Sunday 7 May 2017

Glasgow

After 5 years of living in the States and coming up for 4 years in West London I finally made it home to Glasgow for a few days. I have always been proudly Scottish and a weegie to boot but it really took this trip to hammer home just how much I have Glasgow in my veins. Getting off that Virgin rail train it hit me hard just how much I miss this city.

I've worked hard at liking London, I go in and try and take in as much of the city and what it has to offer when I have my days off work, but despite my efforts I don't love it as much as I love Glasgow.

Now I got lucky on this trip home. The weather has been superb every day I got here. So those blue skies sure helps, but it goes so much deeper than that.

Glasgow is a young city. Its full of life. Young people seem to be everywhere. In London there is 10 million peope and of course there are young people everywhere too, but London is pricy to live in it seems to push the young aside, somehow Glasgow just seems to be all that more abundent with young people. Its affordable for housing. The music scene for such a small city is redicilously strong. It seems to be a city where if you aren't in a band you are going to watch a band.

The food scene has got really exciting too in the 9 years I've been away. I passed a bar that plays jazz and serves New Orleans style gumbo. In my London travels I have yet to see that, i'm sure its out there, but it sure wasn't available in Glasgow when I was last living here. As a foodie who has travelled somewhat, I'm immensly proud at the growth of my home city in my absense.

Then there is the art scene, it seems just as strong as the music scene, probably in no small part down to the affordability of living here. It might not be a city you come to for a tan (normally - this week is not the norm folks), nor is it the place you come for silly priced bottles of rosé, but it is a place where music, food and art breathes without taking you for a ride at the expense of your wallet.

Just walking the streets is testement to that. Car parks, underneath roads, or just bare walls, street art jumps out at you.








3 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is bloody awesome!!! You kept this quiet you little undercover scoundrel! I really love this, my goodness you are such an awesome writer. The photos are absolutely amazing! Xx

Someone Said said...

It's a remarkable city for the arts. It seems that everyone is supportive as well, and not cutthroat or petty the way some cities scenes tend to be. The musicians on Buchanan Street alone are heads above most.

Scotsman said...

Anonyomous, Its says I'm no writer, but thank you!

Someone Said, I think the difference is its a city that the artists actually live in, it seems to be there is room for everyone, certainly plenty of art and music around. Its not a city that likes to take itself too seriously either, hence the perpetual traffic cone on the Duke Of Wellington monument. In other cities, where money is abundent,artists can be pompous and might even be celebrated for it. Not so in working class Glasgow, its ok to be an artist but you have to remember where you came from.