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Contents

Regulars

4 Editor’s Letter

Fashion, beauty & health

8 Fashion Spread:

Sheer & Leather

Go Together

26 WIN! At Rainbow

Room International

Going out

16 West End Live

with Greg Kane

18 Top Things

22 My West End:

Tom Cannavan

27 Restaurant Review:

BiBimBap

Arts

28 Author Interview:

Emily Ilett

32 Artist Interview:

Norman Mathieson

Westender living

40 Business Article:

Creative Connections

46 A Balancing Act


Editor’s

Letter

We’ve quite an eclectic treat in store

for you this edition! Whether you’re

looking for some top fashion tips

(Page 8), interested in what’s on this spring

(from Page 18), or after business inspiration

(from Page 35), we have it covered this March

and April.

We are delighted to welcome a brand

new writer onboard, Joanna Moorhead,

who interview’s West End wine expert Tom

Cannavan in the first of her interview series

on Page 22. Who better to advise you on

local eateries and diners than an expert who

lives in the area? I’m looking forward to trying

out Brett on Great Western Road in particular.

The spotlight is on the local arts scene

this spring too. Scottish author, Emily Ilett,

is an award-winning children’s book writer

with important topics to explore in her

debut novel The Girl Who Lost Her Shadow.

Waterstones Byres Road is offering a special

discount to Westender readers who purchase

the book by the end of April on Page 28. And

artist Norman Mathieson’s work is highlighted

by writer, Nicola Maule, on Page 32. With a

new exhibition on this March at Mansfield

Park Gallery on Hyndland Road, it’s a great

opportunity to view Norman’s Awaji Drawing

series: especially as he now lives on the small

Japanese island and rarely ventures back to

Scottish shores. A rare chance indeed.

As a local business owner, I’m always

intrigued by other’s start up stories and how

they’ve surmounted the inevitable issues that

arise. Westender writer, Susan Robertson,

speaks to Lynn Gilfillan of new boutique

Amaryllis West End and Scott Craig of

ParkHaus Interiors to discover that, for them,

collaboration with like-minded creatives

is key. Read their take on creative interior

business collabs on Page 40.

So how do I stay motivated? By constantly

challenging myself. I’ve recently joined a local

networking group that works by referring

business within the group and meets weekly.

I’ve also been working with Javier Peralta of

ActionCOACH to learn what I should have

known from day one of setting up a business

12 years ago. Oh well, better late than never!

And that’s just it sometimes. Determination

and perseverance… and a passion for what

you do. Speak to you all soon, it’s what it’s all

about for me.

Suzanne Martin


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EDITOR

SUZANNE MARTIN

PHOTOGRAPHER

GREGOR REID

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

AMY GLASGOW, GREG KANE,

NICOLA MAULE, LENNY MCFADYEN,

JOANNA MOORHEAD,

TRACY MUKHERJEE,

SUSAN ROBERTSON

HAIR & MUA

TERRI CRAIG

REBECCA HAMILTON

STYLIST

JACKI CLARK

SOPHIA BROWN

WESTENDERMAGAZINE.COM

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sheer&leather

go together

photography gregor reid

stylist jacki clark

MUA terri craig

photography gregor reid

stylist jacki clark

mua terri craig

Top, New look. Skirt, Topshop. Gloves & Bag, PInk Poodle. Boots, Daniel Footwear.

Sunglasses, Iris Blue optical



dress, new look. boots, daniel footwear. necklace, jasmine

opposite page - Top, New Look. Skirt, New Look. Bag, Cassiopeia



top, new look. skirt, zara

Top, New look. Trousers, Topshop.

Chair, AMaryllis west end



photography gregor reid, gregorreidphotography.com

stylist jacki clark, jackiclark-stylist.co.uk

assisted by sofia BROWN

model lauren mckee @coloursagency

MUA terri craig, terricraig.co.uk

assisted by rebecca hamilton

Top, h&M. Skirt, Topshop

necklace, Jasmine. bag, liquorice tree

opposite page - Top, topshop. Leggings & necklace, jasmine

sunglasses, iris blue optical. shoes & gilet, daniel footwear



LIVE

March

Bryan Ferry

Tuesday 3rd March 6.30pm

SEC Armadillo, sec.co.uk

English singer/songwriter Bryan

Ferry fronted the iconic 70s band Roxy

Music. Ferry and his contemporary

David Bowie, influenced a generation

with both their music and their

fashion sense, heralding the Glam

Rock era in music. In his 20s he

studied art at the University of

Newcastle under the tutelage of

the influential 'pop art' artist

Richard Hamilton whom he sights

as an inspiration for his work.

Roxy Music made many successful

albums throughout the 70s and 80s

culminating with their final record

Avalon in 1982. Since then Ferry has

released 11 solo albums and toured

extensively throughout the world.

In March 2019, Roxy Music were

inducted into the prestigious Rock

And Roll Hall Of Fame and he is out on

a European tour till the end of July.

Choice Tracks: Bryan Ferry

'Virginia Plain'

Tones and I

Wednesday 4th March 7pm

SWG3 Galvanisers Yard, swg3.tv

Every now and then a song comes out

of nowhere and takes over the radio

waves, charts, streaming playlists

and your ear canals. Dance Monkey,

the furiously catchy song that’s been

at the top of the Singles Charts in

30 countries is the latest track to do

just that – propelling its previously

unknown creator to international

stardom. Toni Wilson aka Tones And

I is the lucky teenage girl who quit

her retail sales job in 2017 and

started busking on the streets of

Byron Bay, Australia. Fortunately

her experience of ‘singing for your

supper’ was not all positive and

through her frustrations at the

public’s mistreatment of her she wrote

her ode to peoples’ impatience, ‘Dance

Monkey’. Her leap of faith seriously

paid off for her.

‘… when I stopped doing everything

and just focused on my music, I knew

that this was what I was meant to do’.

Talk about the planets aligning!

Choice tracks: Tones and I

‘Dance Monkey'

Halsey

Saturday 7th March 6.30pm

The SSE Hydro, thessehydro.com

Ashley Nicolette Frangipane, known

professionally as Halsey, is an

American singer/songwriter. Gaining

attention from self-released music on

social media platforms, she signed

a major record deal in 2014 and

released her debut EP, Room 93, later

that year. Her debut album Badlands

was released in 2015 and went onto

achieve huge sales/streams from all

over the world.

She also featured on The

Chainsmokers’ huge global hit

Closer in 2016 which did her career

prospects no harm at all.

Her lyrical specificity, openness and

expletiveness make listening to the

25-year-old feel like reading someone

else’s diary. Her lyrical confidence is

matched by characterful production,

which straddles trashy pop-rock, R&B

and country.

Her new album Manic, her third, was

released in January this year.

Choice track: Halsey ‘Without Me'


by Greg Kane

April

Peggy Sue

Tuesday 2nd April 7.30pm

The Hug and Pint, thehugandpint.com

Peggy Sue are a female duo act from

Brighton consisting of Rosa Slade

and Katy Young. Both take on guitar

and vocal duties and are usually

augmented by a drummer and bassist

when they play live. They have been

making music since 2009 delivering

four albums to date and have been

classed as players within the UK

nu-folk scene. But I hear more than

this in their music, it’s more kitchy,

60s, Kinks influenced low-fi pop to

these ears. Lots of unison singing

makes their sound quite dreamy,

but there’s always a little overdrive

on the guitars which adds some

welcomed grit to the mix. Their fifth

album Vices was released in February

and they are out on tour promoting it.

A night of quirky garage indie rock.

Choice track: Peggy Sue 'In Dreams'

Roy Ayres

Thursday 23rd April 7pm

Òran Mór, oran-mor.co.uk

Born in Los Angeles in 1940, Roy Ayers

is an iconic American funk, soul and

jazz vibraphone player and music

producer. Ayers began his career as

a post-bop jazz artist, releasing

several albums on Atlantic Records,

before his tenure at Polydor Records

during which he helped pioneer jazzfunk.

