Glasgow

Another tragedy befalls Glasgow. Please include all involved in your prayers over this Christmas time and if you don’t believe in the power of prayer then do spare a kind thought.

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Holiday Video

Not your typical holiday video I know, but last Friday I attended a concert in Lally’s Palais to see the talent of this 19 year old.  Jonathan Antoine is exceptional and his solo (3.15) is breathtaking.

The planning for the day/evening/night out took a chunk out of my time last week. I haven’t driven long distances for a few years now and was apprehensive, but I had great company and that helped immensely.

We left our ‘Highland hames’ with the sun shining brightly and a slight warmth in the air.  Arrived in Glasgow and it was perishing!  Thankfully we had everything but the kitchen sink with us so we rejected our posh Sunday coats and donned our heavy duty attire.  Much needed in the fierce wind.

Recording is disallowed at concerts, but fortunately another Jonathan fan managed to take this one from the balcony.  I wouldn’t call it the balcony, it should be named the ceiling, because the incline was horrendous. As a sufferer of vertigo all my life, even looking over the bannister for a second caused my blood pressure to go through the roof.  I told the young lass who was showing us to our seats and without turning a hair she said, “Gie’s a mo til I find the wee sh*te who’s just goan aff wi’ ma walkie-talkie an I’ll get ye baith sorted oot”. Two minutes later we were taken down to the terrace area to seats right at the front edge of the stage.

What more can I say about Glaswegian hospitality?  Braw, jist braw.  It’s fun being a groupie for the first time in my life.

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Abandoned Scotland

I was introduced to a series of videos which record areas of Scotland which have been left to rot.  Most of the series seems to have been filmed in the west but they're intriguing viewing.

This video focuses upon the old Botanic Gardens railway station in Kelvinside. I can nearly hear the crowds and chatter as people arrive for a day out at one of Glasgow's prime attractions.  It was closed permanently to passengers on 6 February 1939 with the line being closed on 5 October 1964.

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Only in Glasgow

Superimposed against the Glaswegian backdrop are not the leftovers of the Edinburgh trams but three tuk tuks.

Tuk tuks are a common sight on the streets of Mumbai and Bangkok so, in order to ensure Glasgow keeps it's international reputation, Glasgow taxi driver, Pat Donnelly, has decided to buy one for ferrying tourists around the city.

The vehicle costs £14,000 and should be arriving next month.  According to Mr Donnelly the transport seats 6 people comfortably - although I have my doubts about that - and he intends to charge £10 a head for a one hour trip in his up-to-50mph machine.

Good luck to him.  The novelty factor just may see him getting a return on his investment.  Don't think they'll catch on in Dundee but one of these may do at the bargain price of £4125.  Could be an attractive addition to Riverside Drive before they build the gigantic windmill and biomass plant.  But that's another story.

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Happy Easter

This was my Dad's favourite Easter hymn sung by his favourite choir. It is an old recording which unfortunately comes to an abrupt end although that does not deflect from the quality of the singing. The music is Belmont (composed by William Gardiner in 1812) and the words were composed by Reginald Heber also in 1812.

Glasgow Orpheus Choir was founded in 1901 by a seventeen year old Hugh Robertson who conducted it for 50 years and disbanded it in 1951.

Some of the choir decided to carry on singing and they founded the Glasgow Pheonix Choir which continues the Orpheus tradition of receiving international acclaim. A few years ago they sang in Dunkeld Cathedral and it was an experience I'll never forget.

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Do Not Read if You're Fond of Edinburgh

Glasgow's Miles Better Again declares Rupert Christiansen in the Telegraph.  It's 20 years since Glasgow became the first EU Capital of Culture (that long?) and a quarter of a century since the slogan "Glasgow's miles better" decorated the buses.

Although many expensive mistakes were made, Rupert believes it's impossible not to be impressed and even awed by the continuing vigour of the city's cultural life and there's no doubt that Glasgow's centre is an infinitely more interesting and exciting - and, yes, miles better - place than it was in the 80s.

From the make-over at Kelvingrove to the Tramway which houses the biggest exhibition space in Britain outside Tate Modern's Turbine Hall, Glasgow pleases him and he more than welcomes the £8m renovation of Charles Rennie Mackintosh's Glasgow School of Art.

Let's be fair though, Glasgow doesn't quite have everything.  It doesn't have a castle and it's not going to have one tram line, so really Edinburghers have nothing to be jealous about, have they?

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Place Your Bets Please

The SNP Conference starts in Glasgow today.  I wonder how much airtime the BBC will give to it. Now no cheating by looking at TV schedules!

If anyone knows if there is to be a podcast could they kindly give me the link?  Many thanks.

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