Scientologists on Buchanan Street

Recently a group of Scientologists have had a very visible presence on Buchanan Street every Saturday, along with the Christian evangelists, busking bagpipers, Socialist Workers and assorted others vying for the attention of the massed hordes of shoppers. There was an interesting discussion on flickr about this group, about how they are offering stress tests, etc, but maybe have something more weird or creepy in mind. I guess there’s a balance to be struck between freedom of speech, yet being honest about your intentions - I’m not sure that ostensibly offering common-or-garden stress tests, which I bet 9 times out of 10 tell you you’re highly stressed but they have the very thing to help you, when they’re really trying to recruit to this weird movement. At least with the other groups on Buchanan Street they offer what is said on the tin.

I don’t know - maybe I’m being unfair. I just find the Scientology movement rather creepy, and am thoroughly unconvinced as to the value of anything L.Ron Hubbard has written.

Regular visitor

A sight well-known to students at Glasgow University, this cat is a regular fixture around the place. For my first two years he always hung around the Adam Smith Building (where my office is), but I didn’t see him much over the last year - I think the cleaners complained as people kept letting him in, and so I guess he must have gone in search of more welcoming places after they clamped down on him in the ASB. But I saw him again outside the Adam Smith Building last week, so took the chance to take a picture. I’m not really a cat person, but I do really like this one, he’s really quite the personality!

bridge

I first showed this bridge, lit up at night, for the 1st December 2007 “Bridges” theme day. I think that after the Squinty Bridge, this bridge at night is Glasgow’s next-most photographed bridge. I think it also doesn’t look too bad during the day (at least when the weather’s nice!).

African graffiti

Just over the road from the remains of Stirlingfauld Place is a railway bridge. Underneath the bridge is this interesting bit of graffiti which judging by the Live8 logo is a good 3 years old. It’s certainly been here all the time I’ve been in Glasgow.

Room with a View

Yesterday on Ramsey Daily Photo, Babooshka showed an armchair which had been abandoned in a nature reserve. Being a much bigger city than Ramsey, the Glasgow version is in a bit more of a gritty location! Quite how they got it onto the top of this West End bus shelter is anyone’s guess - presumably out of a higher window?

[As an aside, you can see the fish, bell etc of the Glasgow coat of arms on the bus stop]

reflection

This was taken on the same day as yesterday’s picture - this bit of the river was so calm it was like a millpond! This bridge is now abandoned, but is well worth a closer look - they don’t make them like this any more.

Clyde Reflection

If it wasn’t for the hideous concrete architecture this could almost be a pleasant village scene! The tower block is Norfolk Court (see leaning tower a couple of days ago) and the building by the bridge is Glasgow Sheriff Court.

It’s not often that I’ve seen reflections like this in the Clyde - usually it’s far too choppy!

Pome ;)

There’s previously been a discussion in the comments of one of my previous entries about the Glasgow coat of arms, which includes a bird, tree, fish and bell. There’s a bit of explanation of the four elements, and the ring, here.

This poem takes the rhyme

There’s the tree that never grew,
There’s the bird that never flew,
There’s the fish that never swam,
There’s the bell that never rang

as its starting point, and brings in some other Glasgow imagery, particularly of its industrial heritage and its important status in the old British Empire (where it was known as the second city of the Empire - after London of course). This poem appears on the main entrance to the library of Glasgow University.

cherub

This cherub is tucked away to one corner of the tower in Trongate. I only noticed him recently, though I presume he’s been there all along!

I did this picture in sepia, but I’m not sure if I like it or not. I think the sepia setting on my camera might be a bit overpowering.

Thought for the Day

This poster appears on the wall outside the Tramway Theatre on the city’s south side. I can’t make up my mind if it’s art as incisive social commentary or just poncey.