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www.westendermagazine.com | 1
ESTENDER
sep/oct 2021
2 | www.westendermagazine.com
WHERE
EXPERIENCE
MATTERS
WEST END
PROPERTY
EXPERTS
We might be the new kids on the
block, but we have more than 100
years of West End property
experience in our Byres Road
team. And with property, legal and
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we make moving easy.
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Partner
0141 227 8200
Angela Douglas
Branch Manager
0141 342 5571
Michael Begley
Mortgage Adviser
0141 342 5577
Book your free valuation
today at acandco.com or visit
us at 108 Byres Road.
PROPERTY
LEGAL
FINANCIAL
Main Image and Cover Image By Gregor Reid Photography
www.westendermagazine.com | 3
15
20
Contents
Regulars
4 Editor’s Letter
Local Business
6 We’ve Come
Back Winning
Out & About
15 Restaurant Review:
Unalome by Graeme
Cheevers
Fashion & Beauty
14 WIN! At Rainbow
Room International
20 Fashion Shoot:
Live Life in Colour
Arts
16 Cover To Cover:
Book Reviews
28 Artist Interview:
Michael E. Mullen
Westender living
32 Child’s Play
39 Colourful
Transformations
28
39
4 | www.westendermagazine.com
Editor’s
Letter
Autumn is a time of renewal. And as
the leaves start to fall and the children
skip back to school, I feel my spirits
lifting after what has been a tumultuous 18
months. It feels like time to really draw a line
under what has passed, moving forward with
hope, and caution, but mostly with positivity.
Businesses all over the world have had
the kitchen sink thrown at them and the West
End is no different. But speaking to business
owners throughout this time has revealed the
remarkable resilience that’s been needed to
survive – and even thrive. Joanna Moorhead
speaks to three such businesses to find out
more on Page 6.
New businesses have been popping
up all over too, with Unalome by Graeme
Cheevers opening to great fanfare in The
Sisters, Kelvingrove premises. On Page 15
Amy Glasgow tells us all about the tantalising
tasting menu as she marks a big celebration.
Plus we held our first fashion shoot since
this crazy situation kicked off! We are back
with full Behind The Scenes (BTS) video on
the website and across social media, so
like, share, follow - you know the drill, for full
access to what goes on. Recent trends show
us powering through this autumn in colourful
brights – what a way to liven up our lives as
the days shorten. Pop along to Page 20 for
some colourful fashion fun.
These are just some of the reasons to
pick up and read Westender Magazine.
But for yet even more content based
on our lovely West End head online to
westendermagazine.com where we
regularly post new, online only, articles to
keep you abreast of what’s happening.
Suzanne Martin
/westendermagazine
/westendermag
/westendermag
To advertise call Suzanne on 07905 897238, or email suzanne@westendermagazine.com
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
contributors can accept, and hereby disclaim, any liability to any party to loss or damage caused by errors or omissions
resulting from negligence, accident or any other cause.
Westender Magazine does not officially endorse any advertising material included within this publication.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form – electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – without prior permission of the publisher.
www.westendermagazine.com | 5
STYLISTS WANTED
Are you a hairstylist who loves what they do?
Love working in the West End / City Centre?
Love being in control of how much money you earn?
Then let’s talk.
We are a busy West End salon looking for the perfect fit
for our experienced styling team.
Call 07799 235558, or drop by and ask for Jonathan.
JONATHAN R. FORBES HAIR
174 WOODLANDS ROAD
GLASGOW G36LL
6 | www.westendermagazine.com
Barry Walker of Walker Wylie Estate Agents
we’ve come back winning
WORDS JOANNA MOORHEAD IMAGES GREGOR REID
The collective experience of the past 18 months has pulled the
West End together as a community. But depending on the type of
business run, and therefore the restrictions that have been imposed,
the challenge faced has differed drastically. Joanna Moorhead
speaks to three local business owners who’ve ridden the storm.
WALKER WYLIE ESTATE AGENTS
Barry Walker remembers the optimism of
January 2020. Everything pointed to a stellar
year for house sales: and his estate agency,
Walker Wylie, was about to take possession
of a new office on Woodlands Road.
