Glasgow Gallivanting: January 2021

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View from Gleniffer Braes, New Year’s Day 2021

The weather on New Year’s Day was fairly typical of January: cold and icy.  A steep path opposite the end of Mum’s street in Paisley leads up to the Gleniffer Braes from where we got the best view of the month. The Campsie Fells are to the right in the picture above, and the beginning of the Highlands, including Ben Lomond, can be seen to the left. A couple of zoomed shots show more detail.

View from Gleniffer Braes
View from Gleniffer Braes

We are still in a fairly strict lockdown, so otherwise have been confined to Glasgow. We have hardly any new photos because we are doing all the same routes that we did in the Spring, often in the dark after John finishes work. Thank goodness for weekends and the canal and river paths. Here’s a great view down the Clyde towards the Riverside Museum, including the tall ship Glenlee, and a swan admiring its reflection on the frozen canal.

Riverside Museum and Glenlee
Swan on frozen canal

In January I would normally be reporting excitedly about all the Celtic Connections concerts we had been to. Not this year! The entire programme has been moved online. Nothing can replace live performances, but the upside is that we can watch everything: over 100 musicians and 19 days with at least one, sometimes two or three, concerts each evening. At only £30 for a Festival Pass, that’s an absolute steal. I suppose it is better for my waistline too, because we are also not going for all those pre-theatre dinners. Nor could we go out for Burns’ Night this year, but we improvised with John making a very good Address to a (veggie) Haggis.

Talisk online at Celtic Connections
Grosse Isle online at Celtic Connections
John addressing the haggis

The virus continues to rage (though vaccines are on their way – Mum has had her first one) and Brexit continues to have “teething problems”, but at least Trump has finally gone. I often include a Scottish Word of the Month in my gallivanting posts, but this month a Scottish video seems more appropriate. Here’s Iona Fyfe with a ditty called Donald whit a loser to the tune of  Donald where’s your troosers?

You’ll be sad to know that Iona is sometimes the target of vile abuse for daring to sing in Scots, as is Miss PunnyPennie who offers a Scots word of the day on Twitter. Here’s another phrase for you: the Scottish cringe – a feeling that anything Scottish is bound to be inferior. Do any other countries have a similar phenomenon? Or people who are so threatened by their own culture that they have to go on the attack to decry it? It’s bizarre and sad.

Anyway, let’s not end on a negative note. How about some graffiti ceramics? We first noticed these in the summer around Sydenham Lane in Hyndland, an area we often walk through. Lately, we’ve spotted some new ones even closer to home and I recently read an article (click the link for more examples) identifying the artist as Louise McVey. She says: “When lockdown initially hit … it became clear to me that this was what I could offer – to add something to the streets that may make a difference for people on their daily walks.” It has certainly made a difference to us – we love spotting them, and it’s very different from the usual type of street art.

Woodlands
Sydenham Lane
Sydenham Lane
Sydenham Lane
Sydenham Lane
Sydenham Lane
Cleveden Drive
Clarence Drive
Highburgh Road

So we’ve made it through January healthy and safe – I hope you all have too. There is no chance of our current restrictions lifting before mid-February at the earliest, but I’ll do my best to have at least a little bit of gallivanting to report on at the end of the month.

Scotland, UK , , , , ,

102 Comments »

      • A good read Anabel. The canal is a favourite walk of ours. I was there a couple of weeks ago but taking a different route starting at Kirklee, Kelvin walkway, children’s wood, up to the student village, Ruchill park and then on to the canal and Applecross Quay. Then back to Kirklee. It was quite a walk. We have been exploring Bearsden and Milngavie this past year and we are still finding new places.
        I’m off to the hairdresser next week and I’m so excitrd!
        Linda

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        • Thanks Linda. We walk on the canal at least once or twice a week, though the route variations are slightly curtailed while it’s blocked off at Lochburn / Ruchill. It’ll be great once that new bridge is built though. Ruchill Park is always good: so much quieter than the Botanics!

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  2. Pingback: Saturday Saunter: Clock towers, maps and virtual experiences – Walking Talking

  3. Love the graffiti ceramics, quirky and colourful. Just what we need right now.

    Never heard of ‘Scottish Cringe’ , when I lived in Scotland I had a sense of fierce pride in all things Scots , such a shame that some feel otherwise!

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    • The ceramics are very pretty. I haven’t spotted any new ones, but yesterday came across a photograph I had overlooked so I might include that at the end of this month. As for the cringe, I hope it is dying out, but it still rears its ugly head too often.

