EDITORIAL

It’s Carnival time in Glasgow!  The West End Festival is in full swing till Sunday 30 June. Refugee Week Scotland starts on Monday 17 June. The Merchant City showcase events are gearing up for July.

And – as with the Mela opening day on Saturday 15 June and the Southside Festival last month – rain, even heavy rain, does not spoil the fun.

Glaswegians certainly know how to have a good time.  The opening Mardi Gras parade in the West End was a splendid, colourful and fascinating sight. Tribute has to be paid to those who walked and danced the distance from the Botanic Gardens down Byres Road, along  in front of the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and into the Kelvingrove Park – especially if they were wearing killer heels, pushing friends in wheelchairs or making music on some of the heavy drums.

But if you’ve missed that, don’t worry. There is a multitude of events still to enjoy. Everything from classical music to jazz and latest techno mix; theatrical performances to attract children or critical Thespians; and community shows and gatherings in abundance including sports events.

And not all occasions of interest are attached to formal festivals. Look out for a formal Druid ceremony at the Sighthill Stone Circle on Friday 21 June; or  Govanhill Baths Community Trust’s annual general meeting on Wednesday 26 June; the Gambians in Scotland event on Saturday 29 June or the Crypt Ceilidh that same night with music from the world renowned John Carmichael ceilidh band.

But of course, don’t let such hedonistic delights deflect from the serious business of  lodging protests against different planning issues!

EDITORIAL

What a summer for sports, rain and wacky happenings. The Olympians’ Parade through Glasgow is underway as this is written. The crowds have turned out as only Glasgow people can – happy to stand side by side with folk from Kirkcaldy and even far flung parts of Lanarkshire – to cheer on their sports heroes.

The sun shone as it does most afternoons. Then you get the waterproof hood ready for the monsoon which tends to fall around 6pm.

And wacky happenings include the fantastic events which will be part of DOORS OPEN weekend Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 September.  Govanhill Baths will have the toddlers’ pool filled with water and the new front foyer space can be seen for the very versatile event platform it is proving to be.  While not on view at DOORS OPEN, synchronized swimmers have used the pool for an upcoming National Theatre of Scotland (NTS) production to be performed in the Calder Street Baths later in the year.  Even if you have other things to do this weekend, drop them and go opening doors in some of the 100 buildings which will be open to the public and expecting you in!

Get all the uptodate info from their website: www.glasgowdoorsopenday.com

 

FORK fun doesn’t stop when it rains.

Rain didn’t stop play at the FORK Gala day on Saturday 9 June 2012.  A line up of more than 11 groups performed despite heavy rain between the  sunny spells at the annual event run by Friends of the River Kelvin. While the music flowed from noon till 7pm, stalls provided information and things to buy as well as ‘handknitted hamburgers’ . Children had an arts programme painting a collage of the natural environment around the River Kelvin, and an amazing puppet show. Professionally guided canoe trips were ‘just amazing,’ said one happy voyager. All of the activities were centred on FORK headquarters – the Ha’penny Bridge House in the Botanic Gardens at the junction of the tracks leading to Wyndford and Kirklee.

Said new FORK Convener, Sally Johnston: ‘This has been another exceptionally good and very enjoyable event, despite the rain. We thank everyone who helped and who took part. We plan to hold social evenings in Ha’penny Bridge House in the autumn for members. Before then, we hope to launch, officially, the very colourful boards painted by local school children, which protect the windows of Ha’penny Bridge House.’  For more information on Friends Of the River Kelvin, including their next Saturday morning litter pick-up on 7 July, see their website: www.fork.org.uk

Recent rain has brought a recurring nightmare to a tenant in Maryhill Housing Association property built less than two years ago.

Before Christmas, water brought down the ceiling in the stairwell of the building in Ruchill Street, G20. It also penetrated the bedroom of Debbie McKenna, a top flat tenant, and caused her to move into her living room to sleep.

It took weeks of determined effort from residents to get the Housing Association to remedy the problem.

But after the rain experienced this week, water would appear to be coming into Debbie’s bedroom again.

On discovering the new water marks on the freshly painted bedroom walls, a distraught Debbie said: ‘This is endless! The nightmare never seems to end.’

She had just moved her bed back into the bedroom after camping out in her living room for several weeks. ‘I don’t believe the problem has been fixed properly,’ said Debbie. She showed where large gaps existed in the masonry around her window frames. ‘That’s like a very wet sponge in there,’ said Debbie putting her fingers along the space.

The red brick, flat roofed property was constructed by Bellway for Maryhill Housing Association. Both have been asked for comments which will be put onto this website when they are received.