Why Glasgow and why me? Because I grew up in the city. When you spend virtually all of your formative years in one place, a deep bond is established. They say you can take the boy out of Glasgow but not Glasgow out of the boy. My first home was a tenement flat on Prospecthill Road in Mount Florida within the sound of the “Hampden Roar”. I tasted the soil in the back green, made mud pies with my first girlfriend, and went guising at Halloween. I had my immunizations in Glasgow, went to school in Glasgow where I got belted countless times, was hospitalized in the city, played football and cricket, laughed, cried and fell in love in Glasgow. I walked and cycled for miles in and around the city, was enrolled in the Life Boys, the Boys’ Brigade and Sunday School, went camping, hill climbing and was out in all weathers from freezing fog to glorious summer days. I pushed my nose up against shop windows, was carried along by city centre crowds, rode in tramcars and trolleybuses, and sailed “doon the watter”. I learned life saving with the Glasgow Police at the Gorbals Baths, attended college and university in Glasgow, and spent summers working for the Forestry Commission in the Western Highlands. All in all, I had a pretty good time (apart from hospital and the beltings).
This website is dedicated to my family who raised me in Glasgow; my parents T. Leslie Jones and Mary Jones, and my big brother Michael.
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Excellent start to a really wet and dreich Glesga’ Fair Monday holiday. I enjoyed flicking through your site Chris and appreciate what you are trying to do and, like you, I also have a great love of the ‘Toon’ and all those Victorian and Edwardian buildings. I have recently been busy collecting postcards and street scenes of the City centre and have learned a lot today which I never knew before re the streets and buildings that I have known since I was a child. Would you mind very much if I added a link to my Glesga Keelies message board to your excellent site so that our members can share in your love of Glesga’.
Yes, Glasgow has the habit of sometimes being wet and dreich but we still love her all the same. Thank you for your interest and kind comments. As you can see, this website is a work in progress. I have just started a sail “Doon the Watter” and it has the making of an odyssey. It would be an honour to be linked to your website Charlie.
Hi Chris, I really appreciated your website. The old photographs are superb and bring back some memories for a 68 year old Glaswegian. You may like to try an old website for all sorts of black and white films of Scotland. It’s the Scottish Screen Archives. If you don’t have it, just enter it on Google. Neil McSorley
Thank you Neil for your comments. I’m aware of the Scottish Screen Archive website. Maybe I should ask them if I can post some examples of their material.
Dear Chris,
Your Doon the Watter chapter brings back loads of memories, from sailing to Belfast from babyhood and all through the war on the Royal Scotsman and Royal Ulsterman. Then living at Toward from 1945-1960, watching all the shipping, including the QE coming up in her battleship grey to be refiited, and the Aquitania to be broken up, very sad. And of course I could identify all the steamers from a couple of miles distant – going back to Lucy Ashton. But really I have been searching the Doon the Watter as it came up in a search for S.S. Albatross; a three times removed cousin was master at the time he was married in 1887. But despite trawling twice through I haven’t found the reference – can you help? Incidentally, said master had at least two brothers who were also masters of small ships plying on the Clyde.
Elizabeth
Hello Elizabeth,
Thank you very much for sharing your fascinating memories and the scenes you witnessed when you were living at Toward. With respect to your inquiry about the S.S. Albatross, it is shown in the foreground of the fourth photograph on Rothesay Dock in the “Doon the Watter” chapter. The paddle tug S. S. Albatross (1878) is on the left and the propeller driven S. S. Osprey (1872) on the right. Both tugs were laid up on the Clyde after completing many years of service with Steel & McCaskill on Lough Foyle.
Best wishes,
Chris
Chris
I have just found this website. It is very interesting and well put together. Very many thanks for all the hard work on that.
I was also wondering if you had any photos from the early 1900’s to the 1930’s of 55 Robertson Street ( on the left-hand side of Robertson Street, as you look up from the river). I am trying to find a picture of the building at that address for an uncle. It was owned or leased by an ancestor who had a steam ship agency and freight-forwarding business.
Regards
William
Hi William,
Thank you very much for your comment and inquiry. I don’t have any early photos of that part of Robertson Street and now, as you can probably guess, it has changed drastically. Fortunately, the fine domed Clyde Navigation Trust (Clydeport) Building, designed by Sir John James Burnet, has been preserved and still stands at the corner of Robertson Street and the Broomielaw. If you search for Glasgow Robertson Street Canmore you will see some early photographs of other parts of the street though they may not include number 55.
Best wishes,
Chris
Hello Chris,
I’ve just put one of your photos of Sailing down the Clyde on my Facebook page (credited to you) as it included two tugs, one of which I am sure my grandfather sailed on at the time of the photographs (1950s). He worked with the Clyde Shipping Company and when we wrote to them on his 60th wedding anniversary he received a pension from them (thankfully back dated!). He had worked until he was 70 on the tugs on the Clyde. This is all a long time ago, he passed away in 1984 aged 90. Do you have any other photographs of the tugs of the Clyde Shipping Company?
Many thanks for the wonderful photographs of the Clyde. I visited the graving docks in Govan this year and it was a very sad sight. The photographs you show tell a different story and one that should not be forgotten.
Catherine
Hello Catherine,
Thank you very much for your message, for crediting the website, and for sharing some family history involving your grandfather. The film entitled Clyde Shipping 1938, posted on the website, features the launching of the steamship R.M.S. Canton from Alexander Stephen’s shipyard at Linthouse. At least two Clyde Shipping Company tugs can be seen in attendance and they would subsequently tow the Canton to Shieldhall Wharf for fitting out. Perhaps your grandfather would have been with the company at that time. Let me know if you would like more still photographs and I will contact some friends.
With best wishes,
Chris
Hi Chris,
I am working on a history series for Channel 5 called Then and Now – I am looking for someone who knows their stuff about the bridges, ferries and the all round transport world of Glasgow.
I wondered if you might be interested in speaking with me?
Thanks.
Francine
Hi Francine,
Thank you very much for your message and kind invitation. I could probably help you with the “Then” aspect of your project. As for the “Now” part, I am currently far from the “Dear Green Place.” However, I will try to reach you via email.
With best wishes,
Chris
Hi Chris,
I hope this reaches you. I am interested in using one of your images for a project involving Scottish Canals at Bowling Harbour. Are you able to email me directly?
Best,
Craig
Hi Craig,
Thank you for your request and I can certainly email you directly. The image to which you refer was provided to me by Graham Lappin from his own archive and I believe that he has a collection of photographs and much more information on the Forth and Clyde Canal and Bowling Harbour. If you wish, I can forward your request to him.
Best wishes,
Chris