He was also one of the leaders in

fusing jazz and hiphop in the late 90s,

a true visionary and probably one of

the most sampled artists in history.

His attitude towards others sampling

his music is refreshing and has

probably opened up a whole new

audience to his music. He also has

such a positive attitude to life … It’s

infectious, as I can testify to, as I

was lucky enough to work with him in

the late 80s.

Pharrel Williams, Dr. Dre, Kanye West,

Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, P. Diddy

… all quote Roy Ayres as having a

huge influence on their music. A very

special man.

Choice Track: Roy Ayres

'Everybody Loves The Sunshine'

Confidence Man

Tuesday 28th April 7pm

SWG3, swg3.tv

Confidence Man is an indie, electro

pop band from Brisbane, Australia,

consisting of Janet Planet on lead

vocals, Sugar Bones, rapping and

dancing, Clarence McGuffie on drums

and Reggie Goodchild on synthesizers.

Don’t worry, these are all pseudonyms,

but they are a bunch of indie rock kids

trying their hand at dance music, with

some success I may add. Confidence

Man are arguably one of the hottest

acts on the planet right now. Their

record company describes them as:

'A portable party that’s levelled dance

floors and flattened festival crowds

as it’s rolled out across the world,

they are a machine custom designed to

make you dance and lose your cool.'

Since forming in 2016 they’ve managed

to sell out shows all over the world,

release their debut album, Confident

Music For Confident People, and have

their music featured in Global ads for

both Apple and Ikea. Not a bad start.

Choice track: Confidence Man

'Boyfriend (Repeat)'


Top Things To Do

in the West End

by Tracy Mukherjee

It’s over! We made it through yet another dreich

Glasgow winter. With the coming of spring there

is plenty to get out and see this March and April.

Top For Literary Buffs

The annual Aye Write! festival opens in March

with its usual diversity celebrating the written

word. From fiction to autobiography, poetry

to prose, visitors to the event will be hard

pushed to find a genre that isn’t covered. Guest

speakers cover every walk of life. From Politics,

ex-speaker of the House of Commons

John Bercow will be in the chair to recount his

birdseye view of the workings of British politics.

The legendary Prue Leith will be in attendance

to introduce her new vegetarian cookbook.

There is even a turn around the floor as Strictly’s

very own Anton de Beke sweeps us off our feet

with his debut novel. The fantastically popular

Books That Made Me returns with contributors

such as Val McDermid, Andrew Marr, playwright

Rona Monro and comedian Greg McHugh

discussing their literary influences. The

programme of events this year is truly exciting

and an exceptional celebration of the written

word.

Aye Write! 12th – 29th March

Mitchell Theatre and

Glasgow Royal Concert Hall

fffayewrite.com

Top for EGGciting Easter Fun

The Easter holidays beckon (wasn’t it just

Christmas?) so what can we entertain our little

lambs with? The annual Easter Egg Run in aid

of the Royal Hospital for Children takes place

on Easter Sunday. Hundreds of bikers will make

their way from Glasgow Green in a mile long

convoy along the Broomielaw, before making

their way across the Squinty Bridge and into

Govan towards the hospital. A hugely fun event

but at its core the organisers are fundraising for

the most worthy of causes. Through sponsorship

and donations from the bikers, every bit of

financial support will help continue to fund a

whole array of medical equipment and services

for the hospital. Visit the website to see how you

can help and celebrate with the Easter Biker-

Bunny at the same time.

The Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre always

pull it out the bag, so to speak when it comes

to entertaining our children during their

holiday. This Easter there are some cracking,

eggxcellent shows for the little chicks. Eggs

on Legs is brought to you by the Garlic Theatre

and is a show described as 'a Dr Seuss' world

of eggcentric puppets. As these fantastic little

eggs come to life, music accompanies their

antics and will have the audience in a fit of

giggles. Also at the centre, why not pop along for

some Easter Jamboree Magic? The amazing Alex

the Magician might even make the Easter Bunny

disappear with his mesmerising magical antics.

The spring programme as a whole at the centre is

really super, so go along and join in the fun.

Glasgow Annual Easter Egg Run

Sunday 12th April 10am

fffglasgowchildrenshospitalcharity.org

Scottish Mask and Puppet

Centre Balcarres Avenue

Eggs on Legs, Sun 29th March 3 – 4pm

Easter Jamboree Magic

Sun 12th April 2 – 3pm

fffmaskandpuppet.co.uk

Top for Chuckles

Spring just wouldn’t be the same without the

onslaught of the Glasgow International Comedy

Festival. This year there is no end of top notch

international and local talent performing.

Gracing the boards in the festival’s 18th year

will be the likes of Stewart Lee, Jimmy Carr and

comedy royalty Steve Martin and Martin Short.


Top Things To Do

in the West End

From our own glorious shores prepare to be

entertained by Craig Hill, Elaine C. Smith and the

infamous Frankie Boyle. As well as the big names

in comedy, attendees can look forward to rising

stars such as Evelyn Mok, Adam Hess and Annie

McGrath. Stepping away from the stand-up mike,

one might consider some of the plays, films or

family shows. Jason Manford performs in the

hilarious musical whodunnit Curtains. There is

even room for your four legged friend as Drygate

open their doors for a dog-friendly comedy club.

Whyte and MacKay

Glasgow International Comedy Festival

12th – 29th March various venues

fffglasgowcomedyfestival.com

Top for Top Mums

Mother’s Day this year falls on Sunday 22nd

March. If flowers and chocolates just seem so

last year why not consider a day out? Everyone’s

favourite Canadian crooner Michael Buble

will be entertaining diners at The Corinthian

Club. Sounds too good to be true? Well it is.

But Glasgow’s next best thing, Buble

impersonator Michael Hastie, will be serenading

those enjoying afternoon tea and a glass of fizz.

For a sensational gift, what about tickets for the

upcoming Planet Earth 2 Live In Concert at the

SSE Hydro? BBC’s Natural History Department

had us glued to the TV each week and now you

can watch the show live on a gigantic 4K screen,

accompanied by the City of Prague Philharmonic

Orchestra. Thrilling, emotional and a fantastic

spectacle, marvelling at our natural world might

let mum know just how much she means (and is a

little better than half price flowers from Esso!)

Mother’s Day With Michael Buble

Sun 22nd March, The Corinthian Club

fffthecorinthianclub.co.uk

Planet Earth 2 Live In Concert

Saturday 4th April, SSE Hydro

fffplanetearth2live.uk

Top for Theatre

We can be assured that spring is surely here as

Oran Mor’s A Play A Pie and A Pint launches it’s

new programme. Twenty new plays for 2020

will see music, drama and comedy productions.

The Beaches of St. Valery retells the tale of the

Dunkirk evacuation where 350,000 men were

transported to safety. But left behind were the

men of the 51st Highland Division, sacrificed in a

secret political deal.

Rose tells the story of Rose Reilly who in 1984

scored for Scotland against Italy to win the

Women’s World Cup. Who would have known

that at home Rose had been expelled from school

and sacked from her job?

In The Storm, the tempestuous subject of fake

news is explored as a live radio broadcast gives

the audience more than they bargained for.

Along in Websters Theatre, Bill W. And Dr Bob

recounts the humorous yet inspirational story

of the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Both men come from astonishingly successful

backgrounds, which makes it all the further to

fall when alcoholism takes hold.

Prepare to be dazzled round in Cottiers Theatre

this April as world renowned flamenco star

Maria 'La Serrana' takes to the stage, bringing

the sights and sounds of Andalucia to Hyndland.

Santuario is Maria’s new show. Together with

her company of musicians and guest dancers the

true spirit and art of flamenco will be brought to

life. Not to be missed!

