It's Pure Dead Brilliant By The Way (Glasgow in General)

Member Name: Gaelic_Goddess

Product:	Glasgow in General
Date:	03/10/01 (182 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Kultchurr

Disadvantages: Rain

That's how Glaswegians describe it and although I haven't lived there for years, I still know it's pure dead brilliant. People think it strange that I still refer to it as home - I left when I was nine - but I know someday I'll go back to stay. Maybe it's because we Scots are so patriotic. Perhaps it's because my childhood in the city formed me into the person I am. Maybe it's because Glasgow is the kind of place you never forget. But it seems that each time I go back something new and exciting has sprung up from nowhere and I long to be part of it again.

When I was younger I used to listen to my old aunts and uncles sell the city to one another, reminiscing about growing up there. It was obvious to me then how much they loved the place and they in turn passed their enthusiasm onto me. They told me that Glasgow means 'beautiful green place' and even though it's generally known as an industrial city, Glasgow does have some stunning greenery around. It may not be strewn with meadows, but the city itself is a visual treat and has been variously named the 'Design Capital', 'City of Architecture' and 'European City of Culture' within the last ten years.

The city was crammed with shows and exhibitions when I was growing up and it was a good chance for me to see that a lot of what relations talked about really was true. It injected a whole generation with a new passion for the city, a generation that is helping to make Glasgow the thriving business and cultural centre it is today.

From an early age I went to exhibitions, museums and historic homes in and around Glasgow. Take the People's Palace for example, set on Glasgow Green in the heart of the city. Now that I'm older, I can appreciate the building itself, its surroundings and the history of Glasgow portrayed inside. But as child the highlight had to be the cafe downstairs in the glass roofed garden, it really was a speci
al place. Mainly because - and I hate to put a dampener on things - it's often cold and wet in Glasgow, so being all toastie warm inside the glass garden made me forget the rain... for a while anyway!

I was in Glasgow just a few months ago and found myself turning into a tour guide for my husband, feeling ever so proud of myself when I managed to find my way around, no problem. I took him to see the Burrell collection, a wonderful museum set in green surroundings. The grounds offer lovely walks no matter what the weather and of all the galleries I have ever visited, this has to be my favourite. Its glass walls mean you get to experience the outside inside, and that's definitely my kind of thing.

We found another of my favourite childhood haunts, the art gallery in Great Western Road, which was built back to front. When you're standing on the front steps (which are actually at the back) you'll see the university at the top of the hill which houses a reconstruction of work done by Sir Charles Rennie Mackintosh, one of Glasgow's most famous sons. Both architect and artist, he was one of the biggest influences in my own work at art college. You can see evidence of his legacy all over Glasgow.

Visit the Willow Tea Rooms in Sauchiehall Street and you can sit on a Mackintosh chair while having a cuppa. Go downstairs and you can look at the jewellery shop full of stunning pieces influenced by his designs. I don't know whether it's because he was Glaswegian or maybe it's because he could produce anything from a watercolour to a sculptural piece of architecture like the Glasgow School of Art, but I'm a big Mackintosh fan. You could quite easily walk straight past the Glasgow School of Art, where students constantly drape over the decorative railings, but if you ever do visit Glasgow (and you really should you know), keep an eye open for the Mackintosh designs, which creep up everywhere.

Not only is Gla
sgow a stunning place to sightsee, it was also voted the coolest city in Britain in a recent nationwide survey by The Big Issue. So even if you're just going for a day or two, there's plenty to look at, and plenty to remember.

I just know that you'll come away feeling that it's pure dead brilliant too.

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