The week in Glasgow Gallivanting: 26th February-3rd March 2024

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Sunset over Stockingfield Bridge 1/3/24

The week’s highlights took us to two places which have featured in my posts many times before, Lambhill Stables and Stockingfield Bridge: more of the latter later.

Lambhill Stables once housed horses who pulled boats along the Forth and Clyde Canal. Today it is run by the community as a hub for learning new skills, taking part in creative and social activities, and caring for the environment. As part of this, there is a small volunteer-run café and a large community garden. When my aunt and cousin came to visit last Monday we took them there.

The Stables’ garden overlooks part of the route of the Antonine Wall, the Roman Empire’s most northerly outpost. A few years ago Aurelius the soldier was installed there, but sadly every time we visit he has been more vandalised.

This way to Aurelius
Aurelius looking out to the Antonine Wall
Poor vandalised Aurelius

The recycled Tin Man has definitely appeared here before, and possibly the outdoor brick oven has too. What I hadn’t noticed until this visit was that one of the bricks was clearly marked Possil, a neighbouring area which used to have a brickworks.

Tin Man
Brick oven
Possil brickmark

This reminded me of the time (2016) that Maryhill Halls was nominated for a Scottish Heritage Angel Award and I went to Edinburgh for the awards ceremony (we didn’t win our category). I was fascinated by one of the winners in another category, a man who single-handedly ran a brick museum and website, and I was prompted to check if this still existed. Indeed it does, just follow the link should you wish to know anything at all about Scottish bricks!

And now to Stockingfield. I mentioned last week that Bella the Beithir, the 120m water serpent which snakes through the art park at Stockingfield Bridge on the Forth and Clyde Canal, was about to be revealed – her head anyway. At 5:30pm on Friday 1st March we duly turned up to see the unveiling. The Maryhill flag was flying, we read about the history of the Beithir, we observed many children totally ignoring the instruction not to climb on her, the bridge lit up, and the sun started to set.

Maryhill flag
History of the Beithir
Do not climb on the Beithir!
Sun starts to set
Bridge lights
Sunset

Then at 6pm the countdown began!

Fabulous! We looked at her from different angles and in different lights as it got darker, we watched her breathe out smoke, and we enjoyed a performance from North Lanarkshire Schools Pipe Band.

Bella the Beithir
Bella the Beithir
Bella breathes out smoke
North Lanarkshire Schools Pipe Band
Bella the Beithir
Bella the Beithir

Finally, we crossed back over the bridge on our way home and admired the reflections. My only disappointment was that there had obviously been a press call in the afternoon and I had seen photos online, such as this BBC article, before the unveiling which slightly spoiled the surprise. However, it was a lovely evening overall – though I was glad to get back home for some warmth.

Night-time reflections
Night-time reflections
Bella the Beithir at night
Night-time reflections
Bella the Beithir at night
Night-time reflections
Night-time reflections
Bella the Beithir at night
Night-time reflections
Night-time reflections
Night-time reflections
Night-time reflections

I returned to see Bella on Saturday afternoon to check if she was just as lovely in daylight. She was. Scary teeth though!

Bella the Beithir
Bella the Beithir
Bella the Beithir

I also attempted to take a few pictures of the rest of the site to show how Bella’s body snakes around it, appearing and disappearing like the Loch Ness Monster swimming. She has been created from a thousand tons of soil lifted when the bridge was built. That’s a lot of Bella and there’s still at least another 100m of her to tile, estimated to take about 5 years, all tiles being made in community workshops. I love this project and can’t wait to see it developing further.

Bella the Beithir
Bella the Beithir’s body snaking through the site
Bella the Beithir’s tail

Finally, a gallery from the cyclist who has been out and about as usual, both solo and with friends, finding some beautiful scenery as he goes.

Mark overlooking Loch Humphrey
John, photo credit Mark Davison
River Clyde near Bothwell
Blantyre houses
Cycling in the Arrochar Alps
Cycling in the Arrochar Alps
Cycling in the Arrochar Alps
Ben Lomond in the distance
Cycling in the Arrochar Alps
Loch Sloy

That’s it for the latest roundup – have a good week!

The Highland cattle wish you a good week too!

 

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50 Comments »

  3. Your evening shots are stunning! Love Bella, but if kids are climbing on her with a crowd there, I wonder how well she will fare given that poor Aurelius is being vandalised. She’s very reminiscent of Gaudi’s Parc Guell dragon – much more impressive teeth though!

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    • Thanks – it is certainly a beautiful site/sight when lit up like that. Perhaps the artist has been to Barcelona and took his inspiration from there! Hopefully, Bella will fare better than Aurelius being in a more public position and made of concrete rather than fibreglass.

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  7. You got some wonderful reflection shots on the way home. Bella is an amazing project. Five more years before we see all her tiled glory, huh? The cyclist does find some glorious scenery!

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  9. I saw Bella in the Herald but I got no real impression of her, so it was very good to get this view of what a fine piece of work she is by day and night. The cyclist continues to amaze me with his energy.

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  10. Your photos of Bella and the new bridge look brilliant. . I was thinking, when I saw it on the news yesterday and that I will need to visit.

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  13. Bella is a beauty , that’s for sure. I would love to see her in all her glory.
    Love the picture of the highland cows on the edge of quite a built up area, with the gas tower etc.

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  15. I’d love to say that she has a lovely smile, but I’d be lying, Anabel. What a spectacle though! Fabulous at night and, as you say, keeping people occupied for years to come.

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  16. How lovely to see a brick museum- I just love it! Bella the Beithir looks equally lovely and a brilliant project to unite a community.

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  19. You always have such exciting weeks! Will the time ever come when your post reads ‘Caught up with the housework. Read a book.’? Stockingfield looks very exciting though. No wonder you went.

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  22. I remember you posting a photo of Aurelius a while back, such a shame that he’s been vandalised even more. What the heck is wrong with some people?! Bella is certainly some serpent and a great reuse of surplus soil though I wouldn’t want to come into contact with those teeth! Lovely scenery shots from the cyclist and I like the evening bridge shots especially no.10 🙂

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  23. Beautiful sunset photography and night shots. The serpent will be amazing when fully tiled. Hope it doesn’t get the same treatment as Aurelius though…. Bob. BSS.

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