Scottish Jewellery and antiques

Jewellery is just on my mind at the moment and to the point, engagement rings. My freind Murdo McLeod has suffered at least one of my weddings and I have just asked him if he can track down a nice engagement ring, one with a large soltaire diamond so that every man that sees it on Graca's finger will know that she is spoken for. I am forever the romantic and Murdo's shop in the heart of Edimburgh as always got that Scottish Highland romance when you enter, he is now trying to move some of the sales work to the internet and this will hopefully give everyone out there the chance to buy some nice old Scottish items as well as jewellery. Murdo is a charming fellow that is trully Scottish, born on the Isle of Skye and very much still having that soft lilt to his voice, guarantied to capture the hearts of most women, he has had a shop at the bottom of Victoria Street, near the Castle and next to the Old Bow Well, which also was next to the gallows of old Edinburgh, an area full of old buildings and drenched in history. Here is the history of

Bow Well Antiques

Bow Well Antiques takes its name and logo from the Bow Well, the public well and drinking fountain which stands at the junction of the West Bow and the Grassmarket in Edinburghs old Town in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle.

The well was erected in 1674 and repaired in 1861 at the expense of Richardson Brothers snuff grinders and tobacco merchants who occupied the building in which Bow Well Antiques have traded since 1989. The Building is one of very few Scottish Knights Templer buildings still in existence .

In 1998 Murdo Mcleod bought out his business partner and continued to as sole owner assisted by his son Alasdair. Bow Well Antiques has always specialised in Scottish antiques and highland dress with a strong accent on smaller items such a pottery glass and especially SCOTTISH AGATE JEWELLERY , HIGHLAND DRESS and accessories, the unusual and interesting and the curious.

Murdo Mcleod has researched the history of Scottish Agate jewellery from original sources looking into the inspiration and basis of the design, the manufacturers, lapidary's and silversmiths working in this trade .

passions returning

These last few weeks have had some very strange events and left me in some what of a quandary over my direction and emotional sense. A few weeks ago I had been looking after the house and visiting Mike's mother, she was ageing at 91 and I went in the evening to give her some extra company more than assistance, she seemed to cope, all be it with some difficulty, however that changed rapidly the other week and she died, leaving us all in some what of a shocked state, some of the family having flown large distances to see her before she died, which most thankfully did manage. Valerie was the Queen's 'nose gay' for many years, I think near 40 years, an artist who painted and also carved, a keen surrealist and a lady that had great mental vitality even at the end. The funeral was a very modest affair and very sad to be with friends seeing their loss and grieving, lightened I must say by the grand children's obvious love and appreciation of their grand mother and their entertaining speeches covering what they had learnt from their closeness to such an interesting lady. I had planed to go to France for some three months work but the death of Valerie and Mike's work beforehand, rather meant that nothing had got sorted out until last Thursday, when Mike and I travelled to France and had contact with the architect and builder for his house there.










I had been some what involved whilst I was in Brazil with designing a staircase for the house in France as well as some large double doors for the library and front entrance, along with my now evolving relationship with Graca, it had all been a lot of passion and optimism, I was looking forward to being in France and getting a new workshop set up but the real down side for me was the separation I new I would have from Graca, this I thought would be somewhat eased by the knowledge that she was going to Ouro Preto for 18 months on a course for restoration of paintings, truly for me an ideal subject and one that I have readily given my support to. The trouble is that with the events of the funeral, along with the memories of my mothers death earlier this year, I started to feel that the work in France was about to unwind , leaving me with almost nothing to do there, I had very little other work planned, that which I had planned before hand also disappeared, along with the feeling that having come back to the UK on a wild goose chase I had left back in Brazil what now felt I needed more than any work, that of Graca's company, suddenly it seemed to be the most stupid decision to leave when I could have been there to help her with the new course and make some new real direction for us to travel.












The meeting last Thursday, along with many emails that Graca has sent me over the weeks, with her calm and clear attitude has made the whole of the last few weeks come back to a positive and hopeful situation, creating once again some brave new venture that we can travel together. I had thought for many years that this kind of emotional roller coaster had past me by and that I was just able to calmly plan my life but I am in some ways glad to see the turmoil return and the passions flow once more, a sense of living the Brazilian life and not exsisting just to clear the gas and electricity bills.
Whilst in France Mike and I met up with our friends the Dareau's who have a small holding and riding school near to St Puy and have really been the reason for Michael's attention going to the Gers as a possible location for living in France permanently, Michael Dareau and his wife Marece have been in France for a number of years now with the main intention of helping their daughters run a fine riding school.

time passes slowly

I feel I should be appologetic for the lack of input into my blog at the moment, I am now in Scotland and working again, temporarly that is, so it is more difficult to find time to sit and think about writing. Here is one letter that I received today from my eldest brother, he and my brothers are still in the process of sorting out probate after my mother's death and then we will be involved in the dismantling of my mothers affairs and its repercusions for the family, if that is the true state of being , I am sure there is little to ripple the waters and more to feel the soft undercurrent that she has left for us. I am sure there are many well formulated letters that have been left for the reading of by those that have passed away, yet I would like to share this simple letter that my mother as left for my brothers, family and I.
Marjorie M Simkins to be included in the reading of my will.
My dear sons,daughter in laws and grand children, when this letter is read out I shall no longer be on this Earth but with you in spirit.
Thank you for all the years of love, happiness and support, as the happiness you gave being my children I cannot ever repay, I know your father felt the same.
please always keep in touch with one another and show kindness and understanding, as the love of a family is the most precious thing in the World.
Have faith and God will guide you through the dark days, so until we meet, God bles you xxxx

No Portugues
Marjorie M Simkins a ser incluído na leitura de minha vontade.
Meus caros filhos, filha nas leis e crianças grandes, quando esta letra é lido para fora mim já não serão nesta terra mas com você no espírito.
Obrigado por todos os anos de amor, felicidade e a sustentação, como a felicidade você deu ser minhas crianças mim não pode nunca reembolsado, mim sabe que seu pai sentiu o mesmos.
por favor permaneça em contato sempre um com o outro e mostre a bondade e a compreensão, porque o amor de uma família é a coisa a mais preciosa no mundo.
Tenha a fé e o deus guiará o com os dias escuros, assim que até que nós nos encontremos, abençoe do deus você xxxx