From Darkness to Light

After all the hoo ha and angry bellowing from the shallow end of the gene pool in Glasgow the other night, I read about something wonderful that happened the next day.  Apparently a spontaneous outburst of generosity occurred during a peace rally in George Square.  Peace campaigners were talking about a food bank that they ran and soon after,  bags of food started arriving, donated by passers by. By the end of Saturday there were hundreds of bags of food and on Sunday there were even more.  The generosity of Glasgow people never fails to amaze me. This is the Glasgow that I know and love and the people, whose sarcasm could cut you to the quick and leave you lying in a quivering heap, but whose hearts are made of pure gold.

 

 

 

Bags of food delivered by generous passers-by in Glasgow's George Square

 

 

 

 

The Dark Side of Glasgow

Clashes in George Square in Glasgow last night

I know my last post was entitled "I Predict a Riot" but I didn't really mean it.  Last night there were violent clashes between the NO and YES voters.  Well, actually the angry mob were shouting sectarian chants and insults and some were doing the Nazi saluting thing.  Some were so young that they wouldn't even know what any of it meant.  I have been away from Glasgow for too long.  I had almost forgotten about that deep rooted religious nonsense that made Glasgow a microcosm of Northern Ireland. It made people who supported one football team attack and beat up someone who supported another football team just because they were wearing the wrong colours (wrong colours = wrong religion). I hated all the Catholic/Protestant stuff when I was young and I have been reminded of it again now and I hate it even more. 

 

So sad to see the dark side of Glasgow being broadcast to the world.

Glasgow

I am pleased that people around the world are seeing Glasgow as it really is, because of the Commonwealth Games coverage, and not how they perceive it from TV programmes such as Taggart where most of the population are murrrrdered on a daily basis in dull grey housing schemes and high rise flats in the Gorbals. This is not the Glasgow that I know and love.

 

Perception is a funny thing.  When I first hitched up with Roberto many moons ago, his mother asked me if there was a Marks & Spencers in Glasgow yet.  I found this a bit strange, as if the perception of Scotland/Glasgow was that of a backward nation.  I replied "Yes, and we even have electricity, Beatrice" (can you tell I was a little bit miffed?).  I had been going to the M&S in Argyle Street in Glasgow almost since I could walk. All our school uniforms were bought there and my grandmother and wee auntie used to put on their best hats and coats on a Saturday afternoon and get the bus into town, with the express desire of shopping in M&S and buying some lovely treats in the food department (choccy ginger nuts were my favourites).

 

Because of the recent coverage, people around the world have been able to witness for themselves the real friendliness of Glasgow people.  I remember having an English boss who told me he visited Glasgow and was quite taken aback when people actually spoke to him when he was just standing waiting to cross a road at the traffic lights. People working in shops talk to you as if they are your best friends and that famous Glasgow sense of humour is never far away.

Tonight is the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games and I will be glued to the screen looking out for my friend, Doreen, who is taking part in the final show.  It's all top secret but I am hoping desperately that she will be one of Kylie's backing dancers.  Doreen and I used to love a good bop at the best Glasgow nightspots at the time, the most hilarious laughs of the night being in the queue at Pizza Corolla at 2am with all the starving (and tired and emotional) night clubbing Glasgow people.

So to anyone who hasn't been to Glasgow, give it a try.  You may be very pleasantly surprised.