You know what happened since, so
let’s fast-forward to September 2021: and
the good news is, the hope Barry felt 20
www.westendermagazine.com | 7
months ago is back again – in bucketloads.
He’s bright and breezy as he chats to me
from behind his desk. Yes, moving into
the new office had to be paused for four
months; and yes, business was flat over the
same period, as only existing sales could
be concluded. But, though there have been
many bumps in the journey – and to be
fair, though there may be more bumps to
come – Barry believes the underlying story is
positive.
It’s certainly seeming that way: house
prices have more than held their own since
estate agents were allowed to trade again in
June, and Barry predicts an upward curve.
‘When we opened again in June, now in our
new office, the market went crazy,’ he says.
‘August 2020 was our busiest month on
record – we sold twice as many properties
then as we had in August 2019.’
The housing market – with low stock,
and low interest rates – was already strong
before the pandemic, says Barry, and living
through the changes Covid brought tended
to focus people’s thoughts on their living
space, and have only served to add to the
boom. ‘Today’s buyers want a front door and
a back door, and they want a garden. Firsttime
buyers who’ve been locked down with
their parents are now looking for somewhere
of their own, and they need more space than
they might have done, because they’re still
working from home, and need a bedroom
that can double as an office.’
The important thing to remember when
it comes to running a business in 2021 and
looking ahead to 2022, says Barry, is that
‘what’s just happened is a health crisis,
not a financial crisis. It’s not 2008 all over
again. That’s one of the things that’s kept us
optimistic.’
The biggest problems for Walker Wylie
through last year, reports Barry, were
the uncertainty over how long business
was going to be paused, and juggling (for
both him and his business partner) homeschooling
their young daughters alongside
keeping the company they set up five years
ago, afloat. ‘We knew we had a fight on, but
we also knew we could do it. We’d spent a
long time working hard to set up our own
business, and we knew we could hold on
for a few months.’ All the same, he says,
it was extremely frustrating at times watching
English estate agencies being able to operate
near-normally, while in Scotland restrictions
remained.
He also worried about what the impact
would be on home viewings – would vendors
want visitors on their property; would buyers
want to go into houses? But, he says, there
haven’t been problems on these fronts.
January and February are traditionally strong
months, and for Barry it’s roll on 2022:
his optimism of two years ago is, he believes,
about to be realised.
SQUARE BAR AND RESTAURANT
Keeping going through the pandemic meant
being quick-footed and adaptable – and the
Square Bar, having more than managed to
be both, is now reaping the benefits. Being
forced to close, with just a few hours’ notice,
in March 2020 was an unthinkable blow:
the busy neighbourhood brasserie had a
full diary of bookings, and was stocked for
the next few days. ‘It was shocking beyond
belief to suddenly have the power to run your
business taken away from you,’ says Luke
Tracey, The Square’s owner.
But adaptability was key, as Luke
realised from the start: the weather was
good, the restaurant front could be opened
fully, and soon the Square was functioning
as a takeaway coffee/cake/sandwiches
venue. Using Uber Eats was expensive in
commission terms: to keep costs down,
and with future business in mind,
Luke offered discounts to customers who
could do self-collections. ‘It meant people
could see where we were and what we were
doing, and then come back again another
day,’ he says.
Although at times it felt as though they
were at rock bottom – ‘the hospitality
8 | www.westendermagazine.com
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www.westendermagazine.com | 9
Luke Tracey of the Square Bar & Restaurant
industry felt as though it was being attacked,’
says Luke, especially when for example
selling alcohol was banned – hope was never
extinguished. When eating and drinking
outside became a possibility, The Square
developed an outside eating area that it
expects, going forward, will continue to
be popular with diners. ‘Glasgow hasn’t
traditionally been an area associated with
continental-style dining,’ says Luke. Perhaps
eating outside will be a lasting change of the
pandemic.
But the biggest change came in spring
of this year with a major refurbishment of
the premises, and a menu rethink. ‘It was an
important move because it meant we were
showing confidence in our business, in the
future,’ explains Luke. But also, he wanted
customers to come back to The Square
with a sense of excitement and discovery.
‘We wanted them to find a new place, and to
have new food to try,’ he says.
