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The Bell, The Fish, The Bird and the Tree

St Mungo door knocker, Easdale Island

I’m not sure if any city is as proud of its coat of arms as Glasgow. You are never far from one – old or new, carved, engraved, painted, high or low – they are everywhere. Glasgow Coat of Arms started collecting them on Twitter @GlasgowCoA, and the crowdsourced results are currently on show at Glasgow City Heritage Trust in Bell Street until 6 Feb.

The story of St Mungo (Glasgow’s patron saint) and the book, the bell, the fish and the tree certainly caught my imagination at school, particularly the part about the salmon and the ring thrown into the river by the queen’s lover. That seemed a bit racey for primary school, particularly a Catholic one, but it did make saints seem cool.

I’m pleased to have contributed this wee St Mungo door knocker found on Easdale Island, 120-odd miles away from home. The collection is also on Instagram at instagram/GlasgowCoA and is growing all the time.

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The Joy of Pyrex

Pyrex dishes
From That Retro Piece

I was trying to identify a Pyrex dish I found in the loft (it turned out to be Chelsea), and lost a few hours admiring vintage Pyrex patterns.

The Pyrex Pattern Library from the Corning Museum of Glass has an extensive chronological archive of patterns, including the wonderfully named Mod Kitchen.

Pyrex Passion and Pyrex Love have easy-to-browse pattern libraries. The Pyrex Collector also has adverts and patents (No Home Can Have Too Much Pyrex – so true).

Pyrex 'Snowflake' dishes

I was still struggling to find my pattern until I found English Pyrex on That Retro Piece. This wonderful site, with beautiful photographs has guides to UK, Australian and New Zealand Pyrex.

All UK Pyrex was produced in by J A Jobling (JAJ) in Sunderland until 2007. The Sunderland Glass Centre has an exhibition called ‘The People’s Pyrex‘ on until May 2020.

Modern Pyrex is still going strong, now made in France. Check out the History of Pyrex.

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Nick Cave: Until @ Glasgow Tramway

Until exhibition by Nick Cave at Glasgow Tramway

It’s the last couple of weeks of Nick Cave‘s exhibition, Until at the Tramway in Glasgow. Turns out there are two Nick Caves – this one is the Chicago-based artist, not the Australian Brighton-based singer.

Photos don’t really do it justice. It is crammed full of interesting objects, and each part of the exhibition offers up new surprises. On until 24 November.

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Glasgow Doors Open Day 2019 – part 2

Following on from Glasgow Doors Open Day highlights, here are a few places to go outside the city centre.

Get your name in headlines with Glasgow Press and Newspaper Club

Starting in Govan, Glasgow Press (Saturday only) is a real treat. Enjoy the smell and noise of old-timey letterpress printing, and get your name in headlines with a personalised newspaper, a collaboration with Newspaper Club. You can also enjoy a look at Govan’s historic graving docks while you’re there.

Heading further south, Camphill Gate, a historic tenement, and Langside Halls (across the road from each other) are interesting, and further afield Holmwood House, a spectacular Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson villa is worth the trip.

Govanhill Picture House

And I can’t wait to see what’s behind the doors of Govanhill Picture House.

Arlington Baths slipper room 2012

In the west, Arlington Baths is one of my favourite buildings in the whole of Glasgow. This well-preserved Victorian baths has so many fantastic features, most famously the superb Turkish Baths. Not to be missed! I will be going along to see if the Slipper Room is still as ramshackle as it was in 2012 (above). 

St Charles Borromeo church, North Kelvinside

St Charles Borromeo RC Church, North Kelvinside – Saturday only. A striking Gillespie, Kidd & Coia church. This is a short walk from Jaconelli’s Cafe on Maryhill Road if you need to be revived by ice cream.

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Glasgow Doors Open Day 2019 – City Centre highlights

Glasgow Doors Open Day is my favourite weekend of the year. So many amazing buildings, and every year there are new surprises. Here are a few of my favourites in the city centre, that don’t need to be booked in advance.

Glasgow City Chambers

Glasgow City Chambers, Saturday only. There are so many magnificent details in the City Chambers, it is always a surprise no matter how many times you visit. There are also free daily tours (Mon-Fri) during the rest of the year.

Garnethill Synagogue, Glasgow

Garnethill Synagogue, Sunday only. Excellent opportunity to see inside this beautiful building on Hill Street.

Glasgow Art Club

Glasgow Art Club, Bath Street. One for the Mackintosh fans.

Trades Hall, Glasgow

The Trades Hall, Merchant City. Lots of fun details in this historic Robert Adam-designed building.

The Pyramid, Anderson, Glasgow

The Pyramid, Anderston Kelvingrove Parish Church – striking Modernist church easily spotted by its green pyramid roof.

Also worth seeing:

  • The Tenement House, Garnethill. A chance to see this National Trust property for free. It’s a fascinating glimpse of tenement life as it once was.
  • Britannia Panopticon Music Hall. Always fun to visit, the Panopticon advertises itself as the world’s oldest surviving music hall. It has regular open days throughout the year.
  • Glasgow Evangelical Church – a little hidden gem near Glasgow Cathedral.

I am also looking forward to tours of the Mitchell Library, Barrowlands Ballroom and Tennent’s Brewery.

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End of the Line by John R. Hume

End of the Line exhibition, by John R. Hume

I finally made it to End of the Line: Photographs of Glasgow’s Industrial Past, an exhibition of archive photographs of industrial buildings in Glasgow, by John R. Hume, organised by Glasgow City Heritage Trust.

Now Chief Inspector of the Royal Commission on the Ancient Historical Monuments of Scotland, John R. Hume travelled round Glasgow by bike, documenting factories and warehouses all over the city. You might think these things have a fairly limited appeal, but the exhibition space (an imposing former Inland Revenue building in North Frederick Street) was busy for a wet Wednesday, and there was a lively commentary from visitors who could remember the buildings as they were. The exhibition runs to the 5 September (or 7 September according to some info), and photos are also available on Canmore.

Magnet Ales, Leeds by Peter Mitchell

Fans of this sort of thing may also enjoy the work of Peter Mitchell, who scoured Leeds for disappearing buildings. His Instagram account is a real treat.

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A week in Harris

Bus stop, Isle of Harris
Bus stop with a view, Isle of Harris

I’ve just spent a week on the Isle of Harris, in the Outer Hebrides. It is a very striking place, full of beautiful beaches and remote, rocky landscapes. Also home to Isle of Harris Gin, with its beautiful bottle, and Harris Tweed (of which more later).

Bunabhainneadar Tennis Court, Isle of Harris
Bunabhainneadar Tennis Court, reputed to be the most remote tennis court in the UK
Luskentyre Beach, Isle of Harris
Luskentyre Beach, Isle of Harris
Blackhouse, Arnol, Isle of Lewis
The Blackhouse, Arnol, on the neighbouring Isle of Lewis

For more Harris photos, John Maher (ex-Buzzcocks drummer) is now a photographer based there. His work features superb shots of Harris and surrounding islands. I enjoyed spotting some of the locations, like unexpected Santa.