http://glasgowalbum.blogspot.com/2010/02/introduction.html
In our last post on the 24 November protest against the proposed development at Broomielaw Quay,
http://glasgowalbum.blogspot.com/2011/11/broomielaw-quay.html
on sighting the Kingston Bridge, we referred the reader to a previous post to see 'what is under the Kingston Bridge flyover' . Little did we suspect last week that something a good deal more important than our digression would be happening under the Kingston Bridge on 27 November - a fire which has gutted the 'B' listed Co-op Funeral Parlour building in Morrison St, a fine construction dating from 1876.
Today is Tuesday, 28 November, 2011, and we are walking across the Tradeston bridge to see the aftermath of the fire. For the events of the previous night see
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-15936550
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| Weather still foul - windy and gusts of cold rain |
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| Our 'Public Realm' |
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| I like the photo of the two businessmen. Reminds me of Richmond in The IT Crowd saying 'This is me saying something important'. On the right of them is a child whose parents have - in defiance of common sense - allowed him to play with a football by a river |
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| The delightful Riverview Gardens |
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| Now in Paisley Rd, heading down there |
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| No going forward. . |
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| . . .so we nip round the other side to Wallace St. see how far we get. . . |
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| . . .just here in fact. Staff are being allowed in building on right. Two friendly police officers at this corner advise me to go down and cross Paisley Rd into Riverview Drive to take photos. I speak to five police officers this morning - four are polite and friendly, the fifth is rather more distant. A foreign correspondent once observed that crossing borders there may be a dark version of the 80-20 Golden Mean in operation. If there are 5 on the post, there is one you have not to make eye contact with; if 10 there are two you should not interact with. It's a useful rule to keep in mind when encountering officialdom. (An exception is US immigration where the ones you want to avoid make up our of the five) |
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| About to enter Riverview Drive now on our right.. . |
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| . . .behind these bars |
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| Genius that I am, I realise I can stick the camera between the bars |
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| The magnificent former headquarters of the Scottish Co-operative Society built 1893-97, now flats. See http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-29541451.html |
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| Note banner: TO LET / FOR SALE. This is the property advertised for sale before the fire - http://www.showcase.co.uk/property/120-130-Morrison-Street/Scotland/Glasgow/7518565 |
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| I have photos taken a couple of years ago of these buildings - will post when I dig them out. |
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| Kingston Bridge there |
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| Built with pride in 1876. What else happened that year? The Battle of the Little Big Horn springs to mind. At least one Lakota warrior from that battle came to Glasgow with Buffalo Bill - Kicking Bear. Indeed, if you google images for Kicking Bear, one that comes up is his portrait taken in Bellgrove St in Dennistoun, the remnants of which you can see here - http://glasgowalbum.blogspot.com/2011/04/welcome-to-glasgow-4-rutherglen-to_28.html The builders in 1871 must have known how good it was - you can feel the pride in every detail. One wonders what great buildings they imagined being built in the 21st century. I know buildings built 25 years ago in Glasgow that are deteriorating on a scale that would have shamed the Victorian builders. |
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| The scales on the left represent an equitable society, the horn of plenty on the right represents plenty for all. This is the 1876 vision. And here we are, in 2011. |
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| Here are the Daily Record's pics of the fire - http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/editors-choice/2011/11/29/gallery-iconic-glasgow-co-op-funeral-care-building-gutted-by-fire-86908-23596730/3/ Note the readers' comments below on the phenomenon of 'inconvenient' buildings catching fire in Glasgow; we have had a lot over the years. The pattern is: hard-to-sell-or-let old building becomes empty and neglected and goes on fire, often through an act of vandalism - council expresses regret and building is demolished - new building then produces lots of revenue for the developers and lots of council tax for the coonsil. Of course no one knows as yet what has happened here; for all we know the building was firebombed by Martians. I will update when we know more. |
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| Heading back now |
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| Looking back |
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| Bridge down there; this is the street we came up |
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| The eastern part of Tradeston; we have done a walk covering most of that part, from Saltmarket to Tradeston; see http://glasgowalbum.blogspot.com/2010/11/gorbals-3-saltmarket-to-tradeston.html We'll continue this walk at some future point |
