Something old, something new – things on the River Clyde

Last time I passed here (recently), I hurried past and didn’t grab a quick pic, then regretted it when someone asked about the Waverley, moored at Pacific Quay.

This time, late evening like before, I DID stop, mainly because the PS Waverley’s sailing season is upon us, and I might not get the chance later.

It’s a reasonable catch, especially since I can now combine more than one image to include not only the Glasgow Tower, but its complete reflection in the water below.

In the background, moored at the old Govan Dock site, the TS Queen Mary has settled while refurbishment work continues. This shot came anyway, but the last time I wandered along for a specific view, she was gone! I don’t really keep a close watch, and was worried for a moment, but after a quick update, learned she had been taken to a nearby yard to have some work done.

Getting in closer, to see just the vessels.

Although I’m no expert, I’m quite impressed by the features in some new (to me) image processing software.

The original, as shot, versions of these view were most depressing, lacking colour, and almost monotone – these are late evening shots taken on a sunless day, initially devoid of almost any colour or brightness.

They looked much like the water seen at the bottom of the first shot.

I get a surprise every time I make the right settings, and hit the button to process images like the above from something that starts off so dull.

PS Waverley and some neighbours

On the basis of take it while you can, I collected this year’s pic of the PS Waverley last night.

Berthed at the Glasgow Science Centre, just below the Glasgow Tower, since the paddle steamer wasn’t there at the same time last night, I decided to stop ‘Stop and Grab’ since my luck means if I don’t, chances are she’ll be sailing every time I pass again.

As well as the static features mentioned, you can catch the funnels of the TS Queen Mary, moored just behind, on Cessnock Quay on the old Prince’s Dock.

I’ll have to venture over into those strange lands over there, for some fresh pics, to see if any changes are visible.

Pity the water wasn’t calmer, it’s always nice to catch the tower’s reflection if it’s glassy down there – but not this time.

PS Waverley and Glasgow Tower

A little closer, please.

PS Waverley Berth

I used to wonder why poor old Waverley was involved in so many pier collisions, the most recent being Arran in 2020, and why there is a standing joke about a friend’s pics (taken at the pier near his home), as they almost always show the vessel going backwards.

Then a kind person told me the reality of the (lack of) manoeuvring control, and manoeuvrability, on a paddle steamer such as this, especially at low speeds.

I was enlightened – and sorry for the master.

Pacific Quay is a real place

I don’t know when the name officially entered Glasgow’s list of street names (that fact may be recorded in some well buried council minutes), but it has to have happened after the Glasgow Garden Festival, when the derelict land it lives on was recycled after the 1988 festival.

I just can’t get used to it since I don’t associate anything ‘Pacific’ with Glasgow.

It’s not going away any time soon, so I will have to get used to it.

I was crossing Bell’s Bridge (which WAS created as pedestrian access across the River Clyde for the festival), when I happened to turn around a look downriver, and the scene looked have decent and worth reaching for the camera, mainly because the IMAX was almost centre view, and I had recently mentioned it had lost its operating leaseholder, which mean that unless somebody steps in and takes over, all that really there is a cute, but empty, building.

Pacific Quay has interesting residents – STV moved there from Cowcaddens (sorry, that building is off to the left, too far to include in this shot), and ended up next to the competition, as the BBC moved there from its home in Queen Margaret Drive.

So, there’s the BBC on the left, then the (maybe former) IMAX blobby building (it may look odd, but it seemed to suit the IMAX installation), then the Glasgow Science Centre (seemingly as success now after barely being able to attract finding when it opened), the Glasgow Tower (which has been a disaster since the day it was built, and a record holding embarrassment), and finally, rather small since I was standing at the wrong end of this few in terms of scale, the paddle steamer Waverley.

Not ONE of those features is controversy free.

The BBC is constantly beset by whining protestors complaining about it being English, despite the name BBC Scotland.

As noted, the IMAX theatre has just lost its leaseholder.

The science centre was a funding nightmare when it opened, and had to close almost immediately, before being reopened.

The useless tower was bust from the day it opened, and also had to close repeatedly as it turns out the bearing that should have allowed the whole building to rotate with the wind were junk, and had to be replaced. It’s also a bit of a joke, given the number of people that can get into the lift (if/when it works) and make the trip to the top for the view. Somebody did NOT think this thing through, and the words ‘Vanity Project’ flit through my mind when I see it nowadays.

The poor old Waverley, the last sea-going paddle steamer, has to constantly beg for funds since ticket sales don’t make enough to fund her, and sadly, she seems drawn to piers as if by a magnet, and crashes with some regularity, losing paying days while in dock, possibly being sued for injuries, all of which means the economics must be a nightmare.

Seriously – why can’t I write about all of those items in terms of success and profit, instead of being able to think of only bad things seen in the news?

Oh well…

At least it’s a nice pic.

And, again, I’m sorry it was the taken from the wrong ‘end’, and the Waverley was the smallest and furthest away subject.

Pacific Quay

The view from the Uni

An old(ish) shot from the archives, taken around this time of year though, and intended to answer the question of how much of Kelvingrove could be seen from the hilltop of Glasgow University.

It was a shot I always forgot to take at the right time of year.

As can be seen, the trees are leaf free at this time- try taking the same view later in the year and all you get is a load of leaves and greenery, obscuring all in the lower half of the view.

In a way, it’s a shame the trees obscure the buildings below, but the only way to expose the view would be to cut down the trees – and that’s not acceptable, or ever going to happen.

It’s a weird pic, even the original didn’t show great detail for some reason, even though it wasn’t dull, just not sunny.

