Latest news with #Glasgow850
Glasgow Times
2 days ago
- General
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow streets have unusual new paving stones
This is the Port Stones Project, part of Glasgow 850, a year-long celebration marking the anniversary of the city being granted burgh status in 1175. As well as creating physical reminders of Glasgow's medieval roots, it is helping the stonemasons of the future take their first steps into the industry. Construction apprentices at City of Glasgow College, including senior school pupils completing their Foundation Apprenticeships as part of the college's Schools Partnership Programme, had a hand in designing and laying out the elegant stone markers, which now sit at the approximate sites of the original city gates. (Image: Glasgow City Council) Callan McBroom, first year stonemasonry apprentice, working for GC Stonemasons, said: 'Being involved in the cutting of these stones for the city's 850th was a proud moment. It's not every day you work on something that's going to stand in Glasgow for generations." Kalvin Mackie, who is also in his first year of the apprenticeship, working for KS Stonemasonry Specialists, said: 'You learn the craft in college, but this project drove it home - like we were part of something bigger than ourselves." Sam Hymas with apprentices Kallan and Kalvin (Image: City of Glasgow College) Bethan Baillie, one of the pupils taking part in the School College Partnership Programme, said: 'It was amazing to be part of something that marks Glasgow's history in such a permanent way. We had a look at old maps, talked about the layout of the stones, and discussed where they were going - and now people will see our work as part of the city." Blending traditional skills with modern laser cutting technology, the students painstakingly cut individual pieces with precision to form the full flagstones. READ NEXT: Glasgow organist's tribute to city's 850th anniversary The unusual way Glasgow pupils are celebrating city's 850th birthday How Billy Connolly's banana boots inspired a Glasgow 850 gift Sam Hymas, curriculum head of construction skills, said: 'We are very proud to have helped make something for the city, which will stand for generations to come. 'It's great to think that we are combining the oldest trade with the most modern technology." He added: 'It's very exciting, to see the stones in place and think, 'we did that'.' Each design incorporates the Glasgow 850 logo, Glasgow City Council's coat of arms, and the crests of Trades House Glasgow, Merchants House Glasgow, Glasgow Dean of Guild Court Trust and City of Glasgow College. Each stone is engraved with a compass point, denoting the port gate it applies to: north, at Glasgow Cathedral Precinct; south, on Saltmarket at Jocelyn Square; east, at Gallowgate opposite Molendinar Street; and west, on Trongate. Medieval Glasgow ran from the River Clyde, up the Saltmarket, along High Street to the Cathedral. The historical locations for the stones, installed by the council, were chosen based on historical documents and maps, including the Medieval City Map: Glasgow's Medieval City development between 1150 and 1550, produced by Glasgow City Council in conjunction with West of Scotland Archaeology Service. Lord Dean of Guild of Merchants House Glasgow Andrew McFarlane, Lord Provost Jacqueline McLaren, Deacon Convenor of Trades House Glasgow Richard Paterson and Andy Pollok, City of Glasgow College. (Image: Glasgow City Council) Representatives of all of the organisations met at an official unveiling recently. Lord Provost of Glasgow, Jacqueline McLaren, said: 'This project symbolises the unity and collaboration of three historic civic institutions in Glasgow, and it is one that reflects a shared commitment to civic pride and legacy. 'This project has allowed the students to contribute something tangible in this special year – something that they can be proud of and that can be enjoyed by residents and visitors alike.' Lord Dean of Guild of Merchants House of Glasgow Andrew McFarlane, said: 'The marker stones are intended to be a reminder to future generations of both the development of the city and the celebrations to mark its 850th birthday." Deacon convenor of Trades House of Glasgow Richard Paterson, said: 'The marker stones are a legacy to the city's past and a reminder that 'people make Glasgow.''
