Jingle Bell Run - Bellahouston Park

Everyone's getting into the Christmas spirit, even the Woman's Jogging Network. There hosting their annual Jingle Bell Fun Run on Saturday the 15th of December at 2pm.
I think it's a 5km [it doesn't say on the flyer] but there is a good 5km route through Bellahouston Park. Fancy dress is welcome, but it's not mandatory, so if you don't want to run round the park in a giant snowman outfit, that's quite understandable.
After the run there will be some festive themed food at the Palace of Art.

I've been really lazy lately and haven't been out running properly...so I may just go along and cheer you all on.

To book a place call the network on 0141 287 4450 it's £8 for members and £9 for non members.

Cherry and Heather - Cessnock

Cherry and Heather Fine Foods opened around a year a go on North Gower Street, in Cessnock. I've been in several times, but mostly to buy ingredients or cakes for my parents coming to visit. Today I went in and tried their vegetarian sushi box, now I love sushi.....But I can't face getting sushi from the supermarket and even M&S sushi is below par. But this was fantastic, fresh and tasty and only £1.95 for a box. Cherry and Heather is a fantastic little deli/cafe selling vegitarian sushi, noodles and freshly made sandwiches on ciabatta bread click here to view their menu. They also have a great selection of cakes, teas and coffees. There is limited seating but it can comfortable sit a few people and in the summer they have seating outside.
It's not only a great deli/cafe it also has shelves full of continental and East Asian dry foods. So if you're into cooking or just like the finer things in life, then this could be the place for you.
It's open Monday - Saturday 10am - 6pm

In the navy . . again

It seems funny to be writing a post about the launch of a new ship on the Clyde. Back in the day, I guess it would have been a very common event but now its extremely rare - just three ships in the last 3 years as far as I can tell.

It seems odd to be making a big thing about a new ship but at the same time given Glasgow's shipping history and the fact that it is now such an infrequent event, it is also strange that more is not being made of it.

At one time, shipbuilding/ ships were such a major part of Glasgow life (map below) but now its a completly detached area and bears no connection to the average Glasweigans life. This does make me wonder what things that we take for granted as just a part of Glasgow today will have disapeared in the next 50 years. Glasgow with no cars? Glasgow with no shops?

Anyway there is a good article on the BBC telling more about the launch - The launch takes place in Govan today and aparently 5,000 kids are getting out of school to go check it out. Bet they are delighted about that, until they get there and have to stand about in the cold and rain for ages.

[For a history of the Clyde visit the Clydesite website.]

Polish St Andrews Day

St Andrew's day is on Friday and for the first time in Scotland it's an official holiday. There are bound to be quite a few events on in the city. However the Pierce Institute in Govan are hosting a Polish/Scottish St Andrews night. The events free. There seems to be a mixture of Polish and Scottish music, Ceildh dancing and Polish fortune telling involving Hot Wax? Well if your brave enough.

The events on from 7pm until 10pm and it's bring your on bottle.

Luv's Christmas Market

The Linthouse Urban Village are hosting their annual Christmas Market, on Saturday from 10am until 3pm. The Markets being held in Tunnel Park, close to the south end of the Clyde tunnel.

There seems to be lots on for the kids, with Santa on a Horse and Cart, Santa's Grotto and face painting. There will also be a host of stalls selling everything from crafts to fine foods.

If your in the area on Saturday, you should go along....you may just pick up the perfect Christmas Present. If you are in a very festive mood, you could do both the Luv Christmas Market and the market in Langside Halls. See previous post

House for an Art Lover

This winter, if you are in the mood for some good food and some enjoyable music and you have a large wallet then you should give the "House for an Art Lover" in Bellahousten Park a visit.

When I first visited the house a few years ago, I found it a strange building - beautifully old in look and yet weirdly modern at the same time. This I guess is due to the fact that the building was created from old sketch designs left behind by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. This means that while some elements of the building are extremely carefully thought out and detailed by the big man himself, other areas have been put together by contemporary architect in a different style. While on the whole the two different parts meld together pretty well - it does unfortunately highlight the main glaring fact about the building - its a fake. While the main rooms are as delicately sculpted as those at the Hillhouse or the School of Art, the rooms here were never built to be lived in. When you open some doors, instead of another smart bedroom, you'll find a fire escape or a large modern meeting room.

