Glasgow History 6

History of Glasgow Part 6

Glasgow Harbour

  Glasgow’s Miles Better.

After years of decline and a disastrous attempt post war social housing by the
early to mid 70’s the city was basically on its knees. The new housing schemes
had failed, too many people lived in them with nowhere near enough shops or
recreational amenities.

The High rise blocks of the Red Road, Gorbals and others where now hell on earth
for an increasing amount of families. When the Old tenements where torn down the
tight knit communities of the “close” dwellers where ripped apart and the
communities scattered around the new schemes like Easterhouse, Drumchappel,
Castlemilk, Barmulloch and others moved out to the “New Towns” of Cumbernauld
and East Kilbride.

The city centre was in major decline with many of the shops closed, the
Victorian buildings dirty and in a state of disrepair. All around the city stood
empty or soon to be empty factories and work places.

This was the Glasgow that I spent my younger years in and it was not nice and to
tell the truth I felt embarrassed to tell others it was my home.

When the Conservatives swept to power they drove the final nails firmly into the
coffin of a once great city. It seemed that our city was destined to stay in a
state of permanent decline. I also remember in the early 80’s that out of my
circle of friends only 5 of us had jobs, out of a group of 20 odd people that’s
bad. What could we do, where could we turn? The answer came from the city
council and its then leader Dr Michael Kelly in 1983. The catalyst?? A slogan,
three simple words. ”Glasgow’s Miles Better” , no one could surely have
conceived how much better the city was about to become turning it’s self in one
generation from a rundown slum ridden city to once again being a vibrant major
European player again.

The city rose like a phoenix from the ashes, over the next two and a half
decades it would host prestigious events such as;

• 1988 Glasgow Garden Festival
• 1990 European City of Culture
• 1999 UK City of Architecture and design
• 2002 Champions League Final
• 2007 UEFA Cup Final
• 2014 Commonwealth Games

Glasgow 2011

Along with massive public and private investment the once dead banks of the
Clyde where transformed into showcase of striking modern architecture.

The city centre once dead and lifeless is now the biggest and most stylish
retail centre in the UK outside London and also boasts one of Europe’s fastest
growing financial centres.

People are happy again, we have magnificent entertainment and cultural
facilities many world class and as if things could not get better the city has
secured the 2014 commonwealth games which will lead to further investment in
housing stock, people and jobs.

The one thing we have not managed to tackle successfully yet is the poor state
of health that many of our citizens in the poorer areas suffer. Hopefully the
commonwealth games will help us to focus more on the health and wellbeing of all
our citizens.

That concludes my short history of Glasgow…Wullie