Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival

It's #FergusFunFactFriday once again, and today our resident heritage man is taking us back north of the river....
Construction on the St Enoch Shopping Centre began in 1986 and opened to shoppers in 1989. Officially opened in February 1990 by the then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher (only a few months before she was ermmm, asked to leave...), during Glasgow’s reign as European Capital of Culture, it’s the largest glass enclosed area in Europe (apparently Glasgow loves its... superlatives!) In a sign of the changing times, the steelwork which holds the glass and everything else up was actually made by the famous old Clyde shipbuilders Scott Lithgow in one of their last contracts before they went under themselves in 1993- so St Enoch’s is actually symbolic as the passing from the old Glasgow to the new.
The new shopping centre was built on the site of the St Enoch Railway Station. Opened in 1876, the station was actually a collection of buildings, the main bits being the two great glass platform sheds and the hotel. If you have a look at the glass shed currently exposed by the building works at Queen Street then you’ll get an idea what they were like (but bigger!). The hotel opened in 1879 so it would be its 140th anniversary if it was still there. It had 200 rooms and 20 public rooms making it the biggest of Glasgow’s railway hotels. The station itself was one of Glasgow’s big four train stations along with Central, Queen Street and Buchanan Street, but undoubtedly the best looking, especially the great glass sheds which covered the platforms. It was closed in 1966 by Dr Beeching, then used as a car park before the fantastic glass roofs and the hotel (which stayed open until 1974) were demolished in 1977. The huge platform clock was famously moved to the Town Centre in Cumbernauld and featured in Gregory’s Girl - all the stone and the rest of the demolished buildings were used to fill in the Queen’s Dock and the SEC was built on top of it. Up there with the greatest losses ever suffered by Glasgow’s built environment – just imagine what we could with it today…
Last word to an irate correspondent to a local newspaper who spoke for many: “One wonders when the orgy of destruction of all that is architecturally noble and attractive in Glasgow is going to stop.” – when indeed?...
See More

This gorgeous snowy snap of the Duke of Wellington is making us feel a little bit better about the incoming weather...
Image: 1955, Herald & Times Group

A reminder that Sunday is the deadline for applications to our paid placement for current University of Glasgow students.
Work alongside our festival coordinator and gain experience assisting with all aspects of the preparation for and delivery of Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival 2019! 1 day per week, March-September 2019, #GlasgowLivingWage
Further info on University of Glasgow Careers Service www.glasgow.ac.uk/internships... Image: Amelia Claudia
See More

Visitors to Glasgow are often told to ‘look up’ to see the best of the city. One of our favourites to take in on a lunchtime walk is the Ca D’Oro designed by John Honeyman and based on the ‘Golden House’ in Venice.
Do you have any city centre favourites? #getintoglasgow

There is still a week left to apply to our paid placement opportunity, open to current University of Glasgow students!
Students will get an insight into all aspects of festival coordination, joining Glasgow Building Preservation Trust to help with the administration and delivery of Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival 2019!

On the 7th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...the dates for Doors Open Days 2019...!
Happy New Years from the GDOD team!

#FergusFunFactFriday
Crossmyloof Ice Rink opened in 1907 as the Scottish Ice Rink and was the first indoor ice rink in Scotland – built primarily for indoor curling, not ice-skating. The weather had warmed up so much that it was becoming difficult to find frozen lochs during the winter so they had to build a reliable indoor facility. It had a bandstand in the middle of the rink and its very own private platform at the adjacent Crossmyloof Railway Station. It helped revive ice... skating which was said to have become almost a lost art in Scotland due to the lack of places to skate. During WW1 it was bought by the Beardmore Company and converted to manufacture engines and other bits of aeroplanes but the war ended not long afterwards so not much was built there – it was rebuilt and reopened as an ice rink in 1929 – closed in 1986 and is now a Morrisons.
It is pictured here in 1909, complete with suspended orchestra!
See More

Newly named #FergusFunFactFriday our heritage friend Fergus Sutherland who occasionally pops up on STV's The People's History Show has been offering us some fun seasonal facts about Glasgow places.
On 25th December 1745 the Jacobite army under Bonnie Prince Charlie arrived in Glasgow and billeted themselves on the citizens of the city. They were on the long march back from Derby that would eventually end at Culloden Moor outside Inverness on 16th April. The men were in a poor... state and the prince ordered the citizens of Glasgow to clothe and feed them – not a popular thing as Glasgow was loyal to the Hanoverians (hence the street names) and many prominent citizens actually contributed to a fund to pay for an army to fight against the Prince.
The Prince stayed in the famous Shawfield Mansion on the Trongate, the finest house in the city which was at the time owned by John Glassford, possibly the most successful of the Tobacco Lords who, owning plantations in Virginia and Maryland, profited from the tobacco and slave trades. The Prince and his army stayed for 8 days and left the city on 3rd January 1746.
Images: Watercolour of Shawfield Mansion by Thomas Fairburn; Painting of Prince Charles Edward Stuart by William Mosman
See More

