A wee bit of Bucky...

It was so obvious and right in front of me that I couldn't see it...
Got off the bus and was standing in Buchanan Street thinking what wee tour to do on the way to Penna today. What to do? What to do?

And then I realised that for all my talking about it, photos of street theatre, various little pictures and corners of it, I had not actually done a tour down Buchanan Street itself.

So here we go ... the big one ...

Just started at the North end of the street. Now shown you photos of here before. It is of course the statue of Donald Dewar in front of the Royal Concert Hall and the Buchanan Galleries. The steps behind here are a lunchtime picnic spot and generally great place to sit and people watch.Buchanan Galleries I think been one of the great success stories in this area of Glasgow. And it is being expanded soon!!

Donald Dewar was of course the first person to hold the office of First Minister of Scotland when the Scottish Parliament was reestablished in May 1999. I've heard various opinions on this statue but I actually like it.

So why is it called Buchanan Street anyway ?
Now I didn't know this till I looked it up today. Got hold of a copy of "Glasgow Street Names" by Carol Foreman. What a really interesting book. Highly recommended. Anyway ... Buchanan Street was named after Andrew Buchanan, a wealthy tobacco merchant, who bought the land from Argyle Street to Gordon Street in 1766. He built a mansion on what is now the south west corner and a tenement was built opposite in 1778. However the American War of Independence (1775-1783) ruined him and he went bankrupt. But the street that later formed on this land still took his name.

The street itself now contains many great buildings and is one of the great shopping streets in the world. Below is just some of what I saw today...

This very ornate entrance way is actually in Nelson Mandela Place but the building is also onto Buchanan Street. It is actually part of the Atheneum. One page said this was the Atheneum hotel ? The glass above the door says Au Natural Interiors which it was for a while but now it has reopened as "Fun for 2". Now normally I would be a bit nervous entering a building with a sign saying "Fun for 2" on the door but this turns out to be a budget shop full of stuff for 2 pounds. But apart from if you are looking for something for 2 pounds there are other great reasons to go in here because a lot of the original architecture is still intact.

Plasterwork of the names and busts of various composers on the stairwells. Brahms, Wagner, Mendelson, Beethoven just some of the examples.

The Ballroom. Which is the main shop floor on the first floor. No disrepect to most budget stores like Poundstretchers but they are going to have to go a bit to compete with this for architecture!! :)

Ok, It's a picture of the St George Tron Church again. But if I ever get tired of taking photos of this amazing building then shoot me :) This was taken from West George Street looking back across Buchanan Street. Wanted to get the people in the foreground to show the scale. The steeple is 162 feet high.

Down now to where Buchanan Street crosses St. Vincent Street/Place. Now will do a proper tour of St. Vincent Street another day as it as probably more beautiful architecture than any other street in Glasgow. This row on St. Vincent Place looking down towards George Square just being a small example. Main historical significance of this row? The red building in the middle is where I got my first proper job between school and going to university. I was a computer operator. They still had punched cards and tape reels. Now I'm showing my age!! :)

The mighty Borders book store. This building dates from 1827 and was built for the Royal Bank. It was voted by the Guardian as number 5 in the top bookstores in the world. http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/jan/11/bestukbookshops

Have to agree that the other 4 also look pretty special but this is a great shop.

And tucked around the corner of Borders is the Rogano seafood restaurant. Opened in 1935 and fitted out in Art Deco style this has become a legendary Glasgow restaurant.

And out in Buchanan Street the Rogano champagne garden. Now I mentioned this way back in one of my first posts. It was pretty empty then except for the poor waiter. Well today it was pretty busy and the champagne looked amazing.

Now I just need to buy that lottery ticket and next week my entire blog will be from here. Each day a review of a different champagne. Hey, I can dream ... :)

The magnificent building at the corner of Buchanan and Gordon Street. Part of the Royal Bank of Scotland building. And home to TGI Fridays.

A large crowd of people now outside this building appreciating it's beauty since Glasgow the Day pointed it out ?

No this is the crowd watching Adrian the Escapologist outside Borders. I told you he was good!! Always pulls in a great crowd. If you in Buchanan Street and see him then do stop and watch.

Just down from there and we have the other Willow Tea Rooms. Covered some of the history of this on my Sauchiehall Street tour.

http://www.willowtearooms.co.uk/

This time managed to get a wee photo of the Chinese Tea Room on the 2nd floor. They really are beautiful inside. Can really appreciate the genius of Mackintosh's designs.

Now I love the look of this building. The windows, contrast of red and cream sandstone, the beautiful detail on the roof. Must be a famous building ? I can't find anywhere in the books I have or the internet that says what this is. Help ??

The lanes off Buchanan Street used to be dirty and unwelcoming. Now they host trendy shops and restaurants. This one has The Chippy Doon The Lane, trendy version of the Scottish national dish. Chips.:)

Also on this building is that old writing that I love. This one says John McCormick and Co. Bookbinders.

And now onto a real jewel in Buchanan Street. Princes Square.
I've posted photo of the peacock on the roof as part of a quiz before but thought it worth another shot today.

Prince Square is actually also the site of the oldest house in Buchanan Street built in 1778. Seemingly this was also the venue for the Peel Banquet in 1837 which was to honour Sir Robert Peel who had been made Lord Rector of Glasgow University. This building was demolished in 1842 to make way for the Prince of Wales Building and Square. The court was roofed over in 1988 and the trendy restaurant and shopping centre was born.
Really is a unique feel to the place. Great place to grab a coffee and people watch.

This is Foucalt Pendulum in Princes Square. It is named after Jean Foucalt, who showed that the Earth rotated on it's axis.

And this is round the back of Princes Square. A statue of a naked man with a bird at his feet outside the stairs that now lead down to the Dwell store.
I hadn't realised this statue was there until today and I like it's quirky style. Though I will let you make up your own rude jokes about it :)

Across the road now to another Glasgow institution.
Frasers has been trading in this area since 1849 when James Arthur and Hugh Fraser formed the partnership of Arthur and Fraser and rented premises on the corner of Argyle and Buchanan.

As well as being a beautiful building on the outside, it is really a special place in the inside as well. Doubt anyone would design a shop to look like this anymore but with the glass ceiling and the chandeliers this is really worth standing and appreciating for a while.

And finally for today. I have already posted up a couple of photos of the wonderful grotto that is the Argyll Arcade. But these are photos of the lovely signs on at the Buchanan Street end.

So that was a very quick and very incomplete walk down Bucky.

Will need to do another one to fill in some gaps.

Did I miss out your favourite building? Tell me if I did.

I liked that I got some photos inside the buildings today. Going where Google Street View can only dream of!!! :)

Please excuse any ommisions and typos tonight as had to wait for Andy Murray to finish off his match and get into the quarter finals before could start typing this up :)

Bit tired now and hoarse from cheering on Andy. :)

But I never tire of strolling down Buchanan Street. Really has such a buzz about it.
Hope you enjoyed strolling down here with me today.

Be well, be happy!!