St Patrick would be proud

As part of the South Side Festival activities, a green celebration of Irish culture has been swinging along nicely over this St Patrick’s day time.

On Saturday, 16 March, at the Glad Cafe in Shawlands at 1006 Pollokshaws Road, Declan Sinnott will be playing and singing to entertain folks in this intimate community enterprise venue. With a career spanning over 40 years, Declan has worked with Irish folk luminaries such as Christy Moore, Mary Black, Sinead Lohan and John Spillane. He was a founding member of Horslips and Moving Hearts – two of the most influential trad /electric bands in Ireland, and spent 13 years guiding Mary Black’s career, producing the majority of her music.

Since 2000, Declan has been guitarist and producer to Christy Moore, who was recently named as Ireland’s greatest living musician in RTÉ’s People of the Year Awards.

Following the release of his critically acclaimed debut album “I love the Noise It Makes” in 2012, Sinnott has been touring. The penultimate of five stops on the tour, the Glasgow gig is not to be missed – though you’ll have a job finding a ticket at this stage.

Described by the Daily Telegraph as “One of Ireland’s most respected musicians”, Sinnott’s performances in Coatbridge and York will be part of their St Patrick Day Festivals.

 

 

Mela sun shines on day two

 

Sunglasses and saris replaced wellies and waterproofs at the o2 Mela in Kelvingrove Park on Sunday 24 June as the monsoon like weather of Saturday change to sunshine.

 

More than 25,000 revellers refused to let the damp conditions spoil a fun-filled weekend. Festival-goers and families of every age and ethnicity enjoyed the music and dance at this Asian carnival.

 

A spectacular line-up of international performers delighted the crowds on three stages. Scotland’s biggest multi-cultural festival has gone from strength to strength. This year Glasgow Life added an extra day when the entertainment was specially programmed for 3,000 city schoolchildren. Ten Glasgow schools rehearsed with professional dancers for seven weeks, to produce a final performance in front of their peers on the World Stage on Friday.

 

The O2 Glasgow Mela showcased one of the hottest new female talents on the Asian music scene – Avina Shah – who delights fans of modern Bollywood and Rnb/pop, as well as devotees of the more traditional Punjabi and Gujarati styled music. This versatile performer took her audience on a memorable musical journey, kick-starting her performance with her debut single, the upbeat ‘Tere Bina’.

 

After an eight-song set Avina said: ‘I was so excited about performing for the first time in Glasgow. The reputation of Glasgow audiences is well known and the crowd were brilliant. They were very welcoming, in fact their dancing entertained me, I only hope I entertained them too. My final song, my new single ‘Dil Deewana’, is about letting your hair down, about having fun. The people of Glasgow certainly showed they know how to do that. It’s been great fun and I’d love to come back.’

 

Later on Sunday, award-winning Bhangra singer JK performed for the first time in Scotland with his sensational live band.

 

On Saturday the exceptional Bhangra star Angrej Ali and his live band electrified the O2 Glasgow Mela crowds with their unique brand of Punjabi folk and traditional music, which was fused with an exciting urban sound. From classic hits Tharti Hilde and Phattey Chak to dance floor smash Nachdi De, Angrej Ali delighted fans old and new with his renowned singing style.

 

International dance acts added colour and energy to the proceedings. The Electricat Dance Troupe amazed with their display of Brazilian dances. The Afro-Latino influences delivered a contemporary and powerful style. This truly spectacular extravaganza of pulsating rhythms, sinuous movements and colourful feathers and sequins really impressed the O2 Glasgow Mela audiences.

 

The Kennedy Cupcakes offered an alternative dance show when they performed showstopping routines to 40’s and 50’s hits such as ‘Boogie Woogie Boy’ and ‘In the Mood’. The Kennedy Cupcakes were dressed in the finery of the times. They added a touch of vintage glamour to the proceedings and had the audience eating out of their hands. While the Kawa Musical Circus mystified those watching with rope walking and an incredible human ‘helicopter’ acrobatic stunt some 20 feet in the air.

 

 

 

Councillor Archie Graham, Chair of Glasgow Life said: ‘In its 22nd year, the O2 Glasgow Mela continues to be the brightest and best festival to showcase Scotland’s multi-cultural talents and rich heritage of which this city is so proud.’

 

Gosia Manka, Channel Marketing Manager at O2 said: ‘O2 were delighted to be a part of the cultural extravaganza at the O2 Glasgow Mela again this year. We hope the many attendees of the event had a great time and came to visit the O2 international bus and camper van to make free international calls to friends and family. ‘

 

Forestry Commission Scotland was a Mela partner and developed a first-class Kid’s Zone, programmed by Glasgow-based artist Joanne Boyce. This offered a wealth of activities to tempt little ones to get creative in the park. For the first time ever, there was a 10m by 10m synthetic ice rink at the event which was free to enjoy. This proved to be a welcome addition for all ages.

