So starts a new week, and still I feel I don’t blog enough, though I finally do have enough time owing to certain things.
Another week, etc. . .
This week. will do some more things on previous trips around Scotland and the World, and start to do some more reviews of cafes / restaurants here in Glasgow (we’ve SO many), but will also start to look at some of the many, marvellous churches that we possess here. And you don’t have to be religious to take in the beauty of these buildings.
The first is one in the West End, and is of the Roman Catholic variety, with something of brilliance at the alter, that of shear marble. But more tomorrow.
Continuing about our recent trip to the west of Scotland; after the visit to Tarbert, we went further south to a very small hamlet called Skipness, which is also reachable by bus from Tarbert. Whilst there is no pub, and even the Post Office / Village Shop is now unfortunately closed, we did manage a walk to Skipness Castle there, and went by Skipness Smokehouse (that was closed on the day).
We continued with a circular route that lead us back to Skipness, where I had a wonderful conversation with the warden(?) of the Church of Scotland there, at St Brendans. Afterwards, we returned to our accommodation for the night.
Beach Back to Skipness / St Brendans COS
The next day, we meandered back the way we came to Glasgow, along the A83, where we stopped at both Lochgilphead and then Inveraray. The final stop was at the great, though now, quite posh Loch Fyne Oyster bar, for some of the best soup I’ve ever had.
Lochgilphead (1-3), Inveraray (4-6), Loch Fyne Oyster bar (7-8)
Look at these photos, superb! No, it’s not in New York, or even in Europe, but here in the West End of Glasgow. Ziques, a newly refurbished café / restaurant, is now fully equipped with an outside terrace, that also(!) faces the Sun (when it actually shines in this part of the world).
This was actually on the Talking Pictures channel in the UK (they’ve actually been showing more and more from the seventies as of late), and to be blunt, I had never heard of it before. But in the summary, it said that the great Christopher Lee was in it (though it’s a small part). Need I say more
Don’t fall asleep!
This and the fact that it was a 70s movie and based in England, made it a required watch. I’ve always had a more than nostalgic feel for this type of genre; that is gritty, real, basic, and contains a “look what London & the UK looked like in the 1970s”, before digital happened.
Subsequently, I’ve learned that it was one of the first “slasher” types of movie, and when combined with the London Underground and the smaller budget, it is highly effective at what it does.
The film stars Donald Pleasence, who would later star in Halloween .
Early last year, I was in this region, and rather disgracefully, that was the first time that I’d ever been in this part of Scotland. Well, I’ve returned and can only say I’ll be back.
On the way up, we took the normal route to the west of Loch Lomond following the A82 and noticed, that the recent cold weather had brought more snow onto Ben Lomond.
A snow scattered Ben Lomond
After Loch Lomond, we headed west on the A83 and stopped at Slanj Restaurant, located in an old church of some sorts? After a miniature fish and chips (recommended), continued on the A83 to the first point of interest, the area known as Rest and Be Thankful, worth a visit! An area that is notorious for rock & mud slides and that has had traffic controls on it for some time now.
Road block at “Rest and Be Thankful”
We got lucky and were first in the queue! With a lovely view of Beinn an Lochain.
Later, we continued with the A83 and wound up in, after driving by the Loch Fyne brewery & restaurant, passing through Inveraray, and then Lochgilphead; our accommodation at Stonefield Castle, where we were staying fro the weekend. More about those first three places in Part 2.
The castle is fab (food, view, service) and the next day we took a trip to nearby Tarbert. With it being the second time there, I noted that it is not a toy town Scotland; people actually live and work here. It may not be filled with Londoners and their organic tofu café’s but still has a certain, realness to its charm.
This documentary that was re-run this week, is actually from 10 years ago, and just shows how the BBC certainly “don’t make ‘em like they used to do”.
My Lord, with the exception of a slight, though true, anti-Tory comment towards the end as to why the main buildings, with the exception of the festival hall, were to be torn down; it was a fair, enlightening, and most importantly, upbeat celebration of all things from the UK.
I’ve been in the festival hall before, several times, but never realised why it was actually built – now I know.
Continuing from a few weeks ago, we’ll look at the central part of Hillhead, and not the circular route around the edges.
New Gym at University, Various shots in the middle of the Campus, Language Building
The area between the edges is largely part of the University of Glasgow, and is a mixture of tenements, student accommodation, Hillhead High School, and the university itself.
Community Garden on extreme north of Hillhead
There exists a new type of community garden; good luck to them as the property prices in this area are sky high!
Various, with a “gate” to the area on the north side of the neighbourhood, and I believe the final shot may have had a church in it some time ago
There’s an older look to the tenements, with a mixture of accommodation, as well as offices for the University.
Various shots of some brutalism and other non-trad buildings, the last being the university Library
Finally, there is the yooni itself, that has a combination of both traditional and many horrid pieces of brutalist 60s “works of art”!
That’s right, something DEFINITELY happened about 2009 or 2010 in the music industry. I’ve always blamed it on the rise of social media, and the preponderance of streaming, that resulted in charts being based not on sales, but on non-existent (sometimes) plays by people who would never have bought the music in the old system, but who merely flick a play button on YouTube, Spotify, et al, and shazam, the song is then deemed “popular”.
And many bands – as in a group of people, usually men, who do something like “play” something called “musical instruments” and write, something called “songs” that are then bought, with something called “money” and then enter the charts – are simply no longer around.
Yes, they dominate with miniscule sales nowadays, the album charts, and they completely can make a killing in concerts; which in my opinion are actually “popular” music nowadays; as there is simply NO comparison between a zoomer who clicks a play button and someone who spends their 30 quid to go and watch live music, but I digress.
This trend also happened to U2, whose first hit was the above “Fire” in 1981, hitting in at #35 in the UK, whilst their last, incidentally in 2009, was “I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight“, only in at #32.
Continuing the theme that shows off some of the truly stunning, Victorian tenements that we have to offer in Glasgow, I took a walk in the West End (again!) of the city, to the Hyndland quarter.
Thereupon, Kingsborough Gardens, complete with private park, was meandered through. What a world class street! And the hooses (Glasgow slang for “houses”) were amazing!
Park in Kingsborough Gardens
Equally, there exists a private park in the centre, between both sides of the two lanes; picturesque, subtle, practical – and I just love, the use of the word “proprietors”!
Another day, and why not more photos from Glasgow, in this case concerning the wonderful tenements that we possess here in Glasgow, in so many different neighbourhoods.
Dowanhill, Glasgow
These happen to be in the Dowanhill area (more on this area in the coming weeks), and are of the “red” sandstone variety, which is interesting, as there are also many of the “light brown” variety – that according to many tend to shed their sand quicker or be a little more brittle, which I believe is true.
My opinion is that I prefer the red type, particularly when matched with black window frames – unbeatable!
Curious Bystander 