People’s Palace – quick pre-closure look

Although we have until April to make our last visits for almost two years (alarmingly, I overheard some visitors chatting, and their thoughts that the closure would be closer to FOUR years – do they know something), I had to dive in yesterday since I had not been through the doors for some time.

It seems I was not alone.

Compared to my usual visits, the place was mobbed. The ground floor café was full (this was just before noon), and this was the first time I have ever seen a group occupying the ‘community space’. And, dare I mention the noisy lil kids? Better not 😉

I was also in Kelvingrove later, which was similarly mobbed compared to usual.

The east staircase was completely closed.

I also noticed a few exhibits were missing, with signs indicating they had been returned to their owners. Perhaps for safekeeping during the works.

I’ve got all the pics I’ll ever need, even a few events, but it seems appropriate to look for some pre refurb views.

I was a little unlucky that the day turned fine, and the one view I wanted had the low sun just above the roof, almost shining straight into the lens. I tried recovering the pic. Not great, but better than nothing.

I never cease to be amazed at how narrow the building’s depth is. Seeing the facade never prepares one for the skinniness behind when you get around to the side.

Inside, there’s the reproduced Buttercup Dairy, which I don’t think I’ve taken a pic of, so grabbed a quick one, lest it disappear during the refurb.

I’ll have to revisit this, and try for a shot without the distractions, like the bannister, and bored gent.

Looks like it might have to be a photostitch to retain the full height – and better positioning to avoid that glare from the window behind.

Excuse the missing bits in this one, taken from the (apparently still little known Glasgow Green Viewpoint – I’ve never seen anyone up there but me), but it’s a stitch of shots taken to capture the fence erected around the Winter Gardens during their closure.

If not obvious, it starts in the bottom right corner, runs to the middle of the pic, then carries on to the left. There are security signs attached.

The fuzzy bits on the image are the wires inside the Georgian Wired Cast glass on the window, and can’t be avoided.

One thing I WILL be looking forward to is the return of access to Smudge’s (the famous People’s Palace cat) memorial stone, sadly stranded behind the aforementioned security fence, at the eastern door to the Winter Gardens.

This as close as you get and as much as you see today.

A compelling case for drone ownership!

Grabbed a couple of reminder pics.

Search for ‘Smudge’ in here for some more details.

You can have NO IDEA how ticked off I am that I NEVER knew these mugs were available at the time.

Yes, you can read the notes.

Lastly, for this visit, a look at something we can check on if we make it to the grand reopening.

One of the westerly round windows on the staircase is not looking its best.

A glimpse of Partick Bridge’s nuts and bolts

I said I’d go back for another look at Partick Bridge while it was still ‘exposed’.

I took a chance on another look at this slightly exposed feature, as a team might suddenly appear and close the thing up, and the opportunity for pics like this will be gone for years.

The weather was still pretty grim, so the pics aren’t good, but better than nothing,

The parapet sections are clamped together by some reasonably substantial nuts and bolts.

I’m guessing there’s a procedure for this – assuming those individual sections are made of cast iron, then overnighting those fasteners will just break those mountings

The capping appears to have its own fastenings, a little smaller, set into the metal.

Not sure if the large divider between the sections of parapet have a name, I’ve never found one on bridge diagrams, although the even larger ones which serves as bases for the bridge lighting were easier to find, and imaginatively named – lighting columns.

The bad light meant a bad pic of this detail, as the wide aperture limited the depth of field, so most details were lost, especially the nice shiny new stud seen inside this feature, reduced to a blob in the shadow.

The one pic that DID have it in focus was ruined, as the vertical fence wire landed right on top of it.

The refurbished Bridgeton Umbrella – a few details

After grabbing a few pics of the reinstalled structure following its reopening, it was time to have a closer look.

It’s probably testimony to the quality of the work (and I am, surprisingly, referring to the previous effort), but when I had a look at some earlier pics from a few years ago, I had to zoom into the details to spot things like dirt and moss, to convince myself they were indeed pics from the past. In spite of the problems revealed in the initial survey, it looked in deceivingly good condition.

