Glasgow Transport

Back in February I spent a long weekend with my elder daughter who is studying at Glasgow University.  During the day, while she pored over her books in the library I continued to explore this fascinating city.

I was particularly anxious to visit the new Riverside Museum. The award winning building designed by Zaha Hadid needs to be seen from above to appreciate its form, but even from the ground it offers some striking angles.

The building houses Glasgow's transport museum.  Now I have to confess that I'm not wildly enthusiastic about vintage vehicles, so I headed instead for the reconstruction of a typical turn of the century (1895-1930) Glasgow street, complete with saddler, photographer, pawn broker, cafe and pub.  It was imaginatively presented with plenty of interactive displays and gave me a real feel for what urban life would have been like at that time.

However I didn't completely ignore the vehicles and spent some time examining a fairground showman's family caravan.  The other exhibit that caught my eye was this brightly painted van, designed by Glasgow art students and inspired by the artwork found on Pakistani lorries.

My daughter's local underground station (Hillhead) has had a makeover, including this delightful Alasdair Gray mural depicting the local area and its residents.

 

I'm afraid my mobile camera photos don't do it justice ...

... and I could do with taking this piece of advice!