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Contents 

Image I Gregor Reid 

Contents 

6 Fashion pages 

westender 

Regulars 

underwear shoot 

13 4 Editor’s A Jian London Letter 

Christmas 

31 The West End 

14 Mum’s West Notebook End Live 

with Greg Kane 

19 Fashion, A west beauty end & health 

Christmas gift guide 

8 Suited and Booted 

28 Up Front 

Fashion 

gypsy brewing 

21 WIN! At Rainbow Room 

30 Restaurant review 

International 

31 WIN! A 3 course meal 

with wine at Rio Cafe & 

WIN! Shopping A weekend 

at 29 The Mother’s Bruce Day Arms 

32 Gift Sweet GuideLiberty recipe 

34 Author’s Bookgroup 

meets Phil Differ 

Going out 

39 Jingle Belles at 

Kennedy 16 West End + CoLive 

40 with WIN! Greg A Kane style 

makeover 19 Top Things at Rainbow 

Room International 

41 Art Festive & culture Offers 

at Esteem Beauty 

42 

22 Writer’s 

100 years 

Reveal: 

of 

Erskine 

with Gary 

celebrated 

Sutherland 

at 

26 

The 

Cover 

Hunterian 

to Cover 

44 Health Matters 

47 Food Mum’s & drink Notebook 

49 

35 Restaurant 

Top Things 

Review: 

52 

Rossini 

Interiors 

West 

article: 

End 

Christmas 

37 Bar Review: 

in colour 

Munro’s 

55 Country comforts 

56 Hygge at home 

Westender living 

58 Atlas kitchen 

makeover 40 Smart Spaces 

66 45 Spring Legal Matters Forward with 

Mitchells 46 Art Deco Roberton Decadence


Editor’s 

Letter 

By the time this edition hits the West 

End’s leafy streets I’ll have returned from 

my first ever ski holiday to the Cairngorm 

Mountain ski resort, and be looking forward 

to another season camping in the Trossachs 

and up the west coast (fave place last year 

was Portban overlooking Islay and Jura 

– heaven). 

We joined the Glasgow Ski & Snowboard 

Centre at Bellahouston (ski-glasgow.co.uk) 

last year to take lessons and a nicer bunch 

of people it would be hard to meet. Every 

instructor, without exception, has been 

excellent (and patient!). Why now? Well I’ve 

waited long enough, I reckon. I had always 

fancied skiing and as I hit my mid-forties 

reckoned if it wasn’t now it may be never. 

My youngest and I have been learning 

together and that has made the whole 

experience extra special. 

Read my blog about our stay in 

Nethy Bridge online sometime this 

February, I’ll put a post out on social media 

when it’s uploaded – so keep up-to-date 

by joining us on Facebook, Twitter or 

Instagram, or keep checking our website at 

westendermagazine.com. 

This edition is packed with gigs to book 

(West End Live P.16), things to do (Top Things 

P. 19) and books to read (Cover To Cover 

P.26) – you will not be bored this spring! 

We have a fantastic interview with author 

Gary Sutherland on P.22. If you are looking 

for a great read as well as inspiration to get 

out and about as the weather improves, he’s 

your man. Ever fancied walking the West 

Highland Way? Enter our competition for 

a copy of Gary’s new travelogue Walk This 

Way and laugh your way to the start point in 

Milngavie. 

The spring holidays are also racing 

towards us so Michele Gordon of The 

Language Hub has compiled a list of her top 

West End classes and events to keep the kids 

entertained this April. There’s loads on from 

Dippy the Diplodocus’ visit to Kelvingrove, 

exciting outdoor activities with West End 

Adventure, to outdoor games in our parks run 

by Glasgow Life. Head over to P.31 and start 

planning your West End fun. 

Suzanne Martin


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EDITOR 

SUZANNE MARTIN 

PHOTOGRAPHER 

GREGOR REID 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

EMILY DONOHO, AMY GLASGOW, 

MICHELE GORDON, 

GREG KANE, TRACY MUKHERJEE, 

LORAINE PATRICK, 

SUSAN ROBERTSON, BRIAN TOAL 

HAIR & MUA 

TERRI CRAIG 

STYLIST 

JACKI CLARK 

WESTENDERMAGAZINE.COM 

INFO@WESTENDERMAGAZINE.COM 

07905 897238 

WESTENDER MAGAZINE IS ON 

FACEBOOK, TWITTER 

& INSTAGRAM 

Publisher: Westender Magazine 

Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that the data in this publication is accurate, neither the publisher nor its editorial 

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68 | www.westendermagazine.com


Sharp 

dressed 

womanmake photography 

up 

Gregor Reid 

stylist 

jacki clark 

terri craig

10 8 | | www.westendermagazine.com 

suit, next. Shoes, schuh. necklace, next. glasses, iolla 

opposite page - suit, asos. bralette, bonbon at the scottish design exchange. shoes, schuh. necklace, cassiopeia

www.westendermagazine.com | 11 9

12 10 | www.westendermagazine.com 

suit, cos. top, cos. necklace, cassiopeia

suit, asos. shirt, cos. boots, daniel footwear. bag, liquorice tree 

www.westendermagazine.com | | 13 11

12 14 | www.westendermagazine.com 

suit, topshop. shirt, next. necklace, cassiopeia 

opposite page - suit, river island. shirt, cos. tie, next. boots, office 

location the mitchell library 

MUA terri craig, terricraig.co.uk 

model lili johnson @ colours agency 

stylist jacki clark, jackiclark-stylist.co.uk 

photography gregor reid, gregorreidphotography.com

www.westendermagazine.com | 13 15


LIVE 

March 

Kathryn Joseph 

Friday 1st March 7.30pm 

Glasgow University Debating Chamber 

When you stream Kathryn Joseph’s 

music it comes across poised, 

thoughtful, beautiful. Go see her live 

and all that is there, but there’s also 

a power and confidence that really 

sucks you in and bowls you over. 

Watching her you begin to believe that 

she really can right all the wrongs 

and offer you all the best life choice 

guidance you’ll ever need. I find her 

totally beguiling watching her sit 

at that piano singing those songs. 

And I’m not alone, her music has been 

celebrated by The SAYAWARD folk (She 

won the prestigious Scottish Album 

Of The Year Award in 2015). A national 

treasure of Scotland she is. 

Choice Tracks: 

Kathryn Joseph 'We Have Been Loved 

by Our Mothers' 

Mashrou’ Leila 

Sunday 10th March 7pm 

Òran Mór, oran-mor.co.uk 

Mashrou' Leila are one of the most 

notable indie pop bands to come out 

of the Middle East, to be specific from 

Beirut in Lebanon. Now if ever an 

indie band had a reason to grind an 

axe it would be these guys. To my ears 

their music is beautifully arranged 

electro Euro pop augmented with the 

signature sound of razor sharp Arabic 

violin. Frequently compared to Arcade 

Fire, Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys they 

follow in the footsteps of legendary 

Arabic singer Fairuz in bringing 

their unique sound to the rest of 

the world. Shout out goes to their 

flamboyant frontman Hamed Sinno who 

is so compelling to watch – hints of 

Freddy Mercury. 

Choice track: 

Mashrou’ Leila ‘Are you Still Certain’ 

Joanne Shaw Taylor 

Wednesday 27th March 7.30pm 

SWG3, swg3.tv 

Low slung Gibson Les Paul, check… 

Long blonde hair, check… Black ripped 

skinny jeans, check… Monster rock 

chops on that there guitar, check… 

Rock God poses, check… but wait, 

this isn’t some testosterone filled, 

sexually ambivalent hair metal 

dude, this is Joanne Shaw Taylor. An 

English born blues guitarist who can 

trade with the best of them. All these 

Bluesmen feeling sorry for themselves 

clutching their guitars for comfort 

need not look any further than Joanne 

Shaw Taylor for salvation. Compelling 

to watch. 