A Play A Pie and A Pint Spring

Programme, Oran Mor Theatre

fffplaypiepint.com

Bill W. and Dr Bob, 16th – 18th April

Websters Theatre, Great Western Road

fffwebstersglasgow.com

Compania Maria 'La Serrana'

Santuario Tuesday 21st April

Cottiers Theatre, Hyndland Street

fffcottiers.com

20 | Westender www.westendermagazine.com

Magazine Promotion

Morven Campbell and Evelyn Fawbert of Iris Blue Optical

A West End Vision

I

ris Blue Optical opened at Broomhill Cross

last year, and since then have provided

expert eye care and quality, affordable

eyewear to residents from across the West

End and beyond.

The practice is owned and run by Morven

Campbell and Evelyn Fawbert, who are firm

friends having worked together for a decade

within a much larger Scottish chain. Whilst

they both enjoyed these roles they felt the

time was right to open their own practice.

At a time when many retail companies are

becoming increasingly global – customers

still value the warmth and personalised

service provided by smaller, independent

businesses. The location was important but

luckily Morven had lived across the road and

knew Broomhill well, so they waited for a

suitable unit to appear!

Morven explains ‘I have been an

optometrist for 25 years, and in that time

looked after the eye health and vision of

thousands of patients. What I enjoy most is

seeing patients happy with their care, to be

able to provide that within an environment

that was wholly managed by us was just too

tempting. All decisions are taken by Evelyn

and I and always with the patient firmly at the

heart. We build the customer experience from

the ground up – the eye exam is thorough

using the best technology and the advice

given clear and helpful.’

Evelyn who juggles a busy homelife with

two daughters and running the business

adds, ‘whilst Morven concentrates on the

healthcare aspect of Iris Blue, my expertise

is in choosing the right products for each and

every customer. We stock a curated range

of frames from across Europe. I focus on

having quality frames that are comfortable

and stylish to wear. There are options

across all price ranges but I want to ensure

that whatever we choose suits the clients

pocket and personality. Our recent addition

of the William Morris Gallery collection has

fitted in so well as the frames are beautifully

constructed with gorgeous detailing.’

Iris Blue offer a full range of services;

NHS Eye Examinations, emergency eye care,

advanced scanning including OCT, contact

lens fitting, children’s eye care (contact

lenses are a great option here too!), myopia

control, dry eye assessment and all the

technical and cosmetic aspects of dispensing

the right frames and lenses for Westenders.

Outside of Iris Blue Morven lectures on

OCT technology and is the official optometrist

to BBC Radio Scotland, appearing most

regularly on the Kaye Adams Show.

Mention WESTENDER for 10% off

any complete spectacle purchase

during March and April 2020

Westender www.westendermagazine.com Magazine Promotion | 21

William Morris Gallery Collection

Iris Blue Optical are pleased to announce

that they are an exclusive stockist of the new

William Morris Gallery collection, named

after the world-renowned art organisation

The William Morris Gallery located in East

London and former home to artist William

Morris (1834-1896), who is best known

as the founder member of the Arts and

Crafts movement. As well as that, he was

a designer, publisher, printer, poet, painter,

and craftsman. Now, for the first time,

his gorgeous prints are being incorporated

into a range of designer frames sold with

beautiful coordinating cases and lens cloths.

The Gallery Collection is now available in

Iris Blue Optical, please visit us in store

or call on us on 0141 533 3405 to view the

collection.

Join Evelyn and Morven for

a celebratory glass of fizz

and view the entire William

Morris Collection on their

Open Day on Saturday

14th March 9.30am to 4pm.

Iris Blue Optical

263 Crow Road G11 7BE

0141 533 3405

irisblueoptical.com

@irisblueoptical

@irisblueoptical


my west end…

heard it on the

GRAPEVINE

Joanna Moorhead meets wine expert Tom Cannavan,

who’s been a lover of West End life since the early 80s.

In 2018 he became the first Scot to be named as

International Wine Communicator of the Year, and he’s

also the frontman of Glasgow post-punk band Restricted Code,

which recently reformed after a 27-year hiatus.

Wine expert Tom Cannavan has

various claims to fame, but

Westender readers of a certain age

may remember him best as the vocalist in the

Glaswegian post-punk band Restricted Code,

which toured Europe supporting the Human

League in the late seventies, and recorded

with John Peel.

It was when the group disbanded in 1981

that Cannavan first came to live in the West

End, having been raised in the east of the

city: and it didn’t take long for him to realise

that this was the place he truly belonged.

He’s been based in the area ever since,

apart from a brief spell when he tried living

in London. ‘My partner and I attempted to

recreate what we have here in the West End,

realised we couldn’t do it, and moved back

again,’ he says.

So what is it that makes the area so

appealing? In many ways, says Cannavan,

it’s exactly as it was when he first moved in.

‘The vibe is exactly the same now as it was

then,’ he tells me over coffee at Oran Mor,

a stone’s throw from his home near the

Botanics. ‘The area has always taken a lot of

its character from the university, the teaching

hospitals, and until it moved out to Pacific

Quay, the BBC’s presence here. It’s got a

slightly alternative, bohemian feel: there are

lots of young people, lots of artistic people,

and it’s more liberal than other areas.’

Despite being fairly middle class

– ‘Waitrose and all that kind of thing’ –

he loves the diversity of the area. And its

vibrancy, too. ‘You don’t get many high

streets like Byres Road, with so many thriving

businesses – so many streets in this city and

other cities have boarded-up shops, but not

round here.’


Another big plus for Cannavan is the easy

access to the motorway, and the airport:

he travels a lot, running masterclasses on

wine around the world, and organising his

hugely successful Festivals of Wine, which

get booked up months in advance. ‘They’re

consumer wine festivals, held across a day,

with more than 400 quality wines on offer for

tasting, and the chance to meet sommeliers

and producers,’ he explains. He runs three

festivals each year, in Glasgow, Edinburgh

and London; this year’s Glasgow event is

in June, with the others in November and

October respectively. As well as organising

the festivals and running masterclasses,

he writes on wine for Decanter magazine and

others, and regularly judges wine prizes.

So what are his top tips for Westender

readers when it comes to choosing wine?

‘When you’re eating out, I always say you

want to find a place where you can trust the

sommelier. And then you trust them: they

know their list, and they’re your best guide.’

When it comes to buying wine for home,

he cautions against buying wine that’s too

cheap, pointing out that the duty is the

same on a cheap as an expensive bottle.

‘The sweet spot is for wine that’s around

£8-12 in price,’ he says. That means you’re

spending enough to give you quality;

he’d rather have two bottles at £10 than

three at £7.

Wine experts, he tells me, generally come

to their trade by one of two routes: either

they’re journalists who like wine, or they’re

food and wine enthusiasts who start to write

about it. He’s the latter: and it was during his

early days in the West End that he developed

the passion that he would eventually turn

into a career. ‘I was studying at the Glasgow


School of Art when I first moved here,

staying initially in a flat on Dumbarton Road.

At around the age of 19 I started to get very

interested in food, along with a group of

friends. There were five of us, a good little

group and we decided we wanted to learn

to cook. So every second Saturday would

revolve around a meal at one of our homes,

and we’d teach ourselves to cook properly –

bechamel sauce, curry, and so on.

‘With good food goes good wine, and I

gradually became the one of us who was

most interested in the wine choice – so each

time we met for a meal, I’d choose what we

were going to drink with whatever we were

making that week.’

After graduating he became a teacher,

and then he switched to work in the new

MOD centre that opened in Kentigern House

in Glasgow in 1986. ‘It meant I got a new

training in computers, and in the 1990s

I moved to Glasgow University where I

lectured in computing until 2000,’ he says.

Alongside his day job, he had started to

write about wine; he landed a wine column in

the Sunday Post, and then a gig on the Home

Show on STV. And then, in the mid 1990s,

he had a breakthrough idea. ‘There was this

new thing called the

internet, and it

made sense

while I was

finding my

way around

it to start

something

there around

wine.

