Glasgow fine art

X100 said:
Haha I live in Govanhill and the first time a neighbour asked me in as a guest he took an axe out to show me " how a' deal wae intruders" the muppet didn't bank on my sober response where he was promptly told to get a bigger axe if he wanted to impress or intimidate me. Ethnically diverse would be the PC term for the area sh;/hole would be a more apt description. Also came close to being assaulted while taking my six yr old daughter to a panto in a west end theatre by a bunch of east end inebriates. Not being a shrinking violet I don't like to think how big a scare my little one might have had to have gone through.
I do however love the diversity available in a relatively small city. The cultural side is thriving. There is something for all interests and the transport links are great. The community spirit still lingers better with the real Glaswegian comparing to many many other cities (see how all businesses rallied over the Clutha tragedy as an example). Over the list of pros and cons listed above I see a little truth in all but my favourite part of Glasgow is still the humour of the people borne through being an industrial giant where poverty, hardship, religious problems, pride and determination created a breed pretty much unique in my eyes.
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community spirit happens in every city, new york after 911 for example. It's not because Glasgwegian's are some special breed, sorry to say. The transport links are good, but so are all modern UK cities, that isn't something that makes glasgow good.

The ethnic diversity is actually a good thing for the city, the drunks, the football and religious hatred all really mar the city as does it's general appearance. I've never felt so unsafe in any city, other than Glasgow at night. My experiences of watching a guy getting kicked almost to death in broad day light, you don't see that in Edinburgh, Newcastle etc.
 
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ST4 said:
My experiences of watching a guy getting kicked almost to death in broad day light, you don't see that in Edinburgh, Newcastle etc.
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Don't be silly. Of course you do. Things like that happen in all large urban areas.

http://m.edinburghnews.scotsman.com...nd-arm-in-frenzied-daylight-assault-1-1456658

http://m.stv.tv/news/east-central/263427-victim-left-in-coma-after-vicious-attack-in-broad-daylight/

http://northedinburghnews.wordpress.com/2014/06/28/appeal-for-witnesses-following-leith-assault/
 
Not as much and to be fair, just being in one city and another I know which one I feel less intimated in walking in the centre of and taking trains/buses around. Plus bar a few exceptions, Glasgow's acrhicture does NOTHING for me,

I really do not like cities anyway, but Glasgow has to be one of my least liked ones, despite all the good Indian/Pakinstani restaurants we have here.
 
ST4 said:
Not as much and to be fair, just being in one city and another I know which one I feel less intimated in walking in the centre of and taking trains/buses around.
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That's just your subjective experience. I don't feel intimidated at all in central Glasgow, and others have expressed similar feelings. I lived in Glasgow for years, during which time I was out and about constantly, and I barely saw any trouble. What trouble I saw was a handful of par-for-the-course scraps, nothing major. I certainly didn't experience any trouble myself. The popular idea - you hear it all over the UK - that Glasgow is a lawless badland is an utter fiction.

It's not a utopia or anything but it's no worse on the whole than Edinburgh or any other city. It might have more gang related violence than Edinburgh, but that's largely contained within certain precincts and rarely involves people who don't want to be involved.
 
You're entitled to your opinion of course as are we and I really don't feel unsafe in the town at all. Maybe that's because us folk from social housing schemes are not unused to seeing junkies half asleep walking about in zombie like states.
 
Some updates, thanks to feedback above:

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and something a little brighter but less colourful
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scottduffy said:
You're entitled to your opinion of course as are we and I really don't feel unsafe in the town at all. Maybe that's because us folk from social housing schemes are not unused to seeing junkies half asleep walking about in zombie like states.
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Please don't go into benefits as it's one of the biggest scars in this country. I generally am all against Tories but completely support their clampdown in this area.
 
ST4 said:
Not as much and to be fair, just being in one city and another I know which one I feel less intimated in walking in the centre of and taking trains/buses around. Plus bar a few exceptions, Glasgow's acrhicture does NOTHING for me,

I really do not like cities anyway, but Glasgow has to be one of my least liked ones, despite all the good Indian/Pakinstani restaurants we have here.
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I was born in Glasgow (Pollock) have lived in Edinburgh (Saughton, not the prison!) and I'd feel safe in either city centre. There are places in both cities that I'd avoid at night.
Deep fried mars bars originated in Stonehaven, near Aberdeen.
If you hate Glasgow so much, why don't you move? I'm sure plenty Glaswegians would be more than happy to help you flit.:p
 