Choice track: Joanne Shaw Taylor 

‘Break My heart Anyway’


by Greg Kane 

April 

Shawn Mendes 

Saturday 6th April 6pm 

SSE Hydro, thessehydro.com 

Shawn Mendes is the epitome of 

millennial success. This is a teenager 

who, aged 14, gained millions of fans 

over the course of only a few months 

after he started posting short videos 

of himself covering songs. A familiar 

strategy for achieving global success 

nowadays. Today at the ripe old age of 

19-years-old and already on his third 

album for Island Records he’s now 

gone all funky and grown up. I suspect 

there’ll be a Hydro full of screaming 

girls – and father’s and boyfriend’s 

pained faces. Notwithstanding he’s 

quite good tho. 

Choice track: 

Shawn Mendes 'Particular Taste' 

Hauschka 

Tueday 9th April 7pm 

Mackintosh Church 

Prepared piano music anyone? 

A technique that involves inserting 

objects between a piano’s strings 

and hammers to expand its sonic and 

operative possibilities… Anyone? 

Ok then, but I’m a piano player and I 

love this building up just off Maryhill 

Road, so it’s kinda ticking my boxes. 

Volker Bertelmann, also known as 

Hauschka, is an Academy Awardnominated 

composer, pianist and 

experimental musician whose music 

lends itself to movie soundtracks and 

he subsequently has a very impressive 

entry in IMDb to back it up. 

Very beautiful music in a very 

beautiful place. 

Choice Track: Hauschka 'Curious' 

Jody Watley 

Wednesday 17th April 7pm 

Òran Mór, oran-mor.co.uk 

Jody Watley is the Godchild of soul 

legend Jackie Wilson, she married 

Prince’s bassist André Cymone, sang 

all those Shalamar hits back in the 

80s and was one of the stars of the 

New Jack Swing scene in the late 80s, 

early 90s. Listening to her music on 

Spotify takes you back to the synth 

funk days of old… All Di’d guitars, 

deep bass lines, Kawai drum machines, 

big plate and gated reverbs. I loved it 

all… still do if truth be told. 

She still sounds and looks great. 

A night of 80s funk ahead of you. 

Choice track: Jody Watley with 

Shalamar 'Night To Remember'


J O R D A N H I L L BOWLING CL U B 

SINCE 1899 

• Jordanhill Bowling Club (JBC) at the 

heart of the community since 1899 

• Enjoy an outdoor sport in a beautiful 

location 

• Membership open to all aged 8-108 

and all abilities 

• Play as a hobby or in club, district or 

national competitions 

• All equipment and coaching provided 

free to new bowlers. (Casual clothes 

and modern club polo shirts is the 

normal now) 

• Be part of a team, meet new friends 

and play a sport invented in Scotland 

• Huge discounts on memberships for 

new members 

To be part of JBC or just have a look around contact John on 07946661226 

or just walk in and visit us. You could be our future club champion. 

Looking forward to meeting you. 

@jordanhillbowlingclub


Top Things To Do 

in the West End 

by Tracy Mukherjee 

Top for Dynamic Dinosaurs 

We seem to have a special relationship here 

in the West End with the prehistoric era. 

Not so long ago, the Botanics were overrun with 

terrifying triceratops and vicious velociraptors. 

This spring it’s the turn of both Kelvingrove 

Museum and Kelvin Hall to play host to these 

gigantic beasts. First, step back to the crazy 

cretaceous period and visit Trix the T. Rex at 

Kelvin Hall from April till July. This 66 million 

year old dinosaur was initially discovered in 

Montana but these days is resident in the 

Netherlands. Trix is the only Tyrannosaurus 

Rex touring in the world so don’t miss this 

opportunity to visit Kelvin Hall during her 

visit and find out more about the life of this 

fascinating creature. 

Dippy on Tour sees the Natural History Museum 

of London’s most famous inhabitant leaving 

home for the first time since 1905. Dippy the 

Diplodocus was one of the largest animal that 

ever lived. Living 150 million years ago, he is now 

on a natural history adventure across the UK. 

Here in Glasgow, he will be helping residents 

of our city to experience the wonders of nature 

right here on our doorstep. With numerous 

events running throughout Dippy’s visit, visitors 

will have a chance to see how prehistoric animals 

are linked to what we see around us now. The 

RSPB will show how there are Dinosaurs In Your 

Back Garden, looking at the connection between 

birds now and those extinct. In March, dinosaur 

experts discuss if dinosaurs could live now in 

Dinosaurs Back To Life. 

All these amazing events will be leading up to 

Dippy’s Nature Discovery Day at the end of 

April. The day coincides with Glasgow’s Nature 

Challenge 2019, where visitors in and around 

the city will be asked to race against the clock to 

record as many different species of wildlife as 

they can (look out for Bioblitz in the Botanics on 

16th March). Incredible events for young and old 

alike, it’s a perfect time of year to be embracing 

and celebrating the nature around us. 

T. Rex in Town, 18th April – 

31st July, Glasgow Kelvin Hall 

kelvinhall.org.uk/trex 

Dippy On Tour 22nd January – 6th May 

Kelvingrove Art Galleries and Museum 

glasgowlife.org.uk/event/1/dippy-ontour-a-natural-history-adventure 

Top for a Top Read 

Glasgow’s annual book festival Aye Write! 

returns to the magnificent Mitchell Library in 

March. The festival, which has become a firm 

favourite in our cultural calendar, celebrates 

the best of local, national and international 

literature. Audiences gather to hear new writers, 

emerging talent or famed international authors 

discuss their works in the hallowed halls of one 

of Europe’s largest public libraries. With events 

also taking place at the Royal Concert Hall, the 

subjects under discussion cover every genre of 

literature and media. 

The list of authors and speakers is extensive. 

Big name authors such as Val McDermid and 

Alexander Smith McCall are in attendance along 

with well known names from broadcasting like 

Simon Mayo and Louise Minchin. Workshops are 

aplenty covering every type of writing: give it a 

go in creative writing, children’s books, poetry, 

writing for radio/television drama; the list goes 

on and on. There are also talks from the world 

of food and travel literature, historic writers and 

discussion on some of the most iconic books 

ever written. Wee Write! makes a welcome return 

too with the family day on Saturday 2nd March. 

As award-winning authors and illustrators 

encourage younger readers to develop their love 

of books, we can but hope this fantastic festival 

runs for many, many more years to come. 

Aye Write! 14th-31st March 

ayewrite.com


Top Things To Do 

in the West End 

by Tracy Mukherjee 

Top for Comedy 

Can you believe it’s a year since the last 

Glasgow International Comedy Festival? The 

annual March Giggle Gala returns across the 

city bringing Glaswegians the best from the 

international comedy circuit. Now Europe’s 

largest comedy festival, stars will be attending 

from the UK and beyond. Venues in the west 

include Oran Mor, The Stand, Websters and 

the Tall Ship, but there are an abundance of 

shows dotted around a myriad of establishments 

nearby. Comedians to watch out for include 

the fabulously dry Rich Hall at the Garage on 

Sauchiehall Steet, Scotland’s very own Craig Hill 

at Oran Mor and the hilarious Mark Nelson (he 

of the politically savvy daughter) at the Stand. 

Darren Connell, of Scot Squad fame also treads 

the boards of the Stand in his Abandon All Hope 

show. We’ve yet to see if his alter ego Boaby will 

make an appearance with Officer Karen! 

Glasgow International Comedy Festival, 

14th -31st March, various venues 

glasgowcomedyfestival.com 

Top for Theatre 

Oran Mor’s now iconic A Play, A Pie and A 

Pint has hit its 15th anniversary and will have 

produced no less than 500 plays; quite an 

achievement given the lunchtime theatre slot. 

