The Hidden Glasgow Forums

Saw this
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/scot ... forth-coal
Just went on his holidays...

Not Glaswegian plate, but nearly....

Whilst waiting for a tram at Gogarburn, wandered off to see where the track signed 'Cabinet Works' led and noticed an improvised metal gate with the support post provided by section of old machinery.
Blurry snap:
.

Ah, the trams. They did of course finally start running, and I was somehow persuaded to think it was a good idea to get up at five in the morning to go see the first one. One near-miraculous early rise later, off I went stumbling down the road to catch sight of it.

I'd apologise for my lateness in posting these, but given what you all know well enough it's quite fitting. (I should maybe wait another year or two or three for good measure.)

Anyway anyway, what a beautiful morning it was. Your photographer was almost delirious at this point through lack of sleep, mind you:


Just in time to see the first tram since the last one, if you ignore all the testing for months:


I was a bit late to get on the first one to leave Edinburgh (the actual first one headed into town from the Airport), but did see it swing by St Andrew Square packed to the gunwales with pleased-looking camera-toting early risers. I hung around and got on the historic third ever tram since the last one apart from the months of testing. Proud moment.


The experience was, of course, a perfect and complete anti-climax. It's a tram, and trams are quite nice (apart from the fiasco and all the money wasted and...). When you get on one - or at least when I did - it's just a pleasant mode of public transport, that trundles along and goes *ding* now and again. They're ok. They're quite good. (As well they bloody might be for all the, well, y'know.) I hope they work, which really means the silly two thirds line being completed to Newhaven, as the thought of that huge pot of money that can't after all be unspent just going to waste is awful. I'll not hold my breath, though.

The seats are nice:


And the rest of the insides are nice. It's a bloody tram:


You end up in the middle of nowhere though, if like me you go on it out of curiosity and don't want to pay the extra to get to the airport:


If you do that, you get the odd sight of this big multi-million pound urban monster trundling happily through fields. It should have been playing the theme from Black Beauty at this point:


And off you go, over the railway:


Through some more greenery:


And back into the city:


And that's that. Finally. For fuck's sake...

It's all been very gloomy in Edinburgh, you would think from the following photos from this year's summer. It was summer, honest. Random stuff, just because.

Gloom at the foot of New Street:


Gloom at the head of New Street:


Gloom down the Canongate:


Festival Fringe gloom:


Gloom somewhere in the arse end of the Old Town:


Edinburgh's Disgrace being gloomy despite the sunlight:


For goodness' sake, more gloom:


Even the sunsets were a bit gloomy, in this context:


Help!

I'm kind of warming to the theme. (Unlike the weather, obviously.) From the head of Advocates Close the other day, while hiding from a sudden shower:

Loving these.

More gloom please!

It stopped being so gloomy

But there's always the Scott Monument, dependable old gothic space rocket that it is. As ever, it's atmospheric:


It's beautifully detailed:


It's quite high up:


And it's got lots of stairs:


And it's got the usual view towards St Andrew Square, though for the next while it has a bit missing:


Not so usual, when you pech your way up to the top, every few minutes you get some visitors popping up to say hi:






Most odd to be nearly 200 foot up there, taking photos and admiring the view, then you hear the approaching screams, and up they pop on their giant centrifuge... I'm tempted to try it. Be warned though, each time it appeared I saw at least one hat get flung off, including a new-looking red one that I watched sail down to Princes Street, where it was promptly run over by a number 33. Using some gaffer tape might be the way to go.

Ambushed by the weather the other night. Thankfully, I was only out to get more port.

Brrr:


Brrr some more:


Dammit, it's cold:


Sod it - pub:


Spring ain't quite sprung yet.

Great pictures.
Daughter has been living for a couple of years in Edinburgh and I've visited a few times both of us getting acquainted with this city to the east that we didn't know anything about. It's got a hell of a lot of interesting nooks and crannies and the Haar!

Take a saunter down Leith Walk, it's a thing of great beauty.

HollowHorn wrote:Take a saunter down Leith Walk, it's a thing of great beauty.

I shall

Leith Walk is great, as is Leith itself. Well worth an explore, Bridie.

As its days are now officially numbered, I thought I’d have a nosy at New St Andrew’s House and the upper reaches of the St James Centre – not long for this earth, even though the demolition keeps getting put back. It’s a concrete Thing That Should Not Be! There’s some part of me that’s almost sorry to see it go, for some reason. Unlovely and unloved, but a creature of its time.

It’s concrete a-go-go, and wonder of 70s wonders, bronzed windows:





(Right at this point a security guard appeared, wanting to know what I was photographing. The exact same happened last time I was there. Gave me a similar look when I told him, too, but was happy enough to let me carry on.)



Now, I do believe the huge skylights and metal-clad parts are from the shopping centre revamp in the 90s (or so), as they’re kind of wedged in to what’s there and, well, don't look of the right period at all. I sort of almost like the overall effect though – claustrophobic concrete and glass:





There’s no mistaking the original 70s bits though – they have a unique architectural quality all of their own (cough):



Something’s happening in New St Andrew’s House itself, as behind the boards here – either demolition prep of some sort, or some Bond villain goings on:



Either way, it’s all had it. Soon it’ll be bye-bye to all this:







And hello big orange peel thing, it seems....