Hidden Glasgow - a fresh concept ?

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Postby turbozutek » Fri Dec 31, 2004 12:16 pm

Well I might not be the top guy for logistical support or concept development.

But if you need someone to protest naked atop an abandoned hospital screaming booooookaaaaakkkeeeee at the top of his lungs... Count me in.

Chris...
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Postby DMcNay » Fri Dec 31, 2004 12:18 pm

turbozutek wrote:Well I might not be the top guy for logistical support or concept development.

But if you need someone to protest naked atop an abandoned hospital screaming booooookaaaaakkkeeeee at the top of his lungs... Count me in.

Chris...


You know, I think that's exactly what we need! ::):
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Postby duncan » Fri Dec 31, 2004 12:42 pm

Dr. Lightning wrote:How would we go about getting this column? What paper? Who would write it? Who would read it? How would it change anything?


how about a sternly-worded letter to the paper instead?
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Postby Sharon » Fri Dec 31, 2004 12:47 pm

Letters to the papers actually could be a good starting point.

Perhaps especially if there were many, and all by "Hidden Glasgow" making the voice more prevalent.
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Postby DMcNay » Fri Dec 31, 2004 12:51 pm

Hmm, liking that idea.

Maybe we should co-ordinate our efforts so we all know what we should be highlighting?
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Postby deebers » Fri Dec 31, 2004 11:26 pm

I don't think it's so difficult to actually have a chance of getting this column. I work in the press - unfortunately not newspapers - but I know Editors are keen for new ways to bring readers in.

There is nothing there really which represents the voice of Glaswegians.

Aim a wee bit lower - maybe something like the paper 'The Glaswegian' or some other local freebie, then with printed work, you could aim higher.

It is possible :)
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Postby JamesMc » Sat Jan 01, 2005 3:24 pm

I totally see where you're coming from with this thread. HG as a collective voice could make a difference even in a small way. The dissemination of information is a very powerful thing. People want to know what is going on in their city with regards to listed buildings, regeneration etc. Too often they don't know where to start to find this sort of info. If some of us could do the research and put it here for people to see, then perhaps the wider public would have more access to it in an easily

I plan to find out what is happening with a few buildings near me in the gorbals with regards to what their status is, who owns them etc. When i do i'll put it up and this will give us a 'status' report. Perhaps we could have this sort of thing for all of the most precious but endangered buildings.

I always have the fear that i'll be driving to work and a building i admire and have photographed will be gone or in the process of being torn down without consultation.

If i have any success, i'll post it up.
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Postby escotregen » Sun Jan 02, 2005 3:12 pm

I suggest that a lot of pragmatic thinking and realism is needed on all this. How would HG act as the suggested 'pressure group' with it's limited resources and no sanctions to deploy? Many others are in the field already. For example there was a suggestion in one posting that there be a Preservation Trust, when the Glasgow Preservation Trust has been around a long time. There are would-be pressure groups such as the Greek Thompson Society that have struggled to make any impact despite considerable backing. HG could act in concert with such existing entities rather than re-inventing the wheel.
HG could expend time and resources on providing free copy for the local press - but who would this pressurise? In fact, use the likes of the Glaswegian and the likelyhood is that the city decision-makers will exclude and vilify you through 'the usual channels'. And are there many HG contributers who have lots of time (and an element of personal reputation risk) to devote to pressure group activity?
I suggest more discussion around 1) A strategy for HG to become an educator and informing channel... starting with more networking and joint activity among the HG membership base 2) Tactics on how HG can act as a facilitator - perhaps starting by hosting an informal discussion group or workshop for concerned activists, officials and others with an aim to generating positive discussion on 'What Can Be Done'
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Postby Molendinar » Sun Jan 02, 2005 5:57 pm

escotregen, good point about not reinventing the wheel.