To recognise this landmark achievement, some 

of the favourite productions from over the years 

are making a return to the theatre. Plays by Liz 

Lochhead, Dave Anderson and Morag Fullerton 

are all on the Spring Season list, as well as new 

works by less well known, yet no less talented 

playwrights. Famous icons making a welcome 

appearance include Chic Murray, Elvis, Jocky 

Wilson and Humphrey Bogart… in dramatic form, 

of course. The latter returns for the 500th play, 

Casablanca – The Lunchtime Cut. This play 

was voted for by the Oran Mor audience as the 

favourite to have an anniversary encore. 

Looking down this list of dramas, musicals 

and comedies in this celebratory season, rest 

assured a lunchtime theatre date is on the cards 

this spring. 

A Play, A Pie and A Pint Celebration 

Season, Oran Mor, Byres Road 

oran-mor.co.uk 

Top for Top Art 

We all have our favourite forms, genres, pieces 

of art and over the years these pages have 

signposted some utterly incredible local galleries 

and some true national heroes e.g. Rennie 

MacIntosh. I’m safe in saying that I haven’t 

made previous reference to this chap who’s got 

a few pieces being shown down at Kelvingrove. 

His name? LEONARDO DA VINCI!!! 

Twelve of the most intricate drawings by da 

Vinci will be on show at Kelvingrove up until 

May in the showcase Leonardo da Vinci: A Life 

in Drawing. Lent to Kelvingrove Art Gallery 

and Museum by Her Majesty The Queen from 

the Royal Collection, the museum is the only 

Scottish venue to exhibit these pieces. Across 

the UK, 144 drawings in total are going on show 

in a national celebration to mark 500 years 

since the artist died. The drawings range from 

anatomy to mechanical design, portraiture; even 

weather sketches. With a number of da Vinci’s 

own explanatory notes, this is an incredible 

opportunity for visitors to get an insight in to the 

mind of arguably the world’s greatest ever artist. 

Kelvingrove is already home to one of the finest 

collection of European art, so this is the cherry 

on the cake. But my, what a glorious cherry it is… 

Leonardo da Vinci:A Life in Drawing, 

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, 

February - May 2019 

glasgowlife.org.uk/news/leonardoda-vinci-a-life-in-drawing-coming-tokelvingrove-in-2019

RRI 

M 

Westender www.westendermagazine.com Magazine Competitions | 21 

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Writer’s Reveal 

meets Gary Sutherland 

WORDS LORAINE PATRICK 

Even with the weather getting better and 

the first signs of spring around, the 

challenge Gary Sutherland set himself in 

Walk This Way brings out the blisters in me. 

Trekking 240 miles along three of Scotland’s 

iconic walks is quite a challenge. No rest 

breaks, walking 20 miles a day, on his own… 

does not immediately sound like a recipe for 

fun. Nevertheless, Gary’s travelogue Walk 

This Way is an amusing and light-hearted 

account of the landscapes he sees and 

people he meets with little made of his weary, 

sore feet. 

Gary – thanks for taking time to catch 

up with Westender Magazine – the first 

question has to be why?! Why do these 

three walks in a row?


I never viewed walking as an activity I’d 

enjoy. I love cycling and running and living in 

Glasgow I’ve seen ‘The Walkers’ with their 

colossal backpacks getting ready to tackle 

the West Highland Way. I always thought 

it wasn’t for me. Having spent years living 

on the doorstep of Scotland’s most famous 

long-distance trail and doing a good job 

of ignoring it, I finally decided I needed a 

new challenge and wanted to test myself at 

something that was completely alien to me. 

I tend to bite off more than I can chew and 

am nothing if not ambitious. I found out that 

the Great Glen Way starts where the West 

Highland Way finishes so I thought: ‘Why 

not just carry on?’. I then realised that I 

could add the Speyside Way to the mix and 

make it a hat-trick of iconic walks. And that 

I could walk from Glasgow, where I live, to 

the Moray coast where I grew up. There was 

also the lure that perhaps no one had done 

this sequence of walks before. My mind was 

made up. I just needed to get my hands on 

some walking gear… 

What were the highlights? 

The highlights of my trek were crossing 

Rannoch Moor, climbing the Devil’s Staircase 

near Glencoe, walking towards Ben Nevis 

on the final day of the West Highland Way. 

The standout moment of the Great Glen Way 

was reaching Loch Ness. I couldn’t believe I’d 

got there on foot from the edge of Glasgow! 

Wandering through Malt Whisky Country on 

the Speyside Way was both a blessing and a 

danger. Beautiful scenery but a fair number of 

distilleries and some inviting pubs. Reaching 

the shore of the Moray Firth on the final day 

of my 240-mile march across Scotland was 

the absolute highlight. I felt a mixture of 

elation, exhaustion and relief. 

Did you have a favourite walk? 

My favourite of the three was without doubt 

the West Highland Way. It’s world famous 

for a reason. The epic mountain scenery, 

the wild moors, plus there’s a lot of 

camaraderie among the walkers on what has 

become a well-trodden path. But not one 

that’s overly busy, at least not in springtime 

when I set off on my solo journey. 

How would you compare and contrast the 

three walks? 

The West Highland Way was the most visually 

stunning of the three walks but also the most 

difficult. I found the Loch Lomond section, 

along the boulder-strewn wooded shore, 

far more awkward than I had anticipated. 

There’s also a steep climb out of Kinlochleven 

towards the end that fairly tests the legs. 

A good deal of the Great Glen Way is on the 

towpath of the Caledonian Canal, which was 

easier on the feet. You could cycle much 

of the Great Glen Way – and people do. 

The Speyside Way is the shortest of the 

three walks (66 miles, compared to 75 for the 

Great Glen Way and 96 for the West Highland 

Way) and the terrain is easier. It’s mostly 

forest walks, old railway lines and wandering 

across farmland with occasional glimpses of 

the River Spey. But passing through lovely 

villages like Aberlour and later reaching the 

sea makes it worth it. 

You were brought up in Hopeman but you 

now live in Glasgow. Did the final walk – 

the Speyside Way – feel like a long walk 

home? 

Trekking through Speyside did feel like a 

homecoming and that was the intention, 

the ultimate reward for my efforts. When I 

reached Grantown-on-Spey, I knew I was 

nearing the end of my long journey. From the 

slopes of Ben Aigan, above Fochabers, I saw 

the Moray Firth and that gave me a muchneeded 

shot of adrenalin for the closing 

miles. My family – including my granny, my 

mam, my wife and kids – were there to greet 

me at Spey Bay, where the river flows into the 

sea, and that was a very special moment. 

What was the biggest concern for you 

setting out on the journey? 

I guess the distance involved was the main 

thing. In total, the walk was almost 240 

miles and I was determined to hike the three 

long-distance trails consecutively over 12 

days, with no rest days. So that’s 20 miles 

per day. I felt fit (through my regular cycling 

and running) and I packed light, just a small 

backpack. I had booked a combination of 

B&Bs and hostels. No way was I carting 

along a tent! A big concern was getting 

blisters. No matter how fit I was, blisters 

could be a source of real pain. But I received 

some great advice in an outdoors shop in 

Glasgow, where I bought good walking shoes 

and proper walking socks – indeed a ‘sock


system’ of thin liner socks beneath thicker 

woollen socks – and would you believe it, 

I didn’t suffer a single blister during the entire 

trip! 

You say you are not a keen walker – what 

were you scared of? 

My two main fears were heights and the 

prospect of extended periods of isolation. 

I had a wobble on Conic Hill on my first day, 

looking down on Loch Lomond. It’s not even 

that high a hill, but I do suffer from vertigo. 