As in all walks of life, the pandemic
has brought positive change as well as
difficulties. Luke chairs the Glasgow
Restaurant Association, and knows at
first hand how much the industry has
pulled together during the last 20 months.
A stronger spirit of co-operation and support
could be a legacy Covid leaves for bar and
restaurant owners in the city.
PETS-CETERA
Of the many lifestyle changes prompted by
the pandemic, one of the most talked-about
has been pet acquisition; and for business
owners like Mabel Lau of pets-cetera,
that has meant that what started in shock
and shut-down has led to a boom in business
that shows no signs of slowing.
At first, remembers Mabel, as for all
businesses the situation was one of worry
and fear for the future. ‘Everything was
closing, we weren’t sure what was going on
or what would happen next, and we were
concerned for staff who were worried about
feeling unsafe,’ she remembers. Pet shops
10 | www.westendermagazine.com
Jen and Mabel of pets-cetera
were, of course, always essential businesses:
Mabel set up a table at the shop door and
sold items like pet food from there.
For a while, takings were well under half of
what would be normal – but then, gradually,
things started to change. More people were
getting pets, especially puppies – and that
meant they needed toys, dog beds, collars,
leads and harnesses. Also, pets-cetera
specialises in natural foods, so customers
came to find out about healthier diets for their
dogs. ‘Our main concern is that people keep
their new pets, and we realise they need the
best possible advice to support them to do
that,’ says Mabel.
Like Luke at The Square, she realised a
refurbishment would update her business
for the post-pandemic future. She took
the business over 15 years ago, updated it
initially, but hadn’t done much since: so it
was time for a facelift. ‘We ripped everything
out and tried to make it a lot more fun –
for example, there’s now a kennel-shaped
dog treat bar. We’ve always had a candy pink
theme here and that’s continued – we want to
feel like a wonderland for pets,’ says Mabel.
The shop is a tribute to her now deceased,
but never-forgotten, Dachshund Molly. ‘She
was a big reason why we have a pet shop in
the first place, and it’s a bit of a shrine to her.’
While it’s about a lot more than profits
for Mabel – ‘people who work with us love
animals, and we put them first’ – she feels
that, having survived some tough times,
the shop is now more than back on track.
‘We feel we’ve been through the worst –
and we’ve come back winning.’
walkerwylie.co.uk
thesquareglasgow.com
petscetera.co.uk
BROOMHILL DRIVE
BROOMHILL www.westendermagazine.com | 11
SHOPPING
CENTRE
BROOMHILL DRIVE
CROW ROAD
DUMBARTON ROAD
MERKLAND
COURT
YOU ARE
HERE
THE WEST END’S HIDDEN SQUARE
COFFEE AT BROOMHILL SQUARE. SIT IN or TAKEAWAY
BROOMHILL SQUARE, Broomhill Drive, 2-26, Norby Road, Glasgow G11 7BN
broomhillsquare.co.uk
12 | www.westendermagazine.com
ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS
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Out in West End locations from Monday 1st November.
// 13 Years in the West End
// Glasgow’s brilliant FREE bi-monthly magazine
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health & beauty, what’s on, local authors
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www.westendermagazine.com | 13
Pivoting in a Pandemic
In the wake of the pandemic, businesses
were forced to rethink how to get goods,
services and gourmet meals to customers.
Throughout the West End bounce back loans
were invested wisely in alfresco seating,
sprucing up and making interiors safe,
and developing websites, shopping carts and
upgrading online collection, payment and
self-serve/delivery applications.
Entrepreneurial spirit and West End
creativity were evident as masks were sold
through tenement windows on Clarence
Drive. The biggest shift was the swift move
to hybrid physical and online presences as
the ability to interact with customers during
lockdowns was severely curtailed.
Those that had already made the shift,
or taken the tentative steps to set up an
online trading presence prior to Covid,
were quick to see the change in shopping
and demand patterns and swiftly began
upgrading their online capabilities to serve
their customers. They were ahead of the
game when online demand rocketed from
existing customers, and those who found
them on the web when their usual retailer,
restaurant or supplier failed them.
Businesses new to online trading faced a
few initial hurdles, mainly due to the demand
and rush to online trading over spring and
summer last year. Those who did make the
move found that online trading proved less
daunting than envisaged and it was cost
effective especially in revenue earned per
customer visit.
