A Trip to Mackintosh at the Willow
Written by Shakya Serasinghe
Last week, we went on an exciting trip to Mackintosh at the Willow in Sauchiehall Street, much thanks to the wonderful staff who gave us a tour and spoiled us to some tea and cakes.
After bit of a scavenger hunt to find each other at the Central Station, 16 of us made our way to Mackintosh at the Willow. We were warmly greeted upon our arrival and invited to browse the exhibition near the entrance. We couldn't resist having a giggle while trying on some vintage outfits!
The exhibition had a world map that caught some of our attention, we took a moment to explore where we come from and mark our hometowns on the map. One member of our group, Lie, noticed the familiar chinaware on display and eagerly examined the intricate patterns.
As we explored the building, starting from the ground floor, our guide did a great job explaining to us Charles Rennie Mackintosh's vision. Of course, we had to admire Mackintosh's striking moustache, and we unanimously agreed that he was a very handsome man.
Inspired by Japanese architecture, particularly shoji, the fabric walls inside the tearoom created dancing shadows, mimicking a bustling atmosphere. Our guide explained to us that the rising wooden structures throughout the building formed the trunk of the willow tree, and various chandeliers and decorations represented the falling branches.
We explored the women’s room on the third floor, which was bright and adorned with fancy furniture. Here, we learned that tea rooms became safe havens for women to gather without the need for male protection (or surveillance some might say). In contrast, the men’s room had a darker, moodier atmosphere. Throughout the building, we found hats and outfits to try on, which added to the immersive experience and made us giggle the entire time.
I asked a few Sundanese ladies their thoughts on Kate Cranston. They were impressed to learn that she was reputed as the first businesswoman of Glasgow. We chuckled at her eccentric style, she wore outdated gowns, perhaps vintage fashion by today's standards. The guide explained that Kate Cranston was a prominent businesswoman, who established a chain of tea rooms during the late 19th-century tea-room movement. The burgeoning Temperance Movement in Scotland from the 1830s onwards also played a significant role in popularising tea rooms, they provided men with alcohol-free spaces to gather and converse.
As we moved from one beautiful room to another, I also took the time to quietly reflect on what was missing and selectively erased from the presented narrative of Mackintosh at the Willow. Something I and many other people of colour notice, when we visit museums and sites with historic value in the west.
I grew up in Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon under British colonial rule, an island off the coast of Southern India. I have vivid memories of visiting upcountry tea plantations during my childhood, the climate up there was cooler, similar to British summers.
The British introduced tea production to Sri Lanka in the mid-19th century after a fungal disease decimated coffee plantations. The colonisers brought in Malayaga Tamil laborers from South India as indentured workers, essentially enslaved people, to work on plantations. Even today, the descendants of these indentured laborers continue to play a crucial role in plucking and processing the tea we consume. Take a look at these articles:
At 104 years old, Muththu Theyvaney's story chronicles the journey she made from India to Sri Lanka
It was hard to ignore that all this wealth and grandiosity was once fuelled by a violent history of enslavement, the beginnings of racial capitalism. It was frightening to see the stark contrast between sites of extraction on the island and sites of consumption here in Glasgow. The lovely staff at Mackintosh at the Willow did let us know that they were working on exploring colonial ties to the site.
We concluded the tour with some crafts, and tasty ginger cake, tea, and coffee served to us on beautiful chinaware. It felt like we had travelled back in time, or perhaps reclaimed the past, as historically black and brown people were confined only to sites of extraction. Yet, here we were, in the 21st century, enjoying a cup of tea at Mackintosh at the Willow, thanks to the efforts of the organisation in facilitating community visits and outreach. We all had a wonderful time!
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Mackintosh at the Willow staff for their hospitality and for making our visit so enjoyable. You can find more at :Mackintosh at the Willow
Kim Supajirawatananon and Shakya Seresinghe act as the overall contributors for the blog, pitching article ideas, putting together articles, posting, and making small edits. We also run a peer-writers project on the side, where creatives from the wider community support the blog through editing, interpretation, translations etc. This blog is a collective effort, and we thank everyone for their contributions.
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Thank you very much
Yes ended it was a wonderful time 😊