So I started what was possibly the first wine

website in the world – wine-pages.com –

and it really took off. Wine retailers started

coming to find me, and suddenly I realised I

could make this my entire career, so I quit the

day job.’

H e’s n eve r l o o ke d b a c k ; a n d i n 2018 ,

he was named International Wine

Communicator of the Year, the first Scot

to ever net the title. Turning his passion

into his work has, he agrees, been one of

his finest achievements; though there are

many others, not least his long relationship.

He and his partner, Alan, have been together

for 34 years, and married for the last two.

‘We wanted to be absolutely sure first,’

he jokes.

The couple have another home in

St Andrews, which is another reason why the

West End’s proximity to the motorway works

so well for them. But it’s Glasgow he feels

he’ll never leave, especially after an attempt

some years back to recreate the life they have

here in the south east. ‘We moved to live in

South Kensington, but being in London didn’t

give us any of the advantages of the West

End of Glasgow,’ he remembers.

The other major news in his life is that

Restricted Code got back together in 2018.

All four original members are on board: as

well as Cannavan there’s his songwriting

partner Frank Quadrelli, who was his friend at

school in Easterhouse, Kenny Blythe on bass

and Robert Mccormick on keyboards, and

old friend Les Gaft joins them on drums.

The band recently finished recording

a new CD, out last January, on Spotify.

Cannavan gave me a sneak preview of one of

the tracks, Lost, and it’s tremendous – and

though I’m the right sort of vintage for

the band, my 21-year-old daughter

thought it was ace as well. All those

years ago, NME (New Musical

Express) called their output ‘a fluid

collision of the trite, the enigmatic,

the familiar and the unclassified’,

and said Cannavan’s voice

‘implores with an unscientific

elegance’. The band, said NME,

had ‘packs of possibility’: three

decades on, that possibility is

back, and I’m raising my glass

of Chardonnay to what I hope

will be their new-found

success.

TOM CANNAVAN’S

west end…


Cail Bruich on Great Western Road is

my favourite restaurant; it’s family-run,

and they’ve got an extremely good

wine list as well as very good food

No. Sixteen Restaurant Byres Road’s

wine list is short, but it’s very well

chosen, and the food there is great

The Ubiquitous Chip still has a very

good wine list

Brett, a spin-off from Cail Bruich and

also on Great Western Road, has the

same excellent range of wines and food:

their ever-changing wine list is mostly

made up of artisan-produced natural

wines. Natural wines are organic but

they go beyond that – there’s minimal

use of sulphur, and they taste great.

Ian Mellis on Great Western Road and

George Mewes on Byres Road are my

favourite cheesemongers

Valhalla’s Goat on Great Western Road

has an amazing range of drinks


MOTHERS DAY

AT

RRI

W

by

John Parker

e have lots of great news here at

Rainbow Room International Great

Western Road. In February we

held our annual Rainbow Room International

Congress and as always it was a fantastic

event. Our stylists, Summer and Kenny, did

a fantastic job presenting their models on

stage and showcased some great looks to

the Rainbow Room salons.

We are also delighted to have Roxy back

in the salon after her training at our Academy.

Roxy will still be training in the salon for two

months but is now a qualified Stylist and is

working in the salon and achieving all of her

targets! Roxy was also our representative

in Sweden, where she was involved in

an exchange programme and worked in

a training school adapting her skills and

we’re thrilled to now have her back in the

salon. Roxy is currently giving away 100

free haircuts! Call us at the salon for more

information and for your chance to book in

for a free cut.

WIN! Rainbow Room International

are offering one lucky reader a hair

makeover in their Great Western Rd

salon. For your chance to win go to

westendermagazine.com and click

on competitions by the 30th April ‘20.

Rainbow Room International

607 Great Western Road G12 8HX

0141 337 3370

rainbowroominternational.com

317-319 CROW ROAD G11 7BU

0141 337 3307

SPIRITOGIFTS.COM


@

BiBimBap

Reviewed by Amy Glasgow @theglasgowdiet

My mum always told me that opening

up your umbrella indoors was bad

luck, although I suspect it was really

to avoid me spraying rain water all over her

floors and walls, so imagine my surprise

when I entered the newly opened Bibimbap

West to see dozens of colourful umbrellas

suspended from the ceiling.

The effect is quite mesmerising; paired

with the neon signs on the walls and behind

the bars, the interior of Bibimbap is, above

all, unique, emulating the bustling city lights

of South Korea.

Korean food is something that we in

Glasgow are somewhat lacking, although the

introduction of Kimchi Cult and Silla in recent

years were welcome ones, so it is nice to see

the small city centre restaurant expanding

into the West End, this time bringing with it

the spectacle of the Korean BBQ.

In order to experience the Korean BBQ,

you must be seated at one of six tables that

are fitted with a central hot plate. The idea is

that all of your meat is cooked on the grill in

front of you. You then pile slices of pork belly,

beef short rib, king oyster mushrooms and

pork neck onto lettuce leaves along with a

range of sides including kimchi, spicy green

onion salad, soybean paste and fresh garlic

and chilli.

It’s very much a hands-on experience and,

although a member of staff was there to cook

and chop our food for us, it lacked some

of the theatre of say, a teppanyaki station.

Traditionally with Korean BBQ, you would be

required to cook the meat yourself, but here

that element is taken away – whether to its

detriment is open to debate.

In terms of the quality of the food on

offer, the beautifully tender pork neck was

the highlight of the BBQ, and the sides,

particularly the spicy green onion salad and

the soybean paste, were packed with flavour.

Keen to experience both sides of the story,

we decided to order a few dishes from the

main menu as well. The Korean Fried Chicken

is not to be missed – both perfectly tender

and deliciously crisp – served with a moreish

spicy yum yum sauce.

The dumplings too are showstoppers in

both their vegetarian and pork and kimchi

variations and at every turn the staff were

incredibly attentive and happy to advise us

on menu choices – they even discouraged

us from ordering the BBQ for four people,

claiming, rightfully so, that two portions

would be enough alongside everything else

we ordered.

What I love about Bibimbap West is its

vibrancy, both in terms of its décor and

its food, there are still a list of dishes I

am desperate to go back and sample – in

particular their namesake. I hope, more than

anything, that it has better luck than the many

previous tenants of 2 Partick Bridge Street

and it is here to stay – lets hope that umbrella

theory is just a myth!

BiBimBap West

2 Partick Bridge Street G11 6PL

0141 334 3030

bibimbapwest.com


Writer’s Reveal

meets Emily Ilett

This debut novel from talented young

writer Emily Ilett offers children

a captivating story about adventure,

determination and the power of friendship

amidst an uncertain world, full of change,

self-doubt, depression and loss.

The story begins on Gail’s twelfth

birthday where everything feels anything

but celebratory. Gail’s older sister, Kay,

has become withdrawn and depressed with

life, likely linked to their father leaving them

two months before, while mother is juggling

her acute distress for her eldest daughter’s

declining state while working to keep the

house and family running.

Battling anger and resentment at her

sister for not being the same company she

was – ‘All you do is sit here feeling sorry

for yourself!’ – Gail struggles to accept this

seismic family shift, and the ways it hits her,

such as her sister’s inability to accompany

WORDS LENNY MCFADYEN

her swimming which she loves but is too

scared to do alone.

The sudden disappearance of Kay’s

shadow prompts a gut reaction from Gail,

as she vows to her sister she will find it and

bring it home. As Kay’s shadow moves out

of their family home towards the wild hill of

Ben Fiadhaich, Gail pursues it, moving further

and further away from her comfort zone.

Determined by her mission, driven by loyalty

and love for her sister, she crosses paths with

others where all is not as it seems, unlikely

friendships are formed and there is a whole,

beautiful natural world surrounding her where

lessons can be learnt from every angle.

Lenny McFadyen spoke to Emily to find

out more...