Most people find online shopping
more convenient with 63% of customers
beginning their purchasing occasion online
(Thinkwithgoogle 2018). It doesn’t take a
rocket scientist to work out that this statistic
will have risen over the past 18 months.
Whether you’re running your business
online or turning a hobby into a profitable
side hustle, ecommerce has created a level
playing field allowing you to not only dream
big but act big. Your hybrid business can
be rooted in the West End of Glasgow but
extend its reach all over the UK and beyond.
Establishing an online presence and
getting the trading and accounting systems
set up to serve your customers – new and old
– is now easier than ever. But getting it right
from the start is key. It goes beyond simply
setting up an Instagram shop or Shopify
website then sitting back waiting for the ping
of another sale notification.
Ensuring accurate accounting systems
are in place early is key to capturing essential
financial data and business information
from your customers and visitors to your
site. With so many software tools and apps
available how do you choose systems with
the functionality you need at a price that is
right for you?
We have road tested and identified the
best accounting, business applications and
the online shopping integrations you need to
get your business online, boost your sales
and reach out beyond your usual customer
base and markets.
Talk to our experts on digitising your
business, integrating accounting software
tools, enhanced by the best online shopping
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available to your type and size of business,
and what you want to achieve online and on
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Ammu Chartered Accountants
Get in touch today: visit ammu.uk or call
our Glasgow office on 0141 290 0262,
or our Ayrshire office on 01292 388 031
14 | www.westendermagazine.com
RRI
by John Parker
Autumn is here and a great time for
us to experiment with our hair to fit
in with the season. For autumn it’s
all about super shiny chocolate and mocha
toned brunettes, golden blondes and fiery
and copper reds – shades that add a warmth
to your complexion and are super flattering.
A full head tint, semi-permanent or glossing
service are the best way to achieve these
colours and will also give your hair shine.
Our RRI team are also incredibly
excited for the next events we have lined up,
including TRNSMT which our GWR team
have been asked to work at again this year!
Some of our RRI team are also up for the
Colour Technician of the Year and Scottish
Hairdresser in this year’s British Hairdressing
Awards, with the final taking place in
November, another fantastic celebration.
In the salon we also have some further
celebratory news – we are welcoming back a
new Stylist, Ayesha (above) and celebrating
the promotions of Summer and Kylie.
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 31st Oct ‘21.
Rainbow Room International
607 Great Western Road G12 8HX
0141 337 3370
rainbowroominternational.com
www.westendermagazine.com | 15
@
Unalome
Reviewed by Amy Glasgow
/theglasgowdiet
Ihonestly feel like Glasgow has, for a long
time, been missing the kind of elevated
dining experience you can find in Edinburgh
and other parts of the country. Something
that feels unique and special, somewhere
that you walk away from and want to tell
everyone you know about it. Well, I think I’ve
found it.
Located in the old home of The Sisters
in Kelvingrove, Unalome brings a truly
incredible dining experience to Glasgow,
sitting alongside the likes of Michelin-starred
Cail Bruich and Finnieston’s own The Gannet.
Created by award winning chef Graeme
Cheevers, Unalome focuses on an everchanging,
seasonal menu and an experience
that truly wows its diners from the moment
they arrive.
Before you have even had a chance to
look at the menu, you’re greeted with one of
numerous canapes, ranging from delicate
meringue with oyster emulsion, apple and
borage, to cheese and onion miniature choux
buns topped with black truffle.
Once you get to the actual menu,
the options are endless and cater to different
budgets, particularly if you visit during their
lunchtime service, where you can choose
from a £30 lunch menu, £60 a la carte,
or go all out and opt for the £70 tasting menu.
It was my birthday when I visited, so there
was nothing else for it but to go for that
tasting menu and I am so glad we did.
Each course was as beautiful and
delicious as the last. But some of the standouts
for me included a ridiculously large and
juicy Orkney scallop with peas, lavender
butter sauce and cured pork fat. A balance of
rich butter and pork fat with the freshness of
peas and that perfectly cooked scallop.
Honourable mention has to also go to
the roast fillet of roe deer with raspberry,
beetroot, endive and wild pepper sauce.
