Long and not at all winding road...

Yesterday on my way down Buchanan Street I took a photo down St. Vincent Street / Place and said I will come back and do here another day. Well sometimes there is not time like the present so just decided to go back there today on the way to Cadogan Street.

Now I have used the word special a lot on this blog when describing places. But think that is something about Glasgow. So many places have a very special and very distinct feel about them. Being in the Merchant city feels different from Buchanan Street, Argyle Street different again, the West end different again. And so is true of St. Vincent Street. It has so many old buildings, many of which either are or were bank buildings, that sometimes if you squint you can still imagine the horses and coaches coming up and down here. It is also a very long, very straight street so even right up at Blythswood you can see all the way down beyond George Square over half a mile away. Although the street is officially St. Vincent Place from George Square to Buchanan Street and changes name to Street after that.

So where does the name come from ? Well I mentioned this in a previous post. The street is named after the famous sea battle off Cape St. Vincent in Portugal in February 1797. Admiral John Jervis defeated the Spanish Fleet although outnumbered 27 ships to 15.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cape_St_Vincent_(1797).


So what did I notice on my travels round St. Vincent today...

The first building you pass is a fine example of what I have said above. The is the Counting House pub on the corner of St. Vincent Place and George Square. This is a former Bank of Scotland building hence the name of the pub. It dates from 1870 and the bank crest can still be seen over the door. As you see on a lot of these buildings there are figures supporting the door frame. These are depictions of Atlas holding up the earth or heavens are are seemingly therefore called Atlantes. So now you know. :)

Just along from the Counting House is this distinctive red building.

As well as being a fine piece of architecture, as I mentioned yesterday this has the distinction of being my first real place of work. I did a summer job here as a computer operator between leaving high school and going to college. I maybe got into computers because of my ZX Spectrum but this is where it became a career for me. Actually worked in the basement of this office. From print spools, punch cards, tape reels. I was 17 and having lots of fun. But really wanted to be one of the programmers that worked upstairs. So went to college to study Computer Science. And the rest is history...
Have a good memory of somewhere you worked in Glasgow? First place you worked? Then feel free to post up a comment.

Next door is the beautifully ornate Clydesdale Bank building which dates from 1874. It was the headquarters of the Clydesdale Bank until 1902.

Here is a close up of some of the detail on the doorways. This is not actually Santa. Although with the times the banks been having lately a few gifts from Santa this Christmas be most welcome. This is seemingly the depiction of Father Clyde, representing the river that made Glasgow so prosperous.

On to St. Vincent Street proper now and the first building after Buchanan Street is the Post Office which has this most impressive crest above the doorway.

The coat of arms is the Scottish Royal Coast of Arms of the United Kingdom. The motto is that of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, nemo me impune lacessit, and translates as, "No-one provokes me with impunity".

Just next door to the post office is the Easy Office store and a Caffe Nero. I did mention all the coffee shops? :)

But this building dates from 1850 and until May 2000 was the John Smith and Sons bookstore. John Smith's is the oldest trading company in the city dating back to 1751 and the oldest bookselling company in the English speaking world. John Smith and Sons of course still exists as a company and specialises in academic and professional books.

But before Waterstones and Borders this was the big book shop in Glasgow. I spent a lot of time in here browsing. Think this is where my passion for reading (and for endless browsing in book stores :) ) was born.

If Borders in Buchanan Street is top 5 bookshop in the world then this one would have been top 3.

Now onto the junction with West Nile Street and the distinctive number 78. This has been a very good restaurant for many years but some of the fixtures and fittings give away it's orginal use. It dates from 1913 and was built for the Phoenix Assurance company. There are a number of Phoenix sculptures around the building and pictured above is the door with Phoenix crest and the date of the establishment of the company in 1782.

Across the road from 78 is the Slanj kilt shop. Now Slanj is not only a really good kilt shop it also sells a number of Glasgow and Scottish t-shirts, mugs, kids clothes and even underwear!!
Found myself wandering around today chuckling away at the t-shirts. Asked if I could take some photos to post up here. These guys are really cool people. Were really supportive when I explained what this blog was all about. I've never owned a kilt but have thought of getting one and will be going here when I do.

Sporraned for choice?

Ok bad pun. :)

But just some of the impressive selection of highland wear.

Slanj range of underwear appropriately named. :)

The "aye pod" :)

And my favourite of them all the "Che you Jimmy!!" A classic!! I need to get me one of these!! :)

There too many greats to post up here but look at http://www.slanjkilts.com/ if you want to see more.

Just down the road again and another Bank of Scotland building with the crest of the two robed women with the cornucopia spilling out money. Not so much money spilling about these days ?

Though this is now the "Drum and Monkey" pub. Don't pretend you didn't recognise it!! We know you are a regular!! :)

We now up beyond Hope Street and looking at the distinctive thin red building in the middle of the photo with the strange roof. This is the "Hatrack" building so called because the roof detail makes it look like an old fashioned hat stand. This dates from 1903 and is covered in little details. Another building that I could do a little corners post on all by itself.

Now up to number 200 St. Vincent Street beyond West Campbell Street. This is the Royal Sun Alliance building, which dates from 1923 and it has these beautiful sculptures around the door. The top middle one is of St. Andrew, the other two are a young man and woman. The detail and feeling of movement on them is really impressive.

Couldn't be a tour along St. Vincent Street without mentioning the famous King Tut's Wah Wah Hut. This venue opened in 1990 and is renowned for being the place where some of the big bands got started. Radiohead, Blur, Travis, Pulp and The Verve all played here before they became famous. And this is where Oasis got spotted and signed by Creation Records.

Here is what is coming to King Tut's in July. Any of these another Oasis? Well if they are then remember where you saw the name first!! :)

http://www.kingtuts.co.uk/

And across the road is one of the most impressive buildings in all of Glasgow.
St.Vincent Street Church was designed by Alexander "Greek" Thomson and opened in 1859 as a Presbyterian church. Thomson is regarded as Glasgow's "unknown genius" of architecture. I will cover more of his buildings another day. His designs are well-known for their use of Greek, Egyptian and Assyrian decoration. You can see this tower all the way down St. Vincent Street and it one of those buildings that as you walk around you see something new.
It currently is undergoing some major restoration work which is definitely required.

The view back down St. Vincent Street from the top of the hill. Can see all the way past George Square into Cochrane Street.

Just down from St. Vincent Street Church is another magnificent church. The St. Columbus Church. The Church of Scotland congregation of St Columba dates back to 1770. It was established to cater for the spiritual needs of the large number of Gaelic-speakers from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland settling in Glasgow in search of employment. The church still has a service in Gaelic every Sunday as well as three weekly services in English.
The church pictured here dates from 1904. Because of its size and association with Gaeldom and the Gaelic language it is also popularly known as the Highland Cathedral.

http://www.highlandcathedral.org/

A time for reflection in the world of finance ?

Here is the reflection of St. Columbus in the Abbey building across the street.

That brought me all the way back to Charing Cross and the Whyte and MacKay building but that was another post from another day.

Could only ever post up a selection of St. Vincent Street but nearly every building you pass has something worth stopping to look at. And just from a pure architecture point of view I think it has been my favourite so far.

Best bit of today ?

Browsing and chatting in Slanj. Going back soon for some of those t-shirts and maybe even a kilt!! :)

Always be well and happy out there!!

Slanj!!