The Girl Who Lost Her Shadow feels like

it was gathering pace in your imagination


for a long time. How did it all come about?

What made you decide to write a book for

children?

I think it’s really nice you felt like it was

gathering pace in my imagination, it definitely

has been for quite a while. I started writing for

children about six years ago now. Before then

I’d been writing short, slightly strange and

very playful fiction with young people as the

main characters but I’d never really written for

children.

I took a creative writing masters at the

University of Glasgow and that was when I

started writing specifically for this age group.

I came out of that course with a series of

interconnected short stories which were all

set on a Scottish island and one of the stories

was about a girl who lost her shadow and

that was the one that came playing around

my head and I felt like there was lots of

questions tied up with that character that I

hadn’t figured out yet. I was intrigued by why

she’d lost her shadow, where it had gone

and it kept buzzing around until I decided I

was going to try and write something much

longer. Partly for the experiment to see if

I could do it. It was quite nice to have no

expectation and just try and get to the end.

The protagonist, Gail, is worried about

her older sister Kay’s forlorn, withdrawn

state. Gail also seems very hard on herself

throughout her journey, questioning her

own abilities and strength of character.

Do you feel depression amongst young

adults is something we need to be talking

about more as well as how we support it?

Yes, I do. I think it’s really awful but it’s a

reality that a number of children struggling

with depression and anxiety and mental

health issues is increasing dramatically while

support services are being cut dramatically.

For me, it was really important to write a

story about depression. Kay (the sister of the

protagonist, Gail) has depression and the

story is also about the impact that this has

on her family. Gail is trying to come to terms

with the fact that she was really close to her

sister – they’ve done everything together;

they have the same dreams of becoming

marine biologists – and suddenly Kay is

just so withdrawn. She is irritable, snappy,

not swimming – which she loved to do –

and I was interested in exploring the idea of

a young person supporting another young

person with depression, because it’s not

necessarily the most instinctive thing to reach

out and be there for someone who seems,

from their perspective, to be purposefully

distancing themselves. The story is about

Gail learning what it means to reach out and

the courage that it takes to do that.

There’s a sense of magical realism to the

setting for the story: the fictional setting

of wild Ben Fiadhaich, surrounded by the

deep and mysterious oceans, hosts to

imposing, chaotic storms. Do you think we

can all take lessons from nature? And did

you grow up by the sea?

I didn’t grow up by the sea! I would have

loved it! It’s funny, actually; my editors asked

me if I was a swimmer and if I grew up by

the sea too. When I was younger we used

to go to Cornwall and I think spending time

by that rolling grey ocean really got inside

my subconscious and so it was really lovely

to step inside that world. The island itself is

fictional and based on elements of both Mull

and Skye. A lot of Gail’s learning comes from

the natural world and, in particular, her friend

Mhirran, who talks about the way different

creatures communicate with each other

and that helps her think about connection.

There’s a lot we can learn about the natural

world, especially in terms of perspective and

if we can take ourselves out of our own world

that we have created.

First impressions are not always

maintained; there’s lessons around

kindness, patience and compassion. In a

current climate of casual name calling in

politics and the media, how important do

you think it is for us to be more considered

with how we treat each other?

Children and young people are growing

up in a world where there are anti-bullying

campaigns and they are taught that bullying

is wrong and yet they see bullying all over

the newspapers and in the media and

proliferated by people in power, so I think it’s

really important we hold up and celebrate

compassion and kindness. Especially in

relation to climate change. We are in a

climate crisis and it’s such a divisive time of


politics, yet we should be coming together.

In order to do that you need so much

patience and compassion and kindness.

Children’s books are a beacon to the future.

I read a lot of children’s books and they never

fail to move me, I think they’re so fiercely

empathetic and hopeful – mainly because

children are all those things themselves –

but I always wish that the people in power

were reading these stories.

The message of friendship and

collaboration is very evident throughout.

This is definitely a book about friendship.

Friendships can be like relationships: bumpy

with ups and downs. In her friendship with

the character Mhirran, Gail learns she is

bigger than she thought and braver than she

thought. We can grow into our own potential

through friendship and collaborations.

Also, because this story is about mental

health I didn’t want Gail to be isolated; the

support network element is so important.

Grief is carefully and respectfully tackled

in the story. How challenging was it to get

the tone right for this age group?

It didn’t necessarily occur to me that I needed

to think really carefully or consciously of how

I wrote about grief for this age group and that

might be because children’s worlds are full

of difficult emotions and turbulent times –

and often grief and loss is part of it.

Maybe you were normalising that emotion

because it’s now so prevalent amongst

younger adults.

I think that’s it. It’s really important to write

about emotional and difficult times because

young people are experiencing this and

being able to see it and read it and empathise

is almost preparation and companionship

through those hard times.

Can you tell us a bit more about your

inclusion of climate change in the story

and what that means to you.

In my mind there was a parallel between

the sense of helplessness that Gail feels

in relation to her sister’s depression and

the sense of helplessness around climate

change. Climate change is more of an

undercurrent in the book and I wanted to

focus on bringing the issues home. In writing

it, I was thinking about Scottish readers and

I wanted to focus on and draw attention to

threats to the natural world that are very

close to home. So we talk in the story about

the poaching of freshwater pearl mussels and

also the Scottish wildcat. When something

like the subject of climate change can seem

so terrifying and wide reaching, it’s important

to bring it back down to a smaller moment

or a fight that’s much closer to home.

Gail and Mhirran are on a mission to stop the

pearl hunters fishing for freshwater pearls

and, in that way, they are doing something to

support their local, natural world.

Do you have any advice for other aspiring

young writers out there.

I’ve been thinking about this since the book

came out and I started to do school visits.

There so much writing advice and I’m weary

of adding to it. The thing that’s been most

helpful to me, though, is how important it is

to become your own friend, to learn about

yourself, build up a friendship with yourself

and be your own friend through your writing.

Learn what makes you feel good. When you

write, challenge yourself and remind yourself

that you’re braving new things. It can be hard

to believe in your story but think what would

a friend tell you if you’re feeling down and

unsure.

Website: emilyilett.com

Instagram: @pinecone_fish

Twitter: @EmilyrIlett

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When artist Norman Mathieson moved

from Glasgow, calling the Japanese

inland sea island of Awaji home,

there echoed a shift away from the medium

of printmaking as his primary method of

working and a 13 year pause in exhibiting on

his native soil. Something which has been

wonderfully rekindled with an exhibition of

paintings at Mansfield Park Gallery and a

body of work that offers a beautiful reflection

of this new landscape and his expressed

moments in time.

As a graduate of Glasgow School of Art

and the MFA at Duncan of Jordanstone

in Dundee, Mathieson’s roots were at one

time firmly placed in the UK – working at

the Northern Print Studio in the North East

of England and subsequently as the master

screen printer and later, workshop manager

at the Glasgow Print Studio. A time he recalls

of, ‘fun days – great people with plenty of

creative energy buzzing around.’

It was also around this time however

that he was involved in several overseas

residencies and printmaking workshops.

‘About three years before relocating I took

part in a workshop on the techniques of

traditional Japanese woodblock printing

located in a rural mountainside village called

Nagasawa on Awaji. Everything about the

place including the landscape, the buildings

and the way of life seemed a bit magical, like

the movie, My Neighbour Totoro.’ Mathieson

was also to meet his wife Kozue on this trip

and after a few more visits, settled in a town

close to this village.

Knowing of Awaji only for its famous

Naruto Whirlpools and home to Izanagi Jingu,

legendary referred to as the oldest shrine

in Japan and being aware of Mathieson’s

work as a printmaker, I had been intrigued

by how these new experiences and the

sense of place would translate and perhaps

influence a new body of work. Not long after

arriving and through the world of Facebook

he started his page, ‘Awaji Drawing’ and

it was clear from early on that the creative

momentum endured. ‘I had been drawing

around Awaji City and soon had completed

about ten sketchbooks, mainly in watercolour

pen. In the studio I was painting most days,

subsequently I was amassing a body of

work, however I didn’t have opportunities

to exhibit the work I was making. I started

‘Awaji Drawing’ around this time principally

Zebras Without Stripes © Norman Mathieson

to reconnect with friends and other artists.

