The Bell's first birthday and city centre Cineworld shuts

Dear readers, we hope your weekend was one of personal enrichment in the form of slumber, plush pillows, and water-tight windows given how rainy Saturday was. Of course, followed by basking in Sunday’s glorious sun if you weren’t nursing a fiery hangover after Great Western Road’s Mexican deli Lupe Pinto’s annual chilli cook off. Sombreros and ponchos were spotted out and about in the West End rain on Saturday, and Stravaigin emerged victorious.

Now, raise your hand if you received The Bell’s very first newsletter. It told the story of how a young man called Kentigern brought the dead body of a friend to its resting place by the Molendinar burn (where Glasgow Cathedral is now), and named it Glasgui. Well, to each and every one of the 844 people who received that first email, happy Bell birthday. Tomorrow marks one year since that monumental day. 

As part of the festivities, we’ve been reading back over some of the early articles — remember Dani Garavelli’s wonderful (and award-winning) essay on the state of Glasgow? —and selected some of the best for you below. Scroll down to see our picks.

It’s been an absolute privilege to publish our stories for, dear readers, over the past year. Thank you for everything. It has been a sometimes-hectic, occasionally-difficult, and always-rewarding project which, we think it’s fair to say, has already proven a real success. If you’re not already supporting us with your cash, but want to get behind the renaissance in quality local journalism, well we’ve got a very handy offer to ease you in: 50% off your first months of membership. That’s just £1 a week. Just click here to claim.

To those who are already backing us with your cash, thank you. And for all readers, present and future: here’s to many more years of ringing the bell.

Now, on to your Monday Briefing.

Glasgow in Brief

⚽ You may have noticed a slight change of status at Cathkin Park in the last week. In an “historic victory”, the football ground was designated a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland, recognising its significance as the “second Hampden” and a “rare example” of a late 19th century stadium with original terraced embankments still intact. This protection makes it an offence to carry out unauthorised works to the pitch, which was first used for football by Queen’s Park in 1883.

But, readers may wonder what this means for the local community who’ve been fighting for access to the football pitch with the Jimmy Johnstone Academy of Football for over a year now, as reported in these virtual pages by Eve Livingston. The dispute is over who gets to access public land, and whether there should be a 3m fence blocking people from doing so. The pitch is council-owned but leased by JJA. Local community group Friends of Cathkin Park argue the public should have access. 

Simon Morris from FCP told The Bell that the football academy has withdrawn their application for a large 3m fence, which to Morris, is “definitely a win”. However, it’s not quite so simple. The council has approved a 1.99m fence around the pitch on the conditions that it isn’t locked and there’s a permanent wheelchair-sized gap for access by the community when it isn’t being used by the academy. 

As we reported from the previous full council meeting, Councillor Holly Bruce, long a champion of community access to the pitch, raised the issue of a temporary fence that had been erected around the ground. It turns out the fence was for reseeding the pitch to aid drainage, but FCP are still pushing “as hard as they can” to remove all physical and legal barriers to the now-protected pitch. 

🚨 Pocket-sized personal safety alarms are to be issued to all Glasgow City Council elected representatives as veteran councillors say they now feel unsafe in their roles. Reported by the Glasgow Times, Cllr Elaine McDougall, who’d been campaigning for the rollout of SOS devices for councillors, after she was chased down the street by a constituent, said the decision is welcome but “long overdue”. 

As well as being chased, Cllr McDougall, who represents Dennistoun, has also had paint stripper thrown over her and says that, despite over 30 years in politics, this is the first time she’s felt unsafe. In July, Southside Central councillor Dr Soryia Siddique received Islamophobic and racist abuse online. The alleged perpetrator, a Scottish podcaster, has been charged. 

🎥 Cinema-goers completed their final pilgrimage to the Renfrew Street Cineworld on Sunday as it shut following a buyout by Irish cinema chain Omniplex. Avid film fan Annette Montgomery said it was a “massive” part of her life and that “there has been tears” as she visited it for the final time yesterday. Montgomery, who first went to the cinema in 2001 and has had an Unlimited Cineworld card since 2002, told The Bell she watched The Strangers: Chapter 2 as well as Spider-Man 3 to round off a two decade long movie-watching career at Europe’s tallest cinema. Craig Lin, who had also been going to the theatre for 20 years, told us the two stand-out screenings he remembers are The Dark Knight midnight viewing and waking for the 5am screening of The Dark Knight Rises in 2012. 

But, film fanatics may not be consigned to the Batcave. We can confirm that the cinema company who bought the building, Omniplex, has a similar unlimited movie subscription deal as Cineworld’s, except it starts £1 cheaper at £11.99. Omniplex is yet to confirm plans for the Renfrew Street site.

📝 Where were you when David Cameron gave that speech begging Scotland not to vote ‘Yes’ in 2014? What were you doing when news came in that we had voted ‘No’? Researchers at the University of Stirling are calling for people to contribute to a project aiming to plot significant places of the independence referendum. They want to hear your Glaswegian memories and areas of relevance from the “pivotal democratic moment”. If you’d like to contribute or learn more, you can visit their form here. 

