Glasgow's Twin Cities

Glasgow has eight "twin" cities scattered across the globe. I wasn't sure of the best way to describe the concept of city twinning, but thankfully Glasgow - the customer magazine from Glasgow City Council - had this handy explanation...

The concept of twinning was introduced in Europe in the 1950s as a way of increasing understanding and tolerance following the divisions of the Second World War. It is defined as "a permanent commitment to... work together in practical co-operation in projects - such as education, culture, urban regeneration, governance and changes of experience, to the mutual benefit of both parties.

Glasgow's twin cities are:

Bethlehem, West Bank
Dalian, China
Havana, Cuba
Lahore, Pakistan
Marseille, France
Nuremberg, Germany
Rostov-on-Don, Russia
Turin, Italy

The picture shows Former Lord Provost of Glasgow, Liz Cameron, with delegates from Lahore on signing the twinning agreement with the Pakistani city in 2006.

Image copyright City Government Lahore

Famous Visitor no.3

Remember Mini Me - villainous Dr Evil's cloned sidekick in the Austin Powers movies? The actor who played him - Verne Troyer - was in Glasgow on Friday to make a guest appearance at The Classrooms, a student nightclub on Sauchiehall Street.

Image copyright The Classrooms.

Presidents in Glasgow

As the world reacts to the election of Senator Barack Obama as the new President of the United States of America, here's a quick look at some of his predecessors' links to Glasgow.

George W Bush is reported as having visited Glasgow for a wedding in 1983, and also playing golf in and around the city (prior to his presidency) - these visits the result of a long-standing family friendship.

More recently he flew into the city's Prestwick International Airport when the G8 Summit was held at Gleneagles, Perthshire, in 2005. The photo below shows he and his wife Laura descending Glasgow Prestwick Airport steps from the famous Air Force One.

Bill Clinton never visited Glasgow during his presidency but has made more than one visit to the city since he left office, usually on public speaking duties. He is pictured below at a 2006 event in the Thistle Hotel.

A young John F Kennedy came to Glasgow in 1939. He was aiding his father - then American Ambassador to the UK - following the sinking of the passenger ship Athenia. American survivors of the disaster were housed in Glasgow until passage was arranged for them and JFK travelled to the city to visit them.

Other American Presidents are known to have visited the west of Scotland too, and it is highly likely they will have seen a glimpse of Glasgow or one of its airports. George Bush Senior and Jimmy Carter have both stayed at the Lodge on Loch Lomond, and Dwight Eisenhower had a suite at Culzean Castle in Ayrshire gifted to him.

Hopefully President Obama will join the above leaders in visiting Glasgow - news reports today say that First Minister Alex Salmond has invited him to Scotland next year, so watch this space...

Images copyright Getty (Bush) and STV (Clinton).

Glasgow - One of the top 10 cities in the world

Trusted and world renowned tourist guide publishers Lonely Planet today revealed the choices for their 2009 Best In Travel guide, and sitting proudly in the list of top 10 cities to see next year is Scotland's biggest city.

As reported in the Evening Times - where you can read the full story - travel editor Tom Hall said "The time has come for lonely planet to let one of its worst kept secrets out - Glasgow's got everything".

Joining Glasgow on the roll of honour are...

Antwerp, Belgium

Beirut, Lebanon

Chicago, USA

Lisbon, Portugal

Mexico City, Mexico

Sao Paolo, Brazil

Shanghai, China

Warsaw, Poland

Zurich, Switzerland

Images copyright Lonely Planet

Jumeirah Checks In To Glasgow

Something of a coup for Glasgow today, when one of the world's most exclusive hotel chains announced they will open a hotel in the city in 2010.

Jumeirah - based in the United Arab Emirates - are developing a SIX STAR, 25 STOREY hotel on Argyle Street. The hotel will feature 160 guest rooms, 85 serviced apartments, wellness spa, gym, rooftop cocktail lounge, several restaurants and bars, business and conference amenities, a 630 seat ballroom and - perhaps the piece de resistance - a top floor infinity swimming pool commanding spectacular views across Glasgow.

What is so significant about this development is the vote of confidence in Glasgow. The Jumeirah Glasgow will join an exclusive portfolio that features Dubai's landmark Burj Al Arab, New York's Essex House and three top of the market London hotels. Besides the three hotels in the UK capital, Jumeirah's only other European site is an exclusive resort planned for the port of Soller in Majorca.