I post regularly and although it’s not as

satisfying as exhibiting it’s a good way to

share with others what it is that I am doing in

Japan,’ he tells me.

I really was drawn to the works Mathieson

was posting. There is gift of beauty and

a little bit of that magic, less abstract in

composition to previous works but continued

sympathy and reflection of everyday life.

The balance of the elements within the


Magical Awaji

arrives in the west end

WORDS NICOLA MAULE


The Usual Position © Norman Mathieson

Rainy season © Norman Mathieson

paintings are measured in their composition,

showing a deep respect and love for the

landscape and these observations. ‘My world

is a very simple place; well it seems so when

I compare it to the complications felt by

others. When I look at my artwork, I want to

contemplate its uncomplicated simplicity but

not to the point where all the elements have

been paired down to the basic minimal. It’s

important to retain the elements that I feel

represent the episode that I want to depict.

I’m searching for a way to represent the

beautiful moments and memories that touch

my heart when I am surrounded by my world,’

he adds.

Life may have taken Mathieson physically

in a new direction, but he recalls that,

‘although printmaking may not be my main

way of creating artwork now, I think its

influence is strong in my method of working.

I was always interested in the mark making

that could be attained from the various

printmaking techniques, and as a result I

used to make a lot of mono prints.’

The working method for these new

pictures sees him work from drawings and

print outs on Photoshop, which he paints

onto stretched watercolour paper with

watercolour and gouache, building up layers

of paint from rough broad applications of

complimentary colour to more detailed

painting of specific areas of significance.

Adding that, ‘I am very concerned with

the construction of the composition. I look

at ways in which to integrate the various

relevant elements. A car, flying birds, running

dogs. It’s a balancing act between the

volume colour and shape of the objects and

the space that these objects inhabit in the

painting. The use of colour and the method

of painting are my other concerns. The

application of paint is also very quick drying

which allows me to build up layers to create

depth and volume. Adding light colours to

dark areas and vice versa adds volume.’

From once exhibiting regularly in the UK

and around the world, it may have been

some time since we have viewed a Norman

Mathieson exhibition here in Scotland.

For those of us that have being viewing the

works online, seeing them in the gallery

space, over the computer screen is pretty

exciting and will be well worth the wait I am

sure. For those that are new to the pictures

of Mathieson, I urge you drop by the gallery.

Beyond this exhibition, well the journey will

of course continue through the power of the

internet – until of course the next one.

Awaji Drawing showing at Mansfield Park

Gallery 1st – 31st March

mansefieldparkgallery.com

facebook.com/awajidrawing

Let’s Go Home © Norman Mathieson


Image I Gregor Reid

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Anthony Glancey of Evalee

Keeping

Insurance Local

Evalee Independent Insurance Brokers

are a family-run West End business

with a passion for helping other local

West End businesses.

‘We are a small, independently owned

commercial insurance broker, specialising

in SME businesses,’ explains Anthony.

‘Our clients run bars, shops, offices,

restaurants, and more, in the local area.

We have a combined 70 years’ experience in

this industry and guide our clients every step

of the way, should the worst happen and they

need to make a claim.

‘Evalee offers a face-to-face meeting first

to find out more about our client’s business

and their current insurance arrangements.

Following this we conduct a thorough review

of the insurance market to make sure the

client is obtaining the best cover for the most

competitive price.

‘We love helping independently owned

small-medium sized businesses who would

like to have a relationship with their insurance

broker. We are available at the end of a phone

but prefer to meet face-to-face to really get

to know our clients and their business – it all

helps us to get them the right deal.

‘There are a vast array of small businesses

in this area, with some offering a unique

product. The West End is where we are

based and we know the area incredibly well.

Why not phone in for an informal chat in the

first instance?’

Evalee Independent Insurance Brokers

0141 370 3414

info@eva-lee.co.uk

eva-lee.co.uk


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Image I Gregor Reid

Talking to Kirsty @

White Pearl Products

When a serial entrepreneur comes

across an issue that detracts from

their core business there’s only one

thing to do – come up with a solution, even

if that means a switch from being a service

provider to manufacturing a product.

Kirsty set up White Pearl Cleaning in the

West End seven years ago and now runs

it with a staff of 27. On carrying out casual

inspections however, Kirsty kept smelling

the same old fragrances, lemon, fresh

linen, lavender, etc. She wanted an elegant,

beautiful scent like no other.

‘I decided to produce this product as I

couldn’t find a bespoke scented cleaning

product on the market,’ Kirsty tells me.

‘I went with the scent Black Pomegranate

as it’s my favourite candle and reed diffuser

smell. It’s very elegant and different to other

products on the market at the moment.

‘I also decided on a glass bottle as most,

if not all products, come in plastic bottles.

It is important to me that our product is

environmentally friendly, dramatically

reducing plastic waste. I also produced a

kraft paper “spouch” which refills the glass

bottle, again reducing plastic waste. Although

predominately this is a multi-surface cleaner,

it’s been specifically formulated to remove

soiling from a variety of surfaces, including

carpets.

‘It’s been almost a year in the making from

sourcing a fragrance manufacturer to finding

the correct perfume with the exact scent I

was looking for, then sourcing a chemical

manufacturer to mix the agent and perfume

correctly, in order not to distort the scent.

Finally it was launched in February this year.

The whole product from the mixing to

the labelling and filling is all done here in

Glasgow, making it more special to me as

it’s not only made in Scotland, it’s made in

Glasgow my hometown!’

White Pearl Multi-Purpose Cleaner

is available to buy online at

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White Pearl Cleaning

0141 258 7916

whitepearlcleaning.co.uk

whitepearlproducts.com


Magazine Promotion

Legal Matters

Beware the

Con(veyancing) Man

Ihave been reading a disturbing novel called

‘Our House’ by Louise Candlish. It describes

a nightmare experience for a family living

in a Dowanhillish sort of area in London who

suffer a fraudulent sale of their house by a

criminal seeking to pocket the free proceeds

for himself. The novel opens with the wife

walking up her street to find her town house

being emptied of the last of her furniture by a

removal firm. Like all good fiction it contains

enough whiffs of reality to make you wonder:

could it happen to me?

We all are aware now that cyberfraud is

out there. There are cases of bogus legal

firms being set up online to pose as the

selling solicitors in a house deal, persuading

everyone they are for real, settling the

transaction and then disappearing with the

money. More routinely there are fraudsters

who have software which can pick up and

intercept emails between clients and lawyers

regarding bank transfer details. They adjust

the bank details to an account of their own

and then send the email on to its intended

recipient. Unless both clients and solicitors

double check directly with each other before

any remittance is made, the money could

easily be sent to the baddie who grabs it and

vanishes. This I can assure you is not fiction

but hard sad fact.

In some of these cases the solicitors have

been blamed for not taking more care to

double check say by phone call or snail mail

letters. The result is that now you will find

your solicitor’s letters and emails festooned

with warnings that if a communication is

received intimating a bank change the client

should carefully check this with the solicitors

concerned. There’s an easy way to fix all this:

go back to cheques for house transactions.

But no one wants to do this. It’s much too

simple a solution for the watchdogs who

instead force all of us involved in the industry

to accumulate ever increasing mounds of

useless paper to show we’ve been careful.

A lot of what you pay in your legal fees

is now soaked up by government red tape

compliance. Well, that and my new Merc.

Another con gets played on buy-tolet

owners (West Enders take note). The

fraudster (never underestimate her powers

of snoopery) finds out that the owner lives

abroad and that the flat is temporarily

unoccupied awaiting its next tenant.

