Hillpark. New-Lands.Cathcart. Govanhill. Ch- Ch- Changes Part Two.

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Part two of my marathon all day walk across districts of south west Glasgow that I used to be very familiar with but haven't visited on foot for 20 or more years. As you can see from the above photo taken in Queen's Park it was back in the winter time, temperature around minus 5 degrees early on in the morning but dry and sunny.

Looking down Victoria Road towards the snow draped wall of the Campsie Fells. Apparently, the Cine-World building was the world's tallest multi screen cinema when it was built- maybe still is... a city, and a country, with a surprising number of firsts. ( Apparently also, New York's famous grid, straight line, street network may have been inspired by the earlier Glasgow layout- its city centre being much the same in its construction design. Makes for good photography in this instance.

What attracted my attention this time though was not the familiar view of the city centre district, above, but rather the views across in the other direction from Queen's Park, the landscape not drastically altered from when Mary, Queen of Scots surveyed her 6000 strong forces in battle in the spring of 1568 from a nearby hilltop lookout then realized her downfall when they failed tactically to capitalize on their superior numbers by being outsmarted. It was not a large battle or a particularly vicious one, lasting less than a hour with 100 to 400 men killed, (some account sources vary), but its conclusion as a win sealed her fate. I mention this only because so many districts here are named after her or linked to her army in some way, even though it was fought in mostly open countryside then. ( Success hinged at a Langside village bottle neck and a crossing of the nearby White Cart Water, both armies opposed on the banks of the river to start with.)

Battlefield Rest, Originally built as a shelter/ waiting room for tram travellers in the early 1900s at this busy Langside street junction it's now a small but popular award winning Italian restaurant/ bistro. The nearby Langside College, which I attended decades ago, was where I first got to know this area well and was close to the site of the Battle of Langside. Behind this building is the new Victoria Hospital with the old one still standing but partly demolished.

Old Victoria Hospital.

New Victoria Hospital. Both named after a different Queen.  Queen Vicky.

I however was more taken with this view, a misty one over the tenement rooftops of Langside to the aptly named Hill- Park. This was another district I immediately gravitated towards in my youth, always a sucker for any tower blocks or interesting buildings.

I found out very early in my childhood wanderings that flat areas of urban development could be pretty boring to explore but towers on a hillside never were. The Rapunzel element always kicked in.

So after my wander through a much changed Shawbridge Street, captured in the previous blog post, I set off once more up several sets of stairs to this new summit, a somewhat dubious intentioned lone knight on my eternal grail quest.

Hillpark, building wise, has not changed much since its construction. It was always a strange interloper to my mind... a walled hill top castle of ordinary serfs surrounded by well heeled suburbia below (Knights) with an invisible moat between them.

Perfectly illustrated in this view. 1930s suburban living design (Art Deco-ish) co-existing uneasily with 1960s Le Corbusier inspired doctrine, responsible for many a long gone deck access estate and brutalist tower blocks throughout the UK. I know what my money is on for being demolished first in this photo :o)

Having said that Hillpark does have outstanding views over Glasgow and the mountains to the north. University of Glasgow here. I did meet a free spirited Rapunzel in this lattice work tower once, long, long ago, in a different age and era of chivalry but we were as mis- matched as Hillpark and surrounding Merrylee districts- a gulf in class and future aspirations/ambitions... so it soon fizzled out. The hunt or quest is often better than the capture and aftermath- but maybe that's just me. I like a good quest.

Even got a distant view of what might be Ben Lomond over the new super-hospital at Govan, scene of recent sectarian disturbance in the streets (The West of Scotland has more Sectarian marches per year than Belfast apparently- never knew that.) Brexit and the Irish backstop question has opened up all sorts of largely subdued divisions in UK society. Like poking a sleeping dragon. Referendums only seem to highlight the vast range of different opinions folk have... about anything... and shine a spotlight on them.

The remaining hi rise towers in Pollokshaws seen from Hillpark. The main reason I climbed up here of course was for the views. 20 years at least since the last time.

