Glasgow II: the return

A lovely, sunny (if chilly) day in February and time for a return visit to Glesga! It’s two months since the last trip and there are now nearly three extra hours of daylight to enjoy so it’s off on the electric train again.

The previous trip was to two museums away from the centre so I decided to stay closer to the centre today. First a walk to the cathedral and Necropolis, then back to look around the shops which are near the railway station so I can go home when ready.

But first, a trip to the famous statue of the Duke of Wellington and his traffic cones. If you haven’t heard of him, in the 1980s, some people began putting a traffic cone on his head. The council kept removing it but another always took its place. In the end, they decided to leave it there and it has become an affectionate attraction. Unfortunately it now has extra cones and stickers which detracts, I think. Still, you would probably not look twice at the statue without them, would you.

So then onto Glasgow Cathedral which has some holy scaffolding in place. I wouldn’t fancy the job of erecting that. Dating from the 12th century, it is impressive as most cathedrals are. Both the exterior and interior stone is blackened, presumably by pollution, which is a shame.

Right next to the cathedral is Glasgow Necropolis – a Victorian cemetery with thousands of monuments, rather than headstones. It’s a very strange place to visit but fascinating, and you get some interesting photographs with the columns and tombs.

So after a pleasant walk around the Necropolis, I made my way back to the station, stopping at St Enoch’s, the shopping mall in the city centre. There was still chance for a couple of surprises on the way. First I came across the Tardis, although I don’t know where the Doctor was – saving the world again, no doubt. Then there was the lovely mural on the end of a terrace.

Finally a meal in St Enochs and on the train again, back to Kilwinning. I enjoyed this trip more than the first visit in December – then I was visiting museums some distance from the station so there was a fair bit of walking (should have caught the bus or Metro). This was more relaxed with all the shops on the roads to keep me entertained as I made my way to and from the cathedral. And with the extra daylight and weather improving, my next visit won’t be much longer.