The venison was incredibly tender and the
flavour in the sauce… honestly, if they had
poured it into a wine glass and offered it to
me as a drink, I would not have hesitated.
Every course was beautifully balanced,
the service quiet and constant, and the
meal was completed by a trio of petit fours,
including a black truffle fudge, passion
fruit pate de fruit and an absolutely divine
hazelnut praline choux.
It was, by all accounts, one of the best
meals I have had in a long, long time. In fact,
I enjoyed it so much, I’ve already booked
to go back for my wedding anniversary.
I suggest you find an excuse to get booked
in too.
Unalome by Graeme Cheevers
36 Kelvingrove Street G3 7RZ
0141 501 0553
unalomebygc.com
16 4 | | www.westendermagazine.com
1
The Elizabethans
by Andrew Marr
BY BRIAN TOAL
WESTENDER’s
COVER TO COVER
Andrew Marr is one of the best-known
Scottish journalists around and his Sunday
morning programme has a huge following.
He is also a very successful writer, with ten
non-fiction and two fiction titles under his
belt already.
I really enjoyed ‘A History of
Modern Britain’, and one could be
forgiven for assuming that there
was a fair amount of overlap
in ‘The Elizabethans’, but this is
far from the case. His approach
is interesting as each chapter
highlights an individual or group
of individuals who have influenced
Britain since 1952. In some cases,
this impact is small and subtle, in
others, colossal. Just as the range
of personalities covered in this
book is diverse, so too is the range
of topics: class, race, education,
sexuality, relations between the
sexes and moral disagreements.
He comments on the stark
differences in the physical
appearance of the British since
the coronation, from a thin, white,
drably dressed, behatted nation
to a multicoloured, fatter, sloppier
one. But far harder to capture is
the change in how we think about
who we are, in terms of identity,
gender and class.
Nevertheless, with his
highlighting of key figures who
forced us to consider aspects of
our Britishness, Marr captures
these changes extremely well.
An example of the book’s clever structure is when Marr considers
the differences between patriotism and nationalism. To illustrate
this concept, he devotes a chapter to Tony Benn and Enoch
Powell, both fierce opponents of the European Community, both
patriotically British, but diametrically opposed in their approaches
and in their political stances. This is not a book dominated by
politics, by any means, despite Marr’s day job. Music, the arts,
culture, the environment and conservation are all given their
place, seen through the game changers in these sectors such as
Freddie Mercury, David Attenborough and Gerard Durrell.
We haven’t only radically changed what we listen to and
watch, but also how we treat our animals and how we think about
food. Can you imagine a time before pizza, Chinese and Indian
restaurants, or burgers? Of course, this would not have happened
on the same scale had Britain not claimed vast international
territories as an imperial power. And had it not been for the
withdrawal of this empire and subsequent economic failure,
the ruling classes would not have been so badly shaken and the
rebellions against this old order may not have been as successful.
As Marr concludes, ‘A decent future means taking the best of the
best, ditching the mistakes and starting again.’ Indeed.
www.westendermagazine.com | | 17 5
Shuggie Bain
by Douglas Stuart
2
‘Shuggie Bain’ is one of the
most brutal books I have ever
read. Compelling, but brutal.
From beginning to end there is
a litany of disasters, tragedies
and heartbreaks, most of
which are self-induced. Agnes
Bain is an alcoholic mother of
three living with her parents
in a high-rise in Sighthill.
She has left her husband to
pursue a taxi driver called Shug
Bain, a nasty character who
treats women like dirt and then
disposes of them.
Before long, Agnes finds
herself alone with three kids
and no partner. One by one
the kids are either pushed
away or escape, leaving
Shuggie, the youngest, to look
after his mother.
One of the most fascinating
aspects of the novel is indeed
the fact that throughout the
novel, all three children are
looking after their mother,
getting the benefits books,
hiding money for shopping,
pouring away drink and
hiding from the authorities.
School happens on occasion
in a haphazard fashion.
The children never know where
the next meal will come from
or if it will come at all. There
are fights with neighbours,
taxi drivers, rival women,
authorities and generally
anybody Agnes comes across
when she’s drunk, which is
any time from mid-morning
onwards.
