The week in Glasgow Gallivanting: 15th-21st January 2024

55 Comments
Frozen Forth and Clyde Canal at Firhill

It has been a cold week! Undaunted, we continued to take our regular walks along the canal. The swans and other birdlife seemed undaunted too.

Frozen canal
Boats on frozen canal
Swans on frozen canal at Stockingfield

I volunteer once a week at Glasgow Women’s Library. The exhibitions have recently changed and I was keen to see Comfort, otherwise known as The Breast Quilt, about which I had heard quite a lot. (The info panel below has a brief explanation: following its QR code leads to the full catalogue, or you can find it here). I didn’t take part in the workshops at GWL (although I know some of the participants photographed in the catalogue) because a) I can’t sew for toffee and b) it seemed quite a weird idea. However, having seen the finished quilt and read some of the case studies in the catalogue I no longer think it’s weird, but a serious project which raises important issues around body image, breast feeding, and breast cancer.

Info panel
Breast Quilt
Breast Quilt detail

However, that wasn’t the most exciting thing about my library visit! For years, part of our art collection has lived on trolleys in the space shown below because the original shelves had collapsed under their weight.

Art books on trolleys
Space waiting for shelves

The library relies on donations and grants so it took a while to find a budget for replacing them. However, the problem was eventually solved and on Thursday a lovely man called Chris arrived to build brand new shelves. We watched and waited with mounting excitement!

Bits of shelving and instructions
Chris hard at work

Ta dah! All finished – Librarian Wendy Kirk, fellow volunteer Olive and I look really pleased.

New shelves!
Anabel, Olive and Wendy with new shelves

A little later, thanks to super-volunteers Olive and me, we had empty trolleys and full shelves! Possibly only other library workers will understand how giddy we felt. This is the first time in its 30+ year existence that the library has had new shelves that weren’t cast-offs from other libraries so it was definitely a red-letter day.

Anabel and Olive with trolley
Anabel with new shelves
General view

It might be a little unfair to say that was the highlight of a week in which Celtic Connections, Glasgow’s winter music festival, began – but it was close. We went to our first concert on Saturday, a double bill of American singer-songwriter Sarah Jarosz and Englishman Teddy Thomson, son of legendary 60s/70s folkies Richard and Linda Thompson. We’d seen them both before and they were both excellent as expected.

City Halls
Teddy Thompson and band on stage

The trouble with so many concerts is the number of pre-theatre dinners they require (of course they are required, don’t argue). My waistline, which had possibly lost a couple of millimetres since Christmas, is about to expand again, especially as other notable events of the week all included food. Coffee and cake with a friend, dinner with my book group, and lunch with my aunt and cousin in Greenock.

On the way back from lunch in Greenock I snapped some photos of the tenement where my paternal grandparents used to live: their front windows were the two to the left of the close entrance. Although I have photos of us on the back green (that’s me on the left below, aged about 14) I can’t find any of the front. There were too many cars to get a view of the building from further back this time – maybe next time!

Back green of Holmscroft Street
My granny and granda lived to the left of the door

So new shelves, a concert, a bit of nostalgia, and a lot of food – that’s been my week. I hope yours was good too!

Scotland, UK , , ,

55 Comments »

  1. Pingback: The week in Glasgow Gallivanting: 15th-21st January 2024 – WORLD_EXPLORER

  2. How interesting about the breast quilt project. I’m sure so many women have issues regarding their breasts and sexuality, and this seems a good way for them to explore those issues. Also, congratulations on your new bookshelves. I’m sure the library patrons and volunteers are all very happy. Love the photo of your paternal grandparents’ tenement and your 14-year-old self!

    Like

  3. Annabell was (is) a fan of Ann Cleeves (Vera) so I took a book to Quorn with the intention of reading it to her. She didn’t like that idea at all. Must be my reading voice that she is not keen on. Anyway, I started reading the book so I may as well finish it on my own. Not bad – bit long winded at time – but otherwise ok.

    Like

  5. I have been so wanting to experience the Celtic Connections, but there’s always something mitigates against it. This year it’s been the chaos on the railways that seems to be never ending as the government are forcing employers to dig their heels in, which means I wasn’t confident we’d get to Glasgow. The weather doesn’t help, either, and I have foolishy taken on too much work for the next few months. I particularly would have liked to attend the concert celebrating the life of John MacLean, a hero of mine, 100 years after he died. Ah well, perhaps next year.

    Like

  6. I’ve had endless pleasure reading books over the decades and it started at around five at the local library so hopefully they will still be around after all the austerity cuts. Was walking your part of the canal a few days ago. Took that same photo too :o) Bob.BSS.

    Like

  7. Funny how shelves can be so triggering – in a good way. But you can take the Librarian out of the library… and get you rocking the pink. If I had the hair that would be me.

    Like

  10. A rich week. I wish that I could just pop out and got to Celtic connections concerts. I don’t like to conceded that life is anything less than perfect in Langholm but we definitely lack a really good library and a vibrant culture scene.

    Like

  11. I’m sure you must have burned some calories relocating all those books. That was a big job! The new shelves look great, with their contents all neatly sorted. I think cake and coffee was essential to boost your energy levels. That’s my theory and I’m sticking with it! 🙂

    Like

  13. Congrats on the new shelves, it must have been so satisfying to have filled them! They look great, and so much better and more practical than the trolleys. The frozen canal looks beautiful. But I feel for the swans, I hope they don’t feel the cold.

    Like

  16. Yay for the shelves! The poor swans don’t have a lot of choice, do they? I’m about to have one of those eating weeks, but we can afford to gain a few pounds after the flu episode. Have a good one, Anabel!

    Like

  17. Who doesn’t like a new bookcase? I was smiling for ages when Les put ours up in HIS office, yes, it did take a bit of convincing that it would look better in there than the lounge which is my office. I know, he’s a bit spoilt. Lovely to be involved in something that brings joy to a community as in your library.

    Like

  18. Another busy week. I’m not convinced by the quilt though, it looks odd and I certainly wouldn’t want it on my bed (or wall). I can understand your joy about the bookshelves, there is nothing better than tidy bookshelves! And what’s Teddy Thompson’s music like then? My OH is a big fan of Richard Thompson.

    Like

    • No, I definitely wouldn’t want the quilt at home either, but as an art installation I thought it was interesting. And it does seem to have been therapeutic for some of the women taking part. Teddy Thompson is a mix of folk / rock / country, hard to define. He has a very good and amusing stage persona, self deprecating in a funny way.

      Liked by 1 person

  19. Hi Anabel – great new shelves … lovingly placed art books – happiness all round and time for a coffee and cake to refuel! Sounds like you’ve had an interesting week … but cold – it was here … but not like that. Love the photo of 14 year old you … cheers Hilary

    Like

  20. We also had a very cold week and we continue to take our daily walk as well. We can’t stay inside even if the temperatures are around -15C… I can certainly understand your pride of having shelves all of those books in bookcase (I used to be a librarian as well though I didn’t practice in that field for a long time…).

    Like

  23. I can empathise with the joy of new shelves. The charity shop I volunteer at once a week is moving to new premises and everyone is delighted that there will be more exhibition space 🙂

    Like