Glasgow: What's (not) to Love?

My last entry outlined some of the things I love about this city, but like any major metropolitan city, there's plenty not to like too. Something I read in today's Sunday Times (Scotland) reminded me that there's a flip side to this city as well. The following list ranges from the petty to the downright tragic:

1) It would be negligent not to mention that Glaswegians smoke and drink too much. Scotland tops most lists in these two addictions, and as a result are among Europe's leaders in health related illnesses.

2) There is still a fairly heavy undercurrent of sectarianism in this city, and it can usually be identified by which local football side you support - Rangers (protestant) or Celtic (catholic). I was advised early in my stay here not to support either side... for my own health. The separation along protestant and roman catholic lines isn't as strong as it used to be, but it still very much exists, and it defines a large part of what is bad about this city.

3) I'm annoyed at all the trash and dog poo on the walkways and streets. Glasgow really is a beautiful city, and it's clear that civic hygiene is not much of a priority to its inhabitants.

4) While we're not exposed to this side of its underbelly on a day-to-day basis, Glasgow is an extremely violent city. The article I read today branded Scotland as western Europe's "murder hotspot," and two-thirds of those murders happen in Strathclyde (Glasgow's county). The ratio of stabbing incidents in Glasgow compared to those in London is 19:1, and if you're stabbed in Glasgow you're more likely to die from your wound than in any other city in Europe. There is no scientific explanation for this, but theories state that it's likely due to the force and aggression behind the assaults that make it so serious.

5) The separation between the haves and have-nots seems to be increasing here. While there is no shortage of good, quality housing in the city, there is a shortage of good, affordable housing, and this leads to many people still living in poor, cold, damp conditions.

6) There is a very dark presence among the youth in this city. I've never seen so many death-rockers, or goth-kids gathered so numerously in one location. On any given day (especially weekends) it's not uncommon to see hordes of teenage kids gathered together in city center donning black clothing from head to foot, adorned with skulls, pentagrams, and black makeup. There is no question that the desired statement they're trying to make is, "I am evil and I'm consumed with death."

Glasgow: What's To Love?

"Glasgow: a place where some are born great; where some become great by living here; and where some still chuck spears at buses." - Anonymous

Inspired by an online blog-chat, I thought I'd take a few moments to share with you what I love about the place we've called home for the past four years.


1. First and foremost, I love the people. Glaswegians, as they're called, are renowned for their hospitality and friendliness. They tend to be very approachable, and are just as eager to give you directions as they are to walk you to your destination themselves. They love to laugh and possess a sharp wit. There is definitely a sense of social justice amongst the people, as could be seen when the tsunami decimated the Indonesian islands, and with the mass involvement and awareness surrounding ONE: The Campaign to Make Poverty History.

2. Glasgow has some great museums - the best of which is the Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum. There's also the Museum of Transport, and the People's Palace and Winter Gardens. All of which contain hours of intrigue and entertainment! And the best part - they're FREE!

3. Glasgow is not known as the "dear green place" for nothing. It has more gardens/parks per square foot than any other city in Britain. A huge part of the west end is taken up by the Botanic Gardens, a favorite place for our family to go on a nice day.

4. I love that Glasgow is so centrally located. Get on the train in any direction and before long you'll find yourself at the ocean, Hadrian's Wall, Stirling Castle or in the Highlands. We're a mere hour's flight from London, and 45 minutes from Edinburgh by rail.

5. I love the feel of the city. Glasgow is Britain's third most populated city, but I've come to describe it as having a "village feel" to it. I don't know of any other city where you can stroll around the city centre (downtown) area and regularly run into people you know. This aspect creates an intimate sense of community among the inhabitants.

6. At first glance you wouldn't think that the urban context would be all that child-friendly, which makes this another reason why I love Glasgow - particularly the west end. In order to create a place where families can flourish in urban-life, people have to go to greater lengths than they do in suburban contexts. We've found Glasgow to be very accommodating to young families... or more specifically, families with young children. Other than ample opportunities to plug into mum's groups, toddler groups, and children's music classes (all of which we have greatly benefited from), there are also places like The Loft and The Grosvenor that cater to families with young children. On the surface, The Loft is just another hip restaurant/bar for the upwardly mobile elite. Converted from the west end's old theater house, The Loft is now a thriving hot-spot on evenings and weekends, but during the day, The Loft creates a great environment for parents to bring their kids... going so far as to provide Fisher-Price cars for the kids to tear around the giant wooden floor on. The Grosvenor, a theater sharing the same building, offers a "watch with baby" feature every Thursday for the first showing of the day. This provides an opportunity for parents to see movies too (provided their infant is 12-months or younger).

7. When praising Glasgow, you can't avoid highlighting its music scene. From 80s rock-legends David Byrne and Simple Minds, to contemporary alt-rockers Teenage Fanclub and Snow Patrol, to indie pop bands Belle and Sebastian and The Fratellis, to post-punk quartet Franz Ferdinand, and post-rock instrumentalists Mogwai, Glasgow has been producing a vast array of musicians and bands that have left their mark on today's music scene.

"Terror Related" Attack on Glasgow International Airport

It's sobering when something like this happens in your own city. I've never really considered Glasgow to be much of a target for terrorist activity. London, sure. New York, a given. Los Angeles, of course. But Glasgow? Scotland???

Two men were arrested after ramming a burning car into the airport's main terminal, a day after police thwarted two attempted bombings in the capital.

Police said one of the men wore a "suspect device" and the incident was being treated as terror related.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown urged the public to remain vigilant.

"I know the British people will stand together, united and resolute," he added.

More on this story can be found at the BBC NEWS website.

Weir Good Lads Gather

I met Dave Weir about four years ago at the gym. He was just a wee 17 year old student at Glasgow University, and was recovering from a major shoulder injury. Our friendship eventually grew out of the gym and into going to movies and hanging out every once in a while. I asked Dave to start going to church with me and ultimately to join a Bible study at my flat with another friend (Johan) from the gym. That was about two years ago, and we've been going strong ever since. Dave recently graduated from Glasgow Uni and is about to embark on an extraordinary adventure. Tomorrow morning he will leave Glasgow for about a month and head to France to cycle the Tour de France route. Since we met, Dave has lost nearly 8 Stone (about 112 lbs.) and has become an avid endurance athlete. Over the past month we've been spending time studying the Psalms and Dave has adopted several passages as motivation to endure and overcome difficulties and trials. He'll find a way to fix some of these passages to his bike for those moments in his ride when he feels like giving up or slowing down.

This morning was perhaps our final Bible time together for a long time. When he returns he'll only be here for a week before heading down to England to begin his post-graduate studies. As our time came to a close my friend Stuart Weir arrived for my second meeting of the morning. "Maybe you guys are related," I joked. As they made their introductions they discovered that, in fact, they are 2nd cousins. How bizarre... two young Scots livng in Glasgow's west end all this time and they only just met and discovered they're related. It was pretty cool to see this happen in my kitchen... cool and mildly sad since Dave leaves tomorrow and only returns to Glasgow for a brief stay. I will be tracking Dave's journey through his blog on MySpace, and will be praying for him daily. Dave has come a long way as both an athlete and a young man, and I'm very proud of him, but I'll miss him too.

Here's a few pictures from our flat, Weir good lads gather.


Me & Dave












Me & Stuart