The scourge of poverty
and alcohol dependency
are both laid bare in this
uncompromising but incredible
debut novel. It makes parts of
‘Trainspotting’ seem like ‘Mary
Poppins’, but don’t let that put
you off. It’s a future classic.
Richard Osman has long
held a fascination for classic
crime novels and this,
his debut novel, caused a
bidding war with several
publishers as they knew it
would be a hit, and they
were right. Set in an exclusive
retirement village called
Cooper’s Chase, the club
comprises several individuals
who have an interest in solving
cold cases, all of them with
skills from their previous lives in
the big bad world which they
bring to bear in these cases.
However, inevitably, there
is a murder in the community,
causing them to whirr into
action and get to work solving
the mystery. Through a series
of contacts, manipulations of
the somewhat amenable local
police and sheer nosiness,
combined with ingenuity
and dogged determination,
the club undertakes what is
their biggest case so far.
One murder becomes
two, and then three, and the
big reveals at the end are
satisfying whilst not being
entirely predictable.
Osman certainly knows
his market as there is sure
to be a reasonable overlap
between the viewers of his
game show and the readers
of this debut crime novel.
The very short chapters and
fairly large print allow for quick
page turns and cater for those
who need reading glasses in
the afternoon, the reviewer
included. I consumed this over
a weekend, and it was highly
enjoyable. I’m sure this is the
beginning of a very successful
franchise and reminded me of
the gentleness of Alexander
McCall-Smith’s very successful
‘No.1 Ladies Detective Agency’.
Gentle murderous
pensioner fun.
The Thursday Murder Club
by Richard Osman
3
18 | www.westendermagazine.com
Parkinson’s
Disease –
Using
Thoughtful
Movement
Westender www.westendermagazine.com Magazine Promotion | 19
I
f you live with Parkinson’s Disease (PD),
you know that everyday can be a bit of
a roller coaster, going into ‘off-periods’
Here
from your medications, waiting for your
medications to start working, not always
knowing exactly how your body will respond
to what you tell it to do! It’s tough, frustrating,
and definitely not an easy hand to be dealt.
One of the biggest things our clients with
PD tell me is that its very hard to keep doing
the same thing consistently, as you may well
drop a cup of tea or struggle with catching
your feet one minute, then for no apparent
reason you have no problems later on. It’s the
lack of your body consistently doing what you
tell it to do.
This is where Thoughtful Movement
in combination with the right exercises
for you come in. Essentially, it is about
‘re-calibrating’ your brain on a daily basis
to be able to work with the difficulties you
have, helping you keep consistent and giving
you more control over how your body moves
when you tell it to.
By no means does this make living with
Parkinson’s Disease easy, but it can make it
a lot easier.
J FraserSimpson MSc, Chartered Physiotherapist
at Simpson Physiotherapy, we
specialise in helping people like you living
with Parkinson’s Disease take back control
over your PD and help keep you independent
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202 | | www.westendermagazine.com
LIVE
LIFE
IN
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THIS AUTUMN
photography GREGOR REID
stylist gemma meek
mua terri craig
opposite page - purple sweater, biscuit clothing. green trousers, river island
www.westendermagazine.com | | 21 3
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floral blouse, river island. pleated skirt, amaryllis
opposite page - leopard print blouse, amaryllis. track pants, river island. earrings, cassiopeia
www.westendermagazine.com | | 235
green
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blouse,
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river island. multi print skirt, biscuit clothing
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pink blazer & pink jeans, river island. Earrings, Cassiopeia
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26 | www.westendermagazine.com
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Westender www.westendermagazine.com Magazine Promotion | 27
Legal Matters
Having charitable thoughts?
There are over 24,000 charities in Scotland
registered with the Office of the Scottish
Charity Regulator (OSCR). Charities play
a vital role in Scotland, whether by providing
direct help, giving information, or raising
awareness.
Charities can benefit from tax reliefs,
obtain specific grant funding and the public
recognition and trust of a registered charity
‘brand’ can assist in fundraising. OSCR
have a duty under The Charities and Trustee
Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 (the 2005 Act)
to encourage and assist charities in meeting
the requirements of charity law.