I later froze half-way up the Devil’s Staircase, 

gazing back at Glencoe. My legs completely 

locked. Luckily, I had company and a fellow 

walker talked me over the Devil’s Staircase. 

In terms of isolation, I was worried in advance 

about perhaps having to cross Rannoch Moor 

on my own. Which is how it turned out… 

in torrential rain and high winds. Halfway 

across the moor, I decided to make a run for 

it. Legging it across the moor – this bleak, 

inhospitable place – I burst out laughing at 

the ridiculousness and exhilaration of it all. 

I do think the biggest challenge of all – more 

than the distance – was deciding to do this 

cross-country trek on my own. I’m a bit of a 

scaredy-cat and did struggle with extended 

periods in dark forests. I have a vivid 

imagination! I kept seeing things through 

the trees. Imagination is great for a writer, 

but not so much when you’re trekking in the 

middle of nowhere, miles from civilisation 

and haven’t talked to anyone all day. 

The Great Glen Way and Speyside Way 

were considerably quieter than the West 

Highland Way. 

your own, you’ll bump into people during the 

day or swap stories with fellow walkers over 

a pint in the evening. Near Bridge of Orchy, 

I met a bloke from Glasgow who was moving 

gingerly on account of two really bad blisters. 

I really sympathised with him but he turned 

o u t to b e a m a c h i n e – h e j u s t ke p t g o i n g . 

We met up in Fort William at the end of 

the West Highland Way and toasted our 

achievement with a dram. There was a real 

international cast on the West Highland 

Way, which shows how famous the trail 

is. I bumped into Americans, Germans, 

Zimbabweans and an unfeasible number of 

Belgians. The Belgians are mad for the West 

Highland Way. Who knew?! 

This is not the first travelogue you have 

written – you cycled round Scotland with 

your brother – what do you enjoy about 

this genre of writing? 

The beauty of travelogues is that they 

combine body and mind. You do the 

challenge, the journey – whether it be cycling 

around Scotland, walking across Scotland, 

golfing Scotland’s islands, all of which I’ve 

done – and gain a real sense of achievement. 

Then you sit down and tackle the next 

mountain – of writing a book. I’ve seen a 

great deal of Scotland now through my 

book adventures and met lots of fascinating 

characters. I never tire of the country I 

call home. There’s so much to see and 

experience. 

What were the walkers you did meet like? 

There’s a real spirit of camaraderie on the 

West Highland Way. Even if you’re walking on 

Competition! 

We have two signed copies of 

Walk This Way to give away. 

Visit westendermagazine.com 

and click on competitions 

by the 30th of April 2019. 

Walk 

This Way 

£2 

OFF 

* 

RRP £8.99 

*Exclusive offer for WESTENDER readers 

at Waterstones 351-355 Byres Road 

branch only, by 30th April 2019.


You are a supporter of libraries and a 

frequent visitor to the libraries in the West 

End, why? 

Most of my writing is done at home but 

sometimes I’ll venture out for a change of 

scene, often to the Mitchell Library and 

sometimes Hillhead Library. I love libraries 

and as well as finding them to be good 

places to write, I also make a point of taking 

books out on loan so that I’m supporting 

libraries. They’re special places and should 

be cherished. 

You have a background as a sports 

journalist and also taught English abroad, 

but you have always been drawn to settle 

around the West End of Glasgow, why? 

I grew up in the fishing village of Hopeman 

on the Moray coast, went to the University 

of Aberdeen where I gained an English 

Literature degree, then moved to Glasgow. 

My first flat was in Kelvinbridge. I now live in 

Bearsden with my family but I’m often in the 

West End. I enjoy cycling into the West End, 

along the towpath of the Forth & Clyde Canal 

to the locks at Maryhill, then following the 

River Kelvin down to Kelvinbridge. My wife 

and I enjoy taking the kids to Kelvingrove 

Park. The West End has nice coffee shops, 

pubs, curry houses and I also enjoy going to 

gigs at venues like SWG3 in Finnieston. 

How would you sum up this book and why 

should Westenders get hold of a copy? 

Walk This Way is a tale of courage, 

endurance, cataclysmic quagmires, ludicrous 

ledges, feral goats and a baffling number of 

Belgians. The book is intended to inspire and 

raise some smiles along the way. Westenders 

are only a few miles from the start point of my 

journey in Milngavie. I’d encourage people 

to experience the West Highland Way. And if 

you get to Fort William and aren’t completely 

shattered, keep going! 

Gary Sutherland appears at Glasgow’s 

Aye Write Festival on Sunday 31st March. 

For tickets visit ayewrite.com. 

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1 

The Language 

of Kindness 

by Christie Watson 

BY BRIAN TOAL 

WESTENDER’s 

COVER TO COVER 

Christie Watson was a nurse for twenty years and 

is now the patron of the Royal College of Nursing 

Foundation. This is a truly astonishing book which 

made me laugh, cry and reflect in equal measure. 

Watson takes us on a journey 

through her nursing career, 

encompassing years in A+E, 

midwifery, PICU, oncology and 

several other specialities. In each 

chapter there is a clear focus on 

a type of patient, but the thread 

which glistens throughout the 

whole book is the element of 

kindness. 

The author is frank and 

unashamedly depicts her terror 

and revulsion at times with what 

she had to contend with as a 

student nurse. What I found 

particularly humbling was the 

candour with which she conveys 

humans in various states of illness, 

dying and despair. There are no 

pulled punches here and she is 

ever keen to remind us of the 

stark differences between the 

role of a nurse and the role of 

a doctor. 

Often the doctors arrive in a 

whirlwind, diagnose or operate, 

then leave. The nurses have 

done all the preparatory work to 

ensure that the child will sit still 

long enough to have a needle 

inserted into their bones, or that 

the hysterical mother remains calm 

long enough for the doctors and 

patient to remain calm. The nurses 

also occupy roles far beyond the 

criteria stipulated in the nursing 

manual: singing songs to children, 

comforting grieving relatives 

and innumerable other acts of 

kindness. 

The mundane, everyday roles of washing, toileting, wiping, 

brushing, changing, feeding and watering are all part and 

parcel of the nurse’s day, but at any moment a call can send 

them scrambling to someone in arrest. This constant lurch from 

calmness and mundanity to adrenaline and drama is clearly 

exhausting and takes a heavy emotional toll on the nurse. 

There is a very touching section where Watson deals with 

the death of her father. This will be difficult to read for those 

who have lost a loved one to cancer, but it helps the reader to 

understand that nurses have personal lives with their own joys 

and sorrows too, although these have to be left behind at the 

start of a shift. 

Watson also makes some pretty unequivocal statements 

about the dearth of funding for nurses and the clear staffing crisis 

in the NHS. The story of her daughter using sellotape to repair her 

shoes illustrates this better than any facts or figures. I read the 

Waterstones edition, which has an interesting afterword. This is 

an important book for us all to read as we are all affected, or will 

be affected, by the issues Watson raises. We all need kindness.


The End We 

Start From 

by Megan Hunter 

2 

This is a book which was 

recommended to me recently 

and I’m eternally grateful to 

its advocate as it’s one of 

the best books I’ve read in 

a long time. The paperback 

version came out in 2018, so 

it’s still fairly recent. It’s a 

post-apocalyptic novel set in 

Britain and follows a family 

struggling to survive in extreme 

conditions. Like many novels 

of this genre, we are never 

really told what caused the 

catastrophe and the action 

begins in the days following 

the breakdown of society. 

We follow a young couple 

and their baby as they try 

to navigate their way away 

from London north to the safe 

haven of Scotland (hurrah!). 

