Glasgow Gallivanting: February 2023

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The Clyde at dusk, 1st February 2023

Well, here I am – very late with my round-up for February! The image above was taken on the first day of the month from the pontoon of the newly refurbished West Boathouse, visited as part of a Glasgow Women’s Library tour. (The Boathouse and the Library are near neighbours).

February has been another busy month – one in which we’ve spanned the age range from two new babies in the wider family, through a friend’s 60th party, to a celebration for a 104th birthday. What else has happened?

We had a day out to Edinburgh, the first in a while – and also the easiest ever. We came out of Waverley Station, crossed the road to the City Art Centre, where we then spent several hours before crossing the road again to get the train back to Glasgow. I specifically wanted to see Glean (early 20th century women filmmakers and photographers in Scotland – on till 12th March) but every floor was packed with other interesting exhibitions. The gallery below is just a small example from Glean – a selection of photographs by Christina Broom of a women’s pageant and exhibition in London in April / May 1909: right up my street in terms of Suffragette history.

Pottery workers and painters participating in the Pageant of Women’s Trades and Professions, 27th April 1909
Reconstructed prison cell exhibit at the Women’s Exhibition, May 1909
Suffragettes on horseback taking part in a procession to promote the Women’s Exhibition, May 1909
Suffragette procession promoting the Women’s Exhibition held at Princes’ Skating Rink, Knightsbridge, May 1909
Christina Broom 1862-1939

Elsewhere in the Art Centre I liked this acrylic (c1996) from Wilhelmina Barns-Graham’s Firth of Forth series (untitled, but clearly showing the rail bridge) and Lizzie Farey’s willow sculpture, Aerie (2011). My eye was also caught by the thistle outside the nearby Thistle Hotel.

Untitled by Wilhelmina Barns-Graham
Aerie by Lizzie Farey
Thistle Hotel thistle!

We had another day out in Renfrew, a town just across the Clyde from Glasgow which I have driven through but never explored. There was more of interest than I thought! The reason for the visit was the mini-bios I have been writing for a cycle tour company which has named its bikes after historic women – four down, six to go. If interested, you can read about Mary Barbour, Isabella Elder, Marion Gilchrist and Muriel Robertson on Gallus Pedals’ Trailblazers page, where new bios will eventually be added.

Number 5 is going to be Winnie Drinkwater who learned to fly at Renfrew Aerodrome and made aviation history in 1930 by becoming the youngest aircraft pilot in the world at just 17. The town’s Clyde View Park has a row of bronze  sculptures (2005), all with links to the history of the area, by Kenny Munro – a bust of Winnie is one of them.

Sculptures by Kenny Munro
Royal Burgh of Renfrew by Kenny Munro
St Conval and Somerled by Kenny Munro
Beardmore Engineering by Kenny Munro
Simons and Lobnitz Dredgers by Kenny Munro
Airship R34 and India Rubber Company by Kenny Munro
Babcock and Wilcox Engineering by Kenny Munro
602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force by Kenny Munro
Winnie Drinkwater by Kenny Munro

Elsewhere in the park are two more sculptures, The Pyramid Stone, also by Kenny Munro, and The Writers by David Annand. The former is adorned with badges on the theme of birds, planes, boats and fish – natural and man-made voyagers of river, sea and sky – designed by children from Renfrew’s five primary schools. The latter has an inscription by Collette Bryce reading The future is waiting to be written, all weathers we lean to the task, the sky balanced on our shoulders like the past.

Pyramid Stone by Kenny Munro
The Writers by David Annand
The Writers by David Annand
The Writers by David Annand
The Writers by David Annand

As expected from Clyde View Park, there were some Clyde views! There is still a small passenger ferry crosses the river here.

The Clyde at Renfrew
The Clyde at Renfrew
Renfrew reflections
Renfrew ferry and Ferry Inn
Renfrew ferry and Ferry Inn

From the river, we moved into the town centre in search of sustenance (highly recommending Coffee Jam) before visiting the beautiful Renfrew Town Hall and Museum. Originally built in 1872, the Town Hall was refurbished about 10 years ago and an extension for the small, but perfectly formed, museum added. Winnie Drinkwater gets a mention here too.

Renfrew Town Hall
Renfrew Town Hall
Winnie Drinkwater

Finally on Renfrew, some other interesting buildings. Bistro Luna Rossa, with relief ornamentation between its upper windows, is a listed building, but the date-stone “1666” is a relic from an earlier structure. The Brown Institute, which formerly housed the museum, looks in dire straits and I hope something can be done to rescue it. The sheep above the wool shop I just liked for their quirkiness.

Luna Rossa, Renfrew
Luna Rossa, Renfrew
Brown Institute, Renfrew
Wool shop art, Renfrew
Brown Institute, Renfrew
Brown Institute, Renfrew
Brown Institute, Renfrew

Excitingly, Strathbungo’s Window Wanderland took place for the first time since 2020. We came home from this event with photographs of over 80 windows so this is less than a quarter. And yes, the Bungo Jukebox (second image) had a band at the top windows!

