Welcome to my wee photoblog on Glasgow, where we feature the joys and unjoys of walking and cycling through a fascinating, beautiful and often badly run city. For the blog's origin and a list of all posts see the 'Introduction' post -
Feel free to drop me an email with suggestions, offers of £20 notes etc. The address is
damnyouebay@gmail.com. I have had to start watermarking the pics as I have come across one big website using a pic without permission - I suppose there must be others.
If you are a private individual and want to use any of the pics for non-commercial purposes please get in touch and I will usually be happy to say 'Aye' for free - just give the Album a credit. If you want to use a pic for commercial purposes a small mutually agreed fee and a credit will suffice.
. . . Oh roads we used to tread,
Fra' Maryhill to Pollokshaws - fra' Govan to Parkhead!)
Kipling, McAndrew's Hymn
Today is Thursday 4 April, and we are (or think we are) having a linky walk to a part of Pollokshaws Rd we haven't done yet. For more on the abutting area here, Govanhill and Pollokshields, see
Govanhill
Govanhill 2: Messages in the Rain
Pollokshields: Glasgow's Muslim Community
Hidden Gardens: Glasgow Harvest at Tramway
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| This poster by the Victoria Rd Lidl is actually from the previous night, but I like the halo effect created by the sun - appropriate in view of what we are about to see |
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We are walking down Victoria Rd to Eglinton Toll; we like those buildings. For a walk from Victoria Rd down Eglinton St to its end see
Clyde St to Victoria Rd to Bridge St
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| Looking back (you can just see the poster) |
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| Larkfield Bus Depot on left |
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| Crossing rail bridge |
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| Looking back |
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| Eglinton Toll down there; its alternative name is St Andrew's Cross (the name on the fine tenement in the centre) and the stub wiki entry uses latter title, but most of us call it Eglinton Toll |
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| I'm watching you |
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| I love this sign |
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| Looking down Pollokshaws Rd we see a few cops, people milling about |
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| Looking up Pollokshaws Rd |
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| Well, let's head down |
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| Temperature is 11 degrees centigrade, warmer than it's been this cold spring |
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Great building. At risk of course. This is St Andrew's Works. Here is the Historic Scotland description from Buildings at Risk site (see the entry for details on deterioration)
'Tall 1-storey pressed brick block with 15 large recessed arched bays, 8 blocked. Original windows have a 42-pane pattern. Terracotta plaques between windows. Stone cornice and brick parapet over end and central bays with urns and central pediment. Roof: northern part is original with slates, skylights and 5 ventilators. Southern part is modern except end which is slate with louvred ridge ventilator. Steel framed interior. 2-storey 7-bay office, ashlar with incised detail. Wide central entrance, modernised, flanked by symmetrical door and 2-window groupings, (1 door now a window). Consoled cornice with block pediment at centre over ground floor. Sash and case windows. Curvilinear pediment and urn finial. S wing: 2-storey 18-bay side elevation red brick with blue bands. Arched windows, most with 18 panes. Stone front with large arched door and foliated carving in spandrels. Jacobean style window, with 2 mullions and transom. Gable with urn finial. Lower boiler house at rear. Built for Glasgow Corporation Electricity Department as one of two large electricity generating stations of circa 1900. Part converted in 1937 to a printing works. (Historic Scotland)'
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| Lipton Memorial Centre on left |
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| Cop discussing some matter with guy with a banner. I ask lady watcher what it's about, she tells me Kate and Wills are coming to visit Quarriers - a homeless unit - across the road. There are two protestors. She has no idea who they are, but wishes the cops would get rid of them |
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| Quarriers entrance on left there |
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| The other protestor is escorted across the road. I ask a cop why and he says it is to keep them separate from those people waiting to greet the royal couple |
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| Of course, moving them across the road also means there is less likelihood of the royals seeing them |
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| The royals come this way |
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Note photographer's ladders. Also much used at the Tommy Sheridan trial. See
Swingergate Day 45: Waiting for the Verdict
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| An internal view of the wall |
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| The cops are placing barricades in front of the protestors . . . |
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| . . .also gathering in numbers in front of them |
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| CCTV van down near the motorway bridge; there is also a helicopter above us |
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| Banner being taken down |
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| Here they come |
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| The two protestors are magically transported away, their banner left |
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Here they are, the Earl and Countess of Strathearn, as they are officially known in Scotland
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| Guy on the right is saying 'What's that bloody banner?' |
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| As is commonly observed, he adores her |
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| William waves at us, Kate smiles up at window |
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| The lady with Kate is Glasgow's Lady Provost. She gets to wear one of those giant gold chocolate coins round her neck |
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| And in they go |
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| Loads of motorbikes arriving. Let's take a wander over there and see what became of the protestors |
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| Down there we will go |
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| Note freshly arrived motorbikes |
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| The protestor is asking to be let go; the cop is asking the protester to calm down |
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| The other protester is filming everything on his phone; there are also a couple of press photographers snapping away like terriers |
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| I like the composition on this one |
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| The protestor says he wants to collect his banner |
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| The whole encounter has something of an aura of ritual exchange, of boundaries approached and retreated from |
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| Back in the welcoming line, where royalists predominate, some of the comments about the protestors are rather fruity; others feel well, everyone has a right to protest. |
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| We miss the picture of the day: as we approach the barrier, the cop over there has just given the wee boy in the foreground his toy back, which has dropped on the street. A nice moment |
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| The couple are due out any moment to go to Drumchapel, but alas we have to leave |
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| Back in Victoria Rd |
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| Hutchesons' Grammar School in Beaton Rd, where the Glasgow Feis is being held |
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The splendid former Glasgow Samaritan Hospital for Women, see
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| The 'Roll In' catching the sun |
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| Now on the 66 bus heading into town |
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| Only a few minutes ago it all was so busy; all quiet now, just the cones still there. We missed Kate and Wills coming out alas |
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| We need to come back at some point and do this stretch properly |
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| The Brazen Head on right - big Cetic pub |
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Over there on the arches behind the bus shelter is a piece of graffiti, 'We are all Slaves' We have a close up of that curious slogan and others in the Gorbals 3 walk -
Gorbals 3: Saltmarket to Tradeston
As mentioned there, the slogan could be a cry of despair - 'we are all slaves of the system' kind of thing, but in the context of the other slogans around it ('Fuck all Neds' etc) it is quite likely to be that rare thing, a chalking by disaffected Muslim yoof - the words referring to the Islamic belief that we are all slaves of Allah.
As is often the case in Glasgow, signs and images may not be what they seem
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| Citizens Theatre coming up on right |
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| Citizens Rose Garden in there- for what it looked like last trip see last link |
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| The Citz |
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| Glasgow Central Mosque coming up |
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Victoria Bridge, the oldest (1854) complete bridge in Glasgow. For more on the Glasgow bridges, see
Welcome to Glasgow 3: Charing Cross station to Dalmarnock station
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| Cyclists below; safe journey, my friends |
Thank you for browsing, dear visitor. My other wee blogs are
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
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!)
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
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