Inevitably, the British stiff 

upper lip gets them so far and 

society seems to be coping 

in a way, at first. However, 

circumstances dictate that 

the husband leaves to seek 

supplies but doesn’t return, 

leaving mother and child to 

continue the trek alone. 

For fans of Cormac 

McCarthy’s The Road, you will 

recognise the sparse writing 

style, the nameless characters, 

the minimalist prose and the 

pace and drive helped by the 

brevity of the paragraphs and 

chapters. I consumed this in 

one sitting. The End We Start 

From offers a bleak portrayal 

of how easily society can break 

down and how close we all 

are to our basest instincts. 

Nevertheless, there is hope 

at the end, and that hope is 

where we start from. 

They take from the rich to give 

to the poor.’ This is the slogan 

of ‘Payback’, a team of teens 

determined to right the wrongs 

of an unjust society by ripping 

off those who rip off the poor 

and distributing their takings 

to those who most need it. 

It’s an intriguing concept 

and an entertaining 21st 

Century twist on the Robin 

Hood legend. We have the 

usual suspects: the tough guy, 

Gedge; Rendall, the narrator 

of the novel; Coke, the tall, 

brooding one; Kallie, the expert 

climber; and finally, there is 

Ferg, the tech expert. All in all, 

there’s a character for every 

teen to relate to. 

The novel races along with 

short chapters, most of which 

deal with a separate crime. 

The end of the summer is 

approaching and one assumes 

that the group will disband 

when they head off to uni, but 

fate has other ideas in store 

for them. Gedge has something 

to hide and endangers the 

whole group, Rendall attracts 

the attention of the police and 

the whole drama climaxes in 

a stunning train journey north 

with bad guys and police all on 

the trail of the gang. 

A breathless chase across 

the moors of the Scottish 

borders culminates in a very 

exciting denouement. This is a 

highly entertaining teen novel 

which may also serve to make 

young readers more aware of 

social justice and inequality in 

our society. 

Payback 

by M.A. Griffin 

3


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For You Mum… 

Stuck for gift giving ideas this Mothering Sunday? Let us help!* 

*Mother’s Day falls on Sunday 31st March in 2019 – you have been warned, no excuses! 

Bath Salt & Lip Balm Gift Set 

£10, Spirito 

Good Golly Miss Molly 

Bespoke Occasion Hat, £270 

The Shop of Interest 

Blunt Metro Compact Umbrella 

£54.99, CoLab Store 

Earl of East – Greenhouse Candle 

£20, Hoos 

Dansk Sun Drop Earrings 

£29.90, Cassiopeia 

West End Suppliers 

Cassiopeia, 165 Hyndland Road 

0141 357 7374 cassiopeiaonline.co.uk 

CoLab Store, 11-13 Downahill Street 

0141 570 1766 colabstore.co.uk 

Hoos, 715 Great Western Road 

07788 480 421 hoosglasgow.co.uk 

Spirito, 317-319 Crow Road 

0141 337 3307 spiritogifts.com 

The Shop of Interest, 1058 Argyle Street 

0141 221 7316 theshopofinterest.co.uk



The West End 

mum’s notebook 

by Michele Gordon thelanguagehub.co.uk 

Some of you already know how much I 

look forward to spring every year. Days 

become longer, there are fewer cold 

days and hopefully no repeat of the Beast 

from the East! 

March starts off with the Aye Write 

Festival which runs from the 14th to 31st 

March at the Mitchell Library (ayewrite.com). 

The festival has been an annual occurrence 

since 2007 and celebrates the best in 

national, international and local writing 

bringing national and local speakers to 

Glasgow’s iconic library and allowing 

audiences to enjoy appearances from big 

name writers and emerging talent alike. Do 

look out for the Wee Write! part of the festival 

as it will run during the first week in March. 

The special family weekend is scheduled for 

the 2nd and 3rd March. 

I am very pleased to say that The Hub will 

be part of the Wee Write! school programme 

this year. This means council nurseries and 

primary schools can book slots with The 

Hub at their local library where we will read 

a book to the children chosen by the nursery 

or school in a foreign language also chosen 

by them. We are very much looking forward 

travelling all over Glasgow and meeting many 

new children. Sadly, Partick Library, our 

very own local library, will not be one of the 

venues as it remains closed for most of 2019 

for refurbishment. However keep libraries in 

mind when you are looking for bug book and 

other children’s sessions: Hillhead, Whiteinch 

and the Mitchell libraries will be your nearest 

ones. 

March also sees the return of the 

annual Glasgow Comedy Festival 

(glasgowcomedyfestival.com). There are 

some venues based in the West End like 

The Stand and The Oran Mor, for children’s 

comedy it is the Mask and Puppet Centre 

in Kelvindale. They will be hosting several 

shows as part of the festival which should 

be fun for primary school aged children. 

Although Ruby and Leon are getting slightly 

too old for most of the shows, I do like to take 

them whenever I can for support. The centre 

is continuously raising funds to refurbish and 

rebuild a new theatre and community centre. 

It recently extended its services in hosting 

an after-school group for the local area 

(maskandpuppet.co.uk). 

And then the schools close on the 29th 

and we are sliding into April and two weeks of 

school holidays. This year, the Easter holiday 

weekend actually falls outwith the Easter 

school holidays too. So, what will we do? I am 

pretty sure Ruby and Leon will want to attend 

their usual kids camp at Scotstoun Leisure 

Centre, they have basically been looking 

forward to it since the last one in October. 

These kids clubs are run by Glasgow Life and 

run at most leisure centres across the city; for 

the West End, check out Maryhill, Scotstoun 

and Kelvinhall leisure centres. They are very


'Learning Through Play' 

Places available. 

To book your visit call Maureen on 0141 357 0231 

www.derbystreetnursery.co.uk 

maureen@derbystreetnursery.co.uk 

1 Parkgrove Terrace, Glasgow G3 7SD 

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reasonably priced and offer a variety of 

activities to suit all. 

But just in case the kids have a sudden 

change of heart, I want to be prepared and 

have other suitable and fun filled options at 

hand. One activity on our list for definite is 

West End Adventure (westendadventure. 

co.uk). This is a fairly new community interest 

company – same legal set up as The Hub 

– based in the West End which is all about 

the outdoors and was founded in 2017. This 

not-for-profit organisation offers a wide range 

of land and water-based activities including 

problem solving, kayaking, rock climbing, 

canoeing, abseiling, archery, and bushcraft. 

The list of activities looks very adventurous, 

and it is a great camp according to one of 

Ruby’s friends who attended one of the 

holiday weeks last year. It’s nice to know that 

you do not have to travel far to allow your kids 

outdoor adventures in the middle of our city. 

Their Easter holiday camps will run from the 

1st of April at £35 per day or £175 per week. 

And if you feel envious, do not despair, 

they also offer plenty of similar activities 

for adults, whether you need something for 

team building or for a special occasion with a 

group of friends. 

An absolute must this year will be, of 

course, a visit to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery 

to see Dippy! The Natural History Museum’s 

iconic Diplodocus dinosaur skeleton is 

currently visiting Glasgow as part of a road 

trip across the UK. Dippy has ventured out 

of London for the first time since 1905 and 

has been at the gallery since the 22nd of 

January. He will stay until the 6th of May so 

make sure not to miss him. If you do go and 

visit, maybe time it with one of the RSPB 

Scotland sessions as part of the Kelvingrove 

Art Gallery and Museum timetable ad make 

a day of it. These activities usually run on 

Saturdays and Sundays from 1-4pm and 

fees are donation based only and will fully go 

toward the costs of the sessions. Children 

learn about local nature and animals living in 

Kelvingrove Park (whatsonglasgow.co.uk/ 

event/005324-the-rspb-at-kelvingrove). 