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| Aye, lots of office space to let in Glasgow |
Reviews of Scotland: 1000 Things You Need to Know
RADIO AND TELEVISON
'I love it - I'm giving this copy to a friend and buying another for myself' - Darren Adam, Presenter, Radio Forth, 17 November 2008
‘It’s a great wee book’ – Stephen Jardine, introducing Edwin Moore on Scottish Television’s Five-Thirty Show
'A fantastic book' - Scott Wilson , talk 107 Breakfast Show host
'A great read' - Dougie Jackson, Drivetime host, Smooth Radio 105.2
THE PRESS
'Despite its apparently humorous format, this is a serious and extensive dictionary on all things Scottish; from Jean Redpath to Lorne sausage, from Flodden to the Corries. Is particularly good on history and minutiae. There's a useful chapter on famous Scottish legal cases and another on literature. Excellent' - Royal Scottish Legion, Feb 2009
'This is the ultimate Scottish reference book' - Waterstones Christmas catalogue, 2008
'This is a fascinating look at the history of Scotland: its languages, politics and great achievements, from its origins in the ancient landmass of Laurentia 400 million years ago, to devolution and Billy Connolly. Edwin Moore has collected a thousand important facts about this beautiful country, covering Scottish history and culture, correcting misconceptions, and examining the mysteries of haggis and bagpipes with insight, warmth and impressive attention to detail' - The Good Book Guide, November 2008
'This is a recipe for revealing how horribly ill informed you are about your country. Although, if you are skillful, you can nod sagely as you read some new fact and mutter 'Ah, yes!' as if recalling the information from your excellent schooling. Where else will you find a real recipe for making haggis from scratch side by side with a potted biography of David Hume; a section of the Declaration of Arbroath and the curiously touching fact that Lulu was only 15 when she had a hit with 'Shout'? The whole thing is of course, silly - but oh so addictive.' - Matthew Perren, i-on Glasgow, December 2008
'. . . well crafted and witty' - Bill Howatson, Aberdeen Press and Journal, 18 October 2008
‘While most of Edwin’s entries are entertaining and scholarly – he writes like a Scottish Bill Bryson – it is when he takes an interest in the backwaters of history, the details lost down the back of the sofa, that he is at his best’ – Jack McKeown, The Courier, 27 October 2008
'History, it is said, is written by the victors. Trivia, meanwhile, is written by the guys with the smeared spectacles and the breathable rainwear. The first discipline is linear and causal; to quote from Alan Bennett’s play The History Boys, history is “just one f****** thing after another”. Things look different, though, when viewed through the prism of trivia. The past is reduced to one big coleslaw of fascinating facts that in their randomness tell a more mixed-up tale entirely.
The first approach leads to big, frowning books by the likes of Tom Devine and Michael Fry. The latter results in small, cheerful books such as Scotland: 1,000 Things You Need to Know, Edwin Moore’s valiant attempt to navigate the more trivial contours of enlightenment and clearances, crown and parliament, dirt and deity.
Moore proceeds from a sincere and controversial first principle: Scotland is really a rather pleasant and interesting place. . .As a work of popular scholarship, though, it’s in a different league to the Scottish novelty titles that get stocked next to the bookstore tills as potential impulse purchases, those little handbooks of parliamo Caledonia and regional braggadocio, such as Weegies vs Edinbuggers.' - Allan Brown The Sunday Times, 21 September 2008
'In his book, Scotland: 1000 Things You Need to Know, Edwin celebrates all that sets us Scots as a race apart - our language, law, flora, food, and of course, our people. From our poets, architects and inventors, to our artists, entertainers and fighters. But he doesn't shy away from the more unpleasant aspects of our history. . .' - Robert Wight, Sunday Post, 14 September 2008
‘We think we know all about William Wallace, Robert the Bruce and the Union of the Crowms. However, according to Edwin Moore, author of , Scotland: 1000 Things You Need to Know, we’re still in the dark about many aspects of our history and culture. . . The Big Issue looks at 20 of the most astonishing examples of secret Scotland.’ – The Big Issue, 18-24 September 2008
'What's the connection between Homer Simpson and Larbert, and why are generations of lawyers grateful to a Paisley snail? Need to know more? Author Edwin Moore has gathered 1000 facts like these about Scotland in a quirky new book. Brian Swanson selects a few favourites. . .' - Scottish Daily Express, 13 September 2008
'The palm for Christmas-stocking books seems to have passed recently to popular science, with best selling titles every year such as Why Don’t Penguins’ Feet Freeze? This year there has been a gallant attempt at a historical fight back. Scotland: 1,000 Things You Need to Know(Atlantic Books, £12.99) asks (and answers) such post-turkey questions as ‘How many kings of Scotland died in their beds?’, ‘Who on earth decided that the Declaration of Arbroath was the cornerstone of modern democracy?’ or ‘Why is iron brew spelled Irn-Bru?’ Mark Mazower,History Today; The Best of History in 2008, December 2008
'A real treat for the serendipitous Scotophile' - Reginald Hill
FROM THE INTERWEB
www.Booksfromscotland.com (on the new paperback edition)
Book of the Month, May 2010
'Whether it's Scottish lochs or Enlightenment philosophers, the facts of the devolution referendums or the mysteries of Irn-Bru, myths will be debunked and truths revealed in this light-hearted but rigorous overview of Scottish history and culture.'