She pounces, by passing herself off as the

owner, instructs an estate agent, asks a

lowish price for a quick sale, cons a solicitor

into accepting her for real, produces bogus

ID, brazens out the transaction, gets the

money and runs.

Most solicitors now have standard

procedures which make them bullet proof

against blame. A lot of clients are less careful.

Which are you?

If Mitchells Roberton

Chairman Donald Reid can

help you please call him on

0141 552 3422, or email

dbr@mitchells-roberton.co.uk

Mitchells Roberton Solicitors

& Estate Agents

George House

36 North Hanover Street G1 2AD

0141 552 3422

www.mitchells-roberton.co.uk


Image I Gregor Reid

Accountancy

Matters

by Bruce Wilson & Simon Murrison

Thinking About Selling

A Property?

Spring is the time for sale signs to pop up

around the West End. From the 6th of

April the Capital Gains Tax (CGT) rules

for house sales change. Here’s what you

need to know.

What’s changing?

as you are covered by CGT private residence

relief.

You must submit your CGT return online,

via the Government portal, within 30 days.

If you aren’t registered with HMRC portal

you can create an account or authorise a tax

agent. If in doubt speak to an expert.

The Government is introducing a 30-day

payment window for CGT on residential

property sales.

The tax owed must be calculated,

reported and paid in full within 30 days of the

missives being concluded.

It will impact sellers making taxable

gains on residential properties, normally

people selling second homes or buy-to-let

properties.

Tax is never simple. With this new rule

there is an added layer of complexity.

When you complete the sale and calculate

the CGT to be paid you need to base your

calculation on the whole tax year income.

This can be difficult to estimate, particularly

at the start of the tax year, especially for the

self-employed and buy-to-let landlords.

If you moved out or let your property for

a long period of time ask a tax expert to find

out if you are exempt or not.

You normally will be exempt if you lived in

your house for the whole time you owned it

Murrison & Wilson, CA is a full service

accountancy firm specialising in

business and tax planning. Get in

touch for a free consultation plus

fixed and competitive fees.

Murrison & Wilson Chartered Accountants

10 Newton Terrace G3 7PJ

0141 290 0262

info@muwca.co.uk

muwca.co.uk


Creative

Connections

Shopping as we know it has totally transformed over

the last few years. With the rise of online, and out of

town retail parks, the high street really took a beating.

But with many of us bored and disillusioned by soulless

supermarkets and chain stores, there’s a resurgence in the

realisation that we really must buy local and explore the

unique offerings right on our doorstep.

WORDS Susan Robertson

These changes in the landscape have

given rise to more creative approaches

to retail and the West End has a rich and

diverse range of retailers who are changing

the shape of how we define shopping. One of

the key fresh approaches in the retail industry

is towards collaboration amongst artists,

designers and retailers. There’s such a great

logic to this type of connected thinking and it

benefits everyone.

Interiors and fashion offer great scope

for this as they access visions, trends and

moods that have multiple applications and

offshoots. So, for example, if you’re having a

whole new interior designed for your home,

where do you go to source the accessories

that the designers seem to know about?

How can you find great local artists and

creatives, as well as the expertise to help you

put it all together?

Two great examples of stores thinking

expansively and creatively can be found

on Great Western Road – Amaryllis and

ParkHaus Interiors. I spoke to them both to

find out more.

Lynn Gilfillan of Amaryllis told me what

to expect in her store. She said it is ‘a

luxury design-led concept store, offering a

thoughtfully curated combination of designer

homewares, fashion and accessories to

create a dynamic, welcoming and relaxed

space for all customers.’

She explained that here you can find

glam luxe pottery, artistic lighting, decorative

objects and unique table top accessories.

From iconic stand-out pieces from Jonathan

Adler, Dutch and Danish brands Pols Potten

and HK Living offer a high-quality collection

of lighting, tables, chairs and accessories

and striking and vibrant textiles including

marbled velvet cushions and lampshades by

talented designer Susi Bellamy gives a bold

colourful contrast to the sleek Scandinavian

furniture.

But as well as buying for your home, you

can also browse for yourself with a range of

fashion, from labels Baum und Pferdgarten,

Gestuz both from Copenhagen, Parisian label

MKT and Fabienne Chapot from Amsterdam

to name a few.


Image I Gregor Reid

Lynn is also continuously expanding her

offering of home-grown Scottish talent,

and Amaryllis is a proud stockist of Eribé,

an award winning Scottish knitwear designer,

selling an innovative, contemporary collection

of jumpers, cardigans, hats, scarves and

gloves.

To top it all off you will also find unique

gifts and accessories including handcrafted

one-of-a-kind jewellery pieces by Anna Beck,

as well as hand-poured luxury candles, and

artistic cards.

Lynn’s creative collaboration with her

lifelong friend, interior designer Lisa Trainer

at Red Door, has been a great source of

inspiration for them both. After a huge

success transforming Lynn’s apartment,

Lisa was also able to bring Lynn’s interior

vision to life in Amaryllis too, providing the

ideal backdrop to express her personality

and display her merchandise. Lisa’s passion

for highlighting local and unique artists and

creatives in her work was well aligned with

Lynn’s, bringing great shared expertise and a

winning team.

Lynn said, ‘Collaborations bring

specialists together to create strong dynamic

partnerships which enhance and combine

ideas to present exclusive brands – all with

an individual, interesting story to tell.’

This store is relatively new but Lynn has

a wealth of experience in the business with

a retail portfolio and a renowned shop in

Helensburgh. She has really enjoyed getting

to know her new customers and been

humbled by their welcome. She describes

Great Western Road as ‘fast becoming

a destination “hot spot” for independent

boutiques like Amaryllis.’

Just along the road, Scott at Parkhaus

Interiors has been a fixture on Great Western

Road for a couple of years now. He offers

a one-stop-shop interiors studio that is

thoughtfully designed to feel warm and


Ashgrove Joinery

and Interiors

Bespoke Cabinets. Dressers. Vanity

cabinets. Kitchen cabinets and dressers.

Shelving units and bookcases. Entertainment

units and sideboards. Solid timber doors.

Traditional wall panelling. Refinishing of

doors and cabinets – spray paint, lacquer

and oil. Window seats and storage seats.

www.ashgroveinteriors@yahoo.co.uk

ashgrovejoineryandinteriors.co.uk

Tel: 07583274215

Unit 9, 47 Dalsholm Avenue, Dalsholm

Industrial Estate, Glasgow, G20 0TS


Image I Gregor Reid

welcoming. There are five room setups to

showcase different room options in a relaxed

way.

Scott said, ‘We’ve incorporated some

really lovely pieces into the displays from

some local business people including

Terrariums from Becky at Little Wild Things,

candles from Lorraine at Gold Hart Scotland,

and fabric and wallcoverings from Iona at

Iona Crawford Atelier. I feel strongly about

supporting other small local businesses,

giving people a platform and showcasing

some of the great talent and creativity we

have in this city.’

The studio also showcases the kitchen

collection by Keller, a Dutch manufacturer

who have been manufacturing kitchens

since 1946. Scott told me, ‘There is a

comprehensive collection of kitchen styles

from true handle-less, sleek modern timbers

to traditional shaker styles. Sitting alongside

we have our home interiors and lifestyle

furniture from Pianca, and a gorgeous

collection of contemporary furniture for living

and sleeping spaces.’

They also showcase wall coverings from

Tektura, Newmor and Designers Guild

along with paint by Craig & Rose, (who have

supplied the paint for the forth rail bridge

since it was constructed).

Scott is also an advocate for working with

fellow designers, he said, ‘Collaboration is

really important, not only to support other

designers but also to open up a huge range

of services, knowledge and expertise to our

clients. Collaboration brings new ideas to

the table, inspires and adds to the creative

process ultimately resulting in a cohesive

scheme which is rigorously considered,

well specified and reflects the client’s

personality and style.’