I like how you can make a whole day 

of being in and around the art gallery. If 

the weather is good, we try to get over to 

the bowling greens for a game of bowls. 

It’s great how you can just walk in and play 

on the greens if there is space. Or maybe you 

prefer tennis? However, the courts for this 

have to be booked in advance as they are 

popular and the slots are limited to a certain 

period of time. 

During school holidays, at least in 

summer, it is also one of the places to go to 

for the outdoor play activities organised by 

Glasgow Life. They set up stations, obstacle 

courses and bring all sorts of different 

games, balls and toys for everyone to use 

and enjoy; all for free too I may add. 

One other lovely afternoon out is a trip to 

the Clydeside Distillery at the former site of 

the Tall Ship. Tim Morrison, whose ancestors 

laid the foundations for Morrison Bowmore 

Distillers, fulfilled his ambitions of reviving 

distilling in Glasgow, helping to restore the 

dock his great-grandfather had built and set 

up the distillery in 2017. We recently booked 

a guided tour and Ruby and Leon really 

enjoyed it. They learned a lot about what 

Glasgow used to look like from old photos 

in the exhibition part. We had a Spanish tour 

guide who knew everything there is to know 

about making whisky and accommodated 

the kids with non-alcoholic drinks while 

all the adults tasted some of Scotland’s 

finest. There is also a café for light lunches 

and coffee and cakes and if you require a 

special gift for someone check out their shop 

with a great selection of Scottish whiskies 

(theclydeside.com). 

You can always combine this visit with a 

walk over to the Riverside Museum or the Tall 

Ship. They also put on holiday activities for 

children of different ages. 

And if none of this really takes your fancy, 

or you have tried all of them before the 

holidays are over, you can always come to 

The Language Hub or take a break in our new 

Café Hub two doors along from our learning 

h u b o n Ke i t h S t r e e t (19 & 7 Ke i t h S t r e e t). 

We will be running weekday activities 

between the 1st-12th of April for children and 

adults alike, not all of them involve language 

learning so make sure to check out our 

website in March for more details. 

Also check out a fairly new 

facebook page (facebook.com/ 

GlasgowWestEndMumsandDads) which 

recommends and discusses topics of interest 

to parents in the West End, you might find 

some further helpful tips on things to do 

during the holidays. This leaves me to wish 

you all ‘Frohe Ostern und viele bunte Eier’ 

and see you soon.


CRAFT BEERS & ALES 

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Hyndland 

Train Station


@ 

Rossini 

Reviewed by Amy Glasgow 

Is there anything more satisfying than a 

hearty Italian? In recent years there has 

been somewhat of a revolution when it 

comes to Italian dining. In what can only be 

a positive move, more and more traditional 

eateries are appearing, focusing on seasonal 

ingredients and dishes that truly represent 

the vast Italian cuisine. 

Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing 

wrong with a bowl of carbonara or a 

magherita pizza, but it’s nice to see 

authentic, Italian-run businesses like La 

Lanterna, Eusebi Deli and Celino’s sharing 

success in the West End. 

A relatively new restaurant that fits this 

bill is Rossini, owned by Maurizio and Ester 

Rossini. Their first venture, the award winning 

North Star café, was and is a huge success 

but head chef and owner Maurizio opened 

Rossini in order to bring the traditional dishes 

of his home region, Apulia, to the streets of 

Glasgow, along with their knowledgeable and 

ever-friendly service. 

We started our meal with an appetiser 

of arancini, for who can resist the call of 

smoked mozzarella and n’duja, which was 

the clear standout of the three flavours on 

offer. The other two, one filled with meat ragu 

and the other with saffron and peas, were 

somewhat forgettable, though the exterior 

was beautifully crisp and golden brown. 

I was similarly intrigued by the Panzerotto, 

which translates as ‘the belly of the dough’. 

It is, essentially, a calzone. Filled with a 

molten tomato sauce and mozzarella and 

deep-fried, this Puglian street food is quite 

indulgent for antipasti and worth your time, 

but in future I would pass on the fried squid 

and king prawns, which didn’t have the 

freshness I craved. 

The selection of pasta dishes on the 

menu is representative of Maurizio’s home 

of Puglia, with a number of unusual options 

never before seen in Glasgow. The menu is 

a breath of fresh air, with just two ‘classic’ 

Italian dishes on the menu, one of which is 

lasagne and not to be scoffed at. This is not 

the kind of lasagne you make at home with a 

jar of Dolmio, but a rich, meaty and authentic 

alternative. 

Don’t overlook the array of more unique 

dishes though, especially when the pasta 

is freshly made in-house. I opted for the 

paccheri (meaning ‘slaps’); large tubular 

pasta served with smoked mozzarella, cherry 

tomatoes and crispy pigs cheek. The pasta 

was perfectly al dente and sat in a delicious, 

warming sauce, but the pigs cheek was not 

‘crispy’ by any stretch of imagination, though 

it was soft, it was not distinguishable from 

pancetta. 

Despite having quite a sweet tooth, 

I would unfortunately have to suggest giving 

desserts a miss at Rossini’s, whose specialty 

is very much savoury. The ones we had 

(pistachio and saffron panna cotta and a dark 

chocolate and almond cake) were both fairly 

unremarkable, although given the generous 

portion sizes and reasonable price tag, 

you may be too full to order one! 

Rossini 

39-41 Hyndland Street G11 5QF 

0141 337 3135 

rossiniwestend.com 

Image I Brodie Reid



@ 

Image I Brodie Reid 

munro’s 

Reviewed by 

Emily Donoho 

My trip to Munro’s for this edition’s 

bar review has given me a taste for 

artisan Scottish gin. As we looked 

over the drinks list in the pub, I noticed that 

they had more than a dozen gins from all 

over Scotland. As the gin thing seems to be 

taking off, I decided to try one from Aviemore. 

Gin, it turns out, has come a long way since 

I was an undergrad buying cheap and nasty 

gin to mix with whatever we had to hand. 

This one was excellent. 

For other liquor enthusiasts, Munro’s 

has a fair selection of Scottish single malts, 

blends, and bourbons, a wide range of rums, 

and plenty of liqueurs and shots. And the 

beer selection is excellent as well, a range 

of European beers like Weithenstephan, 

Birra Moretti, Staropromen, and Lagunitas, 

to Scottish beers such as Schiehallion, 

Tennent’s, St Mungo’s, and two guest cask 

ales, which were Kelburn Dark Moor, from 

Glasgow, and Coorie Doon, from the Late 

Night Hype brewery in Clydebank. As I’d 

never come across the Clydebank brewery 

before, I tried that one. I’m always a fan 

of pubs who sell beer from small, local 

microbreweries. 

Munro’s is a welcoming pub, with lovely 

wooden signage and huge windows looking 

out onto Great Western Road, letting in 

natural light and patrons can watch people 

and traffic on the busy road outside. Inside, it 

feels warm and cozy in spite of being a large, 

relatively spacious bar. The interior is divided 

into several rooms, some with re-upholstered 

sofas and booths, exposed brickwork for a 

rustic feel, and in the middle, near the bar, 

sits a table made out of a giant recycled 

cable drum. Other evidence of ‘upcycling’ 

includes rugs hanging on the walls, alongside 

other items from junk shops. It’s also dog 

friendly. 

The pub, formerly the Captain’s Rest, 

takes its name from Munro’s Motors, 

a car dealer occupying that corner of Great 

Western Road in the 1960s. But it also 

has allusions to the munros, Scotland’s 

mountains over 3000ft, with photos of the 

mountains in the pub and portraits of Hugh 

Munro, the first British mountaineer who 

claimed he climbed all of them. 

For a quiet pint or a G&T or a meal (they 

also serve excellent food), Munro’s is an ideal 

pub. It’s located at 185 Great Western Road 

and opens from 11am to 12am seven days 

per week. 

