A Glasgow Album: Assorted Festivals & Fetes

This is what festivals have commonly been in Glasgow; an Orange Walk - a parade of grim-faced men marching behind banners celebrating old victories over the the Pope. For cultural diversity, you could watch the occasional Irish Republican parade which had mostly better tunes but less lively drummers. Look at the expression on the cop's face: he is thinking 'I can smell Guardian newsprint off you - go home you pervert'.

This is the now more common face of Glasgow's festivals, and great fun they are too. This is the Byres Rd (see Hillhead) bit of the Glasgow West End Festival. See www.westendfestival.co.uk

Looking up Byres Rd (Botanic Gardens at the top)

Looking down Byres Rd

`Great balloons. .

. . .and music

Floating club (how do they do that?). . .

. . .balancing club. I was going to ask him how he did it, but didn't want to be nosey

Well, it may be the west end but the democratic aroma of chip fat is everywhere

Guy doing henna tattoos. . .

. . .was kept busy

Hat stand. . .

. . .someone offered a jovial cop one of these

Sweet Home Alabama. For some odd reason, Glaswegians love the (American ) South - see Grand Old Opry in Govan

More great balloons

The Hillhead Gibson St Gala is part of the West End Festival and centers on Gibson and Otago Sts and Westbank Quadrant. It's on usually at the same time as the Mela. See http://gibsonstgala.weebly.com/

The guy on the left is in action in the top photo; he dealt very effectively with two drunk hecklers. The cops were at a premium at this time, mostly sloping around the Mela at neighbouring Kelvingrove Park

Ways of dressing

HUGE water bubbles; it was like an escape scene in The Prisoner at one point

This stallholder (and his stall) appeared and disappeared quite quickly

The wee dog was great - kept flitting in and out of the whatever-these-are like a clown fish in an anemone

Note the drink sign; Glasgow had recently made public drinking pretty difficult

Nice paper statue

The Quadrant; lots of pretty art for sale; I bought a wee handmade book for a fiver

Back court roundel

The back court 1

The back court 2

Three behatted musicians; fellow Bonzo fan Mike wearing white hat

Firedancers. . .

. . were fab

. . .and athletic. . .

. . .and very popular

Holyrood Gardens Fete; a small, busy and popular west end fete (Holyrood Crescent is part of Woodside)

A folk trio

Indian Head Massage. This is the west end, after all

Actually, having said above 'This is the west end, after all', I mind I spotted this New Age Indian massage parlour in the High St next to the Glasgow International Comedy Festival shop (locked up). My Townhead is not what it was, in a good as well as in a bad way

The Glasgow Coach House Trust in Belmont Lane (in Woodside) does sterling work with the mentally unwell. They have a great wee fete every summer - see www.thecht.co.uk