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  5. An amazing blue sky, Anabel. I can almost feel the crisp, cold air. The zoomed shots do show the details. I also miss live performances, yet, no lack of concerts to watch online. First time I have heard of a veggie Haggis. Oh no, the Scottish cringe. Also, first time I aware of this. Us, Canucks are made fun of in many ways. I will give this more thought. The graffiti ceramics are creative and a pop of colour. We have painted rocks on walking routes and trails. We are pretty well locked down, too, right now. Increased cases on our Island. Counting my blessings how my immediate family is good at the moment. (An aside, Anabel – are you using the Classic Editor for your photos? I prefer the appearance of your photos and how the captions show up when we hover over a photo. The new editor has the words right on top of the photos and I do not like the effect)

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  6. I’ve been too occupied these past few weeks to keep up with WordPress – partly due to watching Celtic Connections – thanks for the tip off 😉👍. It’s certainly been a treat and besides enjoying the jigs and reels and some singers I know, I’ve also made some discoveries which I’ll be following up to listen to more of their music. And I’ve enjoyed the Gallic singers too – so no prejudice from me on that point. Oh, and we had a veggie haggis on Burns night too – you can even get them at Tesco’s down here south of the border.
    Hope you’re not suffering too much from the snow. I was in a zoom this morning with a colleague who lives in Edinburgh and they certainly had plenty of it.

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    • It has been fabulous, hasn’t it? We managed to spin it out to this weekend and still have a few related concerts to catch up with on BBC Alba. It was very poignant for us to see all the empty venues we normally love attending, and the closing montage to “This is where I lay my heart” was just gorgeous.

      Was your haggis MacSween’s? Theirs is very good. As for the snow, it quite thick here, but I think not as bad as the east coast.

      I did email Natalie, but no word as yet.

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      • I think it was a MacSweens haggis.
        missed the closing concert, alas. And it’s too late to watch it now. But I’m keener than ever to get up to Glasgow to see some live concerts next year – I’m sure we’ll be over the worst of this mess by then. Even this bunch of clowns 😜 have surely got to have blundered their way through it by then.
        I hope Natalie is OK – but she must be really overstretched. and stressed out.

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  8. My mind is definitely going – I thought I’d posted a comment a few days back. Trying to kick my old blog off again has had the usual flurry of notifications in the inbox to the point I don’t know where I’ve been or who has been to me lol. Never mind…any anti Trump post is a good post 🙂 although I rather miss the entertainment factor. Still the US is far better off without him even if a large percentage of the population don’t realise it yet. He has been loathed here for many years. Our hillwalking forum had a thread called “I hate Donald Trump” that went back to 2008 I think it was. I know the feeling about trying to blog something new – since last March my “days out” have totalled 1 meal and 4 coffees. That’s it other than shopping. Not ideal for making up some new material. Good to see some quirky street art – we need more of that sort of thing these days. Look forward to some more of your adventures.

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    • I thought you did too! I thought that was how I found you. The world as a whole is better on without Trump, I just hope the US can recover and his followers don’t resurge. I agree, it’s very dull when the biggest outing of the week is Tesco. Nobody wants to read about that!

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  9. Great to know your mom has received her first vaccine. I keep up with the UK news and am unsurprised at all the problems people are experiencing with Brexit. 😳 Yes, thank goodness trumped has gone. Love the song. 😅

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  10. Very interesting topics today. First of all, I had to laugh at “Donald’s whit a loser”. We’re so glad he’s gone! Also am intrigued by the Celtic concerts. Is this something you could access in the states? Of course it would be better to be there in person, but obviously not an option. I love Celtic music. Laslty, I am baffled by the fact that people disrespect the Scottish culture. Especially people who are Scotts? We in the U.S. love Scotland. We admire your music, love your accents and dream of visiting. I’d think people would be proud of their Scottish heritage. ????

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  11. Hi Anabel – love the finials and other ceramic items to cheer the locals – what fun. Those pics on New Year’s Day are amazing … wonderfully clear. Our Prom is usually packed … I wander where I can without others – the best for me. We just have to be patient a bit longer … but with Spring springing let’s hope things will ease up – all the best – Hilary

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  12. Those graffiti ceramics are amazing, Anabel! What lovely surprises to find on walks. I so respect and appreciate creative people making a difference to the world and the surroundings. Sorry to read you are still on a strict lockdown. Those canals and views – and creative art – do make a difference in a Covid winter! I love the swan reflection. Good eye! 🙂

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  14. Yes we have gone through a period where people preferred anything that was made overseas as being superior to Australian Made. However, Covid-19 has made some interesting changes in that people are now campaigning for manufacturing to be returned to Australia and go out of their way to look for labels that read “Made in Australia” – and that includes Hand Sanitiser. Australian products that were sold to overseas companies are being bought back and returned to Australian Owned as well as Australian Made. All good for jobs and the economy being rebuilt.

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  15. Goodness – the Gleniffer Braes – I haven’t been up there in years! We used to be regular visitors when I was a child and my aunt and uncle lived nearby. Often we would take a drive up there in their little mini car, and usually the outing resulted in an ice cream cone from the van that always seemed to be parked there and sold the most delicious Italian ice cream. Thanks for bringing back happy memories.

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  16. I’ve never understood why people think that putting oneself, or one’s country, down is a sign of moral superiority. It isn’t. We get that a lot in the States as well, and it is at best silly and at worst a bit dangerous. And I’m glad you’re making the best of a difficult situation! Here’s looking forward to warmer temperatures and better times ahead!

