Friday, January 20, 2006

Rain Town.



George Square – Glasgow.

A prestigious travel magazine recently named Glasgow as one of the top ten tourist destinations in the world.

I can see why the city has garnered this accolade. It has magnificent Victorian and Edwardian architecture, arranged on the only city grid system in Britain. The place possesses a vigour and brio that can make it seem like a miniature Chicago. Of all the major British cities, I think it is the only one that feels in no way provincial to London.

In terms of its wealth of art galleries and museums (most free of charge), it stands comparison with any city in Europe. In terms of popular culture it has a thriving music scene, much of it emanating from the Glasgow School of Art, an institution of international significance.

As a caveat to all the praise that I am heaping on the place, I think it’s only fair to point out a couple of downsides. The travel journalist responsible for Glasgow’s high rating presumably visited on a sunny day, and is unaware that the city’s high rainfall has earned it the soubriquet ‘rain town’. They have also clearly not taken a stroll along Sauchiehall Street at 2 am, when the clubs disgorge neds in their thousands to engage in their hobbies of copious vomiting and head butting. It ain’t a pretty sight.

I’m off to spend a few days there tomorrow. Perhaps I’ll take one of those open top bus tours. I can sit and shiver on the top deck as the rain drips down my collar, and inhale the exhaust fumes polluting the urban air.

Then again, I could just sit in the pub and work up an appetite for one of the marvellous kebabs for which the town is famous.

I will be back next Friday to inform you all about my adventures.

Toodlepip.

18 comments:

Sniffy said...

Oooh, wrap up warm!

I went to Glasgow once, I didn't see anything of the city though as I went straight to the conference centre from the station and then back again. Shame really.

Wyndham said...

Have fun, I like Glasgow muchly - but stay away from Sauchiehall Street at 2am - you may drop your kebab.

garfer said...

Sniffy now is it? What was wrong with plain old Tina? I hope you've got the proper deed poll documents.

Any ned that interferes with my kebab is a dead ned.

Sniffy said...

I'm trying out sniffy for a bit, although I don't think I like it as much as I thought I would. I'll probs be going back to tina at some point over the weekend.

pissoff said...

I went to a wedding in Glasgow one time. The groom wore a skirt?

Kyahgirl said...

Have a fun (hopefully dry-but not likely) trip.

My last boss was from Glasgow (as a youngster). He talked a lot about the buildings too..and the whiskey distillery :-)

Unknown said...

Glasgow's OK, but there's something about the gangs of feral youths swigging from bottles of Buckfast and threatening you with violence that I'm not too keen on...

M said...

Have some fun for me! Love to ya, Garfer!

Peevish McSnark said...

Brio? Soubriquet? Disgorge? This is some qualitywriting today.

I've never been to Scotland, but I've seen Billy Connolly and Sean Connery, Glaswegians both. They sound delightful.

Beccalog said...

I wish I'd known you were coming out..we'd have loved to meet up with you!! Sat was the hunger strike march in George Square and with all the protesters..well..I just hope you missed it.

Anonymous said...

Toodlepip indeed.

I fucking hate Glasgow. Spent all my Uni years there. Spent all my money there. Spent a large amount of time pished there.

Thankfully, I left just before the arrival of the new generation of city dwellers descended (and generated demand for over-priced coffee houses, bars, houses & apartments, giant and completely unnecessary four by fucking fours) and started to force the poor fucking locals out.

It was always fucking raining.

Everyone was always fucking pished.

I always got fragged into the middle of a fucking punch-up.

I could never understand a fucking word anyone fucking said. Until the English started to arrive.

I hated round fucking sausage.

I hated being continually asked if I wanted a wee fucking dram with my pint.

I thought the Burrel Collection was fucking shite and attracted way too fucking many namby-pamby's.

And finally...

In recent years and visits, I thought the Mackintosh Centre (aka the Lighthouse) was fucking ACE (see - a good word!).

Gordon said...

Well, I'll leave the judgemental comments to the erudite "piggy and tazzy" and say that, like becca, if I'd know you were visiting...

And the only people I know who get into fights in Glasgow are the ones that visit the dodgy pubs.

Rowan said...

good luck, don't get too wet then

S.I.D. said...

Avoid the infamous kiss

Kyahgirl said...

someone mentioned its Burns night-is that tonight? Hope you're filling your gullet with excellent Haggis!

Anonymous said...

So are you back yet then?

Did you get hospitalised for any amount of time?

Have you caught the plague?

Did you have a nice time?

Wheres our present?

Sniffy said...

Yes, are you back or what? We've missed your wit and intelligence this past week.

S.I.D. said...

Its Saturday slacker.