The building has really been constructed as an exercise in style and as such lacked the lived in quality that the real Mackintosh buildings have. This is not necessarily a problem or a detracting feature, but it is something to be aware of when you visit as otherwise it can make for an uneasy experience.

Returning recently I was pleased to see that the building is beginning to grow into its surroundings and take on a more settled look. The inside is still a bit of a mix but it too has developed further, most noticeably as a very popular wedding venue. (If you decide to visit - phone ahead to check if a wedding is on. They are nice to see, but it does mean most of the building will be closed off to you.) With weddings, corporate events and the Houses programme of music performances, the building does now feel that it has a purpose and now has that little spark of life. Its just a shame the location is not that brilliantly served by public transport.

Anyway, the reason for this post, is to talk about the music concerts. There are a good few on over Christmas, most involving some posh grub and the wearing of a black tie. I think they could be ideal to get you into the Christmas spirit but at £55 a ticket they are a little expensive. The alternative is the Sunday Recitals which take place throughout the year - the next one is 9 December - Lauren MacColl/ Barry Reid - fiddle/ guitar and its only £3.50.

http://www.houseforanartlover.co.uk/

Winter Fayre - Langside Halls

The Glasgow Greens are holding their Winter Fayre in Langside Halls
on Saturday 1st December, 11 to 3.30, admission 70p under 12's free.

There will be home baking, toys, children's clothes, books, jewellry,
paintings etc, and the usual splendid tearoom.

For more info contact Kay allan on 571 1215.

All sounds good especially the home baking - I 'll have to get my flatmate to go buy some (you reading Gav) as I'll be away in Ireland.

Hampden Roar

I avoided making any posts about the football last week, fearing any mention of the game may well jinx us. (After all I did make a brief post just shortly before the ill fated Georgia game.) Sadly this little bit of superstitious nonsense didn't do us any good and despite some superb play - we are out.

It was however a joy to be in the Southside on Saturday afternoon. With all the streets adorned with Saltaires, Lion Rampants and some Italian flags you would have thought we'd already qualified.

Even after the game, when everyone wandered out bleary eyed into the wet dark night there was still a good bit of humour and banter in the air. Everyone celebrating in the Scottish tradition of a glorious defeat with random strangers standing around in the streets chatting and singing.

We tried to watch the game in the Granary, but it was already full by the time we got there at 2pm!! Ended up watching it in JAM which is a reasonably big bar with a couple of big screens but somehow lacked the atmosphere that I had been looking for.

Given the 2010 campaign will be kicking off soon - anyone got any suggestions for good southside pubs to watch the games in.

Southside Festival

Just a quick reminder about the meeting tomorrow night at Langside Halls, Queens Park with one of the Langside Ward Counciller's James Dornan to discuss plans for a Southside festival next year. Apparently the 28 June 2008 is the date to get into your diaries.
I think at the moment the whole thing is quite fluid and they are really looking for peoples comments and inital thoughts - so if you've got any genius ideas then get along and let them know what you think. Kick off is 7pm Tuesday 13th.

Glasgow Commonwealth Games

Glasgow has just won the 2014 Commenwealth games which should mean a huge investment in building and infrastructure in Glasgow especially for the East End. The plans however will hopefully be a benefit to the whole city and with three of the main venues located in the Southside (including Hampden where the closing ceremony will take place) it looks like we'll be seeing quite a bit of the action as well.

I know there is still quite a bit of debate about whether or not Glasgow can actually afford to host the games or what the long term benefits actually will be - but I like to be optimistic and look on the games as an opportunity to make some great changes to the city.

To read all about the bid visit the Glasgow 2014 site or the ever useful BBC.

Southside Venues

Scotland’s National Stadium, Hampden Park - Track and field

Ibrox Stadium - Rugby 7s
Strathclyde Park -Triathlon

Go gre . . blue

This morning, just as I was leaving for work, there was a buzz on the door. It was a man from the Glasgow City Council Cleansing Department to deliver me a large blue recycling bag.