I didn't and wouldn't mention benefits as i have nothing to do with them. I have worked since i left Uni and will continue to as long as i have to. By the way how can you support millionaires clamping sown on the poorest in society whilst giving their equally rich peers tax breaks. I think something needed done about benefits but i see no point at all in giving more money to rich people. In fact it sickens me to my stomach.
 
scottduffy said:
I didn't and wouldn't mention benefits as i have nothing to do with them. I have worked since i left Uni and will continue to as long as i have to. By the way how can you support millionaires clamping sown on the poorest in society whilst giving their equally rich peers tax breaks. I think something needed done about benefits but i see no point at all in giving more money to rich people. In fact it sickens me to my stomach.
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I wrote very clearly that I do NOT support them for those specific reasons. But benefit cheats, people that can't be asked to work, people that can get more if they don't work, 15-year old with 3 babies... all of these are paid out of our pockets! I am sure there are genuine cases but the system is so broken. This is a UK-wide comment, not just Glasgow, but there is a big problem in the city.
 
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scottduffy said:
I didn't and wouldn't mention benefits as i have nothing to do with them. I have worked since i left Uni and will continue to as long as i have to. By the way how can you support millionaires clamping sown on the poorest in society whilst giving their equally rich peers tax breaks. I think something needed done about benefits but i see no point at all in giving more money to rich people. In fact it sickens me to my stomach.
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No one is actually giving to the rich. They are just taking a little less from them and giving a little less to the poor. The rich pay a fortune in tax, they should be given medals not lambasted for achieving what so few others achieve.

I am not well paid but I find it galling so much is taken from me and giving it to scum that breeds more scum. You know the sorts, never work, take drugs in and out of court/jail.

It must be galling for a rich person to see 40% of their worth go to support parasites.
 
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ST4 said:
It must be galling for a rich person to see 40% of their worth go to support parasites.
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You do realise that not ALL of your tax goes into paying benefits? It's about 20%. And most of that goes on state pensions.

I think we've got (or had) the benefits system about right. Sure a few long term unemployed who have no intention of working slip through the net, but (a) there are complex social problems behind that, and (b) long term unemployed are a tiny proportion of JSA claimants. It's a price I'm willing to pay for a robust safety net for those who really need it.

I'm looking for a party that will increase taxes for everyone and pump the money into better services. Scandinavian tax/Scandinavian services. But so many people in the country are greedy, selfish and myopic that major parties are too scared to put forward a policy like this. I'll happily pay more tax for better public/social services.
 
JakeT1992 said:
I've always thought living in Swindon was just terrible, but with this thread you may have swayed me. I guess at least you have the likes of Glencoe relatively close.
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You're living in the wrong bit Jake. Town centre is depressing during the day as it's full of the doley's but there's some really good bits. As with every large town, assisted with the ex labour council engineering areas around voting patterns, there's some problem areas (generally anywhere starting with P :) ) but for all of those I can give you several examples of really good places.
 
Byker28i said:
You're living in the wrong bit Jake. Town centre is depressing during the day as it's full of the doley's but there's some really good bits. As with every large town, assisted with the ex labour council engineering areas around voting patterns, there's some problem areas (generally anywhere starting with P :) ) but for all of those I can give you several examples of really good places.
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Agreed - though Peatmoor is generally quite nice compared to the rest of the P's in this town!
I live in the nicer area of Freshbrook now, formerly from Peatmoor (Tower Road).
Some areas in the town are lovely, it's just the town centre that tends to be depressing!
 
Sorry buddy I misread your post and completely agree that work shy benefit cheats should have the book thrown at them but the problem we're or they're facing is that the tories are just cutting everyone's money and forcing people off benefits when the majority appeal the decision and end up winning anyway so they get their money and it costs us more for their tribunal. It must be difficult to run a country but making the poor even poorer does nothing but promote crime which helps no one.
 
I agree that rich people well some of them have worked hard to get to where the are and they're giving more than most but they know this when they grow up and choose the paths they go down. Most if not all will have accountants working for them to avoid paying tax in some dodgy scheme or other. Just look at Gary Barlow recently. They're dodgier than half the junkies. My point is merely right or wrong taking a little from them won't affect their lives but taking more from people with nothing leaves some of them with no other way to feed their families which must be a living hell. I know some could work but what about the bedroom tax nonsense. People living with spare rooms being forced to pay for them when the majority where given the properties in the first place. Very unfair. By the way I was forced to buy a house years back as I'd been on the housing list for about 12 years and couldn't get anything as I had no kids. That did my head in and still does. Just recently someone in my office's daughter in law moved to Glasgow from Poland and was housed immediately and had all her white goods supplied with beds etc from government grants. That gets my goat too and I would rather we stopped this practice than made families pay for having a spare room.
 