Having caught the complete structure, it was time for a closer look at the tower.

It’s a pity some waste of space has already spoiled the view, and thrown something up onto the canopy.

At the time, I hadn’t realised how impressive the finial was, but I can now go back at my leisure.

So first to feature is the clock – one of four faces mounted on each side of the tower.

Unlike many public clocks, this one currently works, long may it last, I hope.

Next, the Glasgow Coat of Arm, with all the expected feature: the tree, the fish (with ring), the bell, and, after a close look, the bird.

Since the bird’s doing a fairly good job of hiding in the tree, I’ve included a slightly larger view of the feature, making it a little easier to find*.

Continuing to move down, this shows the side detail around the canopy.

Since the central detail beneath the canopy was slightly obscured, this view shows more of the detail.

Lastly, the Corinthian column capitals.

Bonus finial!

Looks like I was wrong, and a little trick I can do with my pics meant I DID actually have a useable image of the finial.

No need for a return trip (for that).

It is quite impressive, compared to the usual sort of spike, or similar, often used to finish towers,

*

If you can’t spot that pesky bird (robin), then take a closer look right at the top of the tree.

It’s not particularly well-defined in the casting, but is there if you look carefully.

Missed the opening of the refurbished Bridgeton Umbrella

I really would have no luck, but for the existence of bad luck.

It’s a month since I was last able to collect views of the refurbishment of the Bridgeton Umbrella, and I had been anticipating pics of the tower being added to the completed canopy section – how silly can I be.

Suffice to say I didn’t get those pics, and was surprisingly lucky to see a news report on the completion and re-opening ceremony for the umbrella, but I couldn’t make it there for that. That opening took place at 10.30 am on Wednesday, October 11.

A few days later I did get there, and collected pics of the completed work – this was probably better anyway, with no crowds thronging the area and blocking the view.

I didn’t see this note before, but it seems the structure had developed a list, and the metalwork was beginning to crack and split apart. The screening around the area means I can’t say if they upgraded the foundations to avoid this happening again – although it’s probably worth noting the original installation was back in 1875, so this listing seems to take a while before it gets serious 😉

First look also captures the former Olympia cinema in the background, saved from dereliction to become a library.

I collected more pics of some of the structure’s details, and will add them in another post.

Bridgeton Umbrella – just the roof covering

Not the greatest of changes, after they managed to rapidly get most of the roof covering in place in the previous pic, but this pic has to go in to show that part being completed.

Positive news for Glasgow Green’s Winter Gardens and People’s Palace

I’ve no idea if the hysterical ranting and ‘blame game’ players had anything to do with the recent positive news regarding the future of the People’s Palace and Winter Gardens on Glasgow Green. Maybe they bring publicity, or maintain attention, but anything else? I don’t know.

What I do know now is that the grown-up seem to have been busy, and there’s a plan to be submitted for approval, and which will need serious financing after that.

Twenty years ago, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum had a massive refurbishment and restoration – that had a price tag of £35 million.

Nowhere near the scale of Kelvingrove, the People’s Palace and Winter Gardens will be looking for £36 million for ‘restoration, refurbishment, and enhancement’. All are needed (something I can appreciate, having spent my life visiting the place), especially the Winter Gardens’ structure, if the horror tales of its ageing and decay over the decades are accurate. While I’m not a fan of many modern enhancements, and like a museum to look like a museum and not a video game arcade, I also appreciate venues have to kept relevant, and not allowed to become stale.

Councillors will be asked to back a £7.5m application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund while Glasgow Life, the arms-length organisation running culture and leisure venues, would lead on efforts to secure £12m from “other public sector funders”.

An £11m contribution would come from the council, which intends to identify funding “through capital planning across budgets from 2025/26 onwards”.

If funding bids are successful, initial work would begin early next year and the whole scheme is expected to be completed by autumn 2027.

Cllr Greg Hepburn, SNP, who represents the Calton ward which includes the People’s Palace and Winter Gardens, said the complex has “a special place in the hearts of Glaswegians, especially those of us in the east end”.

