents, Scotland was close enough to the Soviet Union to serve as a useful listening post. Many Scots soldiers were posted to bases in West Germany - a country that faced the eastern bloc. The American military established footholds in Scotland and the deep waters of the Clyde estuary (with airports and industrial facilities nearby) offered a prime location for the US Navy. In 1961,they set up shop on Holy Loch (near Dunoon) which had been used as a British submarine base during WW2. The arrival of American personnel in a sparsely populated part of the country boosted the local economy and changed the way of life in this corner of Argyll. Up in Angus, the US Navy established a listening station at the old RAF Edzell base to track Soviet military radio signals. This operation wasn’t stood down until 1997. The Royal Navy also had a presence on the Clyde. Faslane was home to nuclear hardware such as submarines and the controversial Trident missiles. A peace camp was set up outside the site boundaries in 1982 and is still in existence today, making it the longest continually occupied protest community in the world. At the height of the Cold War, Civil Defence depots were often located in out of the way places and the motorcycle pictured below was kept at Lochgilphead to enable speedy communications should an emergency arise. A national four-minute warning strategy was primed to give the public instructions in the event of an incoming nuclear attack. It wasn’t abandoned until 1992. In a strange parallel, atomic energy was touted as a clean and efficient alternative to fossil fuels. Construction began on a new power station at Chapelcross in Dumfriesshire. It produced nuclear power between 1959 and 2004 and is currently undergoing a lengthy decommissioning process, with final site clearance planned for the 2090s! Dounreay in Caithness hosted a similar generating complex and this led to the population of Thurso trebling to 9000. Russian factory ships were regular visitors to Scotland’s northern and western ports, purchasing fishing catches to be processed.

The implosion of the Soviet Union in 1991 signalled the end of the Cold War. Many structures survive around Scotland and the Secret Bunker near Crail (Fife) is now a major tourist attraction. Had nuclear war broken out, key government figures would have run Scotland from the underground chambers. This all seems like another world nowadays, but the threat was very real while it lasted. An informative little exhibition that is worth checking out.