Stories you might have missed:

🌳 The Argyle Street Ash has been named Tree of the Year by the Woodland Trust (Daily Record)

🚨 70 people contact police as part of ongoing missing ashes funeral home fraud probe (BBC)

🪦 Necropolis set to get new £210,000 eastern gate (Glasgow Live)

⚽ Football academy and community group fallout over use of Easterhouse Stepford Sports Complex (Glasgow Live)

🚢 Funding for Clyde shipbuilding welding centre secured as UK Government steps in with £2.5m (BBC)

📣 Gun drummer funds councillor’s legal fees in ‘free speech’ dispute with council,  (The Herald, £)

Read/listen/watch — Glasgow Bell edition: Rethinking rain in the UK’s soggiest city, Natalie Whittle

As part of our one-year birthday celebrations, we’re revisiting Natalie’s story about that age-old marriage of Glasgow and rain. It was the first Bell piece Calum actually read, recommended to him by a friend —- the same friend that later encouraged him to apply for a job here, as it happens (Editor’s note: we owe this friend some pints on us). The article opened his mind to the idea of using rain as a design feature when it comes to town planning and public spaces and artwork. 

Natalie Whittle’s piece is beautiful, and makes us long for water-powered sculptures under public canopies in George Square, for example. Is that so much to ask?

Rethinking rain in the UK’s soggiest city

“Weather happens to you, it’s a question of how you deal with it.”

The BellNatalie Whittle

• A blueprint for Glasgow’s railways
• Nightlife, hardcore, and Sauchiehall Street
• Glasgow airport’s future

Catch up and coming up:

• On the weekend, Eve Livingston got the lowdown from Glasgow’s glitterati on what went wrong for Soho House in its doomed venture just off George Square
• Last week, acclaimed photographer and author Kirsty Mackay took us along with her as she and her family moved back to Glasgow after 30 years away from her hometown. Kirsty’s piece chimed with reader Sabrina, who commented: “Such a beautiful piece! Thank you! I love the idea of collective recovery. That captures and explains so much. I’ve been here for 35 years and Glasgow is dear to my heart for so many of the same reasons. I do also hope Castlemilk gets their supermarket soon and Robroyston their promised amenities. But in the meantime, the amazing spirit of Glasgow keeps us going. 💚”

It’s aye pulling ye back

Acclaimed photographer Kirsty Mackay explores belonging as she moves back to Glasgow after 30 years

The BellKirsty Mackay

• It’s official, SPT will work towards bus franchising — passengers' prayers (most of them at least) have been answered. So, this week, Calum takes an analytical look at bus giant McGill’s chronically late accounts.

From the Editor’s inbox

We love it when you get in touch. Given we’re on a little anniversary jaunt down memory lane, here’s a thought-provoking comment fromDani Garavelli’s story about whether Glasgow’s suburbs should be paying more tax to support the city proper. Thanks to reader Kate Taylor for this personal comment, although all contributions under that piece are interesting. Keep them coming at editor@glasgowbell.co.uk ✒️

“Very interesting article. I live and work in Glasgow and would confess to having the chip on the shoulder conundrum re East Ren. When we were looking to move from Mansewood when my son was about to enter S1 there was something probably thrawn in me not buying in East Ren despite being able to. Yet we use Rouken Glen regularly, and it's a good point that the lines were gerrymandered at outset so at some point we should stop blaming each other and work together to fund Glasgow more fairly. Will be interesting to see if any of the proposed charges for use of her services actually yield anything substantial.”

Re:view: Namak mandi, 100 Gorbals Street, G5 9EJ

Regular readers may recall that in my recent piece on the regeneration of North Laurieston, I was given a special automobile tour by Nade Ali. He’s probably as close as North Laurieston comes to having a king, or at least a powerful laird, presiding over a large entrepreneurial empire. This includes Namak Mandi, a giant traditional temple of Afghan/Peshawari cuisine. So I thought I’d give it a try. 

Housed in the former Gorbals library building, Namak Mandi has to be the city’s most surreal eating experience. When you enter, a dimly-lit lobby of black and gold greets you. From there, you’re ushered to your table in the banquet hall. And some hall it is. More black and gold, coating the walls in resin form and adorning the chairs in neat trim. On the wall of the entrance side huge gold lettering reads “Namak Mandi”, although from our table at the far side of the room, our view of it is obscured by a massive drooping chandelier that I have to duck to walk under. 

Onto the food. One of my co-diners arrived earlier than me, and when I finally met him there was a half-eaten appetiser on the table (he was saving the rest for me). “Compliments of the chef” he told me. What a nice touch; the service is genuinely impeccable. Despite a wait for our main – the dum pukht lamb sharing plate – we were treated like (and even referred to as) kings. The food was tasty, rustic, and reasonably priced. I can’t in good conscience award it my coveted Humble Yum status, but that’s mainly due to the sheer ostentation of the place. There’s a thrill in eating authentic grub in such an over-the-top venue where families tuck into mixed grills while Nade Ali shmoozes guests in his black velvet blazer. Overall, a great experience. Calum

Glasgow Calendar:

A collaboration between photographer Chris Leslie and the Empire Cafe and Collective Architecture’s Jude Barber, this visual arts project documents communities and their relationships with the Clyde. Held in the supremely cool offices of Collective Architecture, up above Bath Street, the exhibition, screenings, and discussion will explore the river’s “historical, heritage, cultural, and environmental importance by examining issues like accessibility, ecological health, and the River Clyde’s future role in Glasgow’s development”.

Free | 6.30pm Thursday 2 October | Collective Architecture, 4th Floor, Albert Chambers, 13 Bath Street, G2 1HY