The repairs to 8 Kersland Street had involved stripping everything back to the bare bones, so it took a while before the interior was restored and redecorated so that it felt like a home again instead of somewhere you just camped out while you waited for the storm to pass. Sadly, Dad’s painstaking work on the lounge cornicing didn’t survive and was one of many features needing the attention of a plasterer. But there could be no regrets, no looking back. Central heating was installed, a new shower room downstairs, a new cooker in the kitchen. Some of us (not me I’m afraid) helped out with the decorating, and in particular, my sister Mary’s flair for interior design did much to give the house a fresh new face.
I’m not sure where the idea came from, but after she retired (ridiculous notion!) Mum hit upon the idea of becoming a theatrical landlady. She’d already been quite used to having waifs and strays stay in the house for varying lengths of time (yes, even in the throes of the repair work!). Sometimes it would be one of us needing a place to stay while our lives were in transition in one way or another, or just coming home for a visit, families in tow. Sometimes a friend, or a friend of a friend needed a bed for a night or three. There was plenty of room and Mum just took it for granted that we’d come and stay in the old family home when we were in Glasgow.
Anyway, she signed up with the accommodation registers of the BBC, STV and various Glasgow theatres, bought the Visitors Book you can see above, and in 1994 launched herself and the house on a new career. The next 14 years saw a succession of musicians, artists and actors who came from all over the UK, and indeed the world, to perform in Glasgow. They would enter their names and where they came from in the Visitors Book, and often add a comment or two or a note about what had brought them to Glasgow, from cast members of Evita at the King’s Theatre to artists from Slovenia stopping off for the Glasgow stage of their European tour – next stop Berlin!
As you flick through close on 70 pages of visitors, you quickly see that many of Mum’s guests came back time and time again. When you look at the comments you start to understand that it wasn’t just because of the house’s proximity to the BBC studios at Queen Margaret Drive (literally 5 minutes away) or the short trip into town to reach the King’s or the Theatre Royal.
‘Thanks for the fry-ups, I’ll be back! A welcome return, lovely warm room – many long discussions over cups of tea. Such a wonderful refuge and warm welcome. Many thanks as always for tolerating my quirks and seeming inability to use a wardrobe! Thank you so much, I felt so at home. Hope to return, would not dream of staying anywhere else. Fantastic poached eggs and even better conversation. Ellen it’s a pleasure to meet you, I’m so glad you enjoyed the show and that I have got myself a granny…
As you can see, Mum didn’t just give them bed and breakfast and send them on their way; she had the knack of making them feel at home simply by being genuinely interested in them, in their lives. With her great love of culture, she was in her element interacting with artistic people and would often attend the shows or concerts where they were performing, especially if they could wangle a complementary ticket for her! I’m sure the catering side of things was no bother to her, having been used to running a household of eight, and I know from the many favourable comments that the guests appreciated very much the good, simple home-made fare, poached eggs a speciality! Conveniently, a small laundrette had opened in the premises on the other side of the lane, so the laundry was a breeze as she could just pop a bag of sheet and pillowcases in for a service wash and pick it up later in the day, all ready for the next visitor.
Intrigued by the entries in the book, daughters, grandchildren and partners started writing comments too when they came to stay or even just have tea with her, “Not so much a daughter as a visitor now”; “It’s like coming home!”; “Just wanted to sign the book, love you Granny.” “Thank you for tea and biscuits.” “I only come for the rich tea biscuits.” We all signed the book when we got together for a party to celebrate her 80th birthday in 2003. Grace wrote “Happy Birthday, Mum. Here’s to radiant days.” and Ann: “The Trossachs, a party, all in one day – what stamina! Love and kisses”. I remember we were all most amused when we weren’t allowed to put up any cards or banners with “80” on them as she didn’t want the guests to know how old she was!
Mum’s Hynes relatives from Ireland also signed when they came to stay and we see regular visits from Rita and Bobby Aird who’d gone to live in Inverness years before after being neighbours round the corner in Vinicombe Street. Mum used to go and stay with them sometimes in Inverness. They had a strong bond.
Those were busy years for the house, always someone coming or going, bringing news from the world, updating their story from the last visit, adding colour and vibrancy and companionship; keeping Mum occupied with the bookings, the shopping, the room preparation. She embraced all comers, and one by one they fell under her spell and felt that 8 Kersland Street was a home from home and not just some anonymous digs which had to be endured until the end of their engagement.
But don’t just take my word for it. I’ve been in touch with one of those guests (just googled her and up she popped!) On the 21st of March 1994, Lauren Bullingham, later Scott, a harpist from London, was the first visitor to sign her name in the Visitor’s Book, and was one of the most frequent guests in the years that followed. Further down that first page is one Andrew Scott…
“Andy and I had only just met when I first started working in Glasgow and staying with your mum, so it was just at the start of our relationship. Lauren tells me that she and Andy met when they were both freelancing with the Halle Orchestra in Manchester, “playing – wait for it – Romeo and Juliet!” It was obviously written in the stars! Andy and Lauren settled in Cheshire, where I think they are to this day. Have a look at Lauren’s website or her blog if you want to know more about her career as a harpist, composer and teacher: http://www.lauren-scott-harp.co.uk, http://www.lauren-scott-harp.co.uk/harpyness.
I absolutely loved staying at your Mum’s house. Very happy times. My husband stayed with her too, she was very significant in our lives at the time as I did quite a bit of work at that time with the BBC SSO and always stayed with her, and my husband (although we weren’t married then) did the odd bit of work with the orchestra as well. At that time there weren’t many (pedal) harpists living in Scotland which was why I was always being asked to travel up from Cheshire. I stopped working regularly in Scotland when I had my kids, but I do remember going up at least once to work with my son as a baby (he’s 23 now!) and I think when we were on a family holiday we stopped off at your mums for tea when we had both kids. So she did get to meet our kids. I did work for a while in Glasgow when the kids were babies (and left them at home with family to look after) and just enjoyed being able to sleep! Your mum was so lovely and sweet and always went out of her way to look after me, and my husband when he was up working in Scotland. We did try to keep in touch with Christmas cards for a few years…
That 1996 entry (Lauren, Stanley and Linda) is when my mum came up with me with my son (Stan) and she looked after him whilst I was at work. Stan was born in April 1996 so he must have been only a few months old. My mum passed away nearly 10 years ago now. Andy and I always called your mum “Mrs M” which used to make her chuckle I think. And we had a lot of fun diving to the grill – one of those eye level ones above a gas cooker as your mum was forever forgetting about the toast. She always insisted we sat down in the kitchen whilst she made breakfast for us, but whilst chatting would forget about the toast. Hence there was always this dash to save the toast. It became a running joke. She was a real diamond your mum.
How did you find her? I asked the BBC for a recommendation and they gave me her number. Music world is quite small really. I always recommended music friends to go to her if they were in Glasgow, and likewise I imagine everyone else did too.
Your mum was always very sociable and caring and was like a surrogate Granny. One more thing – your mum was forever pottering about, EXCEPT when the snooker was on the TV!
You know, I had intended to talk in this post about the changes that were going on in Hillhead at this time, but I’ve been totally diverted by delving into that fascinating Visitors book, so let’s leave that for the next time. Today, 4 March, would have been Mum’s 96th birthday, and it seems rather fitting on this day to celebrate that interesting time in the life of the house when she became a surrogate granny to Lauren and many other artistes who came looking for a bed for the night and found so much more. I’ll ask Lauren to play us out with the haunting old Irish melody I Love My Love in the Morning. Mum would have loved this.
Mum's Marbles 