A Glasgow perspective: sign of the times

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Looking up and around us more gave us a new perspective on Glasgow during lockdown. One of the things that started to catch my eye was a good sign, and pubs provided several examples. Above is The Aragon on Byres Road – given that this pub was established in a former butcher’s shop in the 1970s, I’m not sure of the significance of the monk but he looks good. A few more pubs below, some from towns just outside Glasgow when we started to roam a bit further.

Lock 27, Anniesland
The Rambler, Torrance
The Sparkle Horse, Partick
The Drookit Dug, Lennoxtown
The Kirky Puffer, Kirkintilloch
Station Bar, Cowcaddens
Station Bar, Cowcaddens

Why does a house in North Kelvinside have a French road sign in front of it? You could hardly smuggle it back in your suitcase …

N21 sign, North Kelvinside
N21 sign, North Kelvinside

I like the juxtaposition of these two black metal signs for the Engine Works in Maryhill and Partick Housing Association. The former was literally an engine works not that long ago – Clark and Buchanan – but has recently been renovated as an events venue. The couple who bought it sank a lot of their own money into it, so I hope their business survives the current problems.

Engine Works, Maryhill
Partick Housing Association

Nae fancy nonsense at GWR restaurant, and an example of the many Chinese language signs in the area around Glasgow University. How many Chinese students will return next year? Who knows …

GWR restaurant
University Parcel

I liked the two cycleway signs at Kelvingrove, and was intrigued by the mini basketball hoop and sign in North Kelvinside. Do the fairies play?

Kelvingrove signs
Mini hoop

Two different kinds of paradise! Paradise is an alternative name for Celtic Park football ground, the huge sign of which can be seen from Glasgow Necropolis. “Almost any garden, if you see it at just the right moment, can be confused with paradise” (Henry Mitchell). We came across this welcoming sign to Woodlands Community Garden on our way home from our one evening out in the last four months.

Celtic Park
Woodlands Community Garden

We loved this two-sided sign for Milton of Campsie Bowling Club.

Milton of Campsie Bowling Club
Milton of Campsie Bowling Club

And finally – I would have more belief that this was a centre of excellence if Terry could actually spell it!

I’m linking to Becky’s SquarePerspectives challenge and, as has become habitual in this series, I’ll play you out with a song. I’d decided on Sign of the times before looking for a video – and they’re all awful! So this is audio only, but you do get to gaze on a still of the very mean and moody looking Mr Bryan Ferry for two minutes or so. I’ll take that.

Scotland, UK , ,

78 Comments »

  2. Love all these signs and I wonder if that monk lived in the area way, way back when. There are so many in mainland Europe and I love so many. It always told the people what the business was since most couldn’t read or write

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  4. I’m intrigued by the French road sign. I have visions of some Allo Allo style plot gone wrong and the sign ended up in North Kelvinside. I’m sure there’s probably much more mundane explanation though.

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  6. This is a great collection of signs and includes some I am very familiar with (though not for a couple of years now!) My favourite Glasgow pub sign/name used to be The Muscular Arms. I thought it was a great name! I don’t think it is there now.

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  10. Hi Anabel – spelling mistakes really frustrate me … on signs, on the Beeb, on Channel 5 … and the apostrophe ….. too much to say. Those signs are lovely … and why the little fairy basketball basket – fun, but why- as you ask. Also the French signs – strange, but obvious!! Take care – Hilary

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  11. Hi, Anabel – This is a very timely post for me. I recently have noticed some local signs that I never noticed before. Are they new, or have I not been paying attention? It’s amazing how the current times have made us more aware and appreciative of our immediate surroundings.
    And, to chime in with other commenters, misspellings on signs also drive me crazy. You’d think that you would find a good proofreader before going to that expense! 😀

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  12. You’ve certainly kept busy getting out and about. After a quiet lull in the early days it seems like more folk than ever are outside walking daily. As I never follow any trends however I’m not 🙂

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    • I think people are probably just sick of the sight of the same four walls! I’m also sick of the same Glasgow streets which encourages me to look out for quirky things to look at and, as you might have noticed, we’ve recently been venturing over the border to the wilds of East Dunbartonshire 😉.

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  16. Some great signs here but I would have thought that the Sparkle Horse one would have a relevant picture. One thing which really bugs me is a sign with a misspelling, especially cafe signs with an apostrophe where there shouldn’t be one – aarrgghh!! – although some can be quite amusing 🙂

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  17. What a lovely lot of signs for us this week. I must say though, my favourite is the French road sign. It’s provenance is really intriguing.

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  25. You’d be amazed at how many signs I’ve come across that have typos on them. Even in English-speaking countries. You might be a librarian requesting classifications. I’m a writer requesting clean language. 🙂 (I hope there are no typos in any of my comments! But, auto-correct could be blamed for those.)

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    • Oh, I like clear language too! And I always blame autocorrect of course 😉 – and it usually is, I just press Post too quickly and don’t notice. That is, of course, my own fault. I hate that you can’t edit your comment on someone else’s blog once it’s gone. I don’t like looking slapdash.

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  27. Anabel – My favorite is the one with the misspelling. It is one of my perverse amusements to see what mistakes people will put down in permanent ink. It is a comfort to me, since I am also misspelling more and more. Cheers – Susan

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