Glasgow – Curious Bystander

Glasgow Doors Open Day 2025- Inside St. Mary’s Masonic Lodge

A Hidden Gem on Glasgow’s Dumbarton Road –

Interesting as always, Glasgow hosts a Doors Open Day every September. We’ve done so many things through this event over the years, so I thought—why not try something just around the corner from us? That’s how we ended up at St. Mary’s Masonic Lodge.

First thing that I thought, was that this was not an Orange Lodge that most people know. This is the Freemasons. I’ll admit, I brought all my usual bigotries with me … and wow, was I wrong.

I’ve never met people more open, more friendly, and more diverse in appearance and background. Everyone seemed genuinely interested in sharing and learning. It was incredibly hospitable.

First of all, the name caught me: St. Mary’s. I always thought, “If they’re Protestant, why do they believe in saints?” But they’re not Protestant—they’re Freemasons.

Second, our guide wasn’t even British. He was Spanish, I believe, and was wonderfully inclusive in how he explained the beauty—at least from his perspective—of the Lodge. He spoke about their charitable work, their visitors, and their humility. When someone asked what they actually contribute (financially) to, he said that wasn’t the point. The people who receive help know who the Masons are, and it’s not for anyone else to know.

As the photos show, the main hall looks almost like a church—or even a synagogue. It was plainly decorated, and not overdone. Very tasteful, very open. The building spans three floors, and each space had its own character—never barren, never gaudy.

The top hall? That’s where they have a bar and a small tea room—well, “restaurant” might be pushing it. Still, there was free food for visitors, and the walls were lined with paintings and photographs of Glasgow past and present.

What struck me most was something I’d never noticed before, even after walking past this building countless times: the windows. They’re designed to blend into the tenement style while still standing out. The stairs—the “closes,” as we say in Glasgow—lead only to one thing: the Lodge itself.

I’m glad I finally saw it and is something I hope they continue to share with the public in the future.

The Saltmarket in Glasgow; up and coming –

While this area is not really in the Merchant City of Glasgow, it no doubt could be called Merchant City South. In addition, I’ve seen a quite a few things about it recently in the local press (Glasgow Live, etc) and the many new food outlets that have opened here.

Aat the same time it’s just so close to Glasgow Green. What’s interesting, 20 or 30 years ago, I always thought there was so much potential here, but seemed to me to be a Glasgow from a very long time ago.

I’d often go jogging through here to go to Glasgow Green, whilst at Strathclyde University. Going there it was all downhill, coming back, all uphill. What was interesting is I’d always see some old fashioned window curtains in the windows of the tenement flats here. You could just tell the person who lived there was probably on the north side of eighty!

But now this has changed. It appears there are plenty of new flats, student flats, Chinese students and Airbnbs here.

We decided to go to one or two of the new places here.

Sister Midnight – 61 King Street, Glasgow

The first, Sister Midnight, was on a rather large corner, overlooking the late great 13th North Cafe. It’s another one of these cafe / Sandwich places, which also have a bookshop attached (Editor: “Deli and Provisions”!), and appears to be slightly aimed at the gay community.

The sandwiches are gigantic. I had the the the hummus one which was basically like a hummus salad, inside a small loaf of Italian bread! It was absolutely delicious and completely filling.

Each side was the size of a small brick, so I only had half and had the other half when I arrived back at my bit. Combined with two hot drinks, a dessert for the other half, came to only £15. Incredible value & quality.

There’s also the de rigueur trendy type of condiments, chips, sauces, etc. on the shelves here. Things you can buy, all at a reasonable price considering that they’re quite high quality.

The clientele would seem to be the people in this area who are either residents, or are passing through to their work.

The second place, Choco Cartel, was something that I had remembered from a Glasgow Live article, and was yet another coffee place, but this time featured ice cream and desserts.

The dessert I had was some sort of cheesecake with a burnt caramel on it, that I haven’t tasted before. It was superb. Combine that with the two teas, it again was reasonably priced.

We could have also had ice cream, but chose to give it a miss, as I was still suffering from Sister Midnight!

They also do some sort of small paper box, where they can put the ice cream on top of a cake base. I think they call it something like cake fries on a cake base. It looked decadent and I know that I’ll try it at the very latest, when I compete in the half marathon later this year in Glasgow, that finishes nearby in Glasgow Green.

Both places need to be checked out to be believed.

Doors Open Day Part 2: Exploring St. Bride’s Church: A Hidden Gem in Glasgow, Scotland

St Brides Episcopal Church, Glasgow, Scotland

The day before my visit to the Tenement House, I decided to wander around the West End of Glasgow. This tree-lined, leafy area is very middle-class, with many Chinese students near the university and various hospitals. It is probably the most desirable place to live in Glasgow, perhaps even in Scotland.

Doors Open Day is a celebration that occurs every September in Glasgow, showcasing many different buildings, with churches being one of the highlights.

Like many other churches in Glasgow, St. Bride’s Church is not only old but also grand and elegant. It appears to be well-maintained, showcasing the care taken by its community. According to my research, it is a member church of the Scottish Episcopal Church, which is part of the global Anglican Communion, with the Archbishop of Canterbury serving as its head.

The church exudes a warm and welcoming atmosphere, evident from the numerous bulletins, brochures, and various “churchy” materials I observed. These resources indicate that St. Bride’s is a hive of activity, hosting many services and a plethora of music concerts.

During my visit, I noticed a Bach or Baroque group rehearsing inside, presumably preparing for an upcoming concert either at the church or elsewhere in Glasgow.

With the added charm of delicious cakes, tea, and coffee, I left St. Bride’s Church with a positive impression.

I already have a “Church of the Month” category on my blog that I haven’t utilized enough. Perhaps I can make it a point to explore more of these hidden gems in the future.

Glasgow’s Doors Open Day -Time Travelling by Exploring Glasgow’s Tenement House

It’s interesting because I’ve been in Glasgow for 30 years, but I’ve never actually visited this part of the National Trust for Scotland. At the same time, it seems that virtually every accommodation I’ve used in Glasgow has been a tenement—tenements in the West End, tenements in the East End, and tenements in the South Side. The only time I haven’t stayed in a tenement was in the city centre, specifically in the Pollokshields area of Glasgow, which is a very nice inner suburb.

During the annual Doors Open Day in Glasgow, which took place a couple of weeks ago, I decided to visit the Tenement House located in the Garnethill section. It truly feels like a time capsule from 100 to 120 years ago.

The house was bequeathed to the city and later to the National Trust in the mid-1960s, after the owner neared the end of her life. I believe her daughter took over and rented some of it out. The National Trust acquired it in 1965.

It’s fascinating to have a conversation with someone and then, 100 years later, start that conversation again. Time stands still here.

The overall layout is identical to so many tenements here in Glasgow, from the bed recesses (now used as a kitchen table area or closet):

To the “pully,” which is rather horrifically referred to as a Victorian hanger by some:

Additionally, it seems the lady who owned it was fairly well-off. While I was in the bathroom, three older Glaswegian women were describing what each feature in the room represented. They noticed a gas connection in the wall, which was connected to the gas port at the time, providing some of the heating and hot water. This suggests that the woman who owned the place was probably middle class.

Even in the bathroom, with a little paint and minor repairs, it would fit right in today.

The most striking thing I saw was the letters and briefs that she had written and received throughout her life. It always strikes me that although we have everything from the internet to telephones and mass communication today, we’ve completely and utterly lost any form of communication via pen and paper. These letters were so much more eloquent and elegant than we use today; the words were utterly superior than what we could ever dream of crafting nowadays, even if we were to give up texting or emails.