If Glasgow’s Walls Could Talk – Details, episodes & analysis

The 1988 Garden Festival changed how the world saw Glasgow, and how it saw itself. It lives on only in people’s memories as the buildings, objects and artworks from this temporary event are gone forever – or are they?

Urban Prehistorian Kenny Brophy, Project Leader Lex Lamb, and Holder of the Official Garden Festival Umbrella Gordon Barr for a conversation with Niall & Fay in front of a live audience, to learn how they have used crowdsourcing to build an ever-growing digital record of the hundreds of pavilions, sculptures and attractions that made up the Garden Festival, as well as the experiences of those who made it happen.

Items with Garden Festival stories to tell were discovered across the UK and further afield, from the large (the Coca-cola Roller Coaster, now in Suffolk) to the small (a Garden Festival tea-towel, now in Papua New Guinea). But in addition to relic artefacts and traces in the landscape, the team identified something else: the absence of a proper record of this pivotal event, while memories fade and documents are lost.

Hear how the 1988 Festival was put together, taken apart and spread around the world, and how with the help of hundreds of individual submissions and leads After the Garden Festival are striving to preserve the legacy of a summer where Glasgow shone.

Highlights:

1. Reflecting on the Legacy of the Garden Festival (00:00 - 02:30): The discussion opens with reflections on how the Glasgow Garden Festival has shaped the city’s landscape and cultural memory.
2. The Impact of Urban Regeneration Projects (07:45 - 09:30): Insights into the broader impact of urban regeneration efforts in Glasgow, particularly those initiated in the wake of the Garden Festival.
3. Personal Stories and Memories of the Festival (15:30 - 17:00): The guests share their personal experiences and memories of attending the festival, highlighting its significance on a personal level.
4. Challenges in Preserving Historical Sites (23:00 - 25:00): The conversation turns to the challenges faced in preserving the historical sites associated with the Garden Festival and other urban regeneration projects.
5. Looking Forward: Future Projects and Their Potential Impact (30:45 - 32:00): The episode concludes with a discussion about future urban projects in Glasgow and their potential impact on the city’s cultural and physical landscape.

Learn more:

• Check out After the Garden Festival’s website here to learn more the project 
• Follow Glasgow City Heritage Trust on social media: @GlasgowHeritage #IfGlasgowsWallsCouldTalk
• Produced by Inner Ear (innerear.co.uk) for Glasgow City Heritage Trust
• Sponsored by Tunnock's (tunnock.co.uk)

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This week we explore Glasgow's love-hate relationship with brutalism and discuss our upcoming Brutal Glasgow exhibition with digital curator Rachel Loughran and Glasgow based illustrator Nebo Peklo (Natalie Tweedie), who’s work will be displayed in the interactive, multimedia exhibition.

The idea for the exhibition arose from Rachel's admiration of Natalie's drawings on Twitter, and united by their shared interest in brutalism they have come together to create Brutal Glasgow. They also discuss the significance of brutalism in Glasgow, touching on its artistic, social, and political aspects, and the debate over whether to demolish or restore such buildings

Rachel and Natalie emphasise the personal and emotional connections people have with these buildings, how they change over time, and their potential for renewal and hope. 

Highlights:

1. 00:00:00 - 00:00:03 Rachel Loughran starts by discussing the public's "knee jerk reaction" to Brutalist buildings, setting the tone for the episode.
2. 00:19:42 - 00:19:43 Natalie Tweedie acknowledges the complexity of evaluating Brutalist architecture, saying, "That's such a huge question," indicating the depth of the discussion.
3. 00:40:12- 00:40:15 The conversation touches on the need to "have a proper look" at Brutalism and the factors surrounding it, suggesting a deeper exploration of the topic.
4. 01:00:07 - 01:00:09 There’s a personal reflection on exploring Glasgow, particularly the East End, highlighting how Brutalist architecture influences perceptions of different city areas.
5. 01:19:21 - 01:19:24 The episode concludes with a mention of Glasgow Heritage, encapsulating the importance of the city’s architectural legacy and the podcast's role in preserving these discussions.

Key Moments

• Complexities of Brutalism - polarising views.
• The historical and cultural significance and value in preserving these buildings.
• How the architectural style of Brutalism connects to a broader understanding of Glasgow city's character and history.
• Focus on Glasgow Heritage, emphasising the significance of the city's architectural legacy 

Learn more:

• Check out Natalie’s work on her website 
• Follow Glasgow City Heritage Trust on social media: @GlasgowHeritage #IfGlasgowsWallsCouldTalk
• Produced by Inner Ear (innerear.co.uk) for Glasgow City Heritage Trust
• Sponsored by Tunnock's (tunnock.co.uk)

Get Ready to Hear Glasgow's Secrets! Series 3 of If Glasgow's Walls Could Talk Arrives 27th June!

We're thrilled to announce the return of If Glasgow's Walls Could Talk for a brand new series, premiering on 27th June, 2024.

This series digs deeper, unearthing the wealth of human history built into the city, often giving voice to people whose story has not been told before.

Stay Tuned!

• Visit our website for updates: https://www.glasgowheritage.org.uk/
• Follow us on social media: @GlasgowHeritage
• Join the conversation: #IfGlasgowsWallsCouldTalk

Production & Sponsors

• Produced by Inner Ear for Glasgow City Heritage Trust
• Kindly sponsored by Tunnock's

Have you wondered what Niall's favourite building in Glasgow is? Well this week you can find out! The tables are turned on Niall as his good friend Norry finds out about how he ended up at GCHT and any lessons he's learned from the podcast.

