Latest news with #FairFortnight
Glasgow Times
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
9 fantastic photos of Glasgow Fair weekend in the 90s
The traditional Fair Fortnight holiday marked the two weeks in July when the whole city closed down for a summer break. In the days before foreign travel was as prevalent, city families headed to the coast – Ayr, Prestwick, Troon and Saltcoats – or the islands – Arran, Cumbrae and Bute. (Image: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert) They also made the most of entertainment on their doorstep – mainly the fairground rides and shows at Glasgow Green. Photographer Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert captured a collection of images of the Glasgow Fair back in 1991, which he has now published in the latest of his series of zines. (Image: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert) Jeremy, who grew up on the Southside of the city, travels the world on a variety of high profile commissions and his archive – almost a million photos – was recently acquired by the University of St Andrews. He was official photographer for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Queen's Baton Relay. (Image: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert) 'Printing these zines of my archival work is one way of giving back the images to the people in them, to give the photos new life, and bring them to new audiences,' he explains. (Image: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert) So far, he has published 10 zines, all available from his website. Jeremy took the Fair photos on Glasgow Green and at Ayr beach in 1991, when he was just starting out in his freelance career after his studies at Glasgow College of Building and Printing. (Image: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert) 'I was really just learning my craft then, and it was the start of a career which has taken me around the world,' he explains. 'I find it interesting to look back on these photos and see how things have changed. In one picture we can see the Queen Elizabeth Square flats in the Gorbals that were demolished in 1993. 'The kids seem to be having simple fun, making their own amusement, or being amused by simpler things, perhaps." He adds, smiling: 'Or perhaps that is a sign of my aging …' (Image: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert) Some photos are a reminder of the politics of the time - the Hall of Magic Mirrors on the Green, for example, has Margaret Thatcher and Neil Kinnock as paintings on the exterior. 'Perhaps that shows us that back then politicians were around for a lot longer, and were household names and easily recognised, instead of the revolving doors of the Prime Minister's office and Government in recent years,' adds Jeremy. (Image: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert) 'It's interesting to see the pony rides on Ayr beach, which you may not see so often now, and a young boy on a payphone on a British Telecom mobile phone facility. That's fascinating, especially as now everyone has a smartphone in their pocket.' (Image: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert) Jeremy adds: 'I love that photos like these capture the times, things we take for granted which years, or decades later, become fascinating. 'That's what I love about photography, and why I feel it is important to photograph the common, everyday around us, so that in years to come we can see the changes.' Jeremy is currently focussing on 'photographing Glasgow and Scotland, documenting and capturing the everyday' he explains. 'It's been great to hear from people who recognise themselves in the images, or find relatives and colleagues in the photos,' he adds. 'I hear some lovely comments from people. These aren't just photos - they are people's lives and memories, and as such it's great to give them new life, have them published again. "I can only do what I do with the help and collaboration of the people in the images.' Send us your Glasgow Fair memories - email or write to Ann Fotheringham, Glasgow Times, 125 Fullarton Drive, Glasgow G32 8FG.
Glasgow Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Circus acts and dancers in 6 snaps at Merchant City Festival
Taking place during Fair Fortnight, from July 18 to July 20, the festival promises a wide range of activities and attractions for all ages, transforming the area into a vibrant hub of culture and entertainment. The vibrant festival is bringing arts, dance, and live music as well as market stalls, tasting offerings from speciality food vendors, and taking part in family fun days hosted at Merchant Square. Our photographer Gordon Terris snapped pictures of the surprising, incredible and creative performances on the festival's debut night. 6 incredible snaps as circus acts take to the streets for Merchant City Festival (Image: GT) (Image: GT) The streets are being brought to life by Surge Festival's street theatre, offering surprising and interactive performances that are sure to delight festivalgoers. This year's programme includes a mass ceilidh carnival on Friday, held in celebration of Glasgow 850, as well as live performances from local music artists throughout the weekend. Circus acts and dancers in 6 snaps at Merchant City Festival (Image: GT) (Image: GT) Family-friendly activities are being curated in collaboration with Imaginate, taking place within Merchant Square. Meanwhile, the Social Hub Stage will feature music programmed by Surge, in partnership with 432 Presents. Food lovers can look forward to delicious street food provided by Dockyard Social, while the Ceilidh Carnival is set to capture the spirit of Glasgow through dance and celebration. (Image: GT) (Image: GT) The festival market will offer a variety of artisan stalls to browse, adding to the atmosphere of discovery. For those seeking a more tranquil experience, the Ambient Arcade and a Quiet Space will be available at Impact Arts on the Boardwalk, offering a peaceful retreat amid the festivities.
