If you have heard of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and recognise his style, then, like me, you will want to visit the Willow Tea Rooms in Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow. Sauchiehall is Gaelic for ‘Alley of Willows’ and is the inspiration behind the building. The very distinctive patterns he incorporated into his designs are beautiful in their own right, but when you consider that he was born in the 1800’s, the clean, almost stark lines were way ahead of their time.
The tea room was designed entirely by Mackintosh, including the building which houses it. Every detail was included from the tables and chairs down to the teaspoons – and even the dresses worn by the waitresses were designed by him. I found it hard to concentrate on the food surrounded by so much of this living art. As it happens, the traditional Scottish cakes and tea were delicious too and the whole experience was a delight.
By Yvonne Shaw. Yvonne has been with PerryGolf for over 10 years and is a member of our admin team.
