The Written Word
for September 1, 1999

"… when I’ve had a couple of drinks on a Saturday, Glasgee belongs to me!" So sang the great Scottish performer Sir Harry Lauder. But despite the inferences to be drawn from old Harry’s enthusiasm, Glasgow has never been high on the list of places visitors to Scotland want to see much less stay. My invariable practice has been to get over to the Erskine Bridge and away from Glasgow as fast as I can. Some years ago, while leading a tour, I actually wound up in Glasgow overnight and rather than take a look repaired to the local pub for the evening.

I had heard, in recent years, some good things about Glasgow. It had been named European City of the Year a couple of years back. And it had become one of the true cultural centers of the new Europe which thrugh the EC had dumped lots of pounds into the place.

On this past holiday Wendy and I flew into and out of Glasgow. We had not planned to stay there but drive straight from our last hotel to Glasgow Airport and be done with it. But we changed our minds. So many people we spoke with said that Glasgow was now a really neat city. We changed our minds and were glad of it.

We were only in town one full day so couldn’t begin to see all there was to see. In fact we were in no art galleries and saw no shows. But we did see what these galleries and theaters had to offer and it is clearly world class.

Actually, we did our usual thing in a new city (and in London’s case, also for a city we knew well) – we took a tour bus. Sitting upstairs (you must always do that, even when it’s raining) we saw a city which reeked of history yet had so much modern. It prides itself, justifiably, in its architecture going back to the 17^th century. From the beautiful and spacious George Square (named after George III but dominated by a monument to Sir Walter Scott) the bus takes you through the west end of the city and the stunning campus of the University Of Glasgow, so renowned for its medical and chemistry faculties and into the posh residential areas. Back into the city and all the magnificent church spires (not Cathedrals for the bishopless Presbyterians don’t have bishops) then on over the Clyde where the Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mary and the QEII were, amongst so many others, built.

Buchanan Street, a pedestrian mall, is where all the great shops and shopping centers are. Jewelry shops and ladies clothing stores for Wendy and Mens clothing stores for me. And a huge Borders Book store for bth of us.

I think we were both very surprised by the friendliness of the Glaswegians. Somehow we expected the dour Scot but found instead openness and a great willingness to be helpful.