My personal view of what I feel I have got from the short time I have been on the forum and talked face to face with some of you is that HG is wider than a single issue pressure group. I think it really goes far beyond that and really shows the historical, social industrial economic context of glasgow coming to life. I like to see the layers of buildings and alterations you see as you walk round Glasgow come to life with the stories behind them. I agree with what crusty and closet classicist were saying in another thread about preserving quality not merely quantity, and actually I think if HG were to focus on building preservation you'd probably find a diversity of opinion on these forums. For my own small part I'd love to see HG more in the educating/entertaining role bringing the past to life for Glaswegians, so that they can walk down argyle street and imagine the first settlers, with druids wandering on the necropolis, see oliver cromwell marching down queen street, hear the noise of the shipyards, the bustle of the broomielaw and smell the slums. Through appreciating all that I feel that people would have a respect for our built heritage not through rose tinted spectacles, but with an understanding of what Glasgow has been and how it has and is changing.
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Postby Sharon » Sun Jan 02, 2005 8:41 pm

Another thing that is key to what HG is all about is fun.

Pretty important not to forget that!!
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Postby Ronnie » Sun Jan 02, 2005 9:14 pm

I agree with the last three entries. Escotregen, because he cut to the root of the issue, Molendinar for his imagination and vision, and Sharon for reminding us that it all has to be enjoyable. I, too, think the role of HG should be to make the cutlture and heritage of Glasgow more accessible and relevant to the people of the city. And I think the website is doing that. Maybe we could extend the reach of the website by excursions into print (eg Evening Times guest column: "Why Glasgow must not turn its back on the past", by the publisher of Hidden Glasgow) and sponsored brochures (like the one we did for Block; we could do another for the West End Festival, and the Merchant City Festival), as well as guided tours of the city (Cumbo, myself and others are willing to lead them, if we can somehow use the website to deliver a paying audience). Great, discussion, keep the ideas flowing ...
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Postby turbozutek » Sun Jan 02, 2005 10:08 pm

I also think it's important to use Paragraphs, and separate them with a <CR> or a press of the enter key.

That way, text flows a lot more intuitively, allowing me to actually read it.

::):

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Postby Sharon » Tue Jan 04, 2005 3:59 pm

I possibly should have mentioned that the reason for asking starting this discussion from a practical point of view is to define a mission statement, and from that to completely rebuild the actual website.

Only once I know exactly what HG should become, and what people want to gain from the site, can I then find the best practical solution for managing the website properly.

Clearly it needs to be more community driven - and I mean the website not the forums. The community needs to be able to put its many voices forward. Forums allow this to an extent, but they are by nature pretty unstructured, so don't provide the whole solution.

But, before going we need this and we need that, finishing discussion on what we want to achieve through the site needs to continue.

Mostly I am feeling its about community. What makes this community a little different is that its active both online and offline and wants to do things with some kind of end result. Theres alot of good thinkers and creative minds here.

So its something a little more than just drinking. Although clearly there will always be a fair bit of that.
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Postby Closet Classicist » Wed Jan 05, 2005 6:08 pm

I think escotregen hit the nail on the head there. Problem with the Glasgow conservation / amenity body scene is that it is so fractured. To many people punting that one thing that rocks their boat but not neccessarily everyone elses (my understanding is that this started in the late 60's when funding for a centralized Glasgow body was hijacked by Westenders alone). Also nobody knows about anyone else meaning there is a lot of duplication and a lot of people chasing the same punters for funding / contributions. Can you be a member of both the Greek Thomson society and the Charles Rennie Mackintosh society? Of course you can but, as with others, my wallet is not bottomless and I have to make choices. However there is a pressing need for an overarching umbrella body that can be a point of contact for all these disparate groups, so that joint approaches can be formulated, and that mainly people can be informed. Strikes me that this role would suit Hidden Glasgow to a T. But same problem vice versa unless you stumble across this site nobody from any of the other groups knows of HG! There is an intermittent Conservation area forum which convenes on occasion to try and formulate a joint city wide approach (and also Glasgow City Council is talking about changing the Westend group back to a citywide one). It might be worth HG touching base with that if you are interested. But I would warn you the age profile will be rather more 'mature' than what Hidden Glasgow is (I'm in my early thirties and I was under the impression that was 'old' here (though I might be wrong) anyway that makes me 'young' in the conservation area forums). Most of the people are like minded though so it may prove fruitful. I've got the contacts so it is up to yourselves!

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Postby Sharon » Wed Jan 05, 2005 6:17 pm

There are many here in their early thirties that wouldn't be too excited at being called old!!! Myself included!

I might survey this actually out of curiousity.

Reflecting on what you said though the main problem that stops HG from getting overly involved is time. So whatever we do has to acknowledge that we dont have huge amounts of resources to devote to it.

Which doesnt mean there are more creative solutions available.
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