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.
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Today is 11 April, 2013,and we are off to Firhill to watch Partick Thistle play Morton. The game is signfiicant as a victory for Thistle will mean they are very likely to win the First Division championship and be promoted to the Premier League; Morton are second in the league so a victory would be a big deal for them also.
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| 'munro's' in Great Western Rd; used to be called 'Captains Rest'. A place for Thistle fans to meet up close to St George's Cross Underground. |
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Now in Maryhill Rd. This is Woodside Inn, another Jags pub. For more on the area and this corner's resident owl, see
A Woodside Walk
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| Jags fans heading up for match |
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| Community Central Hall |
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| We catch sight of the sun on our left |
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| Still a pale sun in this cold April |
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A Golden Apple of the Sun.
And pluck till time and times are done
The silver apples of the moon,The golden apples of the sun.- Yeats |
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| Now at Queen's Cross |
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| Firhill Stadium |
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Ruchill Park up there. For more on the Firhill area see
Ruchill Park
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| Flag and scarf seller |
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| Big Issue seller |
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| Programme seller |
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| Pitch on our left |
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| Sun hanging over stadium |
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| You pay at ticket booths these days rather than at turnstile |
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| Pies |
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| The Jackie Husband stand filling up nicely |
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| A big stretch |
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| Over there is where the 'Ultras' gather. A fairly recent phenomenon based on the Celtic 'Green Brigade' and the Rangers 'Union Bears', but without the offensive chants of course |
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| I don't actually like the notion of 'Ultras' myself, but the club have been giving free admission to local youngsters, and as at Celtic Park and Ibrox, it gives a focal point for the diehards. |
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| There is no room in the Jackie Husband stand, we expect we will be shunted over to beside the Ultras berth |
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| Jags stalwarts: Finlay on right, Bruce on left |
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| And Alex |
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| On we go |
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| Atmosphere is good humoured and friendly - it generally is at Firhill |
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| Photographers at the ready |
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The Partick Thistle mascot, Jaggy MacBee
The mascot used to be Harry Wragg, a rather strange looking thistle. When our eldest was a human mascot here with Harry about 13 years ago they played shots at goal at half time, and scored regularly to great cheers from the crowd. Not many shots on target by the team that day alas. Lost to Airdrie.
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| A conflab |
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| 'You are our 12th man, Jaggy' |
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| 'I know you can do it' |
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| 'But boss, I'm not sure I'm allowed to jab Morton players in the bum' |
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| 'Do it Jaggy or this is where we bury ye' |
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| Out come the Morton players. Excellent turnout from Morton fans also - attendance is over 9000 |
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| The Morton players salute their fans |
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| Morton to kick off |
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| Goalmouth action - wrong end |
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| Thistle corner |
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| GOAL FOR THISTLE! |
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| Scored by the strange feathered creature running towards us |
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| Happy fans |
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| My replica 1971 Scottish cup winner strip |
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| INTERLUDE: and here is strip with owner and other extras with Paul Whitehouse in unbroadcast episode of Bellamy's People (filmed in The Dolphin, Partick) |
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| INTERLUDE OVER: back to match, half time |
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| Everyone quite pleased |
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| Half time tombola |
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| Chap being interviewed is legendary Thistle manager John Lambie. Famous for saying about a concussed player, 'Tell him he's Pele and get him back on' |
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| Second half about to begin |
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| Oh dearie me |
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| End of match approaching: stewards gathering |
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| All over - everybody clap. I mind being here when we were beaten by Kilmarnock and relegated. Ups and downs |
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| I was a member of Save the Jags then and one of the £100 donors to the club. George MacDonald Fraser donated some signed Flashmans and McAuslans for our book sale (George was a big Jags fan, was at Hampden for the 1971 victory over Celtic), Merlin Holland (Oscar Wilde's grandson) donated some books and Bill Tidy donated a special cartoon. Difficult times, better times now |
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| Some odd wee squabbles outside. A young Morton fan is comforted by an older one (his dad maybe) after an encounter or words of some kind; further down, a wee burly guy in a Morton scarf spreads his arms and says 'No one likes us'. Geezabrek. Morton fans are fine. |
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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