Whilst you're all feeling fuzzy and festive we have a wee favour to ask...
Each year Glasgow Building Preservation Trust has to raise the funds to make the coordination and brochure production for Glasgow Doors Open Days possible. If every visitor to GDOD 2018 donated just 10p we'd reach our target for 2019.
To help us open the city in 2019, you can donate to our fundraiser here: https://mydonate.bt.com/events/gdodf
. .. Think of it as a Christmas present for yourself...that you receive in September 2019...!
Image: Donald Edgar
See More

Mind the time we got to sneak up onto a Glasgow rooftop!
Where's your favourite place to catch a good view of Glasgow? #getintoglasgow
Image: Jack Watts

Yous know the drill...
Nominate the buildings you want to have a nosey in for GDOD 2019! #getintoglasgow

One of our favourite parts of #glasgowdod is putting hidden gems on the map - like Glasgow Press - Letterpress Printers who opened the doors of their wee letterpress printing works in Govan in 2018.
We're still on the look out for places to open in 2019 - know of any hidden gems you'd like to see? #getintoglasgow
Images: Lesley Fleming Photography

Christmas is approaching & we're asking which buildings are on your wish list for us to open in 2019... #getintoglasgow !
_________________________________________ ____ Music: www.bensound.com Images: Galina Walls, Jack Austen, Edinburgh Enthusiast, Lesley Fleming

Very soon we'll be putting a call out for your nominations for buildings you want to open their doors in 2019 but...we need a hashtag...any suggestions?
#hashtaghelp #whichdoorsdoyouwanttobeopenin2019 📷Galina Walls

#tbt the lucky folk who got to visit the derelict Old Central Police Courts last September.
Images: Lesley Fleming Photography

This great shot pretty much sums up #glasgowdod for us.
We can't wait to start finding new places for you to explore in 2019!
📷 Lesley Fleming Photography at The Engine Works

If you missed out on the chance to visit the TS Queen Mary as part of this year's Glasgow Doors Open Days, there is another chance to make a free visit before the end of the year!
Friends of TS Queen Mary are running free tours of the 1933 Clyde built steamer at the beginning of December - a chance to see the boat undergoing restoration.
Details and book here: https://www.facebook.com/events/503213673 503356/

Just in case you were curious, here's some numbers for #glasgowdod 2018.
Now planning starts for #glasgowdod 2019...!

Last night we were at the Glasgow City Chambers celebrating the fantastic hard work that all of this year's participating building & event hosts put in to Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival 2018.
A big congratulations to our award winners!
Above & Beyond Award for Volunteering: Allan Stewart, Anniesland Court ... Children's Educational Experience: The Hidden Gardens Inspiring City Tour: Home Front Walk, Glasgow Buildings in Wartime, Kevin Morrison Innovative Visitor Engagement: Glasgow Press Outstanding New Participant: Newlands South Church
See More

We have had an amazing time with visits to 17 places during this festival. Sincere thanks to all those who participate and give their time to let us share their wonderful buildings and an insight into what goes on, too many highlights to mention individuals - Thanks again :-)

We had an absolutely amazing doors open day this weekend. Everyone was so friendly, helpful & attentive. Thank you so much for the memory making time in glasgow �

Many thanks to all of the organisers and participants of Glasgow's Doors Open Day 2015 - it was wonderful! I love it and it keeps getting better every year. Well done and thanks again!

I'm falling even more in love with Glasgow �� Thank you for that �

I love Doors Open Days. It's a great way to learn about the city. I try to fit in as many events as possible. Last year it was 23 I think. This year only 15. :-)

Great way to see the city. In serious Glasgow appreciation mode at the minute.

Everybody I've dealt with so far has been extremely helpful and informative!

Great opportunity for everyone to experience some of the many historical assets that Glasgow has to offer :)

Great buildings and interesting tours thank you

Fantastic idea.

Always so much to see and do - and all for free!!!

Had a good day, although we didn't get around as much as we'd have liked! Only issue we had was we turned up to do a brewery tour at the drygate but were told they were Sunday only which wasn't mentioned in the brochure. (Still stayed and sampled a good few of their offerings so not all bad!!)

The whole system of booking is shambles. Disgrace.