He claimed it was “more than a bit unfortunate that in recent decades it wasn’t given the care and attention it demanded” but the SNP has been “totally committed to finding solutions”.

“It was also hugely disappointing that the Tory Government didn’t see fit to include it in the projects funded under its Levelling Up grants,” he added.

“I’m delighted to see the vision and the progress we’re making to restore it to its central place in the public life of Glasgow.”

The future of the People’s Palace and Winter Gardens has been uncertain. The Winter Gardens had to close on health and safety grounds in January 2019 as a result of “its poor structural condition”, while “water ingress, plaster damage and ageing mechanical and engineering system” are putting the People’s Palace collection “at risk”.

A bid to the UK Government’s Levelling Up fund was unsuccessful earlier this year.

Glasgow’s People’s Palace and Winter Gardens set for ‘new life’ under £36m plan

I was fortunate enough to be able to return to Glasgow Green and get to the People’s Palace and Winter Gardens, thanks to the end of a two-week quarantine of a major part of the Green for the dopey UCI Cycling event.

I’d wanted to collect some fresh views of the current state of the building, especially the Winter Gardens, which has been securely fenced off since it was closed on Health and Safety grounds, as there had been instances of panes of glass falling from the roof, which would definitely spoil the day of anyone standing below.

The first pic I collected came with a touch of irony, as the vociferous critics of the Winter Gardens’ closure were quick to spread claims that all the plants in the Winter Gardens had been abandoned by Glasgow City Council, and left to die.

Not surprisingly, an official statement was issued refuting the claim.

That said, it seems the weeds around the glasshouse have been making the most of their chance to grow freely, as the security fencing (the black one) added in later years prevent easy access.

Sadly, it’s not just this glasshouse that’s ailing after spending over a century in Scotland’s rainy summers and freezing winters, and most never received the lifetime maintenance they needed – and the bills are now falling due for the current custodians, often being blamed for something they didn’t have a hand in, but being expected to find the wherewithal to deal with that past.

I always find it intriguing to take a side view of the People’s Palace, which shows how remarkably narrow this building is.

This STILL always surprises me, after seeing the facade, I expect the building to extend much further behind.

More notes on the project

Not really any more info, but ReGlagow does what seems to have become their trademark addition of some great aerial views to go with their take on the subject.

I failed to mention the forecast completion date for the project, presumably if all goes to plan, which would not see us back in the door until the autumn of 2027.

All these projects depress me now, as their long schedules make me wonder if I’ll live that long.

The venue closed for about two years in the late 1990s, when it was refurbished in time for its centenary, having first opened in 1898

Oh well.

A £36MILLION plan is being drawn up to ‘restore and reimagine’ the People’s Palace and Winter Gardens at Glasgow Green.

Glasgow City Council and Glasgow Life are working on the proposals, which will require £7.5million from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The Winter Gardens have been closed for more than four years because of structural problems.

MULTI-Million Pound Vision For People’s Palace And Winter Gardens

I have to give this amazing view they have a mention, showing the People’s Palace, Winter Gardens (open, so prior to 2019), Doulton Fountain (to the left), and Templeton Carpet Factory facade (to the rear), on what must have been a chilly and frosty day.

Image Credit: ReGlasgow

Bridgeton Umbrella – WHOA, slow down guys

After weeks of apparent inaction, and progress which might have been described as a snail’s pace at its faster, the reassembly of the restored Bridgeton Umbrella suddenly shot forward.

What happened? Did somebody drop off a big flask of coffee at the site?

A few days ago, after the filigree had been added, I noticed some similarly white section being fitted, and made a not to go back and catch them as they neared completion – something I expected to take the same time as all the previous work.

You can see the relevant grid like pieces, still visible towards the rear of the interior, but the foreground pieces are now hidden by the sections of roof already in place.

There must have been a bonus on offer for getting the roof underway. At the rate the previous parts went up, I wouldn’t have expected to see any of that for at least another week, so missed the open view of those white grid pieces, which I had been expecting to photograph on this occasion.

Just lucky I have to pass this on my way to Summer Nights in Kelvingrove – or I’d have missed a lot of this. That’s over, so it’s all down to me remembering to keep watching (so it’s probably doomed).