 

Musicians, dance acts and interactive arts performers came from across the Commonwealth to performat this festival . There was also an eclectic mix of more than 50 stalls. From exotic foods, fashion and fabrics and arts and crafts to activities such as henna, hair braiding and face painting. The crowds definitely didn’t go hungry – the smells and tastes of international cuisine from the exotic to the everyday provided temptation at every turn.

 

Since its launch during Glasgow’s 1990 European City of Culture celebrations, the O2 Glasgow Mela has grown to become the leading festival of its kind in the country. In addition to three main stages (World, Commonwealth and Mehfil) the festival also featured an ice rink, street theatre, a Kids Zone and authentic stalls and catering.

End of the road for Red Road flats

‘They’ve just blown up my childhood!’ That was the emotional, spontaneous, reaction from Finlay McKay, one of the hundreds of people watching Red Road flats being demolished on Sunday 10 June in Glasgow.

Firefighter Finlay was born and brought up on the 25^th floor of the Petershill Drive triple block. ‘Staying there was fantastic. I loved it. I’ve still got the pals I had then and living there made me the person I am today. But now, seeing the building come down so very, very quickly….I’m shocked.’ The 42-year-old had brought his daughter Cara (9) and her friends Connor (6) and Taylor (8) to see the GHA’s latest move in its massive re-generation plans. Since GHA was formed in 2003, Scotland’s largest social landlord has invested more than £1.1 billion in refurbishing, modernising and improving homes across the city.

Said Finlay: ‘I left in 1991. My Mum and Dad are dead, now. I’ve moved to my own house in Swinton and tell stories of growing up in the Red Road flats, but that’s the last physical link with ‘who you are’ – gone for me. I thought the building would come down in stages, so I’m shocked it happened so suddenly.’

The controlled explosion used around 275 kilos of explosive to bring down the triple block in seconds. The lower ten storeys of the steel-framed building will be demolished later using long reach machinery. The entire site will take months to clear. Steel will be re-cycled and the rubble crushed to make foundations for roads and buildings.

Around 2000 people were temporarily evacuated from their homes in the area, including residents of a care home, to allow the operation to be completed safely.

Said GHA Executive Director of Development and Regeneration, Alex McGuire: ‘The Red Road flats were popular in their day and are known around the world, but their time has come to an end. We’re pleased the demolition of the first of them went according to plan.’  The remaining seven multi-storey blocks will be demolished by 2017.

William Sinclair, Managing Director of demolition contractors Safedem, said: ‘The Red Road flats have presented a unique series of challenges ranging from the size of the buildings to the steel frame structure.We’re delighted to be involved in another successful demolition for GHA – our 17^thwith them since 2005.’

MSP Patricia Ferguson also spent her childhood in a flat in a Red Road block. ‘My family left a room and kitchen in Maryhill to come to a fantastic flat on the 21st floor of a different block from the one demolished today,’ she said after watching the event. ‘The thing to remember is – that tenement with the room and kitchen  – is still standing. It has been re-furbished and continues to provide good homes for people. But there is no doubt, the Red Road flats have come to the end of their time and it is right that they come down now.’

A BBC Newsnight film on living in the Red Road flats is due to be screened on Monday 11 June at 22.30.

 

 

 

River becomes an artist’s ikon

By Martin Graham

THE GLASGOW International festival of visual art has thrown up some unusual treats.
From Jeremy Deller’s ‘Sacrilege’ (the bouncy Stonehenge at Glasgow Green) to the “tiramisu” inside GOMA, playful and unusual work has provided unexpected delights for art lovers.
One of the more unusual “happenings” took place beside the Clyde, and even brought the river into the work.
“Keening Luna” by Glasgow artist Douglas Morland took place at high tide beside the Victoria Bridge opposite the sheriff court.
A group of female singers, all dressed in black, performed a tone poem, their voices rising and falling, creating an eery atmosphere.
Morland himself began conducting the choir, but soon clambered out on to a platform to draw water directly from the river.
He repeatedly threw down buckets on ropes to gather water from the Clyde. The river water was then poured into a large fishbowl. The water will be kept for a future performance. And then the singing was done and the performance was over.

Douglas explained that the work was inspired by the moon. He said: “As a child at night, I often wondered what would happen if the moon were to simply just disappear. One thing I did know was that it would affect the tides in some way or other.”

