A Glasgow Album: Bellahouston Park 2: After the Pope is Over

Pope Benedict XVI came to say mass at Bellahouston Park on 16 September 2010. I should maybe have gone to take pics but I found the thought oddly dispiriting and stayed away. I have no problem at all with the Roman Catholic church - it's not my way, but everyone is entitled to their own religions and belief systems and I have felt completely at home in many RC churches - I just don't like this pope, and feel it would be a breach of etiquette to mingle with, and take pictures, of his admirers (as I would have done had I been about when Pope John Paul II visited in 1982).

So I cycled over the morning after.

Crossing the Squinty Bridge to get over to the south side. (I like the way the Finnieston Crane on the far right combines with the hotel from this perspective to look like a giant stapler.)

For some reason, the old music hall song 'After the Ball is Over' pops into my head and I start making up a new version -

After the Pope is over
After the Pope is gone,
Many's the heart that's broken
After the pilgrims have gone. . .
[OK needed work]

Quick run down Paisley Rd West and into Bellahouston Park - which has nice yellow and white (papal colours) flowers everywhere

In the middle at back is the back of the stage. And note the BBC Scotland van in the middle distance. In 1982, when John Paul was here, BBC Scotland was slowly beginning to change its sectarian hiring policies and you heard of Catholics getting interviews (and even jobs) there. It's an aspect of Scottish history rarely discussed on BBC Scotland of course.

At this point I get chased by security and head up the hill

It is a beautiful day

Scattered wee bands of dog walkers were about - I got the impression of invisible yet distinct boundary lines. 'Lovely morning', I said to one - 'Aye - couldnae move yesterday for a' the holy wullies'.

These two dogs were prowling about like escapees from a Bosch painting

The Sunken Garden. This is the basement of Dumbreck House built 1795. No idea what the blocks are - a sunken modern artwork I suppose. For this and other aspects of the park see the Bellahouston Heritage Trail -
http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/DDBF8215-2E95-478A-94C8-D4C497A6CBBC/0/BHT.pdf
See also my earlier Bellahouston post
http://glasgowalbum.blogspot.com/2010/03/bellahouston-park.html

My Holdsworth Mistral at rest - Autumnal scene

Monument commemorating the 1938 Empire Exhibition unveiled by George VI

View down the steps; ghost of King Geordie taking a pic with his Kodak Brownie

Leaving the park now via Dumbreck Rd

Now we have cycled back up to junction of Dumbreck Rd and Paisley Rd West, from where you get a vision to gladden the heart of any pope, Ibrox Stadium, home of Glasgow Rangers. Rangers signed their first black player in 1914, the Englishman (and army officer Walter Tull), who was killed in action in WWI. See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Tull
They officially signed their first RC player, former Celtic star Mo Johnson, in 1989 (there had been previous unacknowledged Catholic signings) . See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mo_Johnston
See also
http://glasgowalbum.blogspot.com/2010/04/ibrox.html

Now beginning the ride back down Paisley Rd West

View back up in direction of the park

View heading into Glasgow

Copland Rd - leads to famous Copland Rd Ibrox entrance

One of the many, many sunbed places in Glasgow

Sign left over from yesterday - 'NO MORE COVER UPS YOU VATICAN SWINE!'

A rather more mundane sign on the other side

More civil (and anti-religion in general) poster to greet the faithful

Dancing Dodo the other side (quite pleasing combination)

Ibrox Stadium up on right

View up left to Science Centre

Alexander 'Greek' Thomson's Walmer Terrace, described here as http://www.catswhiskerstours.co.uk/pdf/history/Scottish%20Architects.pdf

'an austere composition with no ornament but relying on the balance of upright square columns and horizontal lines.' Simply one of the loveliest terraces in Britain. See

http://www.greekthomson.org.uk/cases.htm

and

http://glasgowalbum.blogspot.com/2010/05/alexander-greek-thomson.html

For the Cessnock/Kinning Park area we are now in see

http://glasgowalbum.blogspot.com/2010/05/cessnock-kinning-park.html