Monday 26 April 2010

Govanhill/Crosshill

Govanhill is on the south side and is a mixed area in terms of class and of ethnic groups; most of the latest group to come to Scotland, the Roma, who arrived from eastern Europe in the early 21st century, settled here. See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Govanhill
The park sign says do not feed the pigeons, as they are vermin. Thankfully most old and new Scots, several of whom have had the term 'vermin' applied to themselves, tend to ignore this instruction. This wee group of doos are waiting for their regular feeder

Govanhill Park is clean and well maintained

Colourised railings
Jim's Barber Shop, Calder St, beside the Baths

Kingarth Lane
Kingarth Lane on opposite side of Calder Rd
Govanhill Public Baths


This is what visitors expect to see in Govanhill, dumped furniture. Seems no worse than Hillhead to me in that respect

Beside the Cobbler is the Govanhill Community Baths Trust, a local community initiative to save the much-loved Baths from closure. See
www.govanhillbaths.com


Mixed communities such as Govanhill are often described (rather hopefully) as 'vibrant', but the adjective is fitting here - within the gates beside Mod Girl is a dance studio
Govanhill Health Centre

Homeopathic Clinic
Govanhill Public Library

All human life is here, including the kitchen sink





Note refurbishment; lot of it going on in April 2010
Southside Studios
UK Learning Academy

Westmoreland Gardens

Now into Victoria Rd - to get to Queens Park you go past Happy Days
One of Glasgow's fine old cafes



We are in Crosshill now, on the other side of Victoria Rd,where you could sit in this chair and watch the world go by




Queens Park station on right

Cheap licence plates

Crosshill Post Office - voted Scotland's best PO in 2009



Nail grooming and criminal defence
Sunbed salon; note untraditional sort of orangeman approacing
Narrow entrance to big snooker tables
Hair salon and another sunbed salon: note chair being held down by owner to prevent its escape
View up Victoria Rd to Queens park
Another view up
View down Victoria Rd from Queens Park entrance


We're on the other side of Crosshill now (Crosshill Station on left),  in Cathcart Rd, heading down from Hampden Park on the afternoon  of  Scottish Cup Final day, 15 May 2010; see
http://glasgowalbum.blogspot.com/2010/05/hampden-park-dundee-united-v-ross.html


Maison Ronnie; Glasgow's  hairdressers are worth a photoblog of their own

A Beauty shop



looking down Dixon Rd

At an angle on the corner of Dixon Avenue and Cathcart Rd, we find The Dixon Halls, built 1878.  Scots Baronial (along with the neolithic brochs) is one of the few architectural styles native to Scotland, and this building is  a splendid example of the form





Just off Cathcart Rd is this odd little building


For this rather forbidding Govanhill RC church, see Churches





Coplaw St, looking towards Govanhill Park, where we began this section. Forsyth House on right, one of many Community Health Partnership schemes in Glasgow 




Looking back up Cathcart rd

Larkfield Community Centre. See
http://govanhill.eveningtimes.co.uk/mini-sites/larkfield-centre/




Something to do with the Millenium

Patient pigeons. Like their pals in Govanhill Park across the road (see top of post), they know they will be fed

Cathcart Rd on the right now leads you to the Gorbals - see
http://glasgowalbum.blogspot.com/2010/04/gorbals.html