Latest news with #Gorbals
The National
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The National
Miriam Margolyes' Fringe show is more than just sex and swearing
The theatre was unsurprisingly packed out for Margolyes and Dickens: More Best Bits, a testament to the fact that she truly is a woman who needs no introduction. I think I can comfortably suggest that many people will turn up to the show just to hear her speak – and hoping to hear one of her renowned sweary tirades – without paying much heed to what the show is actually about. (Image: NQ) I think this does Margolyes a massive disservice. And quite frankly, I'm rather tired of the notion that this version of her is the only version. The Fringe show is split into two parts: the first a deep dive into the world of Charles Dickens, featuring excerpts and tales from his own life; then a Q&A featuring questions from the audience, which I suspect is why many people turn up. I interviewed Margolyes a few weeks ago, where she gave an unflinching review on the state of the current Labour Government – and its complicity in the genocide in Gaza. But we also spoke about Dickens, who she described as "the art" in her life. As an English Literature graduate, it was truly lovely to be swept away by her enthusiasm. READ MORE: BBC pulls popular radio show segment after guest calls Robert Jenrick 'xenophobic' You could hear a pin drop in the theatre as Margolyes worked through scenes from her favourite Dickens novels, gliding through her repertoire of characters without so much as a costume change. I was utterly enthralled. She spread out these dramatic readings with tales from Dickens' own life, as well as references to her own father, who was from the Gorbals in Glasgow. I thought it was a really nice touch to add such a personal element to these texts, to bring all of these ideas together. It felt like an ode to who Margolyes has previously described as the two most important men in her life. Moving on to the second part of the show, we were treated to the classic outrageous version of Margolyes we know and love. (Image: Steve Ullathorne) She could have said anything, I think, and the audience would have applauded. She gave some interesting tidbits on working on Blackadder, her thoughts on John Cleese (spoiler alert: "a c***"), and advice she would give to her younger self – "not to get fat". But what frustrated me about this part of the show is that – with the exception of the above – the vast majority of the questions the audience submitted were about sex. To be clear, I have zero qualms about sex positivity, or listening to people talk candidly about their sexual experiences. I think it's great that Margolyes has become known for doing so, and in turn normalising conversations around sex – particularly queer sex. READ MORE: I tried to go to 10 Fringe shows in one day. Here's what happened However, it annoys me that this seems to be all people want to hear her talk about. Many people seemed to just want to listen to Margolyes tell lewd stories, rather than celebrate her career. It's a shame, and part of me thinks that she must be getting fed up of all these questions. So for anyone looking to go and see Margolyes at the Fringe – it is undoubtedly worth your time. But please don't dismiss the first part of the show and go just to hear her say rude words. The show is an eye-opening reflection on how Margolyes's life has been shaped so profoundly by the world of Dickens. It reminded me of why I fell in love with reading in the first place – and why I must never let go of that love.
The Herald Scotland
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Glasgow gig set up to counter far-right returns to city
All money raised at the gig is donated directly to Refuweegee, a community charity supporting new arrivals in the city. No A Mean City III: Kindness as an Act of Resistance will take place at Stereo on Renfield Lane on September 6, featuring the Noughty Mean City All Star Band, The Dunts, Tanzana, Majesty Palm, The Noise Club, Psweatpants, Salt and more. Read More: Founder Mackenzie Burns tells The Herald: "The first event was held on Saturday September 7 last year, essentially in direct response to the clashes happening in [[George Square]] between the far-right protest groups and people who thought that maybe wasn't an acceptable thing to be bringing to Glasgow in the wake of all the Southport stuff, which was incredibly tragic. "It was a kind of antidote to that, which put a real dampener on what I would consider to be the spirit of my city. "I clubbed together, very hastily, a venue and a lineup of bands which I like to think had a real inclusive and well-meaning community-based spirit to them. "The turnaround was about two weeks, we put on the event in the Rum Shack, who gave us the venue for free. "We raised £1,500 for Refuweegee on the first one and we decided to keep doing it as a sort of series, all in aid of Refuweegee. "I needed a good name and I used to love Taggart, and they always used to say the Maggie Bell theme was 'No Mean City' then of course there's the book about the Gorbals. "So I decided to flip that into 'No A Mean City', I like the idea that Glasgow has everything, warts and all, but fundamentally there's a real spirit to the place and the people. "The third one, which is happening in September, is our biggest one yet. A performance at No