On the Road Again with Merle

[Jack Black]

An offcut from a build I had done last year, just enough left for a re-cover on something else once I get round it.
Yes Dave, we will venture through Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park and see if we can get up a Ben or two. Loch Lomond is only 30 mins from me in the north of Glasgow.

Sounds fantastic I had a whole section of mammoth tusk at one time, weighed several pounds. Got pinched unfortunately

 

[btb01]

Well he has made it in super fast time.
Welcome to Glasgow, Merle!!
A few introductions to the 86 family and Ellie of course, who, I am afraid, is oblivious to whose company she is in!
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Here he is with a couple of medals I was recently awarded. From left to right - Long service (and good conduct) for 20 (currently 22) years in the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service, Queens Platinum Jubilee presented to serving members of the emergency services and armed forces and of course the Porchenburg Medal of Honor.
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I can report that Merle is in great condition and not too weary after his exploits so far, although I need to fight the temptation to give him a polish.
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I’m glad Merle made it safely to Scotland! Great photos! Looking forward to seeing what y’all get up to.

 

[Magizm7]

A short dog walk yesterday through the west end taking in the Botanical Gardens of Glasgow and the Great Western road. The church pictured was repurposed about 20 years ago and is now a pub/restaurant/music venue. Bob Mould was playing the other night - certainly was a blast from the past. I would have ventured into the plant houses but no dogs allowed unfortunately.

 

[Magizm7]

Thought I would take a trip along the River Clyde to show some of the sights. I plan to do this in several stages.
First stop, the ancient town of Dumbarton with views of Dumbarton Harbour and Dumbarton Rock with the castle atop. The Castle has been occupied for centuries which I wasn't entirely aware of myself. Below the castle you can see a football (soccer) stadium. This is the home of Dumbarton FC who play in the lower leagues and are known as the Sons (of the Rock). The harbour has been a centre of shipbuilding for centuries too but I don't think that those are Viking longships you can see poking through the surface. Beyond the mouth of the harbour is the Clyde itself.

 

[Magizm7]

A few significant dates in the history of the harbour.

 

[JM2]

Pretty cool thanks for sharing.

 

[Magizm7]

Next up, as we venture east along the north bank towards Glasgow, we stopped at the entrance to the Forth and Clyde Canal, opened in 1790, at Bowling Harbour. This area has been regenerated in recent years and the canal is used for lots of leisure activities with quite a few houseboats moored up as well.

 

[Jack Black]

Fantastic photos Lucky old Merle

 

[Magizm7]

From the shores of Lake Minnetonka to the banks of the Clyde, Merle insisted he have a dip in Scottish waters

 

[JohnDF]

Some wonderful pictures, can't wait to see more... sure looks like a beautiful city, just like you said.

 

[Horsewright]

Great pics!! Merle looks refreshed after a dip in the Clyde. I was in Clydebank in 1980 when the Singer plant closed. That was a big deal. Lots of folks lost their jobs. Great pics!

 

[Magizm7]

Great pics!! Merle looks refreshed after a dip in the Clyde. I was in Clydebank in 1980 when the Singer plant closed. That was a big deal. Lots of folks lost their jobs. Great pics!

Thanks Dave
By all accounts it was devastating for the area as with the decline of shipbuilding.
The area has suffered but there is a lot of regeneration happening especially on the waterfront.
‘Singer’ is still one of the stops in the railway running through Clydebank.

 

[JM2]

Pretty cool. Thanks for sharing. Is the castle private owned now? A wealthy family live there?

 

[Horsewright]

Thanks Dave
By all accounts it was devastating for the area as with the decline of shipbuilding.
The area has suffered but there is a lot of regeneration happening especially on the waterfront.
‘Singer’ is still one of the stops in the railway running through Clydebank.

Do ya ken the name o the wee Kirk ya pictured? It looks vaguely familiar.

 

[Jack Black]

Do ya ken the name o the wee Kirk ya pictured? It looks vaguely familiar.

I see a Scottish education wasn't wasted on you Dave

 

[Magizm7]

Pretty cool. Thanks for sharing. Is the castle private owned now? A wealthy family live there?

It is owned by Historic Scotland and open to the public as a visitor attraction.

Do ya ken the name o the wee Kirk ya pictured? It looks vaguely familiar.

It was formerly Kelvinside Parish Church and is now a music venue known as Òran Mór - 'great melody of life'. It stands at the top of Byres Road.

 

[Horsewright]

It is owned by Historic Scotland and open to the public as a visitor attraction.

It was formerly Kelvinside Parish Church and is now a music venue known as Òran Mór - 'great melody of life'. It stands at the top of Byres Road.

Ah thanks. So those were the Kelvin Gardens then? I remember visiting them. We didn't have a dog with us so we did walk through the buildings. I've always wanted to visit Dumbarton Castle but never have. Rich history there.

 

[Magizm7]

Some images of Glasgow city centre taken yesterday. The weather was rubbish - very dull


The heart of the city - George Square, usually mobbed on a summer's day. To the left is the City Chambers, the seat of power for Glasgow. The square is used for many gatherings and celebrations including the Hogmanay party. Glasgow has seen a number of big movie productions locate for filming subbing for larger US cities. Recent productions include the latest Batman film, Batgirl series, Cloud Atlas, one of the fast and furious films, the forthcoming Indiana Jones movie and a few others. George Square can be seen in the opening scenes of World War Z as the virus takes hold.


City Chambers


Thomas Graham was an eminent scientist and has a building named after him at Strathclyde University just around the corner.

 

[Magizm7]

Some additional photos of the surrounding area including a small sample of the university buildings.


The Royal College at Strathclyde Uni where I was an undergrad many years ago, George sq in the distance.


Gallery of Modern Art at Royal Exchange Sq. The statue in front is the Duke Of Wellington, disappointingly, without his formal headwear!

 

[Magizm7]

Another stop along the Clyde, this time the site of the old John Brown's shipyard. Pictured is a local landmark in the form of the Titan Crane. One of the first electrically powered cantilever cranes in existence I think, built some time around the early 20th century. It was used for lifting engines and boilers into ships. It is now a tourist attraction and if you are so inclined you can climb up to the top and bungee off!!

Some notable ships built here among hundreds, were the Queen Elizabeth 1 and 2, the Queen Mary and HMS Hood.