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Glaswegian Lass
14/2/2011
“They deep-fry Mars Bars, don’t they?”
Yes, they do. Where else but Glasgow? Glasgow is My Scotland. Love it or hate it, Glasgow is impossible to ignore. It is big, brash and not always beautiful. But surely never dull. It has its downsides – its areas of poverty, ignorance, violence and other undesirable qualities. It has its upsides – its areas of civilised living, humour, vibrancy and good neighbourliness.
When describing Glasgow, it would be unfair not to mention Billy Connolly because he did a very brilliant thing. He articulated what Glaswegians always knew about Glasgow but had never been able to say out loud to the world – that, for all its faults, it is a highly amusing community and full of endless vitality. He took the raw material – the humour in the ridiculous - which is all around in Glasgow, and turned it into an art form. Keep your ears open in a Glasgow street, on a Glasgow bus or train, and there is never a dull moment.
It is some years since I lived full-time in Glasgow. I now live in England, but never mind. I am in an area where many Glaswegians come on holiday, and I find myself listening in when I hear the Glasgow accent in the street or in a shop. And I’m seldom disappointed. Within moments there will almost always be a gem of a remark, straight from the psyche of my home city, which can make me smile like nothing else can. It tells me that the Glasgow I remember is still awake and doing all right.