Also available for download on Amazon's e-book store is my 100 Brief Encounters (only £3.06!)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/100-Brief-Encounters-ebook/dp/B006CQ8G84/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322393003&sr=1-1
Here are some reviews of the print edition (published by Chambers in 2007) -
Edwin Moore's quirky collection of a hundred encounters between (mostly) important historical figures is a gem of a book. Where else could you get concise enlightening accounts of Henry VIII wrestling with Francis I, Geronimo surrendering to General Miles, Ernest Hemingway presenting Fidle Castro with a fishing trophy or (as seen on the books cover) a baby faced Bill Clinton shaking hands with John F Kennedy. A marvelous 'little window on human history. ' - Dominic Kennerk, Waterstone's Product Planning and Promotions Co-ordinator (From the Waterstone's 'We Recommend' list for 2008)
Witty, light and packed with information -- The Sunday Herald
In 1936, in the wake of winning a clutch of gold medals at the Berlin Olympics, the great athlete Jesse Owens was snubbed by an imperious leader, on racial grounds. Popular belief would have it that the leader was Hitler, who is said to have stormed off, furious to see a black man beating European athletes. In fact the man in question was President Roosevelt, who worried that paying attention to Owens' triumphs might be a vote loser. Although Owens and the German Chancellor never talked, Owens claimed that Hitler greeted him with an enthusiastic wave. Such near-misses, shakings of hands and ships-in-the-night meetings are the subject of Brief Encounters – Meetings between mostly remarkable people, a likeable new book by Edwin Moore (Chambers £7.99). Flicking through the index, you will find some expected encounters (Dante stares at Beatrice, Corday stabs Marat, The Beatles strum along to a Charlie Rich record round at Elvis's house), and the book's intriguing and memorable cover shows a baby-faced Bill Clinton manfully gripping the hand of JFK. But Moore has navigated past some of the more obvious collisions, collusions and confrontations of history (there is no Dr Livingstone, I presume) and much of the book's pleasure derives from lesser known incidents.
Inevitably, some of the accounts of earlier meetings are somewhat sketchy but Moore offers some piquant speculation, laced with humour (the book is tagged Reference / Humour, rather than History and this feels right, but the book, though wry and opinionated, never stoops to wackiness). I was intrigued to discover that, though Attila the Hun did die on his wedding night, it was not in drunken and lecherous debauchery, as his enemies maintained, but supposedly because he was generally a simple and clean-living man who had a few too many which brought on a particularly bad nosebleed.
Moore's book is full of such tales – it would be wrong of me to steal the tastiest morsels of his research and pepper this article with them, but look out for a subsidiary reason for the Gunpowder Plot (too many dour and powerful Scots in Parliament); a great meeting of great beards, as Castro wins the Hemingway prize for sea-fishing; Dali bringing a skeptical Freud round to the art of the surrealists; Buffalo Bill's wife claiming an aged Queen Victoria had propositioned him; Oscar Wilde getting a kiss from Walt Whitman, while Walter Scott was more taken with Burns's charismatic eyes. This is an enjoyable and vigorous rattle through some fascinating and believable yarns. My only quibble is that it's a little on the short side – let's have Volume 2 please Chambers! - Roddy Lumsden, www.Books from Scotland.com
