Townhead Rating Options

[GG]

Please post your memories of this Glasgow district here...Townhead

Were you born here? Did you grow up here?
Did you visit your aunt here? ...or your children?
Was your first home here? Were your children born here?
Did you shop here? Was your favourite cinema here?
Did you go to church here? Was your favourite pub here?
Did you 'romance' here? Did you go to school here?
Do you have a photograph from here?

Come on let us know and immortalise your memories here...Townhead

GG.

[Oor Wullie]

I was born in Townhead, went to school in Townhead [Martyr's; St. David's, City Public, then Allan Glen's]

I don't think it would be much of an exaggeration if I said I knew every close, back court "jump " [remember the jumps we gave names to ?] within the area bounded by Parliamentary Road; St James Road;Cathedral Street and Castle Street.

Long hot summers were spent up Jack's Mountain, the cuddy's park , the stinky ocean and the Monkland canal. It's a wonder I wasn't drowned or poisoned by the time I was 12.

I went to the ABC minor's club at the Carlton Picture House in Castle Street on a Saturday morning and "skipped in " to the Casino cinema across the street when I had no money [which was often]

On cold winter nights I went up to the Necropolis with my pals, to see who would stay in the graveyard longest after dark.


I was once fined five shillings for playing football in the street [Yes, it was a criminal offence] but I recouped my loss by getting a regular fee for "watchin for the polis" on behalf of a group of men playing "pitch and toss" [also a criminal offence].

I wasn't rich, but I had some great times.

[ronw]

I was born at 68 Rottenrow in 1947. Went to Townhead primary and then to City Public after which the family migrated to Melbourne in 1962. Like Oor Wullie I knew every jump in the district from the Rottenrow up to Parly road. We used to get in strife for jumping onto the trolley buses at Collins square. I remember one time this big cop took me home by the scruff of the neck and my mum was,nt to pleased, out came the leather belt . Only a temprory solution. It was a time of great community spirit with the big girls in the street giving concerts. I can still see everybody in the tenements with windows open cheering away. I was lucky Wullie, John Welsh down the stairs work at the Casino so we used to get free tickets. Could,nt think of a better place to spend my young years. Had a look at the place last year and nearly got lost. I,ll be back in may and will pay another visit.

Ron Williams.

[Isobel]

I was not born in Townhead but as my granny lived at 2 Black St. just off Parliamentry Road I did spend lots of time there. .There was a street very close to St Mungo's chapel that was so smooth when I would go there I took my roller skates to play there. No street like that in Ruchazie. We just thought it was great.

[Oor Wullie]

"There was a street very close to St Mungo's chapel that was so smooth when I would go there I took my roller skates to play there."

That would be McAslin Street.

Great for cycling, roller skating and "guidie barras", which we made out of orange boxes and old skates and decorated with beer bottle tops.

[Isobel]

Thats right McAslin Street.Great for the roller skates

[BigArturo1]

I also remember the cinemas in Townhead which we attended in the 50's and 60's. Saturday matinees were great in the Carlton watching the old series like Batman which always ended with a cliffhanger to get you back next week. The Casino was easy peasy to sneak into as we could always open the fire exit on Castle Street and sneak in and hide in the back row. Trouble was that we were so young and naive we sometimes didn't bother to check which film was on and sneaked into an "X" certificated film. We never lasted long before the usherette was over shining her torch in our faces and throwing us out. There was another cinema down Parly Road - The Grafton, which was a right flea pit, even by 1950's Glasgow standards. For a change of scene, we sometimes ventured out to Riddrie and went to the Rex and the Vogue some Saturday afternoons.
I also remember Jack's Mountain and The Stinky Ocean over in Pinkston. I'm still amazed we all survived playing beside what was effectively a toxic dump for the nearby Tennants chemical Works. No environmental controls in those days !
I also remember "The Shows" (carnival) which came to Townhead and set up in the vacant ground off Tennant Street beside the canal. I well remember shots on the steamboat, the ribtickler, ghost train and waltzers.

[Allan D.Sim]

I was born in Rottenrow Maternity. We lived in Cunningham Street which is now the Buchanan Galleries car park. As I left at a young age in 1967 ( about 5 and a half), memories are distant. I do remember my school though. St David's Primary. It was more like a wooden hut, although the modern school was right beside me. One abiding memory was running across Parliamentary Road and the group of boys my brother included, all returned with rhubarb. Where did it grow? Recently, a few members on GGBB have been asking me questions about Townhead. Fortunately due to my books and Mitchell Library, I hope I answered satisfactorily. It was my first house, pity there are no character type houses to entice folks back

[Maggie50]

Please post your memories of this Glasgow district here...Townhead

Were you born here? Did you grow up here?
Did you visit your aunt here? ...or your children?
Was your first home here? Were your children born here?
Did you shop here? Was your favourite cinema here?
Did you go to church here? Was your favourite pub here?
Did you 'romance' here? Did you go to school here?
Do you have a photograph from here?

