WEEK 79 CORONAVIRUS: A TRIP TO THE GLASGOW SMWS

Another week of pandemic statistics remaining much the same, i.e. infection rate continues to be moderate.... not high but not low either.   

While the news this past week has mainly been about petrol shortage, not due to lack of fuel but because of lack of hauliers.  Yes, supermarkets and shops have been empty in patches but the fuel delivery problem has been driven by the Brexit consequence of European drives heading back to their own country.

Or at least that is what the media are saying.  (I wrote about this a few months ago when I chatted to a haulier who said that drivers were simply skiving off.)  Like so much of what I notice these days, things are not what they seem, i.e. the reasons are to do with pandemic and/or Brexit or none of these. 

That being said, I attended a concert at Douglas Academy last Friday night. Youngsters were playing in their orchestra... a real tonic as we head out of lockdown and into winter!

On Saturday I headed into the city centre to attend to something I had planned to do just before lockdown in 2019. The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (of which I am a member) has now opened a club room in Glasgow.  I made a noble effort to find it.

It has to be one of the best kept secrets in Glasgow.  Why?

It is exactly one and one quarter blocks due west of Donald Dewar's statue which stands at the top of Buchanan Street.  It couldn't be more central! 

I had a great visit, ate  lunch of a venison burger and bought Pips Hills' book about the setting up of the SMWS some 40 years ago.  Iain and I know about this as we were friends with one of the founders... more on that anon.

Their selection of whiskies is absolutely huge!  I came away with one bottle picked more or less at random.

However... a funny thing happened on my way to the SMWS....

While walking along the street looking for the SMWS (I was walking from West to East) I was peering at the numbers on the doorways looking for No. 38.  In the block before No 38 I came upon this doorway: No 106.  It wasn't the number that took my notice so much as the chap standing on the doorstep in his white hairdresser's at-work coat wearing his pandemic mask.  He was obviously having a break enjoying the sunlight at mid-day. 

I thought to myself  "I recognise that handsome head of blond (going white) hair!" and double-checked by looking up at the sign above his head. I pointed to the sign and then to him; he laughed!  Never being one to be backward about coming forward I spoke up, "You cut my hair some 40 years ago!"  He's still going strong - a legend in his own lunchtime!  And like my current hairdresser at Bearsden Cross, he just loves his job!  "It's all about the people."  

 

WEEK 78 CORONAVIRUS: BUSINESS AS USUAL (NOT)

I have been involved with 2 different printers to try and get some brochures, posters, tickets, cards printed for the end of August.  The music organisation is    going to start up again in October with one concert every month (except January) 2022) until the spring.

[Photo: Chodowiecki]

Things have not been straightforward... so what is going on??  Having dealt with various printers for 4 decades (egad!) I have certainly seen some changes.  Time-served people saw their businesses merge, and/or close; equipment sold off as computer generated desk top publishing (like the stuff I do) replaced it.  Not all printers disappeared but methinks I am now seeing a similar decline right now.

Due to the pandemic, as we know, many businesses were forced to close and lay off staff.  Times have been very uncertain over these past 18 months.  Businesses, services etc that have remained open were either forced to reduce staff, days e.g. dentists, and others closed everything and operated from home;  some are still operating but it seems only part-time. 

The concept of 'service' in the UK is, and never has been, the same as US or Canada; you get used to limited, surly or none. That being the case as things are now opening up slowly and getting back to 'normal' it is still a case of: sitting on the phone waiting for a human being to attend your call; goods not delivered when arranged, websites with out-of-date phone numbers, increasing difficulty processing things because of 'security protection', people not at the office so "I'll get so and so to deal with it." (not). 

The TSB bank in Milngavie - pretty well says it all!

The 2 printing jobs finally were completed. However what I began to suspect is, indeed, the case: businesses have closed and relocated or are working with skeleton staff. I appreciate that they must be having problems with their supply chain.  I hope there is not a paper shortage at the moment! 

A post-script to this:  on the other side of this problem I am finding some shops that are not only open but have queues outside e.g.new ice-cream shop locally. And plumbers, plasterers, driving instructors for Learner Drivers, have big waiting lists.

* * * * * * * * * * * 

A short drive from our house is Dobbie's Garden Centre located on the edge of our Bearsden/Milngavie suburb of Glasgow.  The business appears to be re-styling itself.  They have got rid of their Edinburgh Wooden Mill section and have now a big 'grocery hall' with lots of Sainsbury brand on the shelves.

They still have tacky stuff that comes in containers from China e.g. home decor stuff;  they even sell plants and garden equipment but not very exciting stuff (and certainly no staff who know anything about plants!)  For the record the day I visited was September 13th (Monday) and there were piles of Christmas stock starting to fill the emptied corners.

However outside in the car park these photos show the superb location: the cows are grazing on the line of the Roman Antonine Wall.

And it is that time of year.... jelly making time:

Back in Bearsden - a trip down memory lane when I parked my car alongside this fence on Russel Drive

Clearing and contrucstin preparation on corner of Gartconnel Road and Ralston Road in Bearsden

20TH ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11 RECOLLECTIONS

It is 20 years since the terrible event of the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers in New York. We all have our stories of where we were on that day when we heard the news.

Tribute in Light in Manhattan on 11 September 2013, marking the 12th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.Photograph: Gary Hershorn/Reuters

I certainly remember where I was on Sept 11, 2001 and what I was doing: I had just come from a large 11 am funeral at Glasgow Cathedral. It was of a young man who froze to death on the Matterhorn. (His father had been one of Iain’s students and as well as a fellow mountaineer.)   

On the way home I needed to do some photocopying of music required for our fiddle orchestra rehearsal that same evening.  I was standing in the Copy Agency Byres Road  putting sheets into the photocopier when the lad in charge of the place referred me to the news coverage coming out of his radio up on a shelf above my head. "Have you not heard?"     What a shock!  

And further to this… at the end of the day I went to collect a Canadian friend, Glenna Urbshadt, who had been staying with us, from a local golf club (Clober Golf Club) after she had finished her game, about 5 pm.  We met in the clubhouse foyer.  Off to one side of the wide foyer was a fairly large room with a TV in the corner.  A scattering of people were gathered in front of the TV watching the news coverage.  We stood at the opening (which was made by the big sliding doors being pushed to each side) and asked if we could come in to watch the TV.  “No madame …it's men only!”

WEEK 77 CORONAVIRUS: CASES CONTIUE TO RISE STEADILY

The weather has been glorious which meant I had some good photo-opportunities when out and about. The coronavirus is very much still with us; cases are rising slowly but steadily.  And this is us approaching autumn and winter.   There is some talk of booster jabs being offered.   

I was in the city recently and here are photos of the city down on the Clyde.  The empty building sites are now filled with glass fronted buildings. 

The banner on the right says IFSD which means International Financial Services District. In the picture, but harder to make out, is the wide cycle lane mid-photo. 

The holes in the ground are filling with new buildings.  I always find it hard to remember what used to be there.

The pedestrian (and cyclists) bridge over the Clyde.

Glasgow's finest put their mark on the City Fathers' best attempt to beautify the area.

A cyclist enjoying the pedestrian facilities....

A seagull's eye view

A view of the Clyde Port Authority building with the dome top. Gone are the days of ships lying alongside this part of the Clyde.