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To mark International Women's Day, Nicky visits one of the most extraordinary pieces of Scottish history currently on public display, the last letter ever written by Mary Queen of Scots.

Written in the early hours of 8th February 1587, just hours before her execution at Fotheringhay Castle, the letter is now on free display at Perth Museum until 26th April 2026, the first time it has been displayed north of Edinburgh in modern times.

Nicky reflects on what it feels like to stand in front of this remarkable piece of history, the composure of Mary's handwriting, and why her words still resonate more than 400 years later.

🏛️ Perth Museum - Free admission 📅 Open until 26th April 2026 ⏰ Last admission 4.40pm Mon-Sat | 3.40pm Sunday

📚 AK Bell Library, Perth - Linked display Burns' Lament of Mary Queen of Scots & Liz Lochhead manuscripts ⏰ Tue-Thu 10am-4pm | Sat 9.30am-1pm

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In the centre of Tron Square stands a dry but dignified landmark, the Alexander Martin Memorial Fountain, gifted to Dunning in 1874 by a villager who built a new life across the Atlantic. 

Today, it’s more than stone and plaque; it’s a reminder of connection across oceans and time.

But Dunning is not just its past. From the sound of kids on the green to chatter in the pub and the rhythms of village life, this walk weaves together history and the present. The fountain anchors the story,  but it’s the people who keep the village alive.

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In this episode, Fiona Clason, from the University of Stirling Art Collection, talks us through the stories behind the collection, its purpose, its people, and its mission, before diving into the history and significance of Mary Martin’s Wall Construction.

Fiona shares:

• How the University’s art collection began and what makes it unique
• Why art on campus matters for students, staff, and visitors
• How Mary Martin’s Wall Construction came to Stirling
• What makes the piece stand out within the wider collection
• How abstract art communicates through structure, rhythm, and space
• The ongoing work of preservation, interpretation, and community engagement

This episode opens up the world behind the artwork, the decisions, the care, and the conversations that keep collections alive.

You can find out more about the University's art collection here https://www.stir.ac.uk/about/art-collection/

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In this episode, In this episode, writer Francesca Flowers reflects on her father, photographer Adrian Flowers, and the time he spent in the studios of Mary and Kenneth Martin during the 1950s.
Her words are read by Zoe, bringing warmth and clarity to this beautifully written historical insight.

We follow Adrian’s visits to the Martins’ London studio, his fascination with constructionist and abstract art, and the photographs that captured Mary Martin’s quiet intensity and self-effacing presence.

This episode explores:

• Adrian Flowers’ relationship with the post-war art scene
• His photographs of Mary & Kenneth Martin in their studio (1955 onwards)
• How the Martins built upon St Ives modernism
• Mary’s mathematically structured, minimal, rigorous practice
• The creation of Environment for This Is Tomorrow (1956)
• The gifted work Expanding Form and the 1984 Tate retrospective
• Mary Martin’s lasting impact on British modernism

A thoughtful intersection of photography, art history, and personal memory,  giving rare context to a crucial moment in post-war British abstraction.

You can find out more about Adrian Flowers here https://adrianflowersarchive.com/

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Artist Audrey Grant joins me for a reflective, quietly powerful conversation about Mary Martin’s Wall Construction and the deeper artistic ideas that run through both women’s work.

Audrey shares how she approaches Wall Construction, the geometry, the stillness, the discipline, the invitation to slow down. We talk about the connections between Mary Martin’s ordered structures and Audrey’s own practice, particularly her interest in presence, attention, and the emotional weight of space.

In this episode we explore:

• What makes Wall Construction such a magnetic work
• How Mary Martin balances precision with feeling
• Why Audrey is drawn to silence, stillness and repetition
• The shared language between their practices
• What happens when you really look at an artwork, without rushing

A thoughtful, intimate episode for anyone who loves abstraction, process, and the hidden layers inside art.

You can find out more about Audrey and her work here https://www.audreygrant.co.uk/

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On the night of January 28th, 1716, Dunning was burning.

As Jacobite troops from the Earl of Mar’s army retreated through Strathearn, they set fire to villages along the way. 

Thirty-three families lost their homes, and at least three villagers died in the bitter cold that followed. 

Out of the destruction came two enduring landmarks: the Thorn Tree in the village square, planted later that spring, and the Straw House, said to have survived through a clever bluff. 

In this short walk, we trace how fire, loss, and survival left their mark on Dunning. 

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In this episode, I speak with Paul Martin, son of the artist Mary Martin, about her life, her process, and the story behind Wall Construction, one of the most iconic works in the University of Stirling Art Collection.

We talk about:

• Whether Mary ever visited the University during the commission
• How Mary approached abstraction, simplicity, and the idea that “the work should explain itself”
• Paul’s childhood memories of growing up immersed in the art world
• The Belfast hospital commission and the surprising story of what eventually happened to it
• The legacy Mary Martin left, both as an artist and as a mother
• How the family navigated the balance between art, architecture, and everyday life

This conversation is a rare and intimate insight into Mary Martin’s work from someone who lived inside that world.
 It offers history, humour, and a deeper understanding of the ideas behind her constructions.

Mentioned in this episode:
Toby Paterson, Douglas Hall, Matilda Mitchell, Sam Gathercole, the This Is Tomorrow exhibition, and the University of Stirling Art Collection.

🎧 Listen and discover the story behind one of the university’s most compelling artworks.

Image  © Art UK / University of Stirling Art Collection 

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 In the heart of Dunning stands St Serf’s Church, its tower dating back to the 1200s. But the stories it carries go much further: a local legend of a saint and a dragon, and a sandstone cross carved more than 1,200 years ago. In this short walk we explore how myth and history overlap, from St Serf’s victory over the beast to the Dupplin Cross and its royal inscription. 

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What can a first impression reveal about an artwork that rewards slow looking?
 Sometimes the simplest response opens the most interesting door.

In this episode, I speak with Ally Wallace, an artist known for his observational drawings, animations, and explorations of everyday structures. His response to Mary Martin’s Wall Construction begins with instinct rather than theory, and this starting point leads into a wider reflection on how we meet abstract work for the first time.

Ally discusses the clarity and restraint in Martin’s approach, the way architectural form influences artistic thinking, and why certain works hold your attention without demanding it. His perspective brings a grounded, human quality to understanding Martin’s legacy: not just as a figure of constructivism, but as an artist whose work continues to move people quietly and directly.

This episode forms part of a wider series of conversations with artists, curators, and those connected to Mary Martin’s life and practice, each offering a different way into the ideas behind Wall Construction.

🎧 Listen now and explore the full series.

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What do we uncover when we look beyond the clean lines of an artwork and into the thinking that shaped it?
 Mary Martin’s work often appears minimal, but its foundations are anything but simple.

In this episode, I speak with Sam Gathercole, Senior Lecturer in Contextual and Theoretical Studies at London College of Communication, whose knowledge of British constructivism provides a clear and grounded way into understanding Martin’s practice. Sam situates her work within the wider post-war landscape, highlighting the intellectual rigour, structural clarity, and mathematical thinking that underpin her constructions.

We explore how Martin’s approach aligns with and diverges from the work of other British constructivists, the influence of architecture and spatial design, and the discipline required to achieve the sense of order in her reliefs and installations. Sam’s insights help reveal the depth behind the restraint: the quiet, thoughtful decisions that give Martin’s work its lasting impact.

This conversation forms part of a wider series exploring Mary Martin’s life, practice, and legacy through the voices of artists, curators, and those connected to her work.

🎧 Listen now and explore the full series.

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