So it really is a win-win for the designers,

artists and retailers to be working together.

Not only does it help showcase their

products and services, but it’s also great for

us consumers as we get access to a unique


and diverse range of expertise and products

we would likely never find ourselves, and a

unique experience to boot.

Parkhaus Interiors hosts various events

throughout the year, from cooking to colour,

there are plenty of inspiring themes to give

you food for thought. Topped off with their

Summer Soirée in July and the Winter Hygge

event in December.

Scott said, ‘We invite clients old and new,

colleagues and friends to join us for drinks

and canapés as a way of keeping in touch

and to say thank you. It’s also an opportunity

for our clients to meet with the designers we

work alongside, to have a chat to the person

who designed their wall coverings or fabrics

and it’s a nice way to let our hair down before

the holidays. These events are always really

busy and great fun.’

So, if you are down in that area, pop

in and make sure you’re on the next invite

list. If you need any more reasons, Scott

encapsulates it well in saying that ‘Great

Western Road is a destination. It has a great

collection of design-led stores and studios,

from kitchens to cushions and everything in

between. This gem of a street is the perfect

place to visit when thinking about a home

project. Clients can spend the day visiting

various design studios, stop for coffee or

lunch on the way and finish with a glass

of wine and a bag full of inspiration at the

other end.’

Well that certainly sounds good to me!

Amaryllis West End

687 Great Western Road, 0141 387 8495

Follow on Facebook/Instagram @

amaryllis_westend

Parkhaus Interiors

87 Great Western Road, 0141 332 5084

parkhausinteriors.com

Image I Nadin Dunnigan


Fotografie Plus I Manola van Leeuwe

ParkHaus Interiors

87 Great Western Road

Glasgow G4 9AH

home@parkhausinteriors.com

0141 332 5084


Homes & Interiors

by Susan

Robertson

A Balancing

A new season is upon us and we’re starting to

embrace the new year and decade. With that,

comes the opportunity for some refreshing in

our homes, and perhaps in our lifestyles and

careers too.

Act

We all want the ideal work/life scenario which

can often end up more of a juggle than a balance,

but we are blessed to live in a time where there are

many options available to us for flexible and home

working, or even running our own business. This

is only likely to increase this decade as we move

away from the traditional working week structures,

and the concept of a ‘job for life’ becomes more

alien.

There are numerous success stories of friends

joining forces to create small businesses from ideas

brainstormed around the kitchen table, which

then take off and become hugely impactful, think

of businesses like ‘Notonthehighstreet.com’ which

have inspired many to realise that they can create

something from nothing without massive premises.

We have more opportunity to develop career

portfolios, which can sometimes take a process of

exploration and building either in a freelance or

contract capacity, while possibly also running a

small business from your home. This is a great way

to spend bursts of time doing different roles focussed

around your strengths, rather than the repetition

sometimes associated with a traditional 9 to 5

function.

So, to bring this back into the world of homes

and interiors, how can you best arrange your

surroundings to enhance your creative flow? Where,

how and when do you work best? Do you need a

comfy corner with a laptop for the odd few emails,

or a dedicated home office where you will spend

considerable time?

If it’s the former, perhaps you could invest in a

solid statement snuggler sofa tucked into a quiet

corner. Add a full size anglepoise lamp to offer you

the directional light you may need in the evening,

or find a spot near a window if you are to work mostly

in daytime. Keep in mind practicalities such as

making sure you have a few electricity sockets close

by for all your chargers, and a neat storage system for

your bits and bobs. Buildable cube shelf designs are

great for storing laptops and files, but you can also

dedicate some space to books that will inspire you so

you can take a mental break if you need it, without

leaving the comfort of your position.

If you need a bigger space, you may have the

luxury of a home office. If you’re starting from

scratch and have budget available, this is a great

room to get an expert eye for, as you can really set

up foundations of energy flows and colours that

will inspire you, or you can inadvertently create the

opposite effect. I know myself the difference in how

you feel about your work depending on how well your

space works for you, and whether it empowers you or

depresses you is going to reflect in your output.


Sometimes home offices can inadvertently become

bland hotchpotches of beige and the ubiquitous black

leather desk chair on wheels. Spend some time and

money on carefully selected seating so that you are

comfortable and well-supported. I can testify that

upcycling a lovely wooden chair to type in seemed

a great idea at the time and looks lovely, but I’m

restricted to short stints of discomfort as I wriggle

around trying to get comfy when I should be taking

some of my own suggestions on board!

Work around the practicalities by planning out

your light and electricity sources, and make sure

you have plenty of flexible storage to keep files and

paperwork in order. This is such a practical room,

and also an emotionally connected one, an interior

designer can help you to get the balance of these

things right, and will probably help you consider

elements that you wouldn’t otherwise think of

yourself so that you can proactively create the

ideal functional space as opposed to allowing it to

organically and illogically evolve around you.

Identify the best space and position for your work,

and if you’re short of room at home, perhaps it’s

time to invest in building an outdoor office. You can

source these locally for surprisingly reasonable time

and cost investments.

Pull it all together with some careful thought

on colour. Minimal looks work well with warm

whites and pale wood, this is great for creating calm

thinking spots. Depending on your own personality

you might like to add a statement piece of furniture

to brighten up your day, or treat yourself to a big

inspiring artwork where you can let your eyes linger

when looking for inspiration.

This is a great time to set up a working space that

works well for you and your lifestyle, which will also

help as you grow into achieving your goals for the

coming decade.

Images of products available at hoosglasgow.co.uk

48 Westender | www.westendermagazine.com

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Magazine Promotion

Some older properties in and around the

West End are just that little bit extra

special. ‘It’s like a storybook house,’

Greg from The Wee Kitchen Shop explains

when he hands me the address for the next

interviewee in his series, ‘you will love it.’

And as Gregor and I approach the doorway

to shoot the kitchen and chat to the owners

about their new Wee Kitchen, I find Greg to

be correct. It’s a wee bit of Hans Christian

Andersen transported to Bearsden.

This is the kind of project I know by now

Greg loves. It’s all nooks and crannies with

barely a square wall, or floor! It turns out

Greg’s joiner, George, had to level the floor

before work could even begin.

Homeowners, Richard and Fiona, read

about The Wee Kitchen Shop in a previous

Westender and loved Greg’s imaginative

problem solving skills. Richard remembers

the bannister that incorporated the room’s

radiators that Greg installed in Broomhill,

creating a feature whilst also freeing up wall

space for cabinetry. Practicality plus beauty

rolled into one. ‘Greg’s enthusiasm is very

apparent when he’s creating these features,’

says Richard.

Fiona continues, ‘we wanted to

Image I Gregor Reid

The Wee Kitchen Shop

Specialising In Beautiful Shaker Kitchens

incorporate 100 year old cupboards and a

worktop from the original house into Greg’s

design, so even though we had all the mod

cons the finished kitchen would still look

like it had always been there. Greg’s joiner,

George, was great and planed old doors

so they shut perfectly again and managed

to rework some of the original Douglas Fir

worktops, whilst Greg colour matched the

existing AGA’s mantel to the new solid wood

framed Shaker cupboard doors.’

With a baby on the way and a washing

machine stuck in the cellar, work needed to

progress quickly and finish, ideally, in time for

Christmas. And on the 23rd of December the

brand new family of three had their beautiful

kitchen that functioned perfectly for their 21st

Century needs. A storybook ending if ever

there was one…

Please call ahead for a FREE

consultation appointment at

The Wee Kitchen Shop.

The WEE Kitchen Shop

304 Crow Road, Broomhill G11 7HS

0141 334 4747

www.theweekitchenshop.co.uk

info@theweekitchenshop.co.uk



ARRANGE YOUR

FREE NO OBLIGATION

VALUATION TODAY

WE’RE SOLD

ON YOUR FUTURE

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