Apparently over the next week, we in the Southside will be getting blue bins in our back closes for throwing our paper, plastic bottles and tin cans. The council will then come and take these away and get them ready to make into new things. The big sturdy blue bag is for carrying the recycling waste down to the bin. (I noticed that the bags are actually more a tourquoise than a blue - I wonder is thats anything to do with our city's strange behaviour when it comes to the use of green and blue.)

This is good news. At the moment, we store up all our recycling in plastic storage containers in our kitchen and it can be 6 or 7 weeks before we actually drag our lazy souls along to the recycling point by which time - we've got a mega ton of stuff to move.

I'm not sure what extent of the Southside is covered, can't seem to find that info on the Council's site. Will update when we find out.

Useful links

Find you nearest recycling point for glass etc

Request a bulky item uplift

FAQ about recycling

Walmer Crescent Association - Cessnock

The Walmer Crescent Association, founded in 2004, is a great example of what happens when people get together with a common objective. The Association aim is to protect and improve the conservation area and the grade A listed building and enhance the area around the Crescent.
Last year the residents and other Cessnock locals got together on the first Saturday of every month to have a clean up around the listed building....now the litter level is much better and also, the council cleansing guys have got better a cleaning up since they realised that the local residents were being proactive.

The Walmer Cresent Association next meeting is on the 14th of November at the Doctor' surgery waiting room. The association is not just for residents of Walmer Crescent but for anyone interested in the improvement of the Alexander 'Greek' Thomson building and the general Cessnock area.
Membership of the Association is five pounds but you don't need to be a member to go along to meetings and help out at any events.

e-mail : info@walmercrescent.org for more details and for more info on the Crescent and Alexander 'Greek' Thomson click here

Southside Trivia

Could this be the ultimate band?

I hadn't seen it before, but the shiny magazine I picked up yesterday is actually in its 5th edition. "I-on Glasgow" is a free monthly lifestyle for men and woman about Glasgow which seems interesting enough - if a little to much like everything they mention is a bit wonderful, like they are trying to sell it to you.

This months issue has a short four page section about Shawlands covering the usual topics such as the Southside being "the new Westend" and it being a good place to buy a flat.

The brief review of local shops/ bars and restaurants however is a bit odd, mentioning The Cookery Book as a great place to by cookware, despite the fact I pretty sure its been closed for years. (Let me know if I'm wrong.)

There were also a few odd snippets of trivia which I thought strangly uninteresting enough to be interesting and which allows us to create a new section - southside trivia.

• Carol Smiley worked as a waitress in the Granary
  
• Michelle McManus bought her first flat in Shawlands
  
• Mike Edwards wrote his first novel in Shawlands (though wikipedia says he wrote it in Kabul)
  
• Texas recorded their album Southside in Shawlands
  
• Paulo Nutini's whose friend lives in Afton Street filmed his latest music video in Shawlands

Scottish Ballet at the Tramway

If you've been travelling down Pollokshaws Road lately, you'll have noticed the building works going on at the Tramway. It's the new Scottish Ballet HQ, due to open in January 2008. The 11 million pound building has been designed by Edinburgh based Malcolm Fraser Architects.

Scottish ballet is Scotlands award winning national dance company, the company presents world class dance pieces within Scotland, UK and all over the world. This new building is seemingly going to make a huge difference to the Scottish Ballet, as the building they are in is dilapidated and not fit for purpose. The new building's facilities will allow young talented dancers to stay and train in Scotland. The Scottish Ballets website has a walkthrough of the new building and other information on the project.

The Tramway is one of my favourite places in the city, so I am reserving judgement on the design [see pictures above] and location of the Scottish Ballet HQ. Hopefully the opening of the HQ will increase the number of visitors to the Tramway creating more of a creative buzz in the area. It is a great thing to have in the Southside.

The Tramway itself is having a bit of a makeover and at the moment it's only partially open.

The cafe bar is set to have a larger kitchen enabling the tramway to have a larger menu, which is great because it would nice to have dinner there, before a show.

There is a new gallery space opening - Tramway 5 and it'll be located opposite the box office between Tramway 2 and the main street. The space will be visible from the street with large floor to ceiling windows. Another gallery space regularly showing exhibitions is what the Tramway needs, if there was always an exhibition on, I would be more likely to just drop in. The first exhibition planned for the space is Rachel Mimiec and it's part of the Glasgow International festival in April 2008.

For more information on the changes at the Tramway click here