Page 1 of 30

Glasgow Garden Festival 1988

PostPosted: Fri May 07, 2004 8:29 am
by mustardman
The next time I'm back home, I'll have to look out old photographs from this. Would be interesting to see other peoples too! Was it just me or was it really that big?? I went when I was 8, so felt really massive. .........or how about the giant hot baloon race in 1990, what a sight! Never seen anything like that since!

Does anyone have any photos of it?

PostPosted: Fri May 07, 2004 9:03 am
by DMcNay
Balloon race I don't remember.

The Gardne Festival, on the other hand, was a place I must have visited at least once a week. My family had a season pass to it, and wewent all the bleedin time.

I'll dig my photos out. My mum might even still have the commemorative video. I know she has the brochure.....

PostPosted: Fri May 07, 2004 9:19 am
by nodrog
My family had season tickets too. Definately still have the brochure and the video about somewhere...

Gordon

PostPosted: Fri May 07, 2004 9:32 am
by My Kitten
Im glad Im not the only one who thought it was massive. I only went twice but remember coming out with aching legs. I used to stay round there and I walked round the site and thought it was tiny, mustive been my small legs (but then again they still are!)

PostPosted: Fri May 07, 2004 9:44 am
by turbozutek
I dislocated my peener on the coka cola roller.

Joy!

Chris...

PostPosted: Fri May 07, 2004 9:47 am
by DMcNay
What's left from it? Apart from the Bells Bridge and the Rotunda, of course....

I was in Bellahouston Park a few months ago, and there's almost nothing of the Empire Exhibition left. I think one statue commemorating the opening, and the "Peace Cairn" and that's about it....

PostPosted: Fri May 07, 2004 10:07 am
by nodrog
What's left from it? Apart from the Bells Bridge and the Rotunda, of course....


That is it as far as I know on the site itself, though elsewhere there were a couple of the derelict spaces they used as overflow carparks still with their painted wooden railings until recently.

I was in Bellahouston Park a few months ago, and there's almost nothing of the Empire Exhibition left. I think one statue commemorating the opening, and the "Peace Cairn" and that's about it....


The Palace of Art is still there as a sports pavilion I think - it was the only building that was designed to be permanent.
The Palace of Engineering is a BAE systems hangar at Prestwick airport (I have a picture somewhere; must dig it out); the Exhibition cinema is a hotel (the Empire!) near Lochgilphead:
Image

(Photo by Gary Painter, that I've not got around to adding to my cinema site yet!)

Gordon

PostPosted: Fri May 07, 2004 10:30 am
by DMcNay
My dad took loads of photos of the Empire Exhibition when he was fourteen.

Once I've got them scanned would anyone be interested in seeing them?

PostPosted: Fri May 07, 2004 10:31 am
by nodrog
dr_lightning wrote:My dad took loads of photos of the Empire Exhibition when he was fourteen.

Once I've got them scanned would anyone be interested in seeing them?


Oooh yes please! Definately!!

PostPosted: Fri May 07, 2004 10:32 am
by Sharon
oh yes please, i know of a few folks who would be highly interested.

PostPosted: Fri May 07, 2004 10:36 am
by DMcNay
I'll see what I can do. Some of them might need to be tidied up a bit. It looks like he developed them himself. Some are a bitr rough round the edges, but some of them arevery nice. There's a couple of buildings I've never seen before. nd there's a nice one of the Tait Tower lit up at night.

I've got a couple scannedalready. I'll post them either tonight or this weekend.

Doc

PostPosted: Fri May 07, 2004 11:10 am
by martin
I recently found a video of the royal opening day, taped off BBC 1. (which is interesting in itself as a live outside broadcast covering a huge area) I think it's nearly an hour long, so a bit too big to put online, but if I get a chance, I'll grab some stills from it.

I was a bit too young at the time to remember lots about the Garden Festival, but we lived nearby and went all the time.
The car park next Shields Road had a little road train (called Dotto, I can even remember the noise it made) which took you down to the park gates. (I think it later moved to Strathclyde Park).

I seem to remember Four Winds Pavillion being used for something - possibly a tramshed? It's the home of Beat 106 now.

Oh, and we've got a bench in our garden which came from the festival, I suppose they must have had a lot left over...

PostPosted: Fri May 07, 2004 2:02 pm
by JayKay
A giant garden fork and trowel that were in the GF are now at Dobbie's garden centre, Cumbernauld and visible from the A80. Can get a pic if needed as it's in my 'hood.

I'm pretty sure the multi-faith church that was part of the site is at Carfin Grotto.

PostPosted: Fri May 07, 2004 2:07 pm
by DMcNay
JayKay wrote:A giant garden fork and trowel that were in the GF are now at Dobbie's garden centre, Cumbernauld and visible from the A80. Can get a pic if needed as it's in my 'hood.



I think they also have the fountain that looks like a tap suspended in mid-air.

PostPosted: Fri May 07, 2004 2:16 pm
by Sharon
do they have the flowers logo too???