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I❤️EK

I Heart EK by Anne Ward

I❤️EK is a tribute to East Kilbride, Scotland’s first new town. I worked there for a few years and admired it everyday from the top deck of a bus. It’s a surprisingly colourful place, with lots of green space and fantastic buildings.

Ladies toilet sign, East Kilbride

Some of the original details are still there, but they are increasingly being erased as buildings get upgraded, or demolished in some cases. This book features many of these modernist moments – original signs and lettering, colourful decoration – collected over the last 20 years.

Two yellow doors, East Kilbride

It took me a long time to finish this book, as I kept going back to take more photos. No regrets though – every time I would wander a little further and find another interesting scene. Some of these places have changed beyond recognition now, but it’s still a great place to wander and soak up the new town optimism.

Westwood Baptist Church, East Kilbride

An added bonus of taking these photos was having some of them used by Roddy Frame (one of EK’s famous musical sons) as a backdrop to his performance of High Land, Hard Rain at Glasgow Concert Hall in 2013. A dream come true for a teenage Aztec Camera fan.

I❤️EK is an A5 photobook containing 60 full colour photographs. It is fifth in a series of photobooks and costs £10 including UK P+P.

Buy now.

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A choppy trip to Arran

Crew In/Out Board on the M.V. Isle of Arran

First ferry trip of the year on the only operating Arran ferry (for now).

View from the M.V. Isle of Arran on the way to Brodick

Choppiest crossing I’ve ever experienced but it was full of rainbows.

Top deck of the M.V. Isle of Arran on the way from Ardrossan to Brodick

Quite, er, lively on the top deck. My face was salty and my hair was solid by the time we got to Brodick.

Tail of the M.V. Isle of Arran on the way from Ardrossan to Brodick

So many bright colours. Wouldn’t change it for the world!

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Irvine – to the beach

Gottries Road, Irvine

Following on from the first bits of Irvine, I walked from Puffers Cafe towards the coast, via the edge of the Scottish Maritime Museum. This whole area was regenerated in the 1990s with some substantial Georgian-style buildings.

Lost Child Wrist Bands Available Here, Irvine

Past Boyd’s Automatic Tide Signalling Apparatus, there is a cracking big beach. It was wet and windy, so I stuck to the beach park – a wide open area in between the beach and the town that feels like it’s waiting for the fair to arrive.

Crazy Golf, Irvine Beach Park

I watched a crowd of widgeon on the pond, caught a rare Pokemon, and walked around the crazy golf course.

Crazy Golf, Irvine Beach Park

The old, properly crazy golf courses seem to be disappearing or turning into ‘adventure’ golf, so I’m always happy to find a relic. There didn’t seem to be a way of playing without bringing your own clubs, but maybe it springs to life in the summer.

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Bits of Irvine

For attention press & hold

I went to Irvine to look for an owl. I heard there were some on the nature reserve beside the golf course.

Brick wall

I couldn’t find the nature reserve, or any owls, so I walked into town along the river.

Burst footballs

Irvine has a great mix of new town/old town/maritime/beach. And an old industrial site full of burst footballs.

Dirty boat, Irvine

The old boats looked striking in the winter light. This was near Puffers Cafe, one of my favourite places to sit and watch birds.

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The last of Islay

Claire from Lussa Gin gave us a tip-off about the Islay Woollen Mill, which is just off the main road to Port Askaig.

Started in 1883 and still going strong, the mill supplies high-end tailors in Savile Row and further afield.

It is most famous for weaving the tweed used in Braveheart and other big name Hollywood productions. Their fabrics are produced on two traditional Dobcross looms and shipped all over the world.

The vibe inside is distinctly down-to-earth – an old building with lots of character filled with old looms, yarn cones, rolls of fabric and weaving paraphernalia, all higgledy-piggledy.

Lucky visitors can get an impromptu tour from the owners and try out the big scissors.

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The Library in the Forest

Eas Mor Library on the Isle of Arran

This is Eas Mor Library on the isle of Arran. It’s a little log cabin in a forest beside a waterfall.

Eas Mor Library interior, Isle of Arran, Scotland

The library is filled with books and messages left by visitors over the years.

There are drawings, messages and all kinds of wisdom, from inspirational quotes to ‘We saw a jellyfish’.

Eas Mor Library, Isle of Arran, Scotland - Drink vodka

It was created by Eas Mor Ecology who are working hard to enhance the beautiful area around the Eas Mor waterfall.

The path to Eas Mor Library, Isle of Arran, Scotland

It’s a steep (but fairly short) hike to the top on well-kept paths. There’s a circular route, which is also a steep hike down in places, depending on which route you take.

Eas Mor is 1-2 miles from Kildonan in the south of Arran. There is a car park and a bus stop near the entrance just off the A841. A cafe is planned for the summer.

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A Day on Jura: part 2 – Something To See Here

Knockrome Library, Isle of Jura

Following on from A Day on Jura: part 1 – Nothing To See Here. Once you’re out of Craighouse (the main town on Jura) there’s virtually nothing there, and what is there is often out of bounds.

Barnhill, where George Orwell wrote 1984 is beyond the end of the public road, as is Corryvreckan, the third largest whirlpool in the world. Jura is covered in private estates, so we couldn’t see where the KLF burnt a million quid (YouTube) either. Ah well!

Lussa Gin, Ardlussa, Jura

At the end of the road we did find Lussa Gin, a gin distillery run by three local women. Claire, who kindly gave us a tour first came to Jura with the KLF. There’s not much work for women on Jura, so three friends started Lussa Gin.

Locally grown botanicals for Lussa Gin

The botanicals are all grown locally (right outside the door!) and it tastes gorgeous.

Tea on the Beach sign, Inverlussa, Isle of Jura

Claire recommended Tea on the Beach at Inverlussa.

Tea on the Beach, Ardlussa, Isle of Jura

It’s a horse box converted into a tea room with a selection of freshly-made cakes and an honesty box, run by local school kids. A lovely place to stop before the ferry back to Islay.

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New book: Sign Here

Sign Here, a photobook about signs by Anne Ward

A new book, called Sign Here is now available in the shop. It’s the fourth in a series of photobooks – a collection of signs – old and new, from the hand-lettered and beautifully drawn, to the idiosyncratic and frankly falling-apart. This was the first book I started laying out, as I like signs and have been photographing them for years, but for some reason the other three books jumped the queue.

Here are some favourites:

St Boniface Kirk sign, Papa Westray, Orkney
Papa Westray, Orkney

Blue plaque: Mrs Humphrey's House - Temporary Hospital for scurvy ridden whale men who had been trapped in the ice for months
Stromness, Orkney
Gym sign, Dalmarnock
Dalmarnock, Glasgow
No Parking: Children's Play Area
Wanlockhead

Sign Here is £8 including UK P+P.