KYQ4: Glasgow Redux

Woodlands tenements

We returned to Glasgow last month after 30 years residing in the Trossachs. It was during the long heatwave that gave the city a continental feel. We are between the University and the decaying City Centre, close enough the bustle of the West End and near enough to be on the motorway in two minutes. We are in a block of flats occupied mainly by thirty-somethings and next to a school that has been converted to good quality accommodation for overseas students. The noise of the city was a shock: traffic, music, bin collections, helicopters, ambulances, and motorbikes create a background hum well into the early hours and the seagulls provide a disruptive dawn chorus as they feast on the discarded litter and garbage.

Initially, we were simply recovering from three weeks of dismantling, packing and moving from the family house and a massive decluttering of possessions. During the first week, I could not find my passport, the HM Passport Office call centre was unhelpful saying it would take over a week to replace it, even if I paid the premium rate. I ignored their negative advice and walked over to the Glasgow Passport office where the friendly staff said they would do their best to get it sorted. They let me use their phone to contact the UK passport office to arrange an interview in Glasgow later in the day. They had created a slot for me to prevent obfuscation by the UK office. Then they arranged for printing to take place the next day. I celebrated the next day by making a day trip to Skye on the early morning bus to climb a favourite mountain. I received a phone call whilst climbing Sgurr nan Gillean to tell me the passport was ready. Glaswegians really know how to help each other.

We went to France for a fortnight to relax, read, walk, swim and enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the limestone plateau in the Ardeche, a place that retains local traditions and is free from the commercialism of mass tourism. Since returning we have witnessed the highs and lows of Glasgow life. Glasgow has always been a city of contrasts but the sense is that it is more concerned about its image than its public services. This has been starkly evident with the upcoming European Games costing £91m. Tourism bosses claim it will be a bargain. This is not the view of those I have heard in the streets who complain about closed public services, rundown facilities and environment and the threat of more cuts in the pipeline. The price of tickets for the main events (swimming, cycling and gymnastics) will exclude the majority of residents whilst their bus routes are diverted, roads are closed and investment is shifted to the vicinity of the venues.

I had lived in Glasgow between 1973 and 1987, a period of its existence when its post-war decline reached its nadir. Its regeneration began in 1976 with community developments, tenements rehabilitated, rail and underground lines modernised, education and other services boosted. New industries, venues and new developments were directed to the city centre and inner urban areas. This was helped by large investments from European Funds. Glasgow was on the mend but since the advent of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, Glasgow has been relegated to become de facto Scotland's not the UK's second city.

Edinburgh has the Parliament, it now has the largest airport and soon may have the football as well as rugby national stadium. Glasgow has collected one-off events like the Garden Festival, City of Culture, Commonwealth Games and now a share of the European Games. Whilst these are celebrated with gusto by city leaders and the corporate sector, they seldom have lasting benefits for the indigenous population apart from a portfolio of event venues that have to be maintained and paid for. Glasgow has lost out on the big investments like bridges, trams, parliaments, and the array of high earning businesses that locate close to the seat of government. In this respect, it has not been well served by a municipal pride that believes it does things better than other localities. It doesn't as any cursory glance at the Audit Scotland Performance reports would confirm. Sadly, Glasgow in its efforts to make financial savings over recent years has outsourced too many services and allowed other services to wither away. It has also failed to work closely with its communities or the third sector.

On a personal level, my observations from the past couple of months living in Glasgow would highlight the plus points as:

a vast variety of cafes, bars, restaurants and shops that have emerged in some of the inner city areas like Finnieston
excellent bus services, running at high capacity thanks in part to the over 60 Scottish entitlement card, which has opened opportunities for the elderly
an extensive range of museums and places of interest within walking distance
the friendliness and helpfulness of most people, epitomised by the passport office
a wide range of events taking place in the the parks and local halls as well as the commercial venues
the superb architectural and industrial heritage of Victorian Glasgow, particularly the parks, docks and railways

On the downside

the streets are dirty, full of litter, weeds, leftover asphalt and building materials
Sauchiehall street and surrounding roads have been closed following the School of Art fire with disruption to shops
the appalling state of the back lanes are an embarrassment as summer tourists seek to get round the closed roads
the refuse collection and recycling service is twenty years out of date and contributes hugely to the litter problem
Glasgow sends 72% of its waste to landfill, three times as high as the best councils
fire damage, as well as the fire at the School of Art, other fires have rendered many adjacent buildings to be closed with demolition taking an inordinate amount of time
our telephone exchange has been out of use following a nearby fire so we have been without an internet or telephone connection for two months
the failure to cater to cyclists and the terrible state of the pavements for pedestrians
the abundance of new flats for students is in marked contrast to the shortage of quality social housing for the local population
the Council has closed all its public conveniences, resulting in the back lanes being used as public toilets
the collapse of retail establishments has created vacant and run-down shopping streets, lacking any specialist shops or attractions. Even the relatively new St Enoch Centre has numerous vacant premises
wealth disparity is endemic with the homeless cheek by jowl with Range Rovers on the streets, expensive restaurants next to Poundland, and life expectancy 20% worse in poor communities
the public realm is in unremitting decline from rotting lampposts to untended green space