A Mean City (Image: Nicole MacAulay) "We've upscaled it to Stereo, which is nearly double the cap, to make more money for refugees at a time when it's needed more than ever but we have real aspirations to take this as far as we possibly can." The event doesn't just feature music, but various contributors from Glasgow's cultural scene and beyond. Mr Burns says: "I loved the first one because it was full of peers and friends and well-meaning people in the industry, but the second one, I expanded it to include Declan Welsh, or example, who's someone I've known a long time and is a great collaborator on this and someone who can fill the Barrowlands and has done the main stage at TRNSMT. "He's involved in the third event and we've got Roscoe McLellan, the comedian who recently won the Billy Connolly award, Andy Guitar who is a really prominent YouTuber. "It's got a really interesting, eclectic, lineup, which we like to think reflects the sort of diversity, the inclusivity, and just the talent that is brought here. "We've got Salt, who's an artist from Sweden, who's moved over to Glasgow. We've got Psweatpants, who moved up from London to be a part of the Glasgow music scene, and then at the same time we've got The Dunts, who are a really prominent Glasgow band "So we're trying to tie everything together in terms of what is brought to Glasgow and that can all coalesce and be just everything that's great about the city. "I never thought of myself as a promoter, however, it turns out if you've got enough well-meaning pals, then you can look like one, because they're willing to play, and obviously no one takes any money. A performance at No A Mean City (Image: Andrew Adams) "I try and budget for expenses. For the first event I really needed it to be insured because of the climate on that day and Brian Reynolds of 432 Presents was really helpful and took time paid out of his own pocket for insuring our event but he said something which has really stuck with me: 'it's for a great cause but the people doing it still have very real needs and they need to be able to not lose money from this'. "So I do try and offer expenses but it's a real testament to the people who choose to give up their time and energy for this, they aren't paid to play so I really appreciate them giving up their time and energy. "It's just a great celebration of the spirit and attitude of Glasgow's music community. "The third will be the biggest and best yet - that's the plan." While the gig will showcase the Glasgow music scene and more, the overall message is wider. Mr Burns explains: "Principally we want to elevate the conversation which is that refugees are human beings and should be treated as such, and all of your opinions are usually based on someone trying to implant a certain view into you rather than give an accurate representation. "If you live in diverse communities you'll understand them as people rather than enemies. "Refugees are people and you don't need to deviate from that, people should have comfort, safety and human rights, and that's what we're always trying to put at the forefront of these events. "It's a great gig, I'm glad you saw your favourite local bands and that they gave their time but you should be going away thinking, 'what can I do other than come to a gig? How can I have this conversation with people in my life who aren't as inclusive or tolerant?'. "We try and make the gigs a vehicle for that." Tickets for No A Mean City III are available here
Glasgow Times
14-07-2025
- Climate
- Glasgow Times
TRNSMT festival: Glasgow Green clean-up operation underway
The festival, which began at 12pm on Friday, 11 July, came to a close last night, Saturday, 13 July. TRNSMT 2025 concluded after a spectacular weekend featuring standout performances from some of the biggest names in music. READ MORE: Huge TRNSMT act visits Gorbals pub and chats to staff Festival-goers enjoyed sets from artists including 50 Cent, Fontaines D.C., and Biffy Clyro. Snow Patrol delivered a show-stopping performance to close the event on the Main Stage, while rising star JADE also impressed the crowds. Revellers were treated to an unusually sunny spell in Glasgow, with temperatures reaching as high as 30°C over the weekend. READ MORE: Check out these 17 amazing shots as music lovers arrive at TRNSMT for final day Photographs taken by our photographer, Gordon Terris, show the clean-up operation now underway at Glasgow Green. Images depict an empty field, with cranes positioned to dismantle the Main Stage. Lorries can also be seen being loaded with metal barriers used throughout the series of shows. (Image: Gordon Terris) (Image: Gordon Terris) (Image: Gordon Terris) (Image: Gordon Terris) (Image: Gordon Terris) (Image: Gordon Terris) (Image: Gordon Terris)
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
I saw the demolition of Gorbal's Caledonia Road flats - I heard great stories
