shylustig

George Square, Glasgow – Illuminations for Christmas

What a surprise, a look at Glasgow’s quite small Christmas Market, dinner at a new restaurant on a very busy Glasgow Friday night, and then a completely pleasant walk into a very bright George Square – superb.

It started between the Xmas market, where we noticed a well known busker, Ben Montieth, who was an opener for Emilie Sands a few years ago, drawing a large crowd:

To a walk along Buchanan Street, itself very well lit up!

To the lights in George Square themselves, where my first impression was the simple amount of them! It turned the night into day, with many photo opportunities. First were the lights on the City Hall,

To various shots that included the Nativity Scene and some reindeer.

To the final shot, where a good deal of people, including our party, took a shot of themselves inside a lighted, hollow sphere.

I think it’s a Christmas bulb?

Kelvin Way, Glasgow, Scotland – Something done right during COVID

One of the better things during these COVID days, if there could be one, is the fact that many people here in Glasgow, Scotland, and presumably in the UK, have been forced to stay on the island and see what we have here.

Specifically here in Glasgow, the local council decided to pedestrianise the Kelvin Way; a tree line boulevard that separates our Kelvingrove Park, from Glasgow University.

I went for a brief walk there recently, and noticed this again, free from cars, though not from the odd insane bicyclist!

In addition, I had a shot of our wonderful bandstand, that at one stage a few years ago was borderline derelict, but now looks splendid, particularly when we have sun!

Christmas Albums – Various- “Christmas Peaceful Piano” – 2021

And my Lord, have they got that title right!

It is just SO peaceful, with my favourite, as usual, being Do you hear what I Hear, lovely. Please follow the link, as I had no idea that the song was written with the Cuban Missile Crisis in mind!

It includes another fave, the delightful Sussex Carol, that sounds just so old and warm, like a log fire in a cabin.

Christmas Albums – Buck Owens- “Christmas with Buck Owens and his Buckaroos” – 1965

What an interesting album, most are self-penned, with the only cover being Jingle Bells, I think, hell, there is even an instrumental, Christmas Morning.

But if you like it twangy, this is for you.

Adrossan, Scotland – Part 2 –

What a day! Typical West of Scotland weather; howling wind, driving rain, and water everywhere!

This was interesting, meandering down a completely dead High Street, with a variety of shops, most empty or even boarded up, with naturally, a huge Asda around the corner – and they wonder why High Streets die!? That said, there are some interesting shops here, from a veggie cafe, to an arts & crafts place, that also has workshops.

After the High Street, we rounded about to come to the promenade, with accompanying dreadful weather! There was a somewhat, brutal bleakness, that depending on your taste, is either terrible or atmospheric.

The bleakness!

It would be interesting to come back in the summer, as I was told, when the sun is out, the “vibe” is completely different!

The Week Ahead / Christmas Albums – Jamie Cullum- “The Pianoman at Christmas” – 2020

This, released late last year, when he also made a delightful visit to Saturday Kitchen on the BBC to plug it; is the best Christmas album to show for some very long time.

Many are self-penned and are of a trad-jazz meets pop – The Jolly Fatman, meets swing – Hang your Lights (being a standout track), and all contain a huge feelgood factor.

There are too many to pick from, but I still don’t know why the first single, Turn on the Lights, was not a smash hit?

Turn on the Lights – Jamie Cullum

For the week that comes, will finish my report to Ardrossan, and also report on the latest in Glasgow’s Christmas illuminations in George Square.

Christmas Albums – Johnny Mathis – “Merry Christmas” – 1958

A standard album, that may be one of the biggest selling Christmas albums of all time.

There are all of the usual ones here, and of course he covers “The Christmas Song” by Mel Torme, as so many did and continue to do.

Interesting, that some of his most played songs on Spotify, are from his various Christmas albums (I believe that it is five in total?); in this case, Sleigh Ride is included here, with almost 30,000,000 streams!

Ardrossan, Scotland – Part 1

I went to meet an old friend in the very cold and wet, coastal town of Ardrossan, on the West Coast of Scotland – It was even colder than I thought it would be.

Ardrossan Marina, Scotland (west coast of)

You have to understand the weather in this part of the world, physically and technically, it is not REALLY that cold, but when it’s 7 celsius (42 f), and is humid, and has a 20+ mph wind in your face – it goes down to your bones.

Equally, it’s a rather strange, small place, with three to four train stations! Surely some kind of record for such a low population of about 10,000+?

We ate at the delightful and functional (excellent, friendly service!), Cecchinis, at the marina. It’s a modern Italian place, and is swift, clean and quality – quite full at this time (and weather) and place.

Afterwards, we hiked about the high street, and promenade (more tomorrow), but lastly, there’s palm trees there!

A palm tree in Scotland, a regular appearance on the West Coast

Christmas Albums – Frank Sinatra – “The Classic Christmas Album” – 1948, 1957, 1963, etc

This seems to me, to be one of the go to albums, though will have to listen to again as it was with Spotify, and was a combination of several of FS’s CDs.

A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra – 1957

Some were from the 50s / 60s (he did make an album with Bing Crosby in 1963 with a Christmas theme), which is in my opinion when he did his best stuff ever; swing, collaborations with Nelson Riddle and Quincy Jones, but others seemed to me, to be from his early period, where the arrangements were a wee bit schlocky and had a post-war naivete to them. I believe it is his Christmas Album, from 1948, “Christmas Songs by Sinatra”.

Though it must be said, that something as good as his interpretation of Mel Torme’s, The Christmas Song, is irresistible.

Christmas Albums – Willie Nelson – “The Classic Christmas Album” – 2012

Did a search for this on Spotify, and this showed up; pure class, and his phrasing is spot on as well.

Some are “sophisticated” and some are just plain, old Willie with a guitar.

Personal faves were Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and just like REO Speedwagon yesterday, he for some reason includes Blue Christmas – and nails it!

Willie being Willie

The final entry, What a Wonderful World, is here for some reason? Though I’ve never understood why. It was released in September 1967 originally (by Louis Armstrong), but somehow actually fits here.

4/5