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It’s Summertime in Glasgow

May just flew in between going to classes, meeting up with friends, entertaining family and we even managed a holiday. I’ve also been enjoying the West End Festival and hanging about in cafes enjoying the lovely weather.

Way back at the beginning of May, Jim and I set off on a trip to the Costa del Sol, and we had a wonderful time. We weren’t such experts when it came to the driving malarky but other than that I think we coped very well in the role of tourists in Andalucia.

We certainly enjoyed the sunshine and we brought some home. I am missing my allotment a bit but I’ve been enjoying pottering around the balcony and after five years I’m finally acknowledging our wee balcony and now have a wee table and chair there – and a lovely plant. Jackie came along for lunch and afterwards we had a super browse in the garden centre at Anniesland. We left with petunias, lobelia, lavatera and a gorgeous cerise coloured daisy-like plant and a gift of some compost.

Everything is looking great so hope we get some more sunshine before too long. (I know I keep mentioning that but I am a bit fixated on the weather.) It’s been particularly good having fine days for the West End Festival, amazingly now in its eighteenth year. Jim and I enjoyed the launch at the Kibble, good to see all the local worthies and we chatted with loads of folk including Michael Dale, Colin Beattie, Lynne Scobbie (local artist and organiser of Paintings on Railings) and Teresa Lowe, Teresa has done a marvellous job organising the festival’s literary programme.

I’ve been quite caught up with some of the students’ events at Literary Lates at Cottiers, when I got the opportunity to admire some of my buddies from the M.Litt Creative Writing Programme. I had an invitation to perform but I’m still a bit shy and even more put off when I see how fabulous they are.

I also went to lend a wee hand when Chris Brookmyre performed. He was absolutely hilarious. It was just a pity that there were no children there as they would have loved his humourous take on bodily functions. I was really looking forward to seeing Liz Lochhead, but didn’t make it along as I caught something and had a temperature and a really sore throat.

Frances and Ryan came along with me to the Gibson Street Gala, which was great fun. We loved the Highland Dancing, the music, the stalls and all the fun in the GOW triangle. It was lovely to run into Rena and all her gang and also enjoyed talking to Pete Gillies, Lynne Scobbie and the other artists. I also spotted Ann Morgan and Santino having a great time on the dance floor. A particular mention should go to St Silas Church in Gibson Street for their wonderful generosity in opening the church up to the community and providing free juice, coffee, tea and cakes as well as entertainment.

At the West End Festival Parade Day, John, Ryan, Jim and I had a great time lapping up the atmosphere. What a beautiful day it was. Lovely sitting at Patisserie Francoise having tea and chatting to all the familiar passers by we saw. Val and Eileen came along to meet us then we walked up Byres Road and caught some of the street acts. I received numerous texts from friends watching the bands in Kelvingrove, including Issi and Davie, but school day next day so we had to get Ryan home. By all reports folk had a marvellous time at Kelvingrove.

Jim took some brilliant photographs of the Mardi Gas Parade.

West End Cafes, Bars and Bistros

It seems as though the bars and cafes in the West End have been even busier than usual and I admit to making a contribution. I enjoyed meeting up with Maggie Graham and hearing all about her trip to Australia. We went along to our favourite haunt, Avenue G and had a late breakfast and a right good blether. Afterwards we moseyed over to Cresswell Lane to have a browse in Nancy Smillie’s and Jolly Molly, a new interiors and gift shop.

It was also good to catch up with Roy Beers and he introduced me to Byblos in Park Road, where we had a very tasty lunch. We also had a peep in Veldt, the South African deli and cafe, recently opened at the corner of Park Road and Great Western Road. Roy has written about both places in some detail in his dining and drinking blog.

Jim and I went along to Nardini’s one warm evening when we were out for a walk. We had delicious tea and scone but just about everyone else in the cafe was getting tore into lavish ice creams. Apparently they have 32 flavours and one particular sundae costs £14.99 – for sharing I suspect.

Another day we had lunch at Sonny and Vito’s and that was particularly pleasant. One of my favourite places to dine and, dare I say, lovely to sit in the sunshine. We had a chat with Mario and good to hear that the bistro will now open until 7 p.m. and has a new drinks licence.

We went there after Jim’s CafePreneur, which is going very well – it was useful hearing Maya Mendoza’s talk on Writing a Press Release. Later Jim showed me his new office space in Lansdowne Crescent. I was very impressed, not least of all because he has access to the pleasure gardens, but he’s not entirely forsaken his cafe base.

I met up with Gillian at Smile Cafe on Queen Margaret Drive, where we had a sandwich and coffee before heading off to a talk at the University. If you haven’t tried this cafe out then put it on your ‘to do list this Summer’. It’s great. Afterwards we went along to OranMor, so fun catching up with Gillian, James, Billie, Vahni and all the gang now that our classes have finished.

I had another good time at OranMor when I went along to see Liz Lochhead’s play Mortal Memories at Play, A Pie and A Pint.

I have a new blogger on the site Sarah Borland, who is planning to establish a Gaelic Community Cafe, Coffee and Craic, in the West End and needing a bit of support.