Glasgow Times
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
First Bus giving away 7,500 free bus journeys in Glasgow
The company is providing complimentary travel to help people celebrate Glasgow's 850th birthday at a three-day music festival along the River Clyde. First Bus is the official travel partner of the Clyde Chorus, which takes place between May 29 to 31. Read more: Busy Glasgow road to close for two days - here's when The festival will see live music events at well-known venues such as the SEC Armadillo, SWG3, The Briggait, Pearce Institute, and The Savings Bank. The event will showcase local and homegrown talent, highlighting Glasgow's status as a UNESCO City of Music. Artists are set to include Nathan Evans & the Saint Phnx band, Nina Nesbitt, Scottish Opera, and many more. First Bus, in partnership with Glasgow 850 organisers, is encouraging people to travel sustainably by giving every ticket holder a free two-trip ticket to allow them to travel to and from the event. Everyone who has purchased a ticket to a Clyde Chorus event can access a unique voucher code by completing an online form here. Users will then be emailed their unique voucher code which they can enter into the First Bus app. After this, a free two-trip ticket will be generated which can be activated for the day of the event. This venture highlights the continued support from First Bus for Glasgow's 80th birthday celebrations. It follows a similar effort earlier in the year, after the unveiling of a specially designed bus alongside Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken. The bus, which is wrapped in Glasgow 850 branding, travels around Glasgow every day. Read more: 'Thrilled ': New centre will provide dedicated space for this community Graeme Macfarlan, commercial director for First Bus Scotland, said: "We are delighted to be playing our part in celebrating 850 years of our amazing city by making it easier than ever for people to use the bus to experience Glasgow's fantastic music scene. "Our partnership not only helps us to reach a wider audience but further encourages people to choose public transport as their preferred method of travel. "We look forward to welcoming concert-goers on our buses throughout the Clyde Chorus." Councillor Susan Aitken, leader of Glasgow City Council, said: "This fantastic offer from First Bus will make it free and easy to travel to the Clyde Chorus festival - part of Glasgow 850 - where those attending will enjoy a little piece of Glasgow's history as they watch a great line-up of local and homegrown artists perform over three days."
Glasgow Times
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow 850 fund backs jazz, arts and community events
The Glasgow Jazz Festival, Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival, and WestFest are among the recipients of the second phase of the one-off Glasgow 850 Festival Fund. Five organisations that stage annual city events received a total of £25,000 to improve their existing offerings that celebrate Glasgow talent, engage young people and expand community outreach. The 39th edition of the Glasgow Jazz Festival, which will be held from June 18 to 22, will feature five special free and discounted afternoon events during the weekend of June 21 and 22. More: Top cop calls on football clubs to organise title celebration events after chaos Jill Rodger, director of Glasgow Jazz Festival, said: "As Glasgow's longest-running festival, we're incredibly excited to be part of the Glasgow 850 celebrations and mark this milestone moment for our vibrant home city, known for its rich musical heritage and diversity. "This support from Glasgow 850 has allowed us to expand our festival programme and stage a series of weekend afternoon events which bring the joyful spirit of jazz to children, reach new audiences in Govan, and celebrate Glasgow's role as a thriving hub and destination for Scottish and international jazz talent to collaborate and flourish. "We look forward to bringing it all to life for audiences at our 39th edition this June." At the end of October, the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival will mark Glasgow 850 with two new initiatives. More: Star of legendary Scots rock band pictured at Glasgow restaurant In addition to these flagship awards, £35,000 was distributed through the Glasgow 850 Celebration Fund to 44 grassroots projects of up to £850, with each ward in the city represented. Councillor Susan Aitken, leader of Glasgow City Council, said: "Glasgow 850 is a celebration of our city's past, present and future – and it's the people of Glasgow who are making it their own. "These events, both large and small, reflect the pride, creativity and community spirit that define how people feel about their city and how they want to mark the year. "With this money, we've been able to support such a wide range of activities that will bring people together in every part of the city.'
