Earliest memory of Glasgow?
I remember going to Bellahouston and the parky – the park warden – blowing his whistle at us for riding our bikes on the pathways. I remember the trams, the number 7 to Bellahouston and the 27 to Shieldhall.
Which street did you live on?
I grew up in number 5 Copland Place in a five-apartment ground floor flat with a little garden. We didn’t have a wally close, but we did have an unusual spiral staircase and the bannister had steel studs so we couldn’t slide down. Jimmy Yi lived at number one – he opened Glasgow’s first Chinese restaurant on Govan Road.
What school did you go to?
St Saviour’s Primary – my teacher was Mrs Brown, who was great. After passing my qualifying exam at 12 I went to St Gerard’s Senior Secondary from 1953 to 1956 and those were the happiest days of my life. I loved metalwork and woodwork. A great teacher there was Big Bill Sheridan – Billy Connolly spoke highly of him on an early LP.
Favourite local cinema:
We had four in Govan, we were lucky – The Plaza, The Elder, The Vogie and The Lyceum, which was the posh one. Five minutes on the tram took us to the Capitol and the Lorne on Cornwall Street, the Imperial at Paisley Road Toll (now, it’s the Grand Ole Opry). The Ardgowan was nicknamed the Corky because it was an old cork factory turned into a cinema.
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Where did you go dancing?
The Flamingo in Cardonald, nicknamed ‘the circus’ because of the round floor. On Tuesdays we went straight there, getting a fish supper on the way, to join the queue at 6.30pm to be sure of getting in. Many a lumber I got from there to Pollok, then had to walk all the way home to Govan….Another favourite was the Barrowland on a Thursday night. The band was Billy MacGregor and the Gay Birds. And the Dennistoun Palais was great on a Saturday night with Christian doing cabaret.
Best thing about growing up in Glasgow?
Great times and unforgettable memories. If I could turn the clock back, I wouldn’t change a thing.
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