JakeT1992 said:
Agreed - though Peatmoor is generally quite nice compared to the rest of the P's in this town!
I live in the nicer area of Freshbrook now, formerly from Peatmoor (Tower Road).
Some areas in the town are lovely, it's just the town centre that tends to be depressing!
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Our first house was Chalgrove fields ;)

Town centre has been crying out for redevelopment for ages, but the banking crisis / shops closing crisis put a stop to all the planned spend. The square by McDonalds and the BBC big screen worked out ok, they've replaced the paving.

Old town is nice, outlying bits are nice, cotswolds on the doorstep, easy access to everywhere, london, the coast, heading north, 4 airports within an hour (ish).
Lots of nice parks and green areas and some genuinely interesting bits to explore. Being a big town everything is available, shopping (outlet is the biggest tourist attraction in wiltshire!), entertainment (also drugs and prostitution), good food etc. Low crime rate, cheap housing and despite attempts by the councils over the years, still relatively good infrastructure. Some top schools in the area also.

I think it's a good place to live.

This has been a message from the Swindon Tourist board... :D
 
scottduffy said:
Sorry buddy I misread your post and completely agree that work shy benefit cheats should have the book thrown at them but the problem we're or they're facing is that the tories are just cutting everyone's money and forcing people off benefits when the majority appeal the decision and end up winning anyway so they get their money and it costs us more for their tribunal. It must be difficult to run a country but making the poor even poorer does nothing but promote crime which helps no one.
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If some of those "poor" simply get paid, and have loads of free time, of course they don't want to work and instead find ways to entertain themselves and make some extra cash with sharp instruments, practicing agriculture and trading (you know exactly what I mean). Jail doesn't really concern them - it is frankly almost like holiday and free criminal education for them. They even get paid to be behind the bars! Benefit system is so f***ed up, I can't believe it! They encourage people to become single 14 year old scummy mums of 5 (because married couples are automatically ineligible to many support packages), and so on and so on.

Government should spend extra to get people back to work, not pay for lazy parasites. If people are at work, there is less time to do crime, healthier communities, and better economy.

I don't have any problem with middle and upper class earning more (I am yet to get there by the way) for their hard work. What I don't like is a certain class of magnates, politicians that are rich beyond belief and destroy all competition. News of the world corp or Getty owners and CEOs would be a prime example for this forum. The half killed photography already.
 
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Byker28i said:
Our first house was Chalgrove fields ;)

Town centre has been crying out for redevelopment for ages, but the banking crisis / shops closing crisis put a stop to all the planned spend. The square by McDonalds and the BBC big screen worked out ok, they've replaced the paving.

Old town is nice, outlying bits are nice, cotswolds on the doorstep, easy access to everywhere, london, the coast, heading north, 4 airports within an hour (ish).
Lots of nice parks and green areas and some genuinely interesting bits to explore. Being a big town everything is available, shopping (outlet is the biggest tourist attraction in wiltshire!), entertainment (also drugs and prostitution), good food etc. Low crime rate, cheap housing and despite attempts by the councils over the years, still relatively good infrastructure. Some top schools in the area also.

I think it's a good place to live.

This has been a message from the Swindon Tourist board... :D
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The biggest issue I have with the town centre is the bottom/top of town - far too many charity shops, cash for crap (stolen goods) shops, cheap tacky bars and bookmakers.
I wish we had Jessops back!
They need to sort out the roads too, whoever is in charge of infrastructure needs shooting. Shopping in the town isn't great, the outlet is poor IMHO, I'd much rather go to Bristol or Bath to shop.
I still don't feel comfortable walking around with my camera gear though, even with the size of me and the nice weapon (tripod) I carry.
 
JakeT1992 said:
They need to sort out the roads too
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move up here and you will cry out loud for a big SUV

edit: I can't say Bristol or Somerset roads were much better, but potholes and humps here are certainly bigger.
 
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JakeT1992 said:
The biggest issue I have with the town centre is the bottom/top of town - far too many charity shops, cash for crap (stolen goods) shops, cheap tacky bars and bookmakers.
I wish we had Jessops back!
They need to sort out the roads too, whoever is in charge of infrastructure needs shooting. Shopping in the town isn't great, the outlet is poor IMHO, I'd much rather go to Bristol or Bath to shop.
I still don't feel comfortable walking around with my camera gear though, even with the size of me and the nice weapon (tripod) I carry.
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Don't need Jessops, we've got T4 cameras and Great Western Cameras - much better
 
daugirdas said:
move up here and you will cry out loud for a big SUV

edit: I can't say Bristol or Somerset roads were much better, but potholes and humps here are certainly bigger.
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The potholes, while annoying, are not the main issue, it's the infrastructure. Wherever you want to go in this town you need to go around the houses.