Norry Wilson is a well known figure in Glasgow, having set up Lost Glasgow in 2012. Norry is a journalist and social historian with a lifelong fascination with his home city, Glasgow.  His Lost Glasgow Facebook page and Twitter accounts, with their mix of archive images and stories relating to Glasgow’s history, have amassed a huge following over the years. 

This conversation was recorded on 16th March 2023.

Keep an eye on our website glasgowheritage.org.uk, join us on social media @GlasgowHeritage and follow #IfGlasgowsWallsCouldTalk

This podcast was produced by Inner Ear for Glasgow City Heritage Trust. It is kindly sponsored by the National Trust for Scotland and supported by Tunnock’s.

In our penultimate episode of the Series Niall and conservation architect Fiona Sinclair take a metaphorical walk through Glasgow's many parks and green spaces. They talk about the Victorians who planned these spaces for citizens to enjoy more than a hundred and fifty years ago, how they have changed over time, and how they've been used, with a stop at some of the well known glasshouses along the way. 

This conversation was recorded on 9th February 2023. 

Keep an eye on our website glasgowheritage.org.uk, join us on social media @GlasgowHeritage and follow #IfGlasgowsWallsCouldTalk

This podcast was produced by Inner Ear for Glasgow City Heritage Trust. It is kindly sponsored by the National Trust for Scotland and supported by Tunnock’s.

We're joined by Gabrielle Macbeth, Volunteer Coordinator at Glasgow Women's Library and Anabel Marsh, one of the Library's longest serving volunteers who tell Niall about their pioneering walking tours which started in 2007. We hear how the staff and volunteers have worked tirelessly to highlight women's diverse but often unrecognised impact on the city of Glasgow.

This conversation was recorded on 2 March 2023.

Keep an eye on our website glasgowheritage.org.uk, join us on social media @GlasgowHeritage and follow #IfGlasgowsWallsCouldTalk

This podcast was produced by Inner Ear for Glasgow City Heritage Trust. It is kindly sponsored by the National Trust for Scotland and supported by Tunnock’s.

In our first ever live podcast recording we’re joined by Dr Hilary Wilson and Dr Kate Stevens from Friends of Glasgow Royal Infirmary to hear about the history of the development of Glasgow Royal Infirmary, the many pioneering healthcare providers that worked at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, and their experiences setting up the recently opened museum in the Royal Infirmary.

This conversation was recorded in front of a live audience in the museum at Glasgow Royal Infirmary on 24th August 2022.

Keep an eye on our website glasgowheritage.org.uk, join us on social media @GlasgowHeritage and follow #IfGlasgowsWallsCouldTalk

This podcast was produced by Inner Ear for Glasgow City Heritage Trust. It is kindly sponsored by the National Trust for Scotland and supported by Tunnock’s.

Joey and Niall discuss the newly formed Glasgow Housing Struggle Archive and how it informs and is informed by Glasgow's strong connection to housing struggles and movements throughout history. Joey tells us about the Archive, what its aims are and how he envisions it evolving. He also chats with Niall about the tradition of rent strikes, occupations and protest that continues up to today.

Joey is a writer and artist from Glasgow. He is co-founder of the Glasgow Housing Struggle Archive, a member of the National Committee of Living Rent –  Scotland’s tenants’ union. He is currently working on a number of projects with the CCA, Platform, Glasgow Sculpture Studios, Edwin Morgan Trust and the Travelling Gallery.

This conversation was recorded on 23rd February 2023.

Keep an eye on our website glasgowheritage.org.uk, join us on social media @GlasgowHeritage and follow #IfGlasgowsWallsCouldTalk

This podcast was produced by Inner Ear for Glasgow City Heritage Trust. It is kindly sponsored by the National Trust for Scotland and supported by Tunnock’s.

Whilst Glasgow may not be as famous as Edinburgh for it’s ghosts and ghouls, there are still stories of many spooky goings on around the city. Join Jan Murdoch Richards from Lanarkshire Paranormal to hear about their investigations in and around Glasgow. 

This conversation was recorded on 11th August 2022.

Keep an eye on our website glasgowheritage.org.uk, join us on social media @GlasgowHeritage and follow #IfGlasgowsWallsCouldTalk

This podcast was produced by Inner Ear for Glasgow City Heritage Trust. It is kindly sponsored by the National Trust for Scotland and supported by Tunnock’s.

Glasgow is home to the largest concentration of showpeople in Europe, but they go largely unnoticed in the city until planning issues come to light. In this episode Niall and Dr Mitch Miller discuss the long history of showpeople and their yards in Glasgow, how they have changed and developed over the years, and the current threats to their spaces.

Dr Miller is a social researcher, artist, and cultural activist who comes from a showpeople family. Over the last couple of decades Mitch has become a pioneering presence in Glasgow through his activism. He is perhaps most known for inventing the dialectogram, a piece of graphic art that depicts place from the ground up in collaboration with communities. 

This conversation was recorded on 24th January 2023.

Keep an eye on our website glasgowheritage.org.uk, join us on social media @GlasgowHeritage and follow #IfGlasgowsWallsCouldTalk

This podcast was produced by Inner Ear for Glasgow City Heritage Trust. It is kindly sponsored by the National Trust for Scotland and supported by Tunnock’s.