ALL PHOTOS CLICK FULL SCREEN.
Following the crowds in Paisley heading towards Paisley Abbey. On the same month, March just past, that the crocus burst out in the city parks I saw a sign for the Unboxed event in Paisley which would be taking place in various locations throughout the UK week by week.
It was a projection lightshow centered on Paisley Abbey, with several screenings during the hours of darkness each night over several days. I picked a dry clear night and headed down on one of the first evenings it was on as I thought it would make for good photographs... and even if it didn't I could wander around Paisley at night afterwards, something I haven't done for several years.
It started quietly enough with a sizable crowd watching and was entertaining for what it was, attracting loads of children and families, for this early evening showing around 7:00pm. Paisley Abbey with all its dark nooks and crannies however was not ideal as a projection screen, whereas a blank flat wall would have been much better as you couldn't really follow the story properly- about the creation of the earth... fireballs... the age of the dinosaurs etc.... for a free show though it was quite impressive although I would probably have enjoyed it more as a young child rather than a slightly cynical jaded older adult. It was also very. very loud... sound wise... for supposedly dramatic effect to back up the visuals ...but also, no doubt, a cunning ploy to tempt anyone else in the town, dogs, wildlife, farm animals and humans, with working ears within a ten mile radius, who might not have known it was on....to flock inwards towards it like moths to a flame.... which started to piss me off a bit...
The light show itself was fine and fairly spectacular but the accompanying blasts of music sounded much better from a distance as I soon found out later.
Some nice effects on show though. To avoid the general mass of the gathered crowds nearby I picked a quieter spot off to the side with only a few folk in this vicinity. The week before I'd had Covid but was now testing negative. I'd received my three vaccine injections so it was much milder than it would have been, just like a cold for a few days but without a stuffed up nose, hardly any sneezing or coughing, and no sore throat. I didn't want it again though as I probably caught it on public transport, where more than a few people got on maskless.
Another lighting effect.
What I presumed was the volcanoes and lava event. I have to admit I couldn't really follow the story much at all, just patterns of different lighting and garbled noise mostly to my sensitive listening devices and began people watching around me instead. Always a bad sign in a show.
Paisley is an interesting town anyway with many fine period buildings so I drifted away at this point as the light show was just about over anyway although there would be another performance later as it only lasted 30 to 35 minutes each time.
Standing beside Paisley Town Hall. Due to it's 'Paisley Pattern' textile mills ( an indirect inspiration for singer Prince and his record label) and it's worldwide thread, cotton and fabric industry Paisley was once home to wealthy industrialists who build many grand buildings in the town and made it one of Scotland's largest and most prosperous. Mind you it's a similar story for practically every village, town, and city I've visited over the decades who all seem to have specialized in some unique manufacturing industry or other before everything was dismantled from the 1960s/1980s on-wards. It's no longer as prosperous as it once was in its heyday... but then again... the general mass of the working class population, at any time in history, never seem to get much of the riches generated anyway, and the housing stock and living conditions, during it's so called 'golden era of wealth' often didn't match up as compared to earlier decades this has definitely improved. Aged housing stock and crumbling slums a fairly common sight back then...UK wide....in the 1960s to the 1990s but there's very few of that type of housing estate left now... visually at least.
Abbey Mill district and the river at night in Paisley.
A river walk in Paisley.
"Christ on a cross! What's going on here? What's all that wailing and commotion about!?" a puzzled Roman centurion asked.
Back windows of Paisley Abbey. An earlier, more subdued, version of a light show and thankfully a silent one after the sound tsunami and tortured eardrums on the other side of this building. I could also follow what was going on in this one... without any musical accompaniment. Jesus admiring some woodwork construction ( well, he was a carpenter after all) with a former 'lady of the evening shadows' looking on... as in M.M.
Winter evening in Paisley. Like bagpipes the Unboxed music was better appreciated at a distance rather than standing right beside a speaker.
Renfrewshire House council buildings.
Open Plaza. Paisley Town Centre.
White Cart Water. Paisley river walk at night.
Plazza Shopping Centre. With two z's I'm now just noticing.
Paisley Grammar School on the way back to the car. Founded by royal charter in 1576, making it one of the oldest schools in Scotland, this building dates to 1898 and although still fully used today a brand new secondary school is supposedly in the pipeline within the next five to ten years.
A last look at Paisley Town Hall.
Paisley Abbey back wall.
Period Tenement.
Paisley's open plan public areas at night.
13 comments:
I wish we'd go back to making more of our own stuff - I thought Britain was much better when we grew and made our own stuff rather than importing cheap tat from abroad!
I wouldn't have appreciated the loud noise at the sound and light show and would probably prefer just a 'light show' myself.
Paisley does look a beautiful city but I don't think I'd wander round it on my own at night! Different if you're fairly local I suppose...
I haven’t been to Paisley since mid-January - strange, after visiting regularly for the last 28 years. Strange and sad.