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  17. I enjoy your posts a great deal. Of course we Americans have many unnecessary and ignorant cringes. Too many racial divides…But: the TRump cringe is not one of them–hello Biden and Harris, thank goodness! And thank you so much for introducing me to Iona Fyfe. I explored her work more-excellent music. The ceramic additions everywhere must be so lovely and fun to find. Thank you.

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  20. I was brought up on cultural cringe as both a British and English thing. But then self deprecation across the whole of the UK is a series of national pasttimes.
    Love the small sculptures

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  21. Thanks for the video Anabel; though I suspect I may have it as an earworm for the next few days. There used to be a very strong sense of cultural cringe in NZ (to the extent that I remember serious academic debate about whether NZ HAD a culture 😣), and I think the point about English domination/colonisation has a lot of truth.

    I love the ceramics; what a lovely idea. Yum to vegetarian haggis! I used to make it but haven’t for a while. Must go and find my recipe before winter.

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  22. A nice mix. Lockdown sucks as it now seems never ending. I’m just wondering if the UK could have handled things better as I looked up Covid deaths for all of Australia tonight. Still less than 1000 total for a landmass bigger than Europe, more folk recovered, and only 4 deaths in South Australia despite a city, Adelaide, having over a million residents. Not only have we been stuck in lockdown for ages our economy is knackered as well. How can two western style countries be so different in outcome? New Zealand has handled it better as well yet both had the same early warning as us.

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  23. Hi, Anabel – I also smiled at Iona’s ditty. Thank you for sharing it with us.
    I like that John made Haggis and offered it to a vegetarian. Then I thought, ‘wait, what? John’s not retired yet?! When’s that happening?!” 😀

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  24. G’day Anabel I smiled as I listened to that little ditty, I think the world heaved a collective sigh of relief now “he” is gone. I agree about language culture, sadly Aussie lingo, fair dinkum, is being overtaken in the younger generation by the insidious American slang heard on tv. I love those cute little ceramic pieces, what a heart warming idea. Stay safe and warm and here’s to a fabulous February

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  25. There’s always a silver lining. I love how having our usual lives altered has brought out the creativity in so many people. These little ceramic pieces must bring joy to everyone. It’s the simple things…

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  27. Scottish inferior? Heavens no! Have you ever seen the Saturday Night Live skits from about 10 years ago titled “If it’s not Scottish, it’s crap!” Google it if not. Very funny.

    Of course, we had more of an American Cringe while the former president (I love typing that) was in office, but the crazies haven’t gone away so… I guess we still do.

    I love those little ceramic creations. I’d be thrilled if I came upon one on a walk.

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  28. That girl has an amazing voice! She sings all on her own and hits every note and what an almost operatic voice…I love her and need to know more. People can be so unkind and I hope she just ignores those negative people. I was able to walk yesterday without struggling to get back home!! I had my infusion on Saturday so I feel better and wish I could walk where you are as there is so much to see. I love what that lady did spreading some artistic cheer. That is great!

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  29. Well you’ve done better than me, the furthest I have been is to the supermarket which is 4 miles away. I did attempt a walk along George on a sunnier day, but was horrified by so many other people their, only two wearing a mask, and certainly not staying 2m away from each other. So I drove home.

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  30. I love the colourful ceramics brightening up the streets. One of the few good things to emerge from pandemic life is people finding a new appreciation for all sorts of public art as they take their local daily strolls, whether that art is an official statue or abandoned art or an affirming message written in chalk.

    I loved the song so much! I cannot express how much of a shift of gears it has been to be rid of Trump’s administration. Things are, of course, far from perfect here (for example, I am teaching in-person and still have no indication of when I might be vaccinated) but we at least feel like competent people who are invested in getting us to a “new normal” are in charge of the recovery plan.

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  31. We English have a cringe too – largely due to lager louts and those ***holes who have usurped the Cross of St George so that we can’t even celebrate our own patron saint’s day!

    I’ve been visiting my local botanic-type garden for my walks recently. Today I really spat the dummy (gone Australian now!), by driving home via Winchester. Nearly a year I’ve been here and the roads in my area are still a mystery. A whole fifteen mile trip, never more than five miles from my home 🙂 There’s some lovely countryside around here. No snow-topped mountains, though.

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    • Yes, those types are definitely cringe-worthy! We’ve started avoiding our Botanic Gardens because it gets so busy. When the rain comes back that’ll chase the amateurs out! I lived in Winchester for just under a year in my youth so I know how lovely it is round there.

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  35. With the current restrictions, you really are the Glasgow Gallivanter. The current situation is so depressing, but at least there is hope on the horizon.
    Loved the photos of the ceramic graffiti. I have never seen anything like that. Stay safe!

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  36. Thanks for the Iona Fyfe link which I have forwarded to an American friend who will like it, I’m sure. The ‘cringe’ has been around a long time I think, I first heard of it in connection with Australians and it’s mainly prevalent in countries that have been ‘ruled’ from England. I certainly don’t notice it in Scandinavian countries, nor the Med. countries (but perhaps the French colonies have it?) I think the Americans suffer from it as well but it comes across as bombastic not cringe, perhaps over-compensating?

    Your pictures were as interesting as ever and the ceramic graffiti was fun.

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