REMEMBRANCE DAY GLASGOW 2024 - BUTE HALL, GLASGOW UNIVERSITY SERVICE AND MACLEOD FARRIER PHOTO

It is Armistice Day 2024. Photos: 1916 and 2024

This photo is from the MacLeod family archives.  It is of Iain's father, Donald, back row third from left, in the Farrier Regiment, 1916 "somewhere in France".

This is him in Gairloch. No date given.

* * * *  2024 at Glasgow University * * * * * 

A Remembrance Day service was held in Bute Hall. The Last Post was played (beautifully by a music student), we sang and thought about "those in peril on the sea" [the old hymns are the best ones] and the Choir sang from the gallery opposite the wonderful sounding organ. 

I have a friend in the Choir ... Observation: more members of the Choir turned out than the Academics....

Assembling on the south side of the Quadangle for the March Past lead by the pipe band playing 'Highland Laddie'... nice!

In the middle-ground are the Army cadets marching by (followed by navy and airforce cadets). Another observation: the cadets were all noticeably of 'average height', i.e. a handful were 6 foot or a bit over but not what I would call 'tall'.  I say all this because over the years I use to notice that Iain's students were getting taller, i.e. I looked into the backs of their heads in a room, not over the top. Not so today.

The Choir ... now dispersing.

WAVERLEY HEADING DOWN THE CLYDE - SQUINTY BRIDGE

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The Waverley approaching the channel opened at the Squinty Bridge (at Transport Museum) on the upper River Clyde. 

The bridge returning to its walkway position.

WEEK 98 CORONAVIRUS: EASING OF RESTRICTIONS SO IT'S FINE DINING TIME

There is definitely a lifting of spirits now.  Public places are relaxing their pandemic restrictions, e.g. barriers being removed, floor markers in shops and various premises being lifted; the local supermarket is about to re-open their in-store cafe.   However some things are still in place e.g. hand sanitizers, masks still to be worn in shops, trains, buses, offices, restaurants as you enter.

The weekly music appreciation class I attend has re-started and the talk is that the kitchen of the church hall where we meet is to open next week.  So all is moving slowly along as we emerge into post-lockdown mode of living.

It was Maggie's idea to book a table for lunch this week.  We turned up at Unaloma, a new restaurant that opened in June 2021 in the Finneston area of Glasgow.

Apparently, Unalome refers to the Buddhist symbol representing the path to enlightenment.

We booked a table for lunch (£30.00 each for 3 courses featuring a 'tasting' menu ... which really is about 4 courses all in all).

It was absolutely fabulous! 

It is the restaurant of Graeme Cheevers, a Glasgow chap. He has an impressive track record with various important awards.

A 'foodie' I am not; if anything I am the exact opposite.  I eat whatever is put in front of me and have great pleasure when it is someone else doing the cooking (and cleaning up).  Maybe that is why I enjoyed the whole 'dining experience' on Wednesday afternoon so much!

Added to this, of course, is the fact that I have not been out to eat (anywhere!) for the last 2 years. I was like an Arab at an oasis!  We chose the lunch menu (as opposed to the more expensive 7 course tasting menu) and enjoyed every single mouthful: beautifully presented, everything cooked the way it should be (lessons to be learned here) and served by courteous, well-mannered staff, in a surrounding of diners quietly chatting and staff discretely moving about ... all giving a good 'vibe' as they say.  

I noticed an open kitchen off to one side ... impressive!.. and they use Scottish suppliers:  "the hare has finished but you can have Mallard duck".  They only thing we didn't have was alcohol but vowed to address that for next time. We saw an impressive cheese board go by as well!

We finished off the afternoon back at Maggie's where I tried out her non-alcoholic Chardonnay.  I don't know why I didn't think to look for that for myself these days... I simply have got out of the habit of buying wine during the past 2 years (basically I'm using up what's in the cupboard).

To that end I bought some German non-alcoholic Reisling  today and also a bottle of Waitrose English  (Kent) white wine.  Things have got to change I have decided;  nothing spurs me on more that a lovely meal out!

 

 

WEEK 85: COP26 IN GLASGOW - PHOTOS

Week 1 of 2 has now taken place where the leaders of the world and activists and protesters have all gathered in Glasgow to look at the problem of climate change.

Here are some photos taken on Saturday. They are all of the city centre where people were gathered in preparation for a scheduled march where everyone could express their views using, beside shear numbers, their various placards and banners.

The crowd appeared to be all ages including many grey-haired folk joining the families, students and visitors from other countries.

There was a strong police presence.  Well, there would be; they drafted in thousands.  Apparently many are staying in the local Premier Inn and similar hotels in our suburban area.  That would explain the noticeable sprinkling of healthy, fit, fairly tall males (all of which Glasgow tend not to be!) as I move about the local streets and on the suburban trains.

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Lastly.... I am not marching but rather I am joining a group near Loch Lomond who are helping to save the planet....by...

... picking up litter in Dumbarton.

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 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.

CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN WEEK 27: GLASGOW CITY CENTRE WALKABOUT

The number of cases of covid virus is rising so stricter measures are being put in place to try and keep the infection rate below 5% of the population.  Currently it is 4.5%.

So no visiting in other people's homes.  However you can meet up in restaurants.  Also train and bus travel is operating with social distancing and masks in place.

I went into the city centre this week. I took some photos in the morning sunshine which a general theme of Cornovirus Lockdown.  

For all that the city centre was fairly quiet there were several construction sites which were hives of activity.  I particularly liked these following posters which were painted on the boarding around the building site in the Merchant City.

 * * * * * *Mercat Cross, Trongate * * * * * *

* * * * *  Glasgow City Chambers and George Square  vicinity * * * * * 

* * * * * Queen Street Station is nearly completed now  * * * * *