Byker28i said:
Don't need Jessops, we've got T4 cameras and Great Western Cameras - much better
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Not been in T4, but have used Great Western for sensor cleaning.
 
JakeT1992 said:
The potholes, while annoying, are not the main issue, it's the infrastructure. Wherever you want to go in this town you need to go around the houses.
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Main roads go around the places, most are well joined, with major or dual carriageways going through the middle. Sometimes it's quicker to pop one junction on the motorway from east to west. But 40,000+ homes in West Swindon with 2 roads out towards town, one out towards the motorway and one to join up to North Swindon is the issues at rush hour. They were supposed to continue Thamesdown drive to join up in town, but never spent the cash. They hadn't planned on the cost of crossing the river, so just bodged it and joined it up to mead way. That's why it doglegs suddenly at Hayden Wick. It's going to get worse as they build all those 1700 new houses in Wiltshire, i.e. just across the road at Sparcells.

But mostly it's just the 8-9am and 16:30-6:30pm rush hour periods that are bad.

I've got deer near me :)
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Byker28i said:
Main roads go around the places, most are well joined, with major or dual carriageways going through the middle. Sometimes it's quicker to pop one junction on the motorway from east to west. But 40,000+ homes in West Swindon with 2 roads out towards town, one out towards the motorway and one to join up to North Swindon is the issues at rush hour. They were supposed to continue Thamesdown drive to join up in town, but never spent the cash. They hadn't planned on the cost of crossing the river, so just bodged it and joined it up to mead way. That's why it doglegs suddenly at Hayden Wick. It's going to get worse as they build all those 1700 new houses in Wiltshire, i.e. just across the road at Sparcells.

But mostly it's just the 8-9am and 16:30-6:30pm rush hour periods that are bad.

I've got deer near me :)
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Those new houses are great for business in my line of work though! Lots of roads needing resurfacing! There are a lot of good roads, don't get me wrong, but in and out of the town centre, especially around the jurys inn at that terrible new junction, can be a right pain in the ass!
I've seen deer at lydiard before, as well as many along the 16-15 corridor.
 
ST4 said:
All these accountacy things, they are actually legal? SHooting up on smack isn't.
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I'm not sure they're actually legal though. If they were all legal people wouldn't have the choice of paying the money back or facing the old tin pale. Next you'll be telling me Ponzi Scheme's are legal. Tax avoidance is legal tax evasion is not !!
 
ST4 said:
I'm also trying to establish how anyone can keep a straight face and say Glasgow is actually a nice city. The M8, towerblocks, yeah, its wonderful.
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There's plenty of nice places in Glasgow. If you remove you're head from the sand (or your ar$e) you might be surprised.:p
 
ghoti said:
Tower blocks?! In a major city?! The horror!
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Indeed pure horror. I had a pleasure of living in one when I was little. These things should not exist.
 
daugirdas said:
Indeed pure horror. I had a pleasure of living in one when I was little. These things should not exist.
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The point wasn't that tower blocks are brilliant beacons of hope and prosperity, it was that tower blocks are hardly unique to Glasgow. I don't think anyone here has argued that Glasgow is a utopia; just that it's no worse on the whole than any other large British - or, indeed, Western European - city.
 
ghoti said:
The point wasn't that tower blocks are brilliant beacons of hope and prosperity, it was that tower blocks are hardly unique to Glasgow. I don't think anyone here has argued that Glasgow is a utopia; just that it's no worse on the whole than any other large British - or, indeed, Western European, city.
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France for example - they love towers blocks and have plenty of social problems. I am just not aware of any other city with acres and acres of derelict land acting as a landfill right in the centre. Birmingham has some rough bits around railway lines, but it still doesn't come close. Glasgow could really exploit it to its advantage as modern re-developed city, but so far nothing is happening.
 
daugirdas said:
France for example - they love towers blocks and have plenty of social problems. I am just not aware of any other city with acres and acres of derelict land acting as a landfill right in the centre. Birmingham has some rough bits around railway lines, but it still doesn't come close. Glasgow could really exploit it to its advantage as modern re-developed city, but so far nothing is happening.
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Which landfill sites in the city centre are you referring to?
 
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