Park Circus

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West End Wanderings

Chairs at Botanic Gardens

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Ruthven Lane, behind Byres Road

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And another piccy slot

Granite Steps - Woodlands Crescent (and kitty)



Scientology protest - Buchanan Street

Time for another picture slot

Traditional fronted chemist shop, Glasgow

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How to build a bridge

To the makers of the infamous Squinty Bridge in Glasgow which is currently having to undergo major structural repairs after only being open for about 18 months.

Just have a look at the other bridges in Glasgow such as the South Portland Street Suspension Bridge, which I took a stroll over today and grabbed a few snaps of, which has been open since 1853 and at least lasted until 1870 before needing repairs after which it has been pretty much tickety boo ever since.

Just waiting - For a Pigeon?

Some Seasonal Snaps

A few funfair shots as I walked home through George Square tonight.

Alan's Arty Picture Slot

Night shot of the Cenotaph at George Square

Walk along the Kelvin

Few piccies while walking along Uni Avenue today enjoying the Autumn sunshine..

The Glasgow Kelvin Hall in the background.

Mr E. Presley, taken in Glasgow's museum & art gallery.

This week's picture slot

This is the famed "Jinty's" at the back of Byres Road and not being one to pass the opportunity to rest my weary feet took refuge in the noble ale house.


And the vista from said ale house although it should be noted that many a drinker may not recognise this view from eye level and might be more familiar if I had taken the picture at ground level.

Nae Arses Please

It would appear that the parking of ones bahookie** in the Hillhead area of Glasgow is now frowned upon and the locals have taken a rather heavy handed approach to ensure no unprohibited placing down of the arse.........



**Bahookie....arse, bum, rear.

Byres Road Fruit Stall

There's a greengrocer at the top of Byres Road who always takes the time to really "arrange" their outside display. Today's was too good to not take a piccie...

Sannnie Bolas Theory

There's an odd tradition in Glasgow that I'm pretty sure must get replicated throughout the UK and the rest of the world wherever there are either overhead street telephone or lighting cables.

I speak of the curious sight of the pair of training shoes dangling in mid-air from the overhead cables for all the world to see like a left-over Christmas street light decoration.

Maybe they're up there as the owner has a particularly pungent pair of feet and requires vigorous outdoor airing of their shoes.

However my preferred theory is that whilst walking along the street a passer-by happened to spot a low flying bird of prey that was threatening small children and pets and they thought.... "I know, I'll take off my Nike's and fashion them into rudimentary bolas and using the skills of my forefathers knock that pesky predator from the sky".

Unfortunately, their forefathers being shipyard workers and not knowing much in the way of the hunting skills of the South American Gauchos obviously overlooked the overhead telephone cables in their attempt to prove their hunting manhood thus leaving the predator to go home unharmed, the sannies** to be left dangling and them having to hobble home shoeless.

Oddly you never actually see any real bolas hanging from these cables which can only mean that you don't find many Gauchos hunting in the Glasgow Maryhill area for large birds of prey.

**Sannies......Glasgow terminology for training shoes.

Underneath the arches

Yours truly has been a bit busy of late and Swansea feels like its rapidly becoming my second home due to the amount of time I spend down there so apologies for not updating the blog of late.

However I was back home in Glasgow tonight and not one to be afraid of dark spooky places dived under the Glasgow Bridge on the way home and grabbed this shot.



Aside from one or two interpersonal communications consultants working on a strictly cash only basis I didn't get mugged, accosted or approached by any unsavoury types as I fumbled about like a numpty with my camera.

Although I have been asked by the lovely ladies working to the strictly cash only arrangement to advertise that Monday nights are usually quiet and so they are currently promoting their £5.00 special which , if I took them correctly, seems to involve the provision of a French lesson which I thought seemed quite reasonable given that my local community centre charge upwards of £15.00 for foreign language classes.

Weekend arty picture slot

Wandering around town today looking for some shots but it started pissing rain and all I got was a shot of this lousy fire-escape and a wet pair of jeans.


And for a bit of fun with Halloween not far off....... a spooky house
(Actually it's a flat down by Charing Cross but who cares)

Kelvingrove Museum

Lights at Kelvingrove Art Gallery


Just looking

Arty picture slot

Time again for the Alan's arty picture slot...

This week its one of the walkway to the SECC I took while walking back from the ideal home exhibition in Glasgow.

This weeks arty picture slot

Grabbed this inside Glasgow's princess square coming back from lunch.

...and these ones while passing a display of classic cars

Coneheads

Thought I'd grab this photo while I was in town today because its a bit unusual.

Now the keen eyed amongst you think "aha, the horse has a traffic cone on its head" and you would be partially right.

However ask any Glaswegian and they will immediately tell you its unusual because the cone should in fact be on the rider, the Duke of Wellington, and not the horse.

The statue of the Duke of Wellington sits on Glasgow's Royal Exchange Square outside the museum of modern art and has over the years become a Glasgow icon and a fine example of Glasgow's well known sense of irreverent humour.

The conqueror of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, is obviously not supposed to have a traffic cone on his bonce however some years ago a cone appeared overnight, presumably the result of a youthful prank. Although it was removed, it kept magically re-appearing and eventually the authorities gave up.

It has now become such a landmark that the statue and its cone have featured in tourist guidebooks. A few years ago, when Greater Glasgow & Clyde Valley Tourist Board wanted photographs to launch their new web site, they removed the cone. Immediately many Glaswegians, including the Lord Provost, Alex Mosson, complained that the cone was missing and that it highlighted the Glaswegian sense of humour.

The end result was that the photographs were ordered to be re-shot with the cone in place and Wellington (and sometimes his horse too) can now usually be seen sporting traffic cones!

Glasgow Merchant City Market

It was market day down at Glasgow's Merchant City so David, Heidi and yours truly set off to sample the produce and take in some of the atmosphere before ending up at Nandos Mexican restaurant for munchies.

So rather than write about it here's a wee photo blog.....


The hurly burly of the street market

Market stall dummy

Sweeties

Yuch, duck legs

More sweeties !


Just liked the colours


Quite a few bands playing today


Street performer prepares for next show


Wey, hey....

I was inexplicably drawn to this stall

Yum


More yum


Sadly the beer won and I went home alone.


Mandatory arty shot


Err...it's a sax player, otherwise someone better tell him his trumpets bent.


David and Heidi


Bongo player in Buchanan Street......

Well I hope those are bongo's otherwise that guy's got a SERIOUS problem.


Clyde water bus from Nando's window


Soon we would all be farting for Scotland

And a wee video....