This brought back some painful memories. In my hasty elastic youth I remember attempting to jump these railings, trying to impress a friend with my gymnastic skills by leaping casually from the top set and landing both feet on the bottom set. I was far too casual about it though, trying to look cool like Nadia Comaneci with little visible effort but maximum grace and missed completely, hitting the bottom rail with my bum instead then face planting down ten feet away on the grass slope. "if you can't impress them at least make them laugh." I countered, pride and bum severely dented.

Hillpark sits on the edge of the great wood of Pollok,seen here, only a mile from my old secondary school, so easily within walking and exploration distance back then.

It was while I was walking in this area that I was approached by several locals as I'd climbed the slope on the right to reach a large secondary school, hoping for better views higher up as the trees here were obscuring the city for good camera work and distance shots. Luckily, it was a weekend so no pupils around or I would not have bothered.
"What are you doing?" I was asked by three twenty something guys, spotting a new unknown face in their district and zooming in like heat seeking missiles out of boredom/curiosity. Having working class roots however I know how to handle myself in these tricky situations.
" I'm lurking around in a suspicious manner in a school playground." I informed them, smiling slightly at my predicament. " What's it got to do with you?"
Telling the truth often works I usually find.

Escorted out of Hillpark at gunshot I found myself hanging out with Jesus instead, attended by two adoring companions who only had eyes for the man on the cross. Mary J, Big J and Mary Magdalene presumably? Another unlikely threesome I encountered on my marathon walk across the city. It was turning out to be an eventful trip. Who says city walks are boring!

The church of St Mary Immaculate in Pollokshaws and yet another hill climb for the views.

Pollokshaws East Station and the railways that transformed open countryside into early 1900s city districts.

A view over towards Mount Florida district, Hampden Park, and the red brick cube of Cathcart House, the old Scottish Power building, on the right. I had noticed on another city visit that it was getting restored into luxury apartments, a current trend with any old property.

https://www.thefmgroup.co.uk/residential/current-projects/cathcart-mill-glasgow-coming-soon/

Glad they have retained the decorative interior features of this fine old building. See slideshow gallery in this link above. I would not swap my edge of the city childhood however for one nearer the centre, however affluent, as I just had to fall out the front door every weekend or summer evening to find myself within the glorious rolling landscapes of 'Wonderland'... the Renfrewshire, drumlin infested, countryside of my youth.

I could easily have ended up here though. Govanhill. It's near Queen's Park as a green outlet but a bus ride from any real countryside. I suspect growing up here would have made me very different- in interests, expectations, and in attitude.

Or here. Cathcart.... Quieter, not much traffic noise in this area, but still deep within the city. It would take a determined child and very relaxed parents to reach the outdoors by themselves before the age of sixteen growing up here... and by that time your interests might well be fixed/focused in other directions.

This was also an inner city district walked through that I thought 'Thank **** I  didn't grow up here!' mainly because of the incredible freedom I enjoyed... away from traffic, people, civilization in general... and a chance to grow my imagination in any direction without barriers imposed on it. Even as a visiting adult it felt slightly claustrophobic here and a bugger to park outside your door by the looks of it. Partick in the West End is the same, both districts designed and built before widespread car use occurred.

This view of the White Cart Water had me thinking of escape back into nature. It looked deep enough to kayak down so I started scoping it out even though you would need a plastic or fiberglass model rather than my inflatable, easily punctured, type.

It did look possible though and a cool idea to float right through the city on this partly submerged, below street level, ribbon. Escape routes back out are few and far between though and I think at one point it may even go underground... and not in a good way. (pretty sure it does not go underground now after further visits. Some weirs, mild rapids and waterfalls though- which can be lifted round- the rest looks fine from Clarkston to Paisley... a good long run.)

 Needs further inspection but definitely a cool idea.
This is also 'thinking out the box' in a big way. Worth a watch on You Tube. Aldous Harding. The Barrel. (Official Video.) 
Now and then, searching through the banal dross of modern light entertainment like an old time miner panning in a stream-bed,  a genuine gold nugget will appear. Very different- like a moving art display and cleverly thought out in detail. My gold nugget of the month award.