I had a driving test on Friday 17th which I failed. Nerves and bad luck; no big deal but with a retest booked ten days forward I was at a loose end. I’ve been meaning to visit Glasgow for a long time but just never got around to it. The last five times I’d been there had been for funerals and I wanted a chance to explore the place properly and take in a few sights.
The train was out of the question – more expensive than flying and so to keep costs down I made like a student and did the overnight coach. Ooerr; the last time I did this was in 1987 and I think I am getting a bit old for that game. The idea was to leave London at 11 at night, kip on the coach and arrive for some sightseeing at about seven in Glasgow. Then get the late bus back on the following night getting myself two full days and only one night in a hotel. The idea was sound except for the fact that I have never been able to sleep on buses trains or planes and still can’t.
Got a very cheap single room in Strathclyde Halls of Residence; en-suite with breakfast. Spartan but good value. Then I got a two day pass on an open top tour bus which covers the main rounds. Did the full tour, got the history then went round again stopping off at the interesting bits. I wanted to see where I grew up, the art gallery and museums, the University and Kelvingrove park, some architecture and my favourite, the fossil grove. Managed to see a lot of this but I was very footsore by the end of day two. I also got a tour round the City Hall which was great but I didn’t get a chance to do the tour of the School of Art, the Old Tenement, the Burrell Collection, the Great Western Road nor the gallery of modern art that I wanted to. Nor did I get time, as I intended to get various buses to the suburbs like Springburn. I managed to eat well though despite looking everywhere, I did NOT find a single deep fried Mars bar and I suspect that this might be a bit of a myth. There is however no shortage of chippies.
I really want to go back and explore at more leisure and take in a few remaining relatives though despite the connection I didn’t warm to the place particularly like I have done to Milan, Rome or Freiburg or even Newcastle. The people are friendly but many still have a pale pinched miserable look and the city has been irredeemably vandalised in the sixties. Some cracking buildings remain but the city is going through a major quayside development that will make it look like Cardiff, Docklands and every other redevelopment round the country whilst the original character of the place is harder to find amongst the rubble, appalling sixties buildings and new building work.
Good points are some amazing architectural gems, Kelvingrove, some decent food these days and fewer drunks than in the past (Ten at night in George Square was quiet and civilized – where were all the drunk rubber men staring out their fish suppers and waiting for the last bus to Drumchapel?) and good transport. Bad points include increasing fake nationalism – tartans, kilts and signs in Gaelic in Queen St Station; the bus from Balloch to Glasgow (Nasty Neds and Chavettes stinking of Lynx and up for a night-out in Clydebank (haud me back)) and the public toilets charge you 20p a go. And they have taken away the Boots building with the clock. Oh yes – and why is Sauchihall St so famous? It’s just a shitty little shopping street.
For more pictures look here: http://imageevent.com/captainhaddock/glasgow