Hi Carol,
yes, I know heavy industry and manufacturing were in decline from the 1960s on-wards but in many towns nothing has properly replaced that industry and low paid or shifting hours gig economy jobs, along with benefit sanctions, are the real reason we need so many food banks in the UK... In Glasgow, once a heavy industry powerhouse, student farming seems to be a major cash generator now as every visit I find more newly built student blocks in low rows five or ten levels high. If you put them all together in one location they would make a decent sized town.
Being an old geezer now I try to avoid risky areas and timed my walk so that families with children were still wandering around the central district, either heading away or heading towards the various light shows.
Hi Anabel,
it has to come to us all at some point. It's not kicking the bucket that bothers me but all the lifetimes worth of stored possessions (none of them valuable but cherished none the less) that will get tossed in a skip afterwards that I've hung on to... school photographs, favourite books and films, memories, etc, climbing, camping and kayak gear... all the stuff that tells a story of a life lived... yet now reduced to unwanted junk cluttering up several rooms... with the empty house the big prize after it's been cleared out. Must be even harder if you have several mansions, private islands, jets, boats, and a dynasty to protect.
Heya Bob! Great posts and very informative. Happy to know you are still writing these. What happened to the Alex half of the equation? Are you two still chasing blue skies over Scotland together? That's Old Alex on the hill at the top of your blog, yes? Where will you be wandering next? Cheers! MJ
Hello MJ,
I'm still friends with Alex but we don't go out much together these days. He's always been totally focused on completing his endless lists of hills, Munros, Corbetts, Donalds,etc whereas after completing the Munros I didn't see the point in list ticking to the same extent. I don't mind an occasional enjoyable hill but I'd rather do city parks, visit different towns, different cities, go beach walking, visit museums, explore history etc... under blue sunny skies preferably. (My own particular addiction that's hard to give up.) Although we've been friends since the early 1980s most of my hill-walking, kayaking, cycling, caving, and outdoor free time for the last 45 years has been with a wide variety of other people in our various mountaineering/walking clubs, Alex being one of many, but it was never just us together for any length of time until we started the blog. Although I enjoy his company I don't want to spend all my days on Earth doing the stuff that he wants to do as he doesn't seem to differentiate a good hill from a bad one- if it's on a list somewhere it has to be done. Covid has disrupted most hill-walking clubs during the past two years and other circumstances in my personal life have restricted what I can do outdoors at the moment but next year I hope to rejoin other groups again, provided I stay fit and healthy. Best wishes. Bob. (P.S. Alex is still going out bagging his lists of hills.)
Thanks for that info, Bob! I'm glad you're staying hale and hearty and wandering into all these places. One needn't have a 'list' - the adventure is waking up and finding a special moment, even in a place you've been before. I had heard from Alex on 12 April, down with Covid, so not sure what's happened to him and his list. Last I met you was in 2001 October, at the Old Vic. Time is sifting through our hands so fast, so tis best to find our place in it. I love your photos and stories -- brings me back to our beloved Scotland. Do you ever get out to the Hebrides? I'm currently in the desert of the American Southwest - Chaco. Tis like Callanish without the green and damp.
Cheers MJ,
As far as I know Alex is recovering from Covid and is now testing negative. I sent him an email a few days ago inviting him for a walk but no reply yet. We have been to the Hebrides several times and if you type in The Storr. Harris trip. into the top left hand blueskyscotland search box you will get two spectacular photographic posts from Sept 2014 when Alex and I last visited Skye and The Hebrides.
P.S. If you haven't read it you may also like my forgotten novel... Autohighography... on kindle, a link to this on the right hand side bar, which allows you to read the first three chapters free ( kindle book is £1) which describes several decades of adventures in a generic mountaineering/outdoor club which might... or might not..., by some strange coincidence, resemble folk I've met over the years in various clubs.
Sad to hear Alex has been ill with Covid (mind you, didn't you have it as well a bit back?). Hope he's soon back bagging the hills.
These light shows seem to be all the rage at the moment although I haven't seen one myself. Two of my granddaughters went to one in London showing Van Gogh's paintings, which conveyed the feeling of stepping into them - I believe they call an 'Immersive Experience'.
Sorry that you have had Covid - I tend to think that the majority of the country have had it now, but cross fingers it has avoided us, well so far.
Hi Carol,
yes it is very sad. If he survives and gets in touch with me I'll pass on the message. Not holding out much hope though... that'll he'll get in touch that is. He's usually too busy bagging hills these days.
Only the second one I've been to Rosemary. Not bad considering it was free but I enjoyed the West End Festivals in Kelvingrove Park and Byres Road every year more as they had bands, a large street parade, and an open air party in the park afterwards- sadly no more. And there used to be free shows on Glasgow Green occasionally with major acts performing. That was good as well but I was younger then as well.
Post a Comment