The Doulton Fountain in Glasgow Green

the whole fountain

I am conflicted when it comes to the Doulton Fountain.  On the one hand, it is lovely to look at, hand sculpted, very big, very old and very interesting to photograph.  On the other, it's all Empire and Jubilee and all things that make me terribly uncomfortable.

The Fountain is the largest terracotta fountain in the world, like anywhere else in the whole world.  It is 46 feet tall and 70 feet wide across it's basin.  You can find it in Glasgow Green behind the Peoples' Palace.  It was renovated and moved in 2005 after falling into disrepair, at a cost of (cough) £4 million.

It was designed by Arthur Edward Pearce and sculpted by Pearce and students at the Lambeth School of Art.  It was given to Glasgow by Sir Henry Doulton and first unveiled at the Empire Exhibition in Kelvingrove Park in 1888.  It was designed to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887. 

It has five tiers to it.  Going from the top to the bottom -

Queen Victoria (this is not the original which was apparently struck by lightning in 1894.  This is a free replacement from Sir Henry).

Four kneeling maidens emptying pitchers of water

Below the maidens you have four statues of military personnel representing the Black Watch (of Scotland), the Grenadier Guards (England), the Royal Navy and the Irish Fusiliers

Below the soldiers are lions each spurting water.

The bottom tier has four individual sections each representing the four corners of the British Empire

India

Canada

Australia

South Africa

These are actually the hardest I find to photograph because of the angle that you have to point your camera at and if it is a windy day, the water can get on your camera lens (and yourself).

At the bottom of the terracotta basin is the inscription, "Let Glasgow Flourish" with the Glasgow crest.

It's beautiful of that there is no doubt and as fountains go, it is a stunner.  I might prefer it if it was upside down though, just not sure how that would work.

St Andrew's Suspension Bridge

So the wandering originally started as just wandering - slow paced, aimless and wistful.  During my wandering I started to come across things that I thought looked nice or interesting so I would go back the next day or later that week with my camera and photograph it.  Then the wandering turned into a routine, I try to wander everyday.

I have three types of walks currently

1. totally lazy 
2. aye not bad 
3. right BIG walk 

My aye not bad walk is from my home, through the Gorbals to St Andrew's Suspension Bridge and back home through Glasgow Green.

This iron bridge is a bit of a favourite of mine both for the views of the Clyde it affords you and it's vibrant blue and gold colours.

View of the bridge looking towards Glasgow Green

The bridge was designed and completed in 1856 by engineer Neil Robson.  It was originally built to provide a safe passage for local workers who had previously relied on a ferry to get them to a factory in Hutchesontown. 

The original timber decking was replaced in 1997 and the bridge was repainted in 2005.  The bridge has four Corinthian columns. 

One of the four columns - I love the detail and colours!

As you come to the end of the bridge on the Glasgow Green side there is the Ben and Sarah Parsonage gate with a inscription in stone,

“A shy, unassuming boatman who single-handedly rescued
more people from drowning than any man in Britain.” (Daily
Record, 2 October 1979).

This is a dedication to Ben Parsonage, Officer of the Glasgow Humane Society from 1928 to 1979.  The Glasgow Humane Society was set up in 1790 with a £200 legacy from local merchant James Coulter for the “prevention, rescue and recovery” of people on the Clyde and the city’s waterways.

Near the bridge on either side of the river are two rowing clubs and it is enormous fun watching rowers glide under the bridge.  I just like to stand on it and look towards the city with all it's bustle.

La Pasionaria sculpture

La Pasionaria sculpture is something I like to go and visit when I've lost faith with the world a little bit and need a boost.

It's situated on the Clyde walkway off Clyde Street and Glasgow Bridge (opposite the Euro Hostel).

I've found the sculpture really hard to photograph and I am now convinced that I may have to take a step ladder with me to get it properly.

A little bit about the sculpture.  It was commissioned by the International Brigade Association of Scotland in 1974 and erected in 1979.  It was produced by Liverpool sculpture Arthur Dooley.

It is made of painted fibreglass and the whole monument stands around 9ft tall, hence the need for a step ladder.

It was refurbished and finally given a good old fashioned launching in 2010.

The defiant statue atop of the monument is Dolores Ibárruri, la pasionaria (the passion flower), a leader in the Spanish Communist and Spanish Republican movements.

Below the statue are two inscriptions.  The first, a quote from the Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata, "better to die on your feet than live for ever on your knees".

The second inscription dedicates the monument to the volunteers of the International Brigades who united to fight against the fascist forces of Franco and his allies in the Spanish Civil War.

I love this monument and as a Socialist, I am incredibly proud of the people that it is dedicated to.

Squiggly Bridge - River Clyde

This bridge over the River Clyde in Glasgow is officially called the Tradeston Bridge.  It cost £7 million and was opened in 2009.  I like that we have our own bridge (I live in Tradeston) but everybody in Glasgow would know this as the Squiggly Bridge.

View from Clyde Place

This link to the architect's website provides a great time-line of the construction of the bridge and all the necessary technical information.

 

The bridge can be found at Clyde Place on the south bank and the Broomielaw on the North.

North bank at the Broomielaw