The Glasgow International festival continues until May 7.

 

Titanic pastor’s sacrifice remembered in Glasgow

Almost 100 people gathered in Craigton Cemetery, Cardonald on Saturday 14 April 2012, to pay tribute to a Titanic victim whose name is recorded on a monument there.

Pastor John Harper drowned with 1500 others when the RMS Titanic sank in the early hours of 15 April 1912. He had founded the Baptist Church in the Plantation district of Glasgow where he ministered for 13 years. During that time, his wife Annie died and was buried in Craigton Cemetery where a monument was erected to her. John left Glasgow to lead a church in London. A renowned preacher, he was on his way with his six year old daughter Nana to the Moody Church in Chicago for a second visit as a guest speaker when the tragedy happened. The state-of-the-art ship was holed by an iceberg and sank within hours. Pastor John gave his life jacket to another man who was one of the few rescued from the icy waters. His name and his sacrifice were recorded on his wife’s headstone.

When the Plantation church was rebuilt many years later, it was named the Harper Memorial Baptist Church and was opened by Nana Harper. Quietly attending the memorial service in Craigton and laying their own flowers at the monument which tells the tragic story, were John Harper’s grand-daughter, Dr Mary Gurling, her sons Stephen and Paul and her nephew, Andrew Pont. Said Stephen: ‘We are standing on the shoulders of giants through this inspiring legacy.’

The memorial and re-dedication service was organised by the Harper Memorial Baptist Church as one of several events during their Titanic commemorative weekend, 100 years after the terrible disaster.

The service was conducted by preacher Craig Dyer who introduced Dr Erwin W. Lutzer who has been pastor for 32 years at the Moody Church in Chicago where John Harper was going. In his epilogue Dr Lutzer said: “When I became a Pastor there, you walked down the hall to the John Harper meeting room.” In his passionate witness he explained that there was compelling evidence that Jesus Christ rose from the death. “Jesus was the forerunner. But you can’t get into Heaven with your physical body. The spirit can be released through faith, alone, in Jesus Christ. John Harper believed that and was able to say as the ship sank – ‘I’m not going down; I’m going up (to Heaven)’ ”

Among the guests of honour were Bailie Iris Gibson who brought greetings from the Lord Provost and said the City had been pleased to refurbish the lettering on the memorial stone in Craigton. ‘Pastor John Harper’s story deserves to be better known,’ she said. Also speaking was Councillor Alistair Watson who told how he’d grown up in the district, played in the cemetery and knew  John Harper’s story. ‘It is humbling to know of his remarkable self-sacrifice,’ said Councillor Watson. ‘He will feature in a booklet detailing the heritage trail through Craigton Cemetery. That is due to be printed soon and will tell the story to an even bigger audience.’ Also present were Councillor Stephen Dornan and Rebecca Lutzer, Dr Lutzer’s wife. MSP John Mason, who is an active member of the Baptist Church in Easterhouse, attended as a practising Christian and supportive church member and preferred to stand in the crowd.

Hymns and prayers were offered in thanks and tribute to John Harper and his sacrifice.

In the crowd were two particularly dedicated students of the Titanic. Andrew Learmonth, dressed in respectful white shirt and black tie, said he has been ‘obsessed’ by the disaster and all the attendant details since childhood. ‘My flat in Glasgow is like a Titanic Museum,’ he admitted. He is a member of the Titanic Historic Society, the British Titanic Society and the Ulster Historic Society – the ship was built in Belfast where a new museum has been opened to promote the fact. He recently visited Southampton to see the vessel which left to make the commemorative voyage of the fated Titanic.

Giving out sheets telling the story of John Harper and showing a dramatic image drawn at the time, was Brian Brodie, a fire officer at Govan fire station. He pointed out that the Titanic was correctly referred to as RMS Titanic. ‘That stands for Royal Mail Ship, Titanic,’ explained the former marine engineer. ‘It shouldn’t be SS – sailing ship – Titanic as engraved on the memorial stone.’ Enthusiastically, he walks visitors through Craigton Cemetery to tell them John Harper’s story, show them the monument and visit other interesting grave stones with their own fascinating stories.

The Harper Memorial Church’s programme continues through Sunday 15 April 2012 with a morning service conducted by Jim Wylie, soloist Gillian Strang and guest speaker Dr Lutzer of Moody Church, Chicago. In the evening, Walter Whitelaw offers the welcome for the celebration with Dr Lutzer preaching and the Govan Salvation Army Band playing.