John and I tried out the newish, Siempre, bicycle cafe, at Partick Cross. Good place if, like me, you enjoy a Vietnamese coffee.

Writing

I’ve been busy churning out some short stories as I joined evening classes for the short story writing course at the University’s Centre for Open Studies and have had plenty of homework to do. I also completed my Editiorial Assignment for the MLitt – Glasgow Writers. I got a good grade for this and now I am busy working on my Final Portfolio. Then that’ll be me all done. I’ve absolutely loved the course and hope to continue evening classes.

Jim’s been encouraging me to put some of my stories up on the website and I’ve also been asked to read at a few events but I don’t feel confident enough just yet.

One of the best things about the course is that I get to meet and read the work of so many talented people. I’ve just added John Hamilton May to my Glasgow Writers. Only twenty two years old, his ability and what he has achieved are astonishing. John’s play Love In The Past Participle will be on at CCA on 19th July, prior to being performed at Edinburgh Fringe.

Shopping

I find Nancy Smillie’s Jewellery Studio quite irrestible and treated myself to some stylish but simple gold earrings, which will go with everything. l also popped into The Glasgow Vintage Company, an absolute treasure trove of clothes and accessories from bygone days. I bought a wonderful cerise cashmere cardi for a tenner. That’s what I call a bargain.

I love this stretch of Great Western Road and will be going along to celebrate first year birthday party  at  Blair and Sutherland’s .

Down in Partick, I had another great find in Handbags and Gladrags, where I picked up a super lace blouse. Always a dead cert for preloved bargains.

Next month we have the Merchant City Festival coming up in Glasgow and this year it has a particular vintage theme so stock up on your wardrobe now if you’re planning some rockabilly dancing or even the charleston.

Out and about with friends and family

As usual John, Ryan and I have been out and about a lot. We had good fun for John’s birthday and enjoyed our lunch in Dino’s, his favourite Italian restaurant. We also had a day out down in Kelvingrove, looking at the animals in the art gallery and museum before heading to the park.

We went along to see Caitlin performing with her dance class at the Mitchell Theatre. She did very well, particularly as she’s only been going to classes for a comparitively short time. Some of the dancers join the class when they are toddlers. It’s pretty hilarious watching the wee ones perform as the choreography is clearly not the main thing on their mind and the routines pretty random, including turning your back on the audience, waving to your family or just having a wee wander. Very cute but you can’t help but laugh.

I went on a wee trip up to Milngavie with my sister-in-law, Ann, and we had lunch and a great browse in the charity shops. She is an even more accomplished bargain spotter than I so a handy person to have along on this sort of outing. I was delighted with the navy top she spotted.

It was a real treat seeing all the McColgans at Hannah McColgan’s christening in Lourdes Church in Cardonald. She is the most beautiful baby and lovely catching up with our cousins.

Gigs and Music

It was very good of the McColgans to come along to see Jim play at The Glad Cafe at the Southside Festival. Sylvia and Frances were also there and Jim’s dad, Jimmy. We missed Crawford Smith, who is usually the compere, but Kev Young was excellent and always a big treat to see The Carlton Jug Band.

Lately Jim’s only been playing gigs when he’s invited as he has been focusing on producing an E.P. with Robert and Lawrence of The Creeping Charlies. I’m hearing the results at every stage of this lengthy process and very impressed. They are going to make a film and then we’ll have a bit of a bash to launch the music so looking forward to that.

Paul McCafferty is also collaborating with Jim on some songs. They’re planning a spoken word and music event but in the meantime having a lot of fun composing.

This year I’m particularly looking forward to Linlithgow Folk Festival, which we always go along to, and quite exciting this year as Jim has been invited to support the headline act, The Outside Track.

Best in The West

For a while we’ve been working on a new strategy to provide further support to businesses in Glasgow’s West End: Best in the West. Please get in touch with Clare – business help manager if you are interested in this opportunity.

Plans

I feel as though summer is just beginning and busy making plans for the school holidays and also at the tail end of summer, when my sister is coming home for a visit from Canada. We are planning a trip to Paris and John, Ryan and I are going to have a week-end away fishing.  I think we may go to Rothesay.  We’re also intending to have lots of treks up to the Kilpatricks and a picnic with the Andersons on the beach at Cardross.  I’m also hankering after a trip to Malaig on the wee steam train so I think Jim is up for that.

Hope you all have a lovely summer. 🙂

Lots of new stuff on the site:

West End Festival continues
Jim Byrne – Photodiary Mardi Gras Parade West End Festival
Offers and discounts
Update: Nancy Smillie Shop
Glasgow Wind Ban’s Summer Carnival
Glasgow Writers: John Hamilton May
Maggie Graham Writer’s Diary
Astrology: Questions and Answers
Hidden-geometry-a-night-of-psychogeographical-exploration/
Coffee and Craic Gaelic Community Cafe
Mortal Memories by Liz Lochhead review Pat Byrne
Merchant City Festival

See more: What’s New – regularly updated

and What’s On – regulalry upadated

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