However, OSCR must also ensure that
public money is used responsibly and
charities are not simply set up for private
benefit or for criminal activity. OSCR has
‘teeth’ in the form of powers granted under
the 2005 Act to supervise, make inquiries and
obtain information on alleged misconduct
and can also remove a non-compliant charity
from the OSCR register. Protection of charity
assets and public confidence is the aim.
OSCR have produced a formal risk
framework with a list of key areas of concern.
Last revised in 2018, the top risks they
are working to mitigate and address are:
(i) deliberate mismanagement; (ii) criminal
activity; (iii) trustee lack of knowledge;
(iv) attempts to gain charitable status for
private benefit; (v) lack of clarity of the charity
brand, and (vi) charities that don’t provide
public benefit.
In order to gain charitable status an
organisation must satisfy OSCR that it
(i) has only charitable purposes and (ii)
provides public benefit in achieving those
purposes. This is known as the ‘Charity
Test’. You will also need to decide whether
to be unincorporated e.g. a voluntary or
trust organisation without separate legal
personality, meaning that the charity trustees
must enter into (and may be liable for)
contracts in their own names; or incorporated
e.g. a company limited by guarantee
or a Scottish Charitable Incorporated
Organisation (SCIO). The type of legal
structure you choose will depend on the
scale of the operation and the risks involved
e.g. will you employ staff or lease premises?
If so, who will be the Employer/Tenant?
Many potential Trustees are unaware of this
potential liability. See risk (iii) above.
Voluntary or Unincorporated Associations
are the simplest form of legal structure,
with low set up costs. However, these
organisations do not have legal personality
separate from their trustees, meaning
the trustees must put their own names to
contracts and may be personally liable for
their charity’s debts, such as pension fund
deficits and redundancy payments.
A charity could become a Company
Limited by Guarantee; a legal entity separate
from the people behind it but it must then
comply with UK Company Law. Or it could
become a SCIO. The SCIO was introduced by
the 2005 Act, provides a separate legal entity
from its trustees and is quite simply, purpose
built for the charity sector in Scotland.
The OSCR website oscr.org.uk has
guidance on every step of the charitable
journey so, do your homework, but consider
taking legal advice on any areas
of concern to protect both you
and your charity.
If Mitchells Roberton
Partner Joyce Moss can
help you please call her on
0141 548 1703, or email
jmm@mitchells-roberton.co.uk
Mitchells Roberton Solicitors
George House, 36 North Hanover Street
0141 552 3422
mitchells-roberton.co.uk
28 | www.westendermagazine.com
Cherry Blossom, Knightswood Cross
© Michael E. Mullen
Michael E. Mullen
an interview
WORDS NICOLA MAULE
www.westendermagazine.com | 29
There may be more than
a few scenes
recognisable to many
Glaswegians when looking
at the paintings of artist,
Michael E. Mullen. From the
flourishing of Spring and the
cherry blossoms lining the
streets towards Knightswood
Cross, to that wonderful
quality of stillness found in
the magical light after the
sun sets, ‘the gloaming’ as
us Scots call it, in the heart
of Queens Park.
Both these pictures,
‘Cherry Blossom,
Knightswood Cross’ and
‘Spring Gloaming, Queens
Park,’ are part of a rich
bounty of painted works,
expressing a great love of
the outdoors not just here
in Scotland but in lands
beyond our shores – and an
appreciation of the natural,
visible changes of time that
the eye often overlooks at a
fleeting glance.
There is a rather nostalgic
air to the paintings, a poetic,
dreamlike quality. I can also
imagine that if I might see
these works in front of me
on the gallery wall, it would
echo what I am compelled to
do when looking at artwork
by my favourite Impressionist
painter, Camille Pissarro
(1830-1903). Stand close
to the surface of the work,
‘The Rance at Dinan,’ and
the painting would look busy,
with sharp thick flecks of
paint applied with apparent
vigour – stand back and as
the scene unfolds, the eye
oscillates between both the
light reflecting on the leaves
and the still water of this
French river, and the rich
colours of green that call of
Summer.
I chatted with Michael
about his journey towards
a career in the arts,
his enchantment with
the wonders of nature
and just how much that
contemplation can draw
inspiration and influence his
painting.