More details can be found in the official press release.

Images copyright Jumeirah.

Doctor Who: The Glasgow Connection - UPDATE

Glasgow has once again popped up (at least in name) in the most recent series of Doctor Who.

In the episode Turn Left we are shown how life would pan out for companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) and the rest of the world had the Doctor been killed during a previous confrontation. With no Doctor around to save the day, the space cruise liner Titanic plummets to earth on Christmas day and wipes out London.

Later in a refugee centre, survivors Donna and her family are told they are being sent to Leeds. "Leeds!? I'm not moving to Leeds!" exclaims Donna - but it seems there's one place she would be happy to go...

Image Copyright 2008 BBC Worldwide Ltd.

Good Evening Glasgow, This Is Stockholm Calling

I have to begin this post with a disclaimer that I can't stand these TV dancing shows - "celebrities" doing the tango under the watchful eye of Bruce Forsyth, or risking life and limb by trying to dance on an ice rink? No thanks. I'm also no fan of the Eurovision Song Contest, where political voting means that the UK and a handful of other countries would be as well steering clear.

However, while channel surfing on Saturday night I found myself washed up at BBC One, where the Eurovision Dance Contest was taking place live from - you've guessed it - Glasgow.

Now, despite my criticism of such events, I can't complain about the reports of an estimated 23 million people across Europe watching something beamed live from the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC). Nor can I complain about the excellent recorded video footage of the city, host Graham Norton's subsequent "Doesn't Glasgow look beautiful?" or Glaswegian Carol Smillie - who returned the UK's votes from just over the river at BBC Scotland - saying "Good evening from Glasgow - best city in Britain". Plus, for one night only, it was pretty good to have the pomp and ceremony of 13 different European TV personalities bidding Glasgow a good evening from all over the continent.

If you're interested, Poland were the winners.

Image copyright EBU 2004-2008

"Apparently Glasgow Is A Great City" - Sigourney Weaver

Today's Sunday Mail had an article about Hollywood actress Sigourney Weaver entitled "Only Thing That Scares Alien Star Sigourney Weaver Is Scottish Midge".

Weaver - whose film credits include the Ghostbusters and Aliens films - was in London for the UK premiere of new Disney Pixar feature WALL.E and spoke of her husband - Jim Simpson's - Scottish roots.

Mr Simpson's family is originally from Glasgow and Forfar, and his wife is quoted as saying "We have to visit Forfar and Glasgow because my husband's family were from those two places - apparently Glasgow is a great city".

We look forward to welcoming you!

Photo copyright Wireimage.com

Glasgow institution no. 2: Taggart

Taggart - a detective drama produced by STV and set in Glasgow - is the UK's longest running detective series, and tonight sees the airing of its 90th episode.

The title takes its name from the show's original main character - DCI Jim Taggart - played by Mark McManus from the first episode in 1983 up until the actor's death in 1994. Since then, the focus has been on the remainder of the team at Maryhill CID - Michael Jardine (this character was killed off in 2002), Jackie Reid, Robbie Ross, Stuart Fraser and the current DCI Matt Burke (played by James MacPherson, Blythe Duff, John Michie, Colin McCredie and Alex Norton respectively).



Over the years, Taggart has seen appearances by big name Scottish actors including Robert Carlyle and Dougray Scott, and household names like Larry Lamb (Gavin and Stacey) and Paul Barber (Only Fools and Horses).

The show is broadcast in 56 countries worldwide.

Images copyright STV.

New Air Route: Hurghada

International air links are important to any big city, and Glasgow is fortunate enough to be served by two airports - Glasgow International Airport and Glasgow Prestwick Airport. Future posts will look at each airport in more detail, but I'll also be posting when new routes are announced.


From November, Scottish airline Flyglobespan will fly from Glasgow International to Hurghada in Egypt. The flight is primarily for outbound leisure passengers looking to sample the delights of the Red Sea resort - nonetheless, this will be Glasgow's first scheduled service to Egypt and indeed to Africa as a whole (charter flights already operate from Glasgow to Egypt and Tunisia).

