A Mountain And An Ocean, Concrete Jungles Options

[big tommy]

Living as we did in concrete jungles, with tenement buildings all round us and the only bit of green we ever saw being the Phoenix Park in Garscube Road, it was natural to assume that the whole of Glasgow was flat.

Then one day we were told about a mountain and an ocean, just a good walk away from Crossburn Street where we lived. Seeking adventure, we decided to go in search of these exotic places. We were all of 13 years old.

Off we went, up Garscube Road, onto Possil Road, up Keppochill Road and there we discovered there was indeed a mountain and an ocean. We were in a new world.

The mountain was an old bing covered over with grass and was called Jack's Mountain for some reason. It was the highest thing we had ever seen, all of about a hundred feet high but with a slope which you could easily walk up. But why should we do that? We could go around the side and there was a place we could actually climb.

We had many adventures on that mountain. We lived out many fantasies and played so many games. We were living dangerously, we thought.

At the other side of the mountain there was indeed an ocean, known locally as the Stinky Ocean. It was quite large in expanse, so it looked like an ocean to us. It was no more than the lake of waste from a nearby chemical factory, although there was a way of crossing it. Straight through the middle, holding your nose. No wonder it was known as the Stinky Ocean.

It was our adventure playground for many many years to come and there always seemed to be many people from all around with the same idea.


Tommy

[hudggy]

Hi Tommy,

Even though I am a bit younger than you I remember Jacks Moutain and the Stinky Ocean well it was up at Pinkston, I lived in Phoenixpark Terrace we used to go up Ann st and along the canal to Pinkston to play, one day we were playing soldiers and I fell in to the ocean. All the way home my pals stayed well clear of me I stunk. Then when I got home it was a rush to get me cleaned up and my clothes washed before the old Man came hame and murdered me great times even altough I stank that day

Hudggy

[Heather]

I never went to Jack's Mountain because we were well warned to stay away from it. My brothers did go, and my eldest brother Davie fell off it. He got carried home all the way to Sawfield Place.
I think he broke his leg. Mum always said he was lucky he did not break his neck.

[Oor Wullie]

I played on Jack's mountain and in the stinky ocean many, many times.

How did we not all get poisoned ?.

[hudggy]

Oor Wullie

I don't know why we did not get something but maybe because back then we were not all medicated with antbiotics. We had our own ammunity to a lot of different things that the younger ones of today are not.
I sometimes wonder if even altough there was the same illness's around we were just lucky not to get them.

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[Oor Wullie]

You might very well be right, hudggy.

Did you ever play football on the top of Jack's Mountain ?

Have you got any idea who " Jack" was ?