GLASGOW'S skyline was changed on a historic day today as two high-rises defined as "landmarks" were pulled down. The towers at 305 and 341 Caledonia Road were built in 1971 and will be replaced by the owners, New Gorbals Housing Association (NGHA), with more than 100 new social rent homes. I went along to watch the explosions just outside the large safety exclusion zone. This was my first time seeing a controlled explosion in person, and the whole area was filled with a nervous anticipation. I cycled through the city centre before making my way through Glasgow Green, almost crashing as I started noticing the two 23-storey flat blocks at certain viewpoints. People were already lining the bridges, and some had brought picnic blankets to sit in the park and watch the flats being razed to the ground. The blocks were razed to the ground today, June 29 (Image: Julie Howden) READ MORE: Glasgow Caledonia Road high rise flats in Gorbals demolished READ MORE: Glasgow reacts to Caledonia Road flats demolition in Gorbals I arrived at the roundabout at the end of Caledonia Road before 11am, and a small hive of people had already gathered. Some had been there since they were told to evacuate their homes at 7:30am that morning, and they rushed to leave, making sure to shut their windows to avoid dust. There was a tension in the air as anticipation rose for the controlled explosion, and an emotional atmosphere as many locals shared stories about the high-rise flats. Tales were being exchanged, including stories of people growing fruit on their verandas. One local claimed that he used to leave for work and come home to find that his tomato plant had almost doubled in size due to the heat on the 23rd floor. There were laughs as others shared some stories full of mischief that weren't fit for newspaper publishing. But, many couldn't speak as they were overcome with emotion, and the phrase "end of an era" was repeated by everyone. They also spoke of the "landmark" that the towers were, noting that the many views they had of them would always "remind them they were coming home" - especially when seen from the M74 motorway. I saw the demolition of the Caledonia Road flats in Glasgow (Image: Newsquest) READ NEXT: Major road outside Scottish city closed as emergency services race to scene Just after 1 pm, a warning drone sounded from inside the sealed-off site. Gasps were heard around the street as the hundreds of people who had gathered collectively held their breaths. Then a loud pop started the demolition. First, the left, westerly, high-rise collapsed, shortly followed by the right one. The ground was shaking, and everybody was watching in silence as a cloud of dust billowed into the air. In the silence that lasted for a few seconds, but felt like minutes, the clear blue sky began to emerge from where the 226ft buildings used to be. The crowd broke out in a cheer, which seemed out of place considering the emotional conversations that had been taking place just minutes earlier. The crowds dispersed almost as quickly as the few short seconds it had taken for the high-rises to come down. I stood and looked at the rubble that lay where those stories were now buried before starting my cycle back to the city centre. The dust had blown up the Clyde, and I was coated in a layer of it as I made my way through Glasgow Green again. I couldn't help but stop to look at the space where the blocks had once been, while thinking of veranda-grown tomatoes and the sense of loss felt by the Gorbals community.
BBC News
29-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Double demolition as Glasgow tower blocks to be blown down
Two well-known Glasgow tower blocks are to be blown down in a planned demolition on 305 and 341 Caledonia Road in the Gorbals will be brought down to make way for new New Gorbals Housing Association (NGHA) will replace the high-rise flats with more than 100 new social rent homes. It is understood the explosion will take place on Sunday afternoon with a large exclusion zone set up including the nearby Southern Necropolis cemetery and the Gorbals Rose Garden. The Caledonia Road flats were constructed in the 1960s as an answer to slum housing, overcrowding and struggled after World War Two and the Gorbals area became known as one of Europe's worst 40,000 people lived in deteriorating tenement the time the 1960s arrived, high rise flats were one solution to clear the accommodation and build new concrete blocks were often criticized for being poorly designed, damp, and failing to improve community life, although many local people spent happy lives in these flats before they started being rehoused in 2021. Many were eventually demolished in controlled explosions as part of ongoing regeneration spectacle of collapsing Gorbals tower blocks has attracted attention over the years. Towers in Sandiefield Road came down in 2013, with Norfolk Court's flats taken down in Stirlingfauld Place towers were blown down in large Queen Elizabeth Square towers came down in September 1993, ending in Helen Tinney died after being struck by debris as she watched the demolition. The future of the two Caledonia Road had been sealed by the costs involved in bringing dangerous cladding up to acceptable safety these two blocks come down, just one tower will remain, the neighbouring Waddell controlled blow down will be managed by contractors company has been liaising with other local residents on the arrangements for the demolition. About 850 households will be evacuated from the surrounding area before it can go exclusion zone will allow people to observe from a safe distance and people have been warned to expect a loud and dusty has been preparing the towers for several months - stripping the buildings and making sure viable materials can be said that it had worked with the housing association to save tonnes of material from going to landfill.
