POLITICS AND ART
After an early but bright start on Tuesday 29 September, some 40 members travelled to Edinburgh to visit the Scottish Parliament building and the Queen’s Gallery.
Alex Fergusson MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries welcomed the group in one of the committee rooms. Over tea and coffee he described his political career, including his term as Presiding Officer which he considered a privilege. However he has decided that he will not stand again at the election next year. He explained that the Parliament building was constructed on the site of a former brewery and as was obvious was a very complicated building but also incorporated Queensberry House, a Scottish vernacular building. The architect Enric Miralles died before the building was completed but the work was taken over by his wife and of course as was well known there was a massive cost overrun compared with the original estimate provided by Donald Dewar.
Mr Fergusson then escorted the group to the debating chamber where members were only too pleased to sit in MSP’s seats! He explained that the main parliamentary business days are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons but these debating sessions must finish at 5.00 pm which unfortunately had the result of curtailing the time for debates on important issues. However much of the important work of the Parliament is carried on in the various committees. A record of what is said in the debating chamber is recorded on video, by sound recording from the members’ microphones and by stenographers and is available the next day on the web. The recording of voting by members is also published.
The next visit was to Mr Fergusson’s office which most felt was very cramped even allowing for the “think pod”.
Over a sandwich lunch, Dr Howard Brown thanked Mr Fergusson for his welcome, the time he had devoted to the visit and for answering all the questions – something he said was so unusual for MSPs!!
The group then went across to the Queen’s Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse to admire the paintings and other works in the exhibition, Scottish Artists 1750 to 1900. The paintings included portraits by Allan Ramsay of King George III and other members of the Royal family; The Penny Wedding by Sir David Wilkie; Flock of Sheep in a Blizzard by Joseph Farquharson; and watercolours by David Roberts of his visits to the East including one of the Treasury, Petra included in a book with a description of his visit.
This was a very enjoyable outing again organised by Helen Henderson.