Glasgow Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Full list of Glasgow roads set to close for festival
Taking place during Fair Fortnight, from July 18 to July 20, the festival promises a wide range of activities and attractions for all ages, transforming the area into a vibrant hub of culture and entertainment. Visitors can enjoy exploring market stalls, tasting offerings from speciality food vendors, and taking part in family fun days hosted at Merchant Square. READ MORE: Huge TRNSMT act visits Gorbals pub and chats to staff The streets will be brought to life by Surge Festival's street theatre, offering surprising and interactive performances that are sure to delight festivalgoers. This year's programme includes a mass ceilidh carnival on Friday, held in celebration of Glasgow 850, as well as live performances from local music artists throughout the weekend. Family-friendly activities are being curated in collaboration with Imaginate, taking place within Merchant Square. Meanwhile, the Social Hub Stage will feature music programmed by Surge, in partnership with 432 Presents. Food lovers can look forward to delicious street food provided by Dockyard Social, while the Ceilidh Carnival is set to capture the spirit of Glasgow through dance and celebration. READ MORE: TRNSMT act takes unwell on main stage due to scorching heat The festival market will offer a variety of artisan stalls to browse, adding to the atmosphere of discovery. For those seeking a more tranquil experience, the Ambient Arcade and a Quiet Space will be available at Impact Arts on the Boardwalk, offering a peaceful retreat amid the festivities. To ensure the safety of attendees and road users, eight roads in and around the Merchant City area will be closed for the duration of the festival. Access will be restricted to all vehicles except emergency service vehicles responding to an emergency and vehicles with prior permission from Glasgow City Council's events team. READ MORE: Kevin Bridges poses with huge TRNSMT act Full details of affected roads and times are here: Prohibition of vehicle movements From 6am on July 18 until 11.59pm on July 20. Brunswick Street for its full length Bell Street between Candleriggs and Walls Street Candleriggs for its full length Garth Street for its full length - local access to resident parking Wilson Street between Glassford Street and Candleriggs Hutcheson Street for its full length Prohibition on waiting and loading or unloading From 3pm on July 17 until 11.59pm on July 20 Hutcheson Street for its full length Brunswick Street for its full length Bell Street between Candleriggs and Walls Street Candleriggs for its full length Garth Street for its full length Wilson Street between Glassford Street and Candleriggs Suspension of bus lane From 4am on July 18 until 11.59pm on July 20
Glasgow Times
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow woman recalls childhood escape to Loch Lomond in new book
Moira Forrester grew up on the former Lenzie Street in Springburn during the 1940s as the city began to recover from the Second World War. The 82-year-old recalled the day that her father Alex came home and announced to the family that he'd bought a boat, which he called 'Sanda'. Moira Forrester pictured at home in Bearsden with her second book, 'The story of a ship's lifeboat called Sanda'. She is pictured with husband Victor who is holding Moira's first book 'The story of a black cat called Cheech'. (Image: Colin Mearns) From then on, the family would make routine visits to Loch Lomond to 'escape' from the city for a while and enjoy the peace of the countryside. Moira said: 'I was almost five years old when my father bought the boat. We had our first holiday that year at the Fair Fortnight in July. 'We ended up continuing to do that every weekend. My father just wanted to get out into the countryside, and so Loch Lomond, it was. 'I decided to write the book for my own family to describe to them what life was like to a certain extent in the 1940s and 1950s and how we escaped. 'We had this place that we would escape to, which was quite wonderful and very, very empty in those days. 'Nobody really had cars and no one really went on holiday in the 1940s, as after the war most people had nothing.' (Image: Colin Mearns) READ NEXT: Plans lodged to turn Glasgow offices into social rent home Moira explained that before owning 'Sanda', the closest her father had ever gotten to sailing was in a rowing boat at his local pond. The family lived in a top-floor room and kitchen in the North of the city before later moving to a tenement property on Springburn Road, which had indoor plumbing and heating. The book aptly titled The story of a ship's lifeboat called Sanda reflects on Moira's treasured memories of spending her childhood out on the water. (Image: Colin Mearns) It was published in September last year after the now Bearsden resident was approached by Amanda Sinclair, an illustrator keen to bring the story to life. The book features a variety of colourful illustrations as well as enhanced family photographs, some of which were taken on a 1930s box camera that Moira's father owned. Handout photograph of Moira Forrester as a child with her mother Mary Marshall (Image: Moira Forrester) Handout photograph of Moira Forrester, left, as a child with her sister Sandra and their father Alex Marshall pictured at Inchtavannach, Loch Lomond. (Image: Moira Forrester) READ NEXT: Calls to stop 'death and suffering of birds' at Glasgow depot She added: 'My school teachers would probably collapse with shock if they knew I ever had a book published. 'The first one I wrote was the Story of a Black Cat called Cheech. That was written for my two grandchildren who live in France. 'Cheech died, and our grandchildren were upset, and I tried to say something to them about life, love, and loss, but there was a language barrier. 'So I wrote the book, and that's how this journey started. Mandy saw it thirteen years later and told me she really wanted to get it published as she didn't know any other children's book where the hero ended up dying at the end. 'Mandy then saw this latest one and said she wanted to do that one as well. Most of the book, right up until the last five pages, are modern photographs. 'The rest are very small black and white snaps taken by my father's 1930s box camera. It was very early photographs for ordinary people. 'There's equipment nowadays that can analyse the depths of the black, white, and grey and can assess what the colours would be. 'When I saw those photographs, I couldn't believe it, they were all the right colours. Mandy did an absolutely amazing job. 'I was gobsmacked when I saw the finished product. I couldn't have imagined it to have turned out as good as it did.' Copies of Moira's book are available for purchase online.