Come on let us know and immortalise your memories here...Townhead

GG.

Yes i grew up in Mc Aslin St in the shadow of St Mungo's Chapel. I only have fab memories of the 50/60s there and sadly left in 1967 when they pulled it down. Maggie Mc Manus.

[Maggie50]

Thats right McAslin Street.Great for the roller skates

Hi Isobel! this is my first time i'm new to the computer. Iwas actually born in 34 McAslin St just facing the backend of the chapel. Iwent to St Mungo's girls and infants then on to St Roch's. Just at that corner of the street was 'the broon's bar' (does anyone remember the two big boxer dugs that Jack Broon had?) and that is where ah caught ma best 'hudgy' all the way doon tae the bottom of 'Parly Rd' walking up again was murder polis but hey! thems the breaks eh! Maggie Mc Manus.

[*Rae Blackwood*]

Hi Isobel! this is my first time i'm new to the computer. Iwas actually born in 34 McAslin St just facing the backend of the chapel. Iwent to St Mungo's girls and infants then on to St Roch's. Just at that corner of the street was 'the broon's bar' (does anyone remember the two big boxer dugs that Jack Broon had?) and that is where ah caught ma best 'hudgy' all the way doon tae the bottom of 'Parly Rd' walking up again was murder polis but hey! thems the breaks eh! Maggie Mc Manus.

[*RaeBlackwood*]

Hi I was not born in Townhead but am in the process of tracing my fathers family. They came from McAlslin Street I cannot remember the number although I was taken there every week by my dad to visit my Grandfather he was Alexander (Sandy) Blackwood. My dad was John also in the 1950s my dad's sister Sarah lived there up the next close to my granddad and my Dad's brother Jimmy lived across the street from them.Therer was also quite a few more Blackwoods who were born there, My dad came from a large family he had brothers Robert,,Allan, Sandy and sisters Mary. Margaret ,Sarah,Jessieand Kate and I think there was a few more of them who died at a young age. My grandad, dad ,uncles, and cousins all worked for Sir William Arrols at Parkhead. I know my dad loved the life of the Townhead even though it was a hard life.

[weelew]

I was also born in the townhead in 1949 at the Rottenrow maternity .Lived in Stirling road at the corner of Glebe street untill around 1960 ,when we moved to Ruchazie. Went to the martyr's ,when that closed i was put into St Davids for a short time and then townhead primary .i can really relate to the stories on here especially about sneaking into the Casino through the emergency door .My uncle had a blacksmiths shop right next door .I remember there was a small factory which made cream cones,cups and the nougats for ice cream round about parson street , i think it was called Askeys it had a flat roof and one night a team of us young boys were playing on the roof when we discovered the skylight was open ,we dreeped down into the factory and stuffed ourselfs rotten with all the produce ,it was late into the night when the polis found us after a search when our parents reported us missing .We were all off school for days not just because of the hidings we got from our Da's ,but because we were all sick with all the stuff we ate .Can still taste it to this day and still love double nougats . Great memories .

[Baberuth]

I'm from Cowcaddens but am trying to trace my paternal grandfather who lived at 51 McAslin St. in 1911, his name was James Edgar. That's the only information I have of him, so I'm hoping some of the members who lived there might have some knowledge of the family. I'd be very grateful for any information.

[*catherine hadnum*]

i lived in black st and went to st mungos and then st rochs, i also spent many summers up the cuddies park and playing at the stinky ocean, Does anyone remember the wee bridge on baird st that crossed the canal and had a wee white house attached to it just up the road from the sawmill. does anyone also remember the rag man shop just off mc aslin st where u could take rags and get money for them. also there was a pawn shop on mc aslin st. one of my memories is the clinic in black st we used to think the girls who went there in big black limo's were really rich and lucky, only to find out later that they were actually from childrens homes being screened for std.s

we also used to play in kennedy st park, the greatsest park ever! one of my favourite memories of the 60s was finding a fiver which was a lot of money then and not telling my mammy but taking all my pals to the ice cream shop on parly rd buying ginger, chocolate ice creams and then going to the park and having a picnic. needless to say i couldnt spend it all and my mammy found out and apparently it was a neighbours who demanded it back!! but my mammy said she would have to prove it was hers to get any change i had left and when she couldnt my mammy kept it but gave me right ticking off, but i enjoyed my wealthy moment!!
cathy hadnum (nee sweeney