The Glasgow Wrap 🗞 Thursday 18 April 2024
Bank closures leave 100+ jobs at risk, green light for Argyle Street revamp, questions remain over Aye Write funding + fake snow and Christmas trees in the West End
⛅ Good morning Glasgow. Today’s forecast is for rain but it’s looking dry and sunny for most of Friday and the weekend. Here’s Thursday’s Wrap:
🏦 The Royal Bank of Scotland has published plans to shut a fifth of its branches, including three in the city and seven in the Greater Glasgow area. - More than 100 jobs are at risk, reports Craig Meighan for STV News.
🚧 The start date for a £5.8m project to transform Argyle Street has been confirmed for Monday 13 May. Argyle Street West Avenue will be redeveloped as part of the council’s flagship ‘Avenues Programme’ which aims to improve Glasgow city centre's main thoroughfares. - A letter sent to residents reveals more about the timetable, reports Nicole Mitchell in the Glasgow Times.
🎄 There was fake snow and Christmas trees in the West End yesterday. A new film starring two Oscar nominees is being filmed in streets around Hyndland and Kelvinside Hillhead Parish Church. The film, ‘Midwinter Break’, features Lesley Manville and Ciarán Hinds. - Glasgow Times photographer Gordon Terris and reporter Eszter Tárnai have more.
🏖️ The Botany bar and restaurant on Maryhill Road is to be reimagined with a Balearic theme. Owner Jonathan Clough said yesterday:
"With the sun shining today in Glasgow it seems an appropriate time to announce the sale of the Botany Bar and Restaurant on Maryhill Road, and that it will soon be relaunching as Cafe Ibiza, bringing a bit of the Balearics to the west end of Glasgow.”
⮑ Read more on this from Brian Donnelly in The Herald.
🍽️ Maison by Glaschu - the sister restaurant to Glaschu on Royal Exchange Square - will open in Princess Square on Buchanan Street next month. - Ben Waddell, Glasgow Times.
🥢 ‘First Look: Inside Zhima Glasgow's newest Chinese restaurant one week ahead of opening this week’ - Liam Smillie, Glasgow Live.
📮 Something to share in tomorrow’s weekend guide? Get in touch.
📚 Yesterday’s headline reporting that Aye Write festival had been ‘saved’ has been downplayed slightly since more details emerged throughout the past 24 hours. While the new funding does ensure events will go ahead, it’s now reported that they will be spread throughout the year as a series of nine pop-ups rather than the 10-day format which last year saw 175 authors appearing in more than 120 events. - Tickets are on sale here.
⮑ More background here by Ella Creamer in The Guardian. Author Damian Barr said:
"I am delighted that some of the events in the Aye Write and Wee Write festivals have been saved. Funding for arts festivals is being cut across the board in Scotland. Glasgow needs and deserves better."
⮑ The Scotsman’s arts correspondent Brian Ferguson asked a series of questions in this Twitter thread last night, including: “Has Glasgow sacrificed a full-scale Aye Write festival to try to embarrass the Scottish Government & Creative Scotland into providing more funding for cultural events & venues in the city?”
🔊 People in and around the Provan area have been warned about a loud alarm test due to go off at 10am today. - More details from Ben Waddell in the Glasgow Times.
🎙️ Local songwriting collective Hen Hoose has announced a new bursary for female and non-binary musicians to help support new talent. - There’s more on how aspiring performers can get involved in The List.
🎵 The owner of the Garage and Cathouse venues wants to see new legislation enforce a fee on every big show ticket to support grassroots music venues and ultimately nurture emerging talent. - Donald MacLeod’s comments are part of Scott Wright’s study on the business impacts of the proposed levy in The Herald.
🎸 A clip of Ally McCoist recalling an AC/DC concert at the Glasgow Apollo in 1980 went viral last night. The former Rangers striker was preparing for his pundit duties at the Allianz Arena yesterday evening when ‘Hells Bells’ came on inside the stadium. - TNT Sports on Instagram.
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↪Get in touch using this form.📌 Govanhill Spring Clean planned for 27 April. Local residents, organisations, charities and businesses are coming together for a Govanhill Spring Clean event. The plan is to meet at the Al-Farooq Education and Community Centre on Dixon Ave in Govanhill on the 27 April at 10:30am. They day will begin with a briefing before teams of folk will head out to pick up litter. Volunteers will meet back at the community centre for refreshments at 12:15. Thanks to Aoife for sending this in.
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