On Friday 13 April, the Glasgow congregation held a holiday club for schoolchildren and a rock concert in the evening for young people. Both events were well attended and have strengthened the Church’s outreach, especially in the local communities around Kinning Park and Plantation off Paisley Road West.

Club returns to plain fare

After a splendid 25^th Anniversary evening in Glasgow Science Centre when First Minister Alex Salmond addressed a large number of members, Glasgow South Business Club is going back to plainer fare on Tuesday 17 April 2012. Their regular monthly meeting will be held that day in the Ibrox Suite at Ibrox Stadium at 12 noon when members and their guests will be networking. For full details check their website: www.glasgowsouthbusinessclub.co.uk

Bandstand tuning up to be used again

There is new hope that Kelvingrove Bandstand and Amphitheatre will be revived in time to be used during the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

As the Easter holiday started, Glasgow Building Preservation Trust announced that their long-running campaign to restore the venue had passed Round 1 of the Heritage Lottery Fund process. Said Anne McChlery, Director at the Trust: ‘A first-round pass means the project meets criteria for funding. We believe it has potential to deliver high-quality benefits and value for Lottery money. The application was in competition with other supportable projects, so a first-round pass is an endorsement of outline proposals. We now have up to two years to submit fully developed proposals to compete for a firm award.’

The Trust and its partners – Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Life, Architectural Heritage Fund, Friends of Kelvingrove Park and the local community – have development funding to cover draft design costs for this stage. During 2012, the project team will be concentrating on refining the design proposals and fundraising to secure the estimated £1.4million to bring this historic and social landmark back to life. But it is ‘full of asbestos’ said Anne, so that has to be removed before further checks on the building structure can be made.

Said Anne: ‘We are keen to record people’s memories of the bandstand as it was an important cultural venue. Initially designed for brass bands in the 1920s it was well used up till about 1999 when Radio Clyde had majour groups there. It even hosted poll tax demonstrations! We want to capture that cultural heritage and welcome anyone with memories and pictures to come and share them with us.’ The project Design Team comprises: Page/Park architects; nbm cost consultants; SKM structural engineers; Harley Haddow services engineer.

Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) sustains and transforms a wide range of heritage assets and has invested over £536 million in Scotland.

Titanic weekend set to save Glasgow souls

It is almost 100 years since the Titanic sank with the loss of more than 1500 people. Glasgow has its own direct link to the Titanic through a church off Paisley Road West.
Called the Harper Memorial Baptist church, it is named after a Scottish preacher called John Harper who was aboard the Titanic when it was holed by an iceberg on 14 April 1912.
And next month when many Titanic events are scheduled to remember the tragedy, the congregation will hold a Titanic Weekend.

Starting on Friday 13 to Sunday 15 April they aim to let a wider audience know that the faith of the man whose name was given to the building, is still valid for people today.

Said church Deacon Gordon Webster: ‘We wanted to make use of the fact that most people know about the Titanic to tell the story of John Harper and win people for the Lord.’
A widower, John Harper was travelling with his niece and his six-year-old daughter to be a guest speaker at the Moody church of Chicago for a second season. One of the survivors of the disaster told how John Harper asked him as the ship was sinking: ‘Has your soul been saved?’ When the man said ‘no’ John took off his own life vest and gave it to him.
Born in Houston, John Harper became a preacher at an early age. When he was appointed to a congregation in Glasgow it had 25 members. When he left it for a post in London in  the early 1900s, the church had its own purpose built ‘tin kirk’ in the Plantation district of the city which could seat 1000. It was named after John Harper when a new building was opened in 1921 by his daughter, Nan Harper who survived the disaster.
John’s wife  had died a week after their daughter had been born.  She was buried in Craigton cemetery. The details of John’s heroic death were added to her grave stone soon after the Titanic disaster. For the church’s Titanic Weekend a memorial and rededication service will be held at the cemetery in Cardonald at 2.30pm on Saturday 14 April. Bailie Iris Gibson and Councillor Alistair Watson are expected to attend.

That evening – 100 years to the day, after the disaster – Dr Erwin W. Lutzer of the Chicago Moody Church, will preach in the Harper Memorial Baptist church in Glasgow at 7.30pm. His church in Chicago was the one that John Harper was travelling to.  John had been invited back to preach because of the success of his first visit. Some of the meeting rooms in the Chicago church are dedicated to him. A play about John Harper will be performed in Glasgow on Saturday 14 April,  and there will be music by Father’s Song.
Dr Lutzer will also speak at the Sunday 15 April morning service when communion will be celebrated and again in the evening when music will be provided by the Govan Salvation Army Band.
There will be a holiday club for primary school children on Friday 13 April. The local Lorne Park Primary School has already studied the Titanic story and some of their work will be on display in the church during the weekend. On the Friday evening a Christian rock band ‘Superhero’ will perform for the teens, twenties and music minded people. This is the only Scottish date for the band which is on tour in Europe currently and will be touring the United States following the Titanic weekend events.