Munro’s 

185 Great Western Road G4 9EB 

0141 332 0972 

munrosglasgow.com

38 | Westender www.westendermagazine.com 

Magazine Promotion 

Legal Matters 

The other 

man’s grass 

Words from Donald Reid, chairman at Mitchells Roberton: 

If Donald can help please email him at – 

dbr@mitchells-roberton.co.uk, or call 0141 552 3422. 

We like the West End. That’s why we 

live here. Pleasant streets, 

community buzz, eateries and 

boozers galore, lots of fancy wee shops, 

trendiness on tap whenever a self-respecting 

boulevardier requires it. 

There’s a downside of course. Space 

is limited. Houses and flats are crowded 

together and on top of each other. You can 

hear your neighbour’s Smeg dishwasher. 

Parking is a problem. If you get a space at 

your door you don’t ever want to move your 

car again. 

Sometimes you think how nice it would 

be to live in the country. A house on its own 

down a grassy track. Gentle sheep bleating 

soothingly. Fresh water drawn from a rushing 

stream. Strolls in the evening along to your 

neighbour’s smallholding. City madness 

forgotten. 

Oh foolish one. Peel back the layers and 

you’ll find the country is a lawyer’s paradise. 

That grassy track belongs to a nearby farmer 

and he says you’ve no right to use it. The 

small-holder bangs your door at 6am to tell 

you her llamas have escaped because you 

haven’t maintained your boundary fence. 

And anyway, your boundary fence is in the 

wrong place and you’ve stolen eight square 

feet of her 20 acres. 

The nice lady on the other side has 

unhelpfully gone and died and her son has 

turned up to tell you that your septic tank 

is discharging into his burn and if you don’t 

install a new one somewhere else (cost 

£20,000) he’ll block the pipe and report you 

to SEPA. You don’t even know what SEPA is. 

Your water supply turns yellow and you dread 

to think what might be happening upstream. 

Then a group of ramblers appear in your 

front garden and say they are deploying an 

ancient right of way which they uncovered in 

recent research. You suggest that if they went 

down that other way they would reach the 

same place more easily. Not the point, they 

say: public rights must be protected. 

You think wistfully of the Kelvinside neds 

throwing innocent wee beer cans into your 

lightwell. Off you go to your lawyer with a 

shopping list of points for advice. She tells 

you it’s part of country living. Weren’t you 

warned? The bill she sends you feels very 

urban. 

So count your blessings, townies. 

You don’t need to escape. You already have. 

Mitchells Roberton Solicitors 

& Estate Agents 

George House 

36 North Hanover Street G1 2AD 

0141 552 3422 

www.mitchells-roberton.co.uk

Westender www.westendermagazine.com Magazine Promotion | 39 

Accountancy 

Matters 

by Bruce Wilson & Simon Murrison 

HMRC is tracking your digital footprint 

What is a digital footprint? 

A digital footprint is the mark left every 

time a financial transaction is made – a visa 

payment, a car purchase, even a post on 

social media. Data from digital footprints is 

gathered, monitored and analysed by HMRC. 

Therefore, revealing where you are, what 

you do and what you spend your money on 

allowing HMRC to assess who is paying the 

right amount of tax and catch tax cheats. 

HMRC digital footprint tracker: 

‘Connect’ 

Tracking digital footprints is a huge leap 

forward for HMRC as it no longer relies solely 

on information from tax payers. 

HMRC draws on the electronic information 

via its super computer, ‘Connect’, designed 

to identify those paying too little tax. 

HMRC is refining processes, learning 

more, increasing accuracy and building an 

accurate picture of UK tax payers. HMRC is 

spotting more tax anomalies and tightening 

the net around tax cheats. 

HMRC had quick wins found in the 

most unexpected places. For example tax 

cheats were caught spending thousands of 

undeclared income on lavish family weddings 

posted on Facebook. 

9 digital footprint examples 

1. Visa and Mastercard transactions 

2. Land Registry records 

3. DVLA 

4. UK and overseas bank accounts 

5. Internal tax documents 

6. Earnings 

7. Online marketplaces 

8. Social media 

9. Web browsing and email records 

Tracking digital footprints will grow even more 

important with HMRC’s quarterly returns 

under Making Tax Digital. We have the tools 

to help you easily track your finances and 

keep the tax man happy. 

Murrison & Wilson, CA is a full service 

accountancy firm specialising in 

business and tax planning. Get in 

touch for a free consultation plus 

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0141 290 0262 

info@muwca.co.uk 

muwca.co.uk


Homes & Interiors 

Loud + Clear 

by Susan 

Robertson 

Smart Spaces 

Our homes are where we spend much of our 

down-time, and increasingly our work time, so we 

should make sure our surroundings reflect and enrich 

us as much as possible. In this age of fast-paced 

technological advancement, we have many options at 

our fingertips to make our lives easier, and to integrate 

our work and hobbies into our homes.


As technology has evolved so quickly, we often 

find ourselves surrounded by a growing mass of 

wires and speakers. So before you scrabble about 

for a new set of batteries for one of your umpteen 

remote controls, Susan Robertson has asked some 

local experts how technology and design can work 

hand in hand to create the best tech experience and 

environment in our homes. 

Allan Boyd, Managing Director of Loud and 

Clear said, 'Music and movies are a big part of 

many of our lives, but the technology we use 

regularly, is often an afterthought in our design 

processes. We firmly believe that the better the 

technology looks and sounds in the comfort 

of our home – the more you can enjoy it. With 

advances in technology this no longer requires 

a great big pile of black boxes in the corner and 

some grand monolithic speakers. Equipment 

can be hidden away and controlled seamlessly 

with an easy-to-use app. Speakers can be hidden 

in walls or in ceilings or can become statement 

interior pieces in custom fabrics or exotic wood 

finishes. Music and movies can be streamed 

online from services like Spotify and Netflix so 

there’s no more need for teetering piles of CDs 

cluttering up our space.' 

So, perhaps it’s time to clear out the old 

DVDs, CDs, wires and aerials and have a fresh 

look at how we can make our homes, lives and 

technology work more effectively together. 

Allan explained. 'Many of our clients don’t 

fully appreciate what is possible from their 

film and music collection and that we really 

can create "the band playing in the room" 

experience without comprising their living 

space. Within the Finnieston showrooms 

there are three music/cinema rooms laid out 

and furnished as a domestic living room. In 

this relaxed environment we can let clients 

experience systems until they find their 

optimum level.' 

Allan and his team also offer a range of 

complimentary interior design services 

including smart wiring, lighting design and 

control, acoustic room treatment and heating 

control. So you can really create a bespoke smart 

home that is tailored precisely to your individual 

needs and the design of your home. He has 

recently collaborated with interior designer, Lisa 

Trainer of Red Door Interiors. 

Lisa said, 'The development of technology in 

a digital world has surged its way in to how we 

live our lives in every way. Evolving, adapting 

and being informed of these changes is crucial 

to architects and interior designers in the whole 

process of a design from initial concepts to 

planning and specifying lighting, heating, air 

conditioning, blinds and curtains, audio visual, 

TV, computers and security all combine to 

present high performance multi-room use and 

design possibilities.



Both Allan and Lisa stress that involving the 

experts as soon as possible in any new project is 

key to its success. 

Lisa feels 'The onus is on the designer to 

be creative and visual from the start and to 

replace standard functional items like light 

switches, radiators and sockets with an invisible 

"behind the scenes" network of power and 

programming. This must all be considered at 

the very start of a project with the specialists 

involved in coordinating and engineering the 

electrics and other controls.' 