Mondrian
Bungo Jukebox
Don’t let the dreich get you down
Lighthouse
2 Tone
Giraffes
Cats
Queen (Freddie Mercury)
Tree with blossom, birds and cat
Tribute to Burt Bacharach
Campervan
How much is that doggiie in the window?
Knitting
Louis Wain cats
Piper and thistle
Spaceman
Fungi

I’ve mentioned the Women’s Library already – it’s always good value. This month I have hoardings from the nearby Bridgeton Umbrella, which has been dismantled for restoration; a travelling gallery parked outside the library with an exhibition on community-led struggles for safe housing in Scotland; some beautiful work inside by Glendale Women’s Café; and a new sign at the entrance by Rabiya Choudhry. This shows the traditional torch symbol for a library with a quote from Ella Baker: Give light and people will find the way.

Hoarding at Bridgeton Umbrella
Travelling Gallery
Travelling Gallery
Glendale Women’s Cafe
Glendale Women’s Cafe
Glendale Women’s Cafe
Sign by Rabiya Choudhry

And a final gallery, very street-art heavy, to give a flavour of the rest of the month.

Mackintosh mural at the Clutha
Snowdrops by the Kelvin
Firhill swan
Mural in Partick by Kai Chun
Hell hath no fury (St Judes)
Mosaic at SWG3
Mural at SWG3
Mural at SWG3
Mural at SWG3
Mural at SWG3
Mural at SWG3
Clyde at BBC
Clydeside Distillery
Clyde ducks

So that’s it for February. Reasons to be cheerful in March: it’s Women’s History Month (so an even more busy one for me) and, for us in the Northern Hemisphere, Spring is surely on its way. I might see you back here before the next Gallivanting post, but if not – have a lovely month.

Scotland, UK , , , , ,

53 Comments »

  1. Hi Anabel – you have certainly been busy … and given us some interesting sites to see – and ones I’d love to visit if I wasn’t quite so far away! Cheers and hope you’ve had a good March – it’s almost over … Hilary

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  2. I am slowly catching-up after being away for 3 months in the Southern Hemisphere. We have started posting on our blog from that extended trip.
    You are indeed always keeping very busy and there is so much to do and see in your area. Here we still have snow on the ground and it is very much a black & white world. Already missing the colours of the Southern summer. (Suzanne)

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  6. Apologies for the late comment Anabel, I’ve been tangled up with street art and an old police station 🙂 You certainly had a busy and interesting month, I love those windows and the street art of course, especially the cat and the girl reading a book.

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  7. I’m my gosh, what a collection! You’ve found so many delights for one month. What to comment on? Well, the windows are just fabulous! I wish I could see them all in person. The one with all the dangling cats was so cute.

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  10. Glad you enjoyed Renfrew which I used to mainly visit on cycle trips. Used to be a little family dairy there in a shop/ house, one of the last I’d observed as a one guy operation type of thing. Renfrew also built a giant airship due to the rubber factory being close. Hard to imagine now that airships were regarded as the future of worldwide travel instead of risky airplanes right up until the 1930s.
    That period is hardly mentioned at all today though they might well make a comeback with modern materials and non flammable gas as you don’t need airfields and they can hover over districts to drop heavy cargo into inaccessible areas without using much fuel given the prices recently. Been ages since I’ve been to Edinburgh.

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  11. You have been on the go! I enjoyed looking at the photos and love the recognition of women who changed history. I wish it was taught in schools.. love the window art. The kids dancing, the mushrooms and the astronaut looking at us…pretty cool. You took some really nice photos..love that Thistle sculpture

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  13. An interesting month, as usual – I always like to read about the different exhibitions you’ve been to, comparing them with our London ones. But the highlight here for me is the Window Wanderland – what a great idea! A friend of mine shares photos every December of her street’s similar efforts to mark Advent, which I love, but that is only 24 windows. To see 80 must be amazing!

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  14. A colourful and interesting month. I’ve been having a little wobble about my own 17-year-old twins as they are taking the steps towards driving, can’t imagine flying at that age!

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    • I think it started about 10 years ago in Bristol and has spread. There have been Window Wanderlands in different parts of Glasgow, but this one is the best – it’s a compact area and loads of people take part, just about every house in some streets. In other places, the windows are so spread out you get fed up looking for them.

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  16. So many inspiring women. Especially Christina Broom, who I’m about to Google and find out more. I would’ve loved your February, Anabel. Arty, inspirational, and historical Edinburgh a city we enjoyed exploring.

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  19. You do get involved in some fascinating stuff, Anabel. I can’t imagine flying a plane at 17. I could just about cross the street by then. You’ll never be bored, hon!

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  20. The windows are wonderful. What a good idea. I like the City Art Gallery. We have seen some interesting exhibitions there.

    Thank you for the tour of your month.

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  21. You had a busy month. Renfrew looks more interesting than I thought. I usually just go visit my sister and head into Paisley.
    It’s funny you saying it’s across the Clyde from Glasgow. Being a southsider, I think of it on the same side of the Clyde

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    • My mum lived in Paisley so on those occasions when the M8 slip road was closed I would drive home through Renfrew and Hillington – not sure I ever saw it in daylight, much less explored it. You are, of course, totally right and I am exposing my prejudice as a Westender! Though in my defence, and clutching at straws, at that point of the river it is Renfrew on the south bank and Yoker and Garscadden, both Glasgow, on the north. But yes, you’re still right.

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