‘This is a big step for us to have a rock group – they’ll be the first we’ve had. But we think we’re well prepared,’ said Deacon Webster. He added: ‘The whole process of planning this weekend has been amazing. It is a wonderful experience for the team of 13 volunteers from the church who have organised it. We’ve been taken aback at the world wide interest with people emailing from abroad asking to book seats.’ The church can seat 600 people and has a hall for an additional 100 where a video link will enable them to share in the proceedings. Leaflets have been distributed throughout the local community and visitors to the city that weekend will also be invited specially. For further details see the website: www.harpermemorial.net For tickets for the rock concert email: superhero@harpermemorial.net or call GLO Bookshop, Motherwell: 01698 275343

image copyright : ©Graeme Hewitson  Eikon Bible Art.

GARDENERS UNITE

Annual General Meeting

Friends of Kelvingrove Square

 6.00 p.m.  Wednesday 18th April, 2012

 The Alamo Hotel, 46 Gray Street, Glasgow, G3. 

We are always looking for new members and new Committee members and nominations are welcome.

 Send them by email to: john.henderson@johnbhenderson.plus.com

Light refreshments will be served after the meeting.

Please come along and hear what we have achieved over the last year and our plans for the future.

Women’s football kicks off for the season

‘We are back in business – the 2012 season has begun,’ says Laura Montgomery reporting on the Glasgow Premier League of women’s football.

Glasgow City got the new 2012 season off with a bang with a resounding 10-0 victory over Kilmarnock in Ayrshire in the first round of the Premier League Cup.

With a number of players out with a virus and nine City players involved in recent international action, Head Coach Eddie Wolecki Black had fewer than usual to choose from. As always, the players who did take to the field, did not let City down.

Killie nearly pulled off an instant shock when City’s Lee Alexander was forced to pull off a good save at the feet of the Killie striker to keep her side level after five minutes. That was Killie’s only real chance of the match. City went on to dominate play and possession for the rest of the game.

New signing, Julie Melrose got her own City account off to a great start with a goal on 14 minutes reacting first to a saved Leanne Ross shot, to fire into the back of the net.

Minutes later, City doubled their account when the busy Jo Love scored from a Jane Ross cross. Love then doubled her tally scoring her side’s third goal on 24 minutes after she was put through by Leanne Ross.

On the half hour mark, Jane Ross got her tally underway and three minutes before half time, full back Ciara Barnes linked brilliantly with Jo Love to score a fine team goal. A minute before the break and Melrose found the back of the net again, this time converting a Jane Ross cross from the by-line. The half time score was 0-6

In the second half, City kept the pressure on the home side. Shortly after the whistle got the game underway again, Jane Ross scored a great strike from outside the box. The Scotland and City striker was soon on target again, this time making space for herself inside the box before shooting past the helpless Killie keeper.

Substitute Eilish McSorley scored with a good header from a City corner on 75 minutes and with ten minutes remaining, Leanne Ross tucked another one away to make it 10-0 to the Scottish Champions.

Head Coach Eddie Wolecki Black said, ‘I am delighted we are through to the next round which is always the main objective. We were on a really heavy pitch today, so I was pleased with how well we moved the ball around. And we scored some really good goals. The fact that we were down to 12 fit players out of our squad of 20 perhaps says it all. But it shows the strength and quality of our squad that the girls who played today, did a really good job. Credit must go to Kilmarnock who never gave up. I felt they worked their socks off for 90 minutes and never made it easy for us.’

 

Full results round up:

First Round Scottish Premier League Cup:

Kilmarnock 0 v 10 Glasgow City: City – Jane Ross (3), Julie Melrose (2), Jo Love (2), Ciara Barnes (1), Leanne Ross (1), Eilish McSorley (1)

Celtic 1 v 0 Hibernian: Celtic – Heather Richards (1).

Rangers 8 v 1 Falkirk: Rangers – Jen Callaghan (4), Alana Marshall (1), Cheryl Gallacher (1), Kirsty McLaughlin (1). Falkirk – Sarah Quilitti (OG), Sinead Goi McLean (1).

Hutchison Vale 1 v 3 Aberdeen: Hutchie – Laura Dunn (1). Aberdeen (tbc)

 

For more details see:

www.glasgowcityladiesfc.co.uk

Twitter: @GlasgowCityFC

Facebook: Glasgowcity Fc

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