She continued, 'Planning connected multiuse 

spaces that can accommodate working, 

socialising and relaxing are all factors in the 

architectural and design process and should be 

a collaboration of specialists working together 

to create spaces for the future, that still feel like 

home.' 

So, as the options presented by technology 

advancements become greater and more 

accessible, there is some more thought required 

to make the best use of what’s available to us, 

and to integrate it seamlessly into a clever 

design to create a functional and beautiful 

environment. 

As Lisa explains, 'Increasing environmental 

considerations as well as the ever-changing 

advancements in this technology-led way of life 

have only added to the need for designers to be 

more creative and holistic in their approach 

to design. I believe this can be achieved by 

Red Door Interiors 

careful consideration of a living space, its 

uses, functions, flexibility and lifestyle of the 

client. The combination and integration of 

custom-made luxury textiles, wallpapers, craft 

made furniture and other lifestyle products 

in contrast to the functionality of the tech is 

the perfect harmony for me as a designer in 

achieving a well-balanced space.' 

We may often overlook the technology aspect 

in any upgrade or redesign of our homes, but 

it’s a great opportunity to revisit our needs and 

wants for how our homes can function best 

for our needs, as well as looking and feeling 

the way that we want. We’re fortunate to have 

exceptional expertise on our doorsteps to walk 

us through the process. 

Loud + Clear | 520 St Vincent Street 

0141 221 0221 | loud-clear.co.uk 

Red Door Interiors | 100 Beith Street 

07803 138 557 | reddoorinteriors.co.uk 

What are the key considerations when 

choosing a tailored approach to sound and 

vision within the home? 

Think about what you want to get from any 

system. Is it ultimate performance for a 

movie night, an amazing sounding hi-fi to 

play your records on and/or integrated smart 

lighting and heating control to enhance your 

living space? 

How can people decide what level of equipment 

they need? 

Make sure you experience before you buy, 

get professional advice from the outset, and 

spend some time in planning. 

What’s the best way to integrate new technology 

into traditional buildings? 

Choose your timing, systems typically need 

an element of cabling so best to consider 

when a room is about to be decorated, or 

you’re moving, developing or extending.

www.westendermagazine.com | 43


The Store Interiors, 26 Munro Place, Anniesland, Glasgow, G13 2UP 

0141 950 1333 | www.thestoreinteriors.co.uk 

Email: sales@thestoreinteriors.co.uk 

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Spring Forward 


It’s one of those little sayings that stick in the mind but no-one knows 

where it came from – ‘spring forward, fall back’ reminds us that we’re 

in the new season where the clocks are changing again and the days are 

now lengthening. This little saying helps to make sure we put the clock 

an hour forward and not back and adjust our bed-times accordingly. 

This range of clocks give us some lovely options to be found locally for 

keeping time, whether that be for getting up in the morning, or for 

adding an elegant touch to your living room wall. 

Wall Clock from 

House Doctor, 

£82.50, CoLab Store 

Thomas Kent Mantel Clock, 

£26, Spirito 

Mint Covent Garden 

Alarm Clock, 

£25.95, Nancy Smillie 

Nickel Art Deco Style Clock, 

£215, The Store Interiors 

Edinburgh Wall Clock, 

£115, The Store Interiors 

CoLab Store, 11-13 Dowanhill Street Hyndland Road, 0141 570 1766, colabstore.co.uk 

Nancy Smillie, 53 Cresswell Street, 0141 334 4240, nancysmillieshop.com 

Spirito, 317-319 Crow Road, 0141 337 3307, spiritogifts.com 

The Store Interiors, 26 Munro Place, 0141 950 1333, thestoreinteriors.co.uk



ART DECO 

decadence 

by Susan Robertson 

There’s a great comfort in revisiting styles of 

past eras, they combine throwback memories 

and associations with days or generations 

gone by, and offer the opportunity to learn 

what works and what 

doesn’t from styles 

tried and tested. 

The Store Interiors 

Few movements have impacted more on the 

world of design than Art Deco. The bold and 

glamorous international style of the 1920s 

and 30s touched on all elements of fashion, 

architecture, interior, fine art and even car 

design. The style is easily recognised by its 

strong use of geometry and symmetry, sleek 

lines and distinctive motifs and fonts. 

The origins of the movement can be traced 

back to France at the turn of the century, 

when the French government sponsored 

a trade exhibit to reclaim the country’s 

position at the cutting edge of fine art and 

design, and the term Art Deco is generally 

accepted to come from the exhibit’s title: 

‘Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs 

et Industriels Modernes’.


It draws from various influences during 

the modernism era, and Fauvism, Cubism 

and Bauhaus styles are amongst the themes 

that played an important role. The move was 

a transition to more minimal, geometric, 

clean lines, with sharp angles and bold curves. 

It epitomises the ‘roaring twenties’, a time of 

technological and commercial advancement, 

and often highlights graphics representing 

speed, trains, travel and discovery with 

Egyptian and Mayan motifs often featuring in 

designs. 

The style was globally successful, and has 

had several resurgences since, in the 60s and 

the 80s in particular, and it has never really 

gone out of style, but it’s enjoying another fresh 

comeback today. 

You’ll be aware of some of the influences on 

some of our Glasgow architecture – notably in 

the Beresford Building on Sauchiehall Street, 

Kelvin Court on Great Western Road, and the 

wonderful old Odeon cinema building on 

Renfield Street. The style is bold and striking 

in architecture representing great elegance 

and opulence, and it looks great in many forms 

inside our homes too. 

Whether you add the odd touch here and 

there, or you go full steam ahead on a Deco 

redecoration, it’s easy to add that ‘flapper’s 

flair’ to your home. 

I personally love the ambience of the style, 

as a great fan of Agatha Christie when I was 

growing up, I associate the era with escaping 

into stories of Hercule Poirot’s shiny home 

with minimal fuss and black and white shiny 

tiles. Think velvet upright armless chairs, 

shiny floors and thick rugs, golden accessories, 

marble and glass furniture with sharp lines 

juxtaposed with bold curves and colours. 

The full authentic look is beautiful to look 

at but has its limitations in liveability and 

comfort, particularly unrealistic is the merging 

of marble or glass furniture, with boisterous 

kids. So, depending on your lifestyle and home, 

it’s a style that you can infuse with modern life 

as much, or as little as you like. The style has a 

timeless feel to it and the graphic advertising 

posters look great as small touches in frames on 

the wall. Gold metal bar trolleys epitomise the 

era and the solid marble look can be effectively 

brought into through accessories such as 

lamps or sculptures. The bold black and white 

colourings are indicative for floors and walls, 

but you can soften the look into warm pallettes 

of pinks and golds balanced with shiny polished 

warm, wooden floors and soft fabrics. 

There’s also a great range of furniture and 

accessories available that effectively mix 

modern design with touches of the art deco 

glamour, so you could find a new item of 

modern furniture with gold metal feet for 

example to give a sense of the opulence of the 

era, without needing to conform exactly to the 

authenticity of the time. You can have great fun 

selecting key themes or pulling out features 

that you like best in the style and merging them 

with the realistic needs of your family and 

lifestyle to either create a full-blown art deco 

interior or simply a tasteful nod to the style and 

movement that you want to portray. 

And don’t be afraid to mix and match. 

As long as you think carefully about the look 

and feel that you want to create, there’s no 

reason why you can’t have a few touches of 

different styles merged with the needs of a 

modern home. Make sure that it’s not a mishmash 

mess, but that you select a few items that 

complement each other and balance them 

together in a room. For example, the art deco 

style closely followed art nouveau and there 

were likely homes at the time that had touches 

of both. All of these styles and movements pull 

in influences from various artists and designers 

of their time, feel confident to do the same in 

your home. 

Both items 

The Store Interiors


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50 | Westender www.westendermagazine.com 

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