Glasgow Institution no.1: Rangers

Taking an overdue break from the film and TV focus today, it's time to start looking at some of the best known names associated with Glasgow. As one of Glasgow's big two football teams (collectively known as the Old Firm) was the focus of my last blog about Heroes and Lost, I thought it only fair that I begin "Glasgow Institutions" with the other team - Rangers. (Celtic fans don't worry - your team will get a similar posting soon!)

Someone with little knowledge of football such as myself can't do a great deal of justice for teams when writing about them, so I'll keep this simple by picking out some of the club's highlights from their official website - http://www.rangers.premiumtv.co.uk

Rangers Football Club was born in 1872, when four young men put together a team to take on Callander FC at Flesher's Haugh on Glasgow Green. A year later the club was officially founded.

Since then, the team has always been one of the strongest in Scotland with the following accolades to its name: Scottish League Champions 51 times between 1891 and 2005; Scottish Cup Winners 31 times between 1894 and 2003; Scottish League Cup Winners 25 times between 1946 and 2007.

As this blog is primarily concerned with Glasgow's place on the world stage, it's Rangers international record that interests me in particular. In 1972, Barcelona was the stage for the European Cup Winner's Cup Final, in which the Glasgow side beat Dynamo Moscow 3-2 to win the competition. They were also runners up in the same competition in 1961 and 1967 and, currently, are preparing to take on Italy's Fiorentina in the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup - good luck Rangers!

The club is based at Ibrox Stadium on the southside of the city.

Hooper Heroes (The Scottish Sun - Saturday 12th April 2008)

The Scottish Sun had a story that was right up my street on Saturday - it was about Glasgow's own Celtic Football Club playing a part in two of the USA's biggest TV shows.

In Heroes, a storyline sees character Peter Petrelli being blackmailed by a "gang of Irish crooks who are plotting a raid on a bookies". The game at the centre of the plot is a 2007 Champions League clash between Celtic and AC Milan.


The newspaper article also refers to a Lost episode in which Scottish character Desmond Hume sings "For It's A Grand Old Team To Play For", and when in a flashback sequence his fiancee says "The closest you've come to a religious experience was when Celtic won the cup".

Glasgow pops up in the funniest of places - UPDATE

Bit of a dark one this - a mention of Glasgow that I recently stumbled across in Omen III: The Final Conflict. Antichrist Damien Thorn (Sam Neill) learns that the Nazarene Child has been born and orders his disciples (of which there are many, from all walks of life) to kill every child born on a certain day. The alarming phenomenon of sudden deaths makes headline news, as Barbara (Leueen Willoughby) - wife of Thorn's private secretary - sees on television in this scene...

Image copyright 1981 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Doctor Who: The Glasgow Connection

With The Herald reporting that a large-scale Doctor Who exhibition is due to arrive at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum next year (http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/news/display.var.2170524.0.Doctor_Who_to_be_star_attraction_at_Kelvingrove.php), and the popular sci-fi show's fourth series due to begin tomorrow night on BBC One, I thought it would be a good idea to look at some of Glasgow's connections with the "Whoniverse".

- Apparently in an early episode featuring the Second Doctor - played by Patrick Troughton - the eponymous Doctor mentiones that he studied at the University of Glasgow under Joseph Lister in 1888.

- More recently, in the Tenth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) episode The Long Game, a news report heard on "Satellite Five" refers to "the Glasgow water riots". (Don't worry - this episode was set in the far future).

- In a mocked up website to promote The Christmas Invasion, fictional Prime Minister Harriet Jones sends her good wishes "Whether you're in Birmingham or Glasgow, Cardiff or London".

- Finally - and perhaps most significantly - in spin-off series Torchwood, Captain Jack Harkness (Glasgow-born John Barrowman) reveals that "Torchwood 2" - a division of the mysterious alien fighting agency - is an office in Glasgow.

Image copyright BBC 2008.

A Christmas Special For Easter...

Watched Blackadder's Christmas Carol on DVD over the weekend (I don't know why, I just saw the boxset sitting there and decided I'd like to give it - as well as the Back And Forth Millennium special - a viewing).

Anyway, I had forgotten about this Glasgow themed joke. For those not familiar with the episode, Jim Broadbent is playing Prince Albert, who is trying to disguise the fact that he is German...

Images copyright 2005 BBC Worldwide Ltd.

Doomsday Has Come

Doomsday, the latest film from British director Neil Marshall (The Descent, Dog Soldiers) premiered in the USA on Friday. The significance to this blog? Much of the action takes place in Glasgow.

