A Day in Glasgow

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Glasgow (if indeed you ever think of Glasgow at all)?

Ship-building? Slums? Buildings covered in centuries of soot?

Forget all that, Glasgow is beautiful! And in fact is the cultural hub of Scotland I venture to suggest.

When I hop off the Hop-On bus at the Kelvingrove Museum and Gallery, well that's it, I just can't leave. It is the most wonderful collection of paintings, photographs, statues, stuffed creatures of every kind (including a stuffed elephant!), a spitfire hanging from the roof, all manner of antiquities, design styles, clothing through the centuries, rooms of French art, Italian art, Dutch art, on and on.

All the usual stuff you say?

Well maybe it's the magnificent Edwardian building housing this collection that makes it different. Or perhaps the presentation which displays just enough and never so much to be boring. Then at one o'clock an organist arrives and seats himself at the gigantic organ in the upstairs gallery and begins to play so the entire building is alive with music which draws everyone to the balconies to listen and applaud.

There is a special exhibition running featuring the work of 'The Glasgow Boys' a group of artists working in the period 1880 to 1895. Wonderful stuff.

I have only one day in Glasgow so after three hours I drag myself away to find the Mackintosh House.

The Mackintosh House is a recreation of Charles Rennie Mackintosh's Glasgow home the original of which was demolished. You access it via the Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery. It is easy to see why this revolutionary architect, artist and designer was ahead of his time. I'm sure art-nouveau was all too much in the Britain of the1890s. As with many great 'artists', they're long dead before someone notices their genius.

The 'house' reflects his work in every detail. It is light, bright, mostly white, geometric, modern, arty, simple, uncluttered, just about the polar opposite of the Victorian house.

Fortunately enough people appreciated his work to keep him busy architecturally until 1914, leaving a legacy of outstanding buildings which are now the Glaswegians pride and joy. The latter years of his life were devoted to his innovative furniture designs and art work.

No Mackintosh-Glasgow experience would be complete without afternoon tea at the Willow Tea Rooms, designed from floor to ceiling by the great man, and still to be seen in all it's glory. The waitresses wear black with white collar and apron. You feel like you've stepped off the street and into the 1920s. The Devonshire Tea I think, thank you so much.

My feet are now ready to give up and go home but there's one last item on the list: The Tenement House administered by the National Trust for Scotland. By some stroke of luck this house, which was the home of an unmarried lady, shorthand typist, Miss Agnes Toward, who lived here for over 50 years, was left exactly as it was when she vacated it (in the 1950s I think) and came into the possession of the National Trust in 1982, after her death.

Glasgow is famous for its Victorian era tenement houses which were the homes of respectable working class people who rented them as a long term arrangement from a landlord. This particular tenement was built in 1892.

The house is a treasure trove of early 20th century domesticity. A most interesting feature being the bed recesses, cosy, curtained alcoves containing just a box bed, off a main room in place of bedrooms. Don't ask me what they did with their stuff, if indeed they owned any stuff. I've left my run too late and only have a half hour to take in the well preserved detail of this exhibit before they close for the evening.

So much to see, so little time in which to see it.