Bridgeton Umbrella – filigree

Slow but steady seems to be the word as Bridgeton’s Umbrella returns.

This time, it’s the decorative filigree and white edges which trims the edges, all finished in white.

Looks like I got lucky – seems they just fitted the last part the day I stopped for a pic.

Bridgeton Umbrella – The Return, still underway

Slow and steady now seems to be the ward, as the renovation of the Bridgeton Umbrella progresses.

It’s hard to pick points at which to grab a pic, as it sometimes looks as if nothing has changed (although I can see it has), then all of a sudden there’s a jump, and I think I’ve missed something.

The previous change was just some decoration around the border, but in what feels like the same amount of time, there seems to have been a load of structure added to the centre.

The next piece should make quite a difference.

If I’m not here anyway, I will have to remember to make special trips to catch the changes.

Bridgeton Umbrella – The Return, underway

Soft start to this work spotted in the previous post, which has more background.

It’s nice to see this restoration proceeding slowly, which I take it to mean it’s being done properly, unlike the previous effort, which the current work revealed was little more than ‘papering over the cracks’.

Sad to say, the reality is probably that much earlier so-called ‘Restoration’ carried out on similar structures around Glasgow in past decades was, for whatever reason, much the same – things may have looked good, but the beauty was only skin deep.

It’s also sad to say that in today’s toxic ‘Social Media’ environment, few commenters have sufficient brain cells to bang together inside their heads and, rather than look to those who oversaw this inferior work in the past, are more interested in spewing pointless, negative criticism against those who hold the reins today, just to gain points for themselves.

What they should be doing is applauding the actions of the current authorities for their work to preserve and restore features like this where possible, and action to preserve others AND protect the safety of the public. It may not be popular to close similar features, but that’s surely better than having people walking around with lumps of cast iron, or shards of glass stuck in their heads from these decaying structures.

That said, while I thought I’d been stuck indoors earlier in the year and missed the return of this feature, I’m glad to say I was wrong, and the work was due to start much later than I thought, and now, I am getting to see it reappear.

I just wish most of it wasn’t hidden behind shuttering.

Fingers crossed I’ll keep catching bits.

Bridgeton Umbrella – The Return

It was something of a surprise to see the Bridgeton Umbrella being taken apart last December.

That was 6 months ago, and my routine changed, so I didn’t get back and this slipped my mind, eventually turning into ‘forgotten’.

When it did eventually resurface, I assumed I’s missed the return, and the work would have been done and dusted. Getting back there once again, I was glad to see my luck was in for once, and the reinstallation was just getting underway.

So far, the columns are back in place, and the site is quiet again, but with any luck I might catch some work in progress, now that I might be passing more often, and the reassembly seems to be scheduled to take place over the next six weeks.

I almost missed this detailed panel area, mounted on the opposite side of the site enclosure from the one I always pass, but luckily decided to take a wander around, just in case I was missing something – I was!

This is all readable if you zoom in to the image.

The reinstalled columns waiting to support the umbrella etc can now be seen in place.

Clyde Gateway

Clyde Gateway, the organisation behind this restoration, has a web page on the subject, but at the time of writing, some 6 months after I made my initial find and post, it has not been updated, and the last entry there is dated December 2022.

Find it here, in case it starts up again:

PRESERVING THE UMBRELLA FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

Background story to the works

I’m suffering a real disconnect from the various sources I used to scour for items of interest, having made a conscious decision to simply stop looking at ‘The Media’ in general, shortly after the pandemic was declared, and I’ve never found the need to return, especially when it became clear that vast areas of public media are controlled by moguls with their own political agenda, sadly something that is not some sort of crazy ‘conspiracy Theory.

So, I miss a lot. Tough.

On a positive note, at least it is now possible to go back and hunt down related stories, so you can bring yourself up to date on anything relevant.

These two articles expand the background to the current umbrella works:

Glasgow Bridgeton Cross Umbrella shelter plan

Slightly more dramatic title:

Fears for historic Bridgeton Cross as SNP council plan to remove it for ‘restoration’