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!
A quick walk about both Partick, near to Partick Train station, and Charing Cross, near Charing Cross station, will have you locate both the Quaker Meeting Rooms and an ancient Quaker cemetery gifted to Glasgow, that has not been used since 1857. An interesting history, can be found here:
The scenery has hardly changed, though the Dragons themselves have, with Peter Jones being the only one who has been there for the entire ride.
This episode had several potential partners, with one wishing investment for his new found bolt / construction device, while another (from Scotland!) wanted some money for her dog treats. One was successful, one wasn’t; with the invariable put downs, grimaces due to the lack of a proper financial forecast, etc, etc, on display.
Have you ever wondered about composers of old, who paid little attention to events around them but merely, continued to compose / produce music that THEY enjoyed?
This is what we discover with San Francisco’s Wooden Shjips, who have a big, neo-pysche sound, complete with guitars, keyboards and a certain ambience, that sounds like it should, but is still distinct.
Theirs is a music that can be listened to, or put in the background to enjoy.
Continuing the series on the various, central neighbourhoods in Glasgow.
But . . . did you know, or at least according to a friend who told me years ago, that Glasgow was built on seven hills? No, I didn’t either, and still I am not really sure of these, but they could be (starting from the city centre):
Garnethill Park Circus Hillhead Yorkhill Dowanhill Partickhill Broomhill
If you have been following this blog, I’ve already looked at the Park Circus area, and for the next two entries, will now look at the Hillhead area.
This area is just to the east of Byres Road (the centre of the universe for West Endies and Glasgow University students!). And in the past, we had our own Lord. Whoa!
This area looks east to the Woodlands / Kelvinbridge area, and features the River Kelvin, that is probably the dividing line between the two areas. Whilst to the west, there’s the Dowanhill area.
There’s a proliferation of both tenements, cafes and students (if that’s your scene) from Hillhead’s own University of Glasgow. On the north side, is both Kelvindale and North Woodlands.
If ever in Glasgow, just walk, and walk, and meander about. It’s very good at what it does. The first series of photographs is a circular route around the area’s edges; Byres Road, Great Western Road, Bank Street (just west of the River Kelvin & Kelvinbridge) and back on University Avenue through the University, to Byres Road.
Interesting, I literally didn’t know that REM were still having chart records, well into the 21st century (having given up on them mainly after the New Adventures in Hi-Fi album, though I still knew that they were going strong’ish).
Though they may have been bought primarily by their fanbase, a top 40 record (particularly back then), was STILL a hit record. I do remember them occasionally playing this on the radio, but almost as an afterthought, as in “Yes, we know you have fans and your big, but. . . “
Their first was back in 1987, with the seminal The One I Love, a #16 in 1987:
Whilst there last, number 32 in total!, was Wanderlust, which hit #27 in 2005.
Curious Bystander 