Glaswegians.....

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Sat May 06, 2006 4:21 pm

I can go back to the 1940's when I worked in Sauchiehall street. We often stayed in the City after work to go to the theatre or the dancing and I had to catch the last tram from the top of Sauchiehall Street or the late bus from Buchanan Street and I never had a fear,not even of the good natured drunks waiting for their bus or just dossing down. Even today I would rather wait for a bus in the Glasgow bus station than wait at the bus station in Nuneaton late at night. I agree with above, someone has only just read 'No Mean City'.
rachel

mallog · Post by **mallog** » Sat May 06, 2006 4:37 pm

I agree with Russell too and I feel sorry that Wini feels that way about Scotland. I think Scotland is a great place to stay and Glasgow is a great city. Each area still has that small community feel about it but manages to be cosmipolitan too and the buildings are fantastic.
Mallog

maceill · Post by **maceill** » Sat May 06, 2006 9:45 pm

You ,will go far and wide to find folks as friendly and helpful as the people of glasgow.Just a little tale to tell you folks.Iwas in glasgow a few months ago when celtic and rangers were laying at Parkhead,my daughter and myself were waiting in the the bus stop ,abercrombie street,a number of youths [ in high spirits]also waiting,as the bus came , the youths stood back and helped my daughter [wheelchair bound] on to the bus and made a great fuss of her.
maceill

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Sun May 07, 2006 10:22 am

Wini. Thanks for that 'e' mail address . I felt so strongly about the article I did send a message defending my City. It is a long time since I left and circumstances beyond my control prevents me from visiting Glasgow at present but when I was last there, in 2004, I still remember the feeling of walking up Buchanan st, Sauchiehall st and Renfield st, Hope st and all streets connecting and it gives me a warm glow.
rachel

wini · Post by **wini** » Sun May 07, 2006 10:42 am

Glad I have you all stirred up.I will make no further comment until I have been over for a visit. Planned for Augut, Sepetember 2007.
Would like to come this year but circumstances prevent that.

Wini

Davie · Post by **Davie** » Tue May 09, 2006 8:18 pm

Greetin’s aw
I am a Glaswegian, love my city and the punters,
Don’t know what position we hold in the top ten in the most violent city stakes are, but you can bet we are up there with the “best”
I have lived here most of my life, born in The Calton, have lived in The Milton, Dennistoun, Brigton and noo the Sou’side.
The areas just outside the centre are worse now for violence than ever
Drew made a valid point re “A slow News day”
The problem with that being, is when there is a "major" story on the front page, the murders get reported in column 5 page 8.
And it is not just Glasgow, it is right across the whole of Scotland.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/gla ... 960836.stm
An 18 year old boy was stabbed to death in Cathcart Road on that weekend
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scot ... 962472.stm
That was just outside my local bar, a five minute walk from my flat.
There are regular stabbings and assaults locally.
There were another four serious atacks on the South Side alone, not reported.
By the way , the play, “No Mean City” is on at the Citz this month.
http://www.citz.co.uk/?node_id=1.2.1&prod_id=84

And before anyone gets excited about this, Glasgow city centre is well policed, and is as safe as any other large town in the UK.

Just don't wear a green scarf in Brig'ton
or a blue one in Cumberland Street
Unless yer a heavywight champion
or helluva quick on yer feet

Post by **HeatherH** » Tue May 09, 2006 9:36 pm

Have to add my 2 cents worth here. I was home last summer and had a wonderful time and never once was I worried as I travelled about Glasgow from Pollock to Possil Park day or night.I used the underground, trans and ferries as I don't drive ( and the world is a safer place for it) Not long after I returned I saw an article naming Halifax , Nova Scotia as the highest rate of violent crimes in Canada.Something nice to come back to.Glad I'm on the other side of the bridge.

HeatherK

Post by **HeatherH** » Tue May 09, 2006 9:42 pm

Found this interesting article from the Times.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0, ... 45,00.html

"The study, by the UN’s crime research institute, found that 3 per cent of Scots had been victims of assault compared with 1.2 per cent in America and just 0.1 per cent in Japan, 0.2 per cent in Italy and 0.8 per cent in Austria. In England and Wales the figure was 2.8 per cent.

Scotland was eighth for total crime, 13th for property crime, 12th for robbery and 14th for sexual assault. New Zealand had the most property crimes and sexual assaults, while Poland had the most robberies."

Andrew C. · Post by **Andrew C.** » Fri May 19, 2006 5:37 pm

I think too many people are wearing rose tinted spectacles and look at Glasgow (and Scotland) in an over sentimental way. You can not get away from the statistics that Glasgow has the highest homicide rate per head of population than any other city in Western Europe and the third highest in the Western World, (higher than London and higher than New York). According to the WHO you are more than three times likely to be murdered in Scotland than you are in England and Wales. According to the United Nations Scotland is the most violent city in the developed world (The Times 19/09/05) with a Scot three times more likely to be assaulted than an American. The carrying of knifes in Glasgow is endemic. You may feel secure in the city centre but go into the schemes at your peril.

This year alone there has been 82 drug related deaths in Strathclyde, couple this with the infamous health statistics and it is no wonder that Glaswegians have a lower life expectancy than someone from Baghdad.

I think Glasgow has gone down hill terribly in the last ten or so years. So many great strides where made in the eighties and nineties, which are being nullified. You look at the Gorbals, a massive area of land which could have been used to give Glaswegians decent homes but what do we get more tenements. Ah the tenement, I hear you all sigh, but would you want to live in one? People want at least a semi with a back and front garden that is why Glasgow is haemorrhaging its population and they are heading out to towns like mine (Bellshill) to live in modern estates on the edge of town, where they commute into Glasgow, shop elsewhere and do not become part of their new community. We have waited for decades for the Clyde to be regenerated. The old garden festival site looks great (very disappointed with the BBC building though) however the view from the Science tower is the dilapidated graving docks and Govan in general is a dump. And on the other side of the river we have the most horrendous array of flats which are a total eyesore (albeit being sold for mega bucks). There seems to be no sensible planning control it seems to be a free for all with out of place modern building over shadowing once grand sandstone buildings. There seems to be pockets of investment while other areas go to the wall.

Post by **Liz Turner** » Fri May 19, 2006 8:38 pm

Hi Wini (or anyone else on this post)

If you're making the trip and are in the west end let me know - I work at the University (Glasgow that is - not one of the other ones!) and would be happy to show you round or give you directions!

And anyway - the weather's not that bad - we never lack for a topic of conversation anyway!!!

Years ago I worked in a solicitor's office in Paisley and one of the other "girls" in the office had come to Glasgow from Edinburgh. Being from Edinburgh she was horrified to find that people and bus stops or in cafes in Glasgow expect to talk to you when you sit beside them! Apparently they don't do that in Edinburgh.

(I'll now await the outcry from that one!!!)