Posts From Jane Livingstone

Hinterland: celebrating a Scottish modernist masterpiece

In March, Hinterland will mark the official launch of Scotland’s Festival of Architecture with a night-time event at St Peter’s Seminary In Cardross, the UK’s first modernist ruin and a masterpiece of Scottish architecture. Audiences will walk through woodland to discover the ruined concrete seminary which will be re-animated by light installations and a specially commissioned choral work by composer Rory Boyle. This unique event has created by Glasgow-based public art

Architecture Guide #5: Buckets and Spades

Forget images of seasides, sunshine and sand: I’m an architect so when we use buckets and spades it’s usually because we’ve seen a hole that needs filling. If I were a planner or an Architect (note the capital ‘A’) I might refer to ‘tears in the urban fabric requiring repair’. But that’s too pretentious even for me. What I’m alluding to is the constant process – sometimes gentle, sometimes brutal

People in Glasshouses: Pittencrieff Park spruced up for spring

Pittencrieff Park’s famous glasshouses are now open after extensive refurbishment as part of the Park’s Heritage Lottery Funded restoration project. Glass has been repaired, flooring upgraded and new lighting and heating installed. Originally built in 1973 on the site of old conservatories, the 200ft glasshouses are divided into three sections. The main floral hall, with its wooden gazebo over the running stream and its regal display of plants, creates an exotic,

Vogue covers ‘upscale’ wedding and it’s nuts

Here’s a great little commentary by Em Rusciano on a real wedding that was recently featured in Vogue. The article originally appeared in news.com.au:  “YOU know when you read something that is so utterly, stupendously ridiculous on so many levels, that you inevitably come full circle, and end up sitting in quiet admiration of its very existence? Vogue Weddings provided such an experience for me when they covered the wedding

Stewart Soutar at Fire Station Creative

An exhibition of Stewart Soutar’s work, Return to Netherskoor opens this Friday at Fire Station Creative and sees the 63 year old artist revisit an imaginary island he created some time ago. Soutar is based in West Kilbride but says his childhood in Arbroath had a major impact on him, inspiring him to paint the sea, land and changing weather conditions. The exhibition runs until 14 February.

Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2016!

Farewell to 2015 which, for the Avocado Sweet team, has been one of new jobs, travel, studying, babies, puppies and of course lots of interesting things happening locally which we’ve enjoyed sharing with our readers. Big thanks to everyone who has supported the magazine this year. We’re excited to see it continue to grow and have loads of new ideas for 2016. We’re signing off now for Christmas but we’ll be back

Local Christmas shopping guide #5: Local heroes

Well here we are , it’s almost time for us to sign off for Christmas and we’ve reached the final post in our local shopping guide. Today we are celebrating local heroes, the unique, independent shops, products and experiences to be discovered on our own doorstep. As with each instalment of the guide, the list is not exhaustive but, we hope, enough to inspire you to shop in, support and

Local Christmas shopping guide #4: home and hearth

For many people, a gift for the home is the best type of Christmas present and luckily there are lots of interesting homewares made and sold locally that may just fit the bill. C20 Home is a fantastic new showroom in Dunfermline where collector David Walker sells mid-century classic furniture and home accessories including this gorgeous 1950s Finnish carafe and glass set, 1960s Lotus Pottery bulls, elegant white 1950s china

Local Christmas Shopping Guide #2: art and craft

Unless you’re buying for Alex Salmond, it’s too late to commission a full size portrait of your loved one for this Christmas but all of the artists and makers featured here offer commissions and vouchers for their work which would make an exciting start to 2016 for anyone lucky enough to receive one. Pictured above is a typically vivid piece by celebrated illustrator Jill Calder. Calder is based in Cellardyke