The National
13-05-2025
- Science
- The National
Glasgow is one of the most ancient areas of Scotland
I will complete the series in a few weeks' time with Edinburgh. Living for the first time in Glasgow, the city in which I was born, it's been impossible to miss the publicity that is slowly building about the celebration of Glasgow 850, a year-long programme of diverse events which according to the official website is marking the 'birthday' of Glasgow in 1175. I am particularly pleased that the 850th celebrations are going to mark the transformation of the city over the past 50 years since the Glasgow 800 programme, as I have recently been writing a weekly column about just exactly that massive period of change in The National's sister paper, the Glasgow Times. Do subscribe and you can read all my columns on Glasgow's history on the Times website. I am also delighted that pride of place during Glasgow 850 will go to the River Clyde, for I've always believed and stated that the Clyde made Glasgow, not the other way round. READ MORE: 'Little Englander': Keir Starmer provokes fury over 'speak English' post That being said, I must take issue with those who say we are celebrating Glasgow's 850th 'birthday' for as you are about to learn, the anniversary is only that of Glasgow's elevation to the status of royal burgh in 1175 – a huge development in Glasgow's history for sure, but this city is far older than that. As I have stated throughout this series, I am concentrating on the ancient history of our cities and I am writing about nothing that happened after 1800. Anyone who knows anything about Glasgow will realise that means I will not be featuring the city's greatest period when it rose to become the Second City of the Empire as a result of its industrial growth. In one sense Glasgow is one of the most ancient areas of Scotland. Fossil records show there was life of sorts in what is now Scotland more than 400 million years ago, and several fossils indicate that there were forms of early life in and around Glasgow. Fossils and geological findings also show that at one point the Glasgow area was south of the Equator, before continental drift moved Scotland to its present position. The most important single fossil is that of the Bearsden Shark, now held in the Hunterian Museum. It proves Glasgow was under a warm lagoon 330 million years ago. There are also the fossilised trees in Victoria Park – the Fossil Grove – which date from the same era. We do not know for sure who the first human inhabitants of the Glasgow area were but we can be pretty certain they were immigrants from the south and ultimately the Continent who came to populate Scotland in the Stone Age. READ MORE: Kathleen MacInnes captures magic of Tradfest in live album recording They came as hunter-gatherers and developed a lifestyle that included early forms of agriculture – and they seem to have found the natural crossing point on the River Clyde an irresistible attraction. We know from the findings from the remains of canoes during excavations that took place in the 18th and 19th centuries that native people, most probably Brythonic-speaking Celts, inhabited the Glasgow area and fished in the Clyde in the time before the Romans arrived. We can surmise that legionaries must have been in the Glasgow area for some time, because between 142AD and 154AD they built the Antonine Wall, named after Emperor Antoninus Pius, who ruled Rome from 138CE to his death in 161CE. The earthen wall with its 16 forts was constructed just north of Glasgow, running between what is now Old Kilpatrick in West Dunbartonshire and what is now Bo'ness in Falkirk district. The Romans built the wall to defend themselves against the incursions of the fierce warrior tribes who lived north of the Forth and Clyde valleys in a land the Romans called Caledonia. They tried at least three times to conquer Caledonia but eventually had to admit defeat and abandoned the Antonine Wall after just 20 years to retreat to the stone-built Hadrian's Wall further south. But in the 1970s, the remains of a stout Roman bath house dating from around 150CE were found in the centre of Bearsden. Other finds indicating a Roman presence in Glasgow include a 'distance stone' discovered at Summerston and a Samian-ware bowl dating from the second century AD which was found 41ft under Glasgow Green during excavation work in 1876. Again the Hunterian Museum is the best place to go if you want more information about this period in the history of the Greater Glasgow area. The Roman Empire officially departed Britannia province in 410CE, leaving behind Romano-Britons who intermingled with local tribes. At this point in its history Glasgow very much played second fiddle to a town just 15 miles down the Clyde. Readers of my series on the ancient history of Scotland's towns will recall that Dumbarton was for centuries the capital of Strathclyde and due to its rock and fortification was known as Alt Clut, the height of the Clyde, the river on which Glasgow would be founded. Alt Clut or variations of it was indeed known to the Romans. The derivation of the name of the River Clyde is fascinating. West Dunbartonshire Council's internet pages on local history state: 'This name emerged out of the so-called 'Dark Ages' in the time of the Strathclyde Britons. They were a Celtic people who spoke a Brythonic language related to modern Welsh. Their word for the river we call 'Clyde' is thought by scholars to have derived from an old Indo-European root clut that meant something like 'wash'.' As with the rest of Strathclyde, Christianity first arrived in the area in the fifth century via missionaries sent by St Ninian of Whithorn. But it was another Christian missionary who came to found Glasgow a century later and Mungo – originally known as Kentigern – is still the patron saint of the city. All of our cities had religious institutes and royal patronage in their early times and Glasgow had both of these advantages earlier than most. One king of Alt Clut who we know a lot about was Rhydderch Hael – Rhydderch the Generous, the name often translated to Roderick – who ruled over