Kelvingrove is in the foreground, with the Glasgow Tower to the left, and one tower of the Kelvin Hall visible on the right.

Panorama From Glasgow University

First sighting of the Waverley this year

Not even on my mind, but I spotted the Waverley moored on the Clyde last night, at the Science Centre.

While I got a pic of the paddler, plus the centre, tower, and even the TS Queen Mary in the background, it was a dull grey evening.

Even the shot was grey – the Waverley’s lighting had been quite prominent to the eye, but is almost invisible in the pic, which was disappointing.

PS Waverley Science Centre Glasgow Tower TS Queen Mary

Save us from the ‘help’ of cycling activists

A couple of injuries kept me of my bike last year (not cycling injuries I hasten to add), so I ended up looking at more cycling  related stories than I might otherwise have done, and what I saw is beginning to worry me.

While I understand and appreciate the efforts of most who try to encourage change and encourage improvements, I’ve detected a rise in those who seem to be more interested in attracting attention, or demanding more extreme action be taken to achieve what they think is ‘right’.

Over the past few years I’ve seen a steady increase in dedicated cycle lanes (fenced off from adjacent traffic), pedestrian crossing with additional signals for cyclists (to cross some wide and busy roads), plus the arrival of a number of areas with signs showing that they are shared paths for pedestrians and cyclists.

I’ve had to use them only as a pedestrian, and didn’t realise how advance this steadily growing network had become in the east end of Glasgow.

I think these are great, and make frequent use of them now.

Yet when I happened to come across a Glasgow cycling activist’s blog – he was completely against them, called them a mistake, and said they showed the planners didn’t have a clue, and should be fired.

As far as I could see, he wanted sole ownership of any bit of road he was using, everbody else is to ‘GEROFF’ and claimed such mixing of pedestrians and cyclists could never work.

I suggest he tries riding on the shared path between Central Station and the North Rotunda. That’s busy with both, especially on nice sunny days.

The only problem I’ve had on it has been from asshat ‘expert’ cyclists there, who speed round the blind side of corners as if they are the only ones on the path, or like the one I met last night, who sped past me so close he almost scraped the paint off my bike. Not even the courtesy of ding from a bell, or a ‘Sorry mate’ as he sped off.

Getting back on my bike, I looked at some recent online route planners – most are pretty poor to be honest, and have not been updated for years, and lack much recent detail. Going by their advice, if I followed it, I’d be on main road as they’re missing many of the lesser cycle paths, and seem surprisingly reticent to use side streets.

I ride along to the Science Centre fairly often now (from Shettleston), and after checking the online cycle route planners was disappointed they didn’t show a route to Riverside (transport museum),  or Kelvingrove (art gallery and museum).

But when I was on the other side of the Clyde from the Science Centre I noticed the signs showed that Riverside was only 3 minutes further on, and that Kelvingrove was just another 3 minutes further on.

This was new territory for me, so… nothing ventured, nothing gained.

True enough, both venues were reached without any problems, and the one hazard on the road to Kelvingrove – crossing the very busy Argyle Street – is catered for by a controlled crossing with signals for cyclists.

Here’s the proof of those visits, via a route that’s almost completely segregated cycle path from the east end. Sorry the pics aren’t great – it was as dull and dark then as it appears to be.

I’d never have known I could ride to these place almost solely on various cycle paths. And if one ‘activist’ had his way, I wouldn’t even have the route!

I believe certain of the ‘activists’ and ‘extremists’ are not helping now. Their actions could even spoil things.

PS Waverley Science Centre Tower

PS Waverley. Pics above and below can be clicked for a bit bigger. There are bits of the TS Queen Mary visible in the background, where it is moored behind the tower.

PS Waverley

Riverside – Museum of Transport. The building extends to the left, but there was a fairly ugly tent there (you can see its reflection) for something else about to take place there, so I decided to get rid of it for the pic.

Riverside

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.

Kelvingrove Oblique

The Glasgow Tower – years of pain

There was no Glasgow Tower the only time I was lucky enough to get a preview visit of the Science Centre and Imax theatre before they opened, so I never had the chance of a look before they opened it, and closed it, and opened it, and closed it, and…

It really was sad to watch this fiasco develop around a supposedly landmark attraction for Glasgow, meant to be the highest thing visible for miles around, and rotate to face into the wind.

Glasgow Tower is designed to move in the wind. Some visitors find the swaying sensation in windy weather unnerving. As a result, the tower closes when the wind speed exceeds gusts of 25 mph (40 kph) at cabin height (127 m).

The good news is that in the event of an emergency, visitors to the tower cabin can be evacuated via the 523-step spiral staircase (assuming they are not stuck in the lift).

I don’t know if access is still seasonal – the tower is currently closed for maintenance, with no opening details shown on its web site.

Since it was closed when I passed it, all I could get was pic of the cellar.

Sadly, not the actual bearing that caused all the problems – just a couple of motors and drive belts, or are they racks? It was too dark to see by then.

Oh. My mistake, a look at the processed image revealed SIX motors, three per side.

I’ve no idea what they’re for – maybe someone is thinking of building a giant Van de Graaff generator, and putting on lighting shows from the cabin at the top!

Now THAT would be impressive (maybe even to a certain Mr N Tesla).

Below Glasgow Tower

I suppose this is not even really ‘below’ to be accurate.

I was standing on the raised base at the bottom of the tower to take this pic. Since that base is about 5 metres high, what’s seen here is probably just at ground level, placing the bearing well below what can be seen.