The story in a nutshell is that a lethal virus breaks out in present day Glasgow, wiping out nearly everyone in Scotland - to protect the rest of the UK and the world, the government builds a wall closing off Scotland. Fast forward to 2033 and the "Reaper" virus appears to have reared its ugly head again in London - satellite images show survivors still living in Scotland and a crack military team are sent over the wall to try and find a cure. Of course nothing is simple and they are faced with a rather insane bunch of people inhabiting the post apocalyptic Caledonia.

While most of the film was shot in South Africa, with Cape Town doubling for Glasgow (ironic given that Glasgow has in the past doubled for other cities), some scenes were filmed in the tenement lined streets of Haghill. Various trailers show recognisable images of Glasgow, including a pre-disaster Buchanan Street and a dark and deserted Ingram Street, including the Gallery of Modern Art, in 2033. The tower blocks in the French poster on the right are distinctly un-Glaswegian, however there is one Glasgow landmark - the University of Glasgow's tower. This poster features on a blog devoted to Doomsday - Doomsday Trailer (http://doomsday-trailer.blogspot.com) - you can find the film's official site at http://www.doomsdayiscoming.com

Famous Visitor no.2

Hollywood actresses who were at the peak of their careers in the 1980s are like buses - you wait ages for one and two turn up at the same time...

Just a day after Goldie Hawn arrived in Glasgow, Kathleen Turner will be at the city's Mitchell Library this evening to talk about her autobiography. Ms Turner's visit is part of the Aye Write! book festival currently taking place in Glasgow.

Aye Write! - one of Glasgow's growing number of festivals is in its third year and has also featured appearances by writers including Tony Parsons, Iain Banks, Denise Mina, Will Self, Tony Benn, Martin Bell and Gerry Anderson. http://www.ayewrite.com/



Images copyright Aye Write! Bank of Scotland Book Festival 2008 and WireImage.com

Famous Visitor no.1

I'll be documenting famous faces to visit Glasgow, from world leaders and sport stars to Hollywood A-listers and music legends. Don't think she's been in anything for a while, but actress Goldie Hawn gets the honour of being the first such posting - she's apparently attending a fundraising banquet in the Glasgow Hilton tonight.

Photo copyright Wireimage.com

Glasgow pops up in the funniest of places

I didn't know what to make my first post about, so decided I'd combine my passion for Glasgow with one of my other great passions - film. Future posts will look in more detail at movies made and set in Glasgow, but this introductory post takes a look at five blockbusters with unexpected mentions of the city in them. (I did say there would be trivial stuff on here)...

The Bourne Identity (2002)
When Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) surfaces in Zurich, CIA man Alexander Conklin (Chris Cooper) wants him "in a body bag by sun down". Conklin's team set about locating their trained assassins in Europe and the below shot of one of their computer screens would suggest that there's a Treadstone agent somewhere in Glasgow...

Copyright 2002 Universal Studios

The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
Just before Scotland froze it was business as usual in the environmental disaster flick. As we are introduced to the team at the Scotland based "Hedland Climate Research Center", we hear a commentator say "Welcome back to Glasgow, Scotland (just as any Scottish commentator would!), where Manchester United leads 3-1 over hometown Celtic in this pivotal Champions League match".

Copyright 2004 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Lifeforce (1985)
In this bizarre British sci-fi horror film, a race of space vampires bring carnage to London. Spot the familiar advertising slogan on the side of the bus...

Copyright 1985 Easedram Limited

The Rock (1996)
Edinburgh folk may have been surprised to find their most famous son playing a Weegie in this San Francisco-set action movie. John Patrick Mason (Sean Connery) is the only man ever to have broken out of Alcatraz, and his background is revealed when the FBI's Dr Stanley Goodspeed (Nicolas Cage) asks colleague Marvin Isherwood (Todd Louiso) to check him out on the computer system.

Both images copyright Hollywood Pictures Company

The Sum Of All Fears (2002)

In the Jack Ryan adventure, arms dealer and bad apple Olson (Colm Feore) contemplates his latest business transaction while watching BBCs Antiques Roadshow. I wonder if the lady discussing the prized possession she found in an old Glasgow mansion knows she's a film star...

Copyright 2002 Paramount Pictures