Strathclyde in the sixth and early seventh centuries. He was a big supporter of Mungo, whose life is the subject of much speculation and legend, due to the fact that the first written history of him was penned six centuries later by a monk, Joceline (or Jocelyn) of Furness, who wrote the Life Of St Kentigern in the late 12th century. Mungo is said to have been the illegitimate son of St Thenew or Teneu, better known as Enoch. She in turn was supposedly the daughter of King Loth (Lot), after whom the Lothians are named. He was so enraged at her pregnancy that he had her thrown off Traprain Law – only for divine salvation to occur with Thenew/Enoch being miraculously transported across the Forth to Culross where Mungo was raised by the monk St Serf and took holy orders before going west around the 540s to start a settlement at the confluence of the River Clyde and the Molendinar Burn. HE was not greeted well at first and had to leave for Wales, where he rose in the church ranks before returning to the Clyde and establishing a chapel at the place he called 'Glas-chu', meaning 'dear green place'. He was able to do this after gaining the support of King Rhydderch, who features in several legends about St Mungo. It was said that Rhydderch suspected his queen, Languoreth, of adultery as she had 'lost' her wedding ring in the Clyde. St Mungo duly summoned a salmon which had the ring in its mouth, and the fish and the ring appear in the city's coat of arms to this day. So much for legend, but what about the facts? Apart from Jocelyn of Furness, there is no written or archaeological evidence to support this supposition, but I believe that first chapel was established by Mungo in the year 543, as good a date as any for the real foundation of Glasgow. When he returned to his dear green place he came as bishop, having been elected to that post by the clerics of the kingdom of Strathclyde which, don't forget, stretched all the way down to Wales. As bishop of Glasgow, Mungo still lived a simple life and spent some time founding other churches – St Kentigern's in Lanark was said to be one of his foundations. Mungo developed Glasgow on the banks of the Molendinar, then some distance from the Clyde. Where that burn joins the Clyde is now quite different from where it originally did so, having been rerouted and culverted in the 19th century. We do not know exactly where or what the original settlement consisted of, but there was certainly a church that developed from the original chapel. It was here that Mungo is said to have stated, 'Let Glasgow flourish by the preaching of thy word', which became the motto of the city. According to Jocelyn, Mungo met with St Columba. The latter died in 597, while Mungo himself suffered severe ill-health later in his life and died in 603, though some say he lived until 614. As happened in the church in Scotland at that time, Mungo was acclaimed a saint by the people, and his burial place is where Glasgow Cathedral – the oldest cathedral in mainland Scotland, which survived the Reformation mostly intact – now stands. It became a place of pilgrimage, which again helped Glasgow develop, and successors to Mungo as Bishop of Glasgow continued the saint's work albeit slowly but surely. Even as the Scoti and the Picts united under King Kenneth Mac Alpin in the 840s, Strathclyde remained a separate kingdom and Dumbarton remained its capital until a savage Viking raid from Dublin carried off many of its people in 870, after which the capital became not Glasgow but Govan. As with most of Scotland, Glasgow largely disappears from view in what we call the Dark Ages, but in the then-separate settlement of Govan – which was only incorporated into Glasgow in 1912, against the views of many Govanites – Christianity had already taken root by the 9th century which we know thanks to the astonishing Govan Stones. Now contained mostly inside Govan Old Church, the Stones are, in the words of Glasgow University's archaeology website, 'the most remarkable relics of the early Middle Ages.' It adds that the 47 sculptured stones are 'ornamented with Celtic designs. Analysis of the carving style indicates that the entire collection date to the 9th-11th centuries AD. 'Thirty-one of the best-preserved stones are on display inside Govan Old, while the others are still in the churchyard. The collection on display consists of the sarcophagus, two cross-shafts, two upright cross-slabs, five hogbacks, and 21 recumbent cross-slabs.' The extent of the Govan Stones, and the fact that Govan parish also included the royal parkland across the Clyde, suggests that Govan was indeed the capital of Strathclyde and the city may have developed there had it not been for a bishop of Glasgow and a famous king.
The Herald Scotland
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Yardworks Festival 2025: Where is it and what is on?
Yardworks is now one of Europe's leading festivals of street art and graffiti and is a vibrant, family-friendly celebration of colour, culture and collaboration with artists flying in from all over the world to take park. Visitors to the festival can expect to see plenty of well-known street artists take part with people such as Bacon from Canada who is known for his wildlife murals. Zurki, from Colombia and Spain as well as Portugal's Nuno Viegas, American Jeks and Belgium's Kitsune will also be involved. Glasgow's own Smug, who has produced murals such as Saint Mungo and The Swimmer, will also take part while Peachzz, who was recently voted the second best street artist in the world by StreetArt Cities will also be taking part. Read More Yardworks is part of Glasgow 850 this year and there will be work exploring Glasgow's street art heritage while the city's radical past is also spotlighted by College Workshops, inspired by suffragettes and protest art. Festival goers can also enjoy street food from some of Glasgow's top vendors including Nomad, Fries Guys, Dirty Bird, Loop & Scoop and more. Tickets for the event cost £16 for the weekend if you are an adult, £8 for a child and a family ticket for two adults and two kids over five is £35 while under fives go free.