You currently live and work
in Glasgow – did you grow
up in the city and what
brought you to painting?
I grew up in Giffnock and
was educated in Glasgow.
When I left school, I started
studying an engineering
degree at Glasgow University
but fairly quickly came to
the conclusion that it wasn’t
what I wanted to do and
decided to return to my first
love, which was Art.
The reasons behind
moving to London were
varied: I was of an age
where I wanted to explore
the world a bit, I had got
accepted onto a foundation
course, in Art and Design
at Wimbledon School of
Art, and I had a perhaps
rather naïve conviction that
London was the place to
be, if you wanted to work
in the Arts. After finishing
my foundation course,
I started a degree course
at Goldsmiths, which I had
chosen because they didn’t
demand that you follow
one particular discipline,
like painting or sculpture,
or printmaking. I liked to
work in all three disciplines
and going to Goldsmiths
allowed me to do that.
In the end I didn’t particularly
enjoy my time there, even
though it was, and I suppose
still is considered a very
prestigious art school. There
was a dominant, conceptual
art culture that was quite
alien to my way of thinking
and working.
Your pictures are in the
main exterior scenes,
some such as ‘Glen
Quiach’ where the expanse
of the hills are offered as a
subject and others placed
in a city or a suburban
setting. Do you work
directly outdoors when
painting?
I do sometimes work
outdoors, although this
very much depends on
the weather and I rarely
complete a work outdoors,
although it was the kind
of thing I did when I was
younger. Most of my finished
pieces are entirely created
in the studio. I work from
a variety of sources, often
using my camera and
sketchpad as a way of
recording images I think
might work for me. Over the
years these sketches and
photographs have grown into
a reservoir of images that
I can dip into, sometimes
long after making the original
sketch, or taking a set of
photographs. I also combine
aspects of different images
in order to convey the effect
I want – sometimes that
happens quite quickly and
easily, other times ideas
hang around for years, going
through numerous, sketched
iterations, whilst I vacillate
about whether to commit to
turning them into a finished
piece.
What inspires you to paint
a particular view?
There is a complex calculus
that leads me to pick
one image over another:
a combination of formal,
technical challenge, a
kind of personal symbolic
significance and the latitude
it allows me to express
emotion or convey a
30 | www.westendermagazine.com
particular kind of mood. In practice, once I’ve
decided which image feels right, everything
else begins to fall into place during the
painting. Personally, I think that there is a
partially unconscious process that governs
the process of composing an image, as the
same themes and motifs suggest themselves
regularly.
You work on linen which, through its
highly textured surface almost becomes
an integral part of the work itself – is there
a reason why you paint on linen, over
board or canvas?
I think it’s the best surface for oil painting –
it’s very durable, has an element of elasticity
that is useful and has a texture that is
pleasant to work on. I have worked on both
canvas and board in the past, but I feel linen
suits my style best and will probably last
longest.
The offerings of the seasons permeate
through your work – what draws you to
paint these changes in nature?
One of the things that drives my work, is my
reaction to my day-to-day environment: I find
it easy to derive pleasure from my experience
of nature and my work reflects a desire to
celebrate nature and how the environment
and changes in light, weather and flora
affects us more generally. The effects of
seasonal change on the environment,
therefore, fascinates me, I would go so far
as to say that the seasons influence the
behaviour of people and society, in quite
profound ways, beyond the traditional
divisions of the agricultural year.
Can you share the best way for people to
view and purchase your pictures?
I usually have work on display at the Seagull
Gallery in Gourock, most of my new work
gets exhibited there first. Probably the best
way to keep up with developments regarding
exhibitions would be to follow my Facebook
page, Michael E Mullen Fine Art. I post any
news about exhibitions on there and I post
pictures of my work, as it’s completed. I also
have a page on creativecoverage.co.uk and
work for sale at saatchiart.com.
The Rance at Dinan © Michael E. Mullen
www.westendermagazine.com | 31
32 | www.westendermagazine.com
Homes & Interiors
All Images show stock from I I Am Nomad
by Tracy
Mukherjee
Child's Play
We often think flamboyant primary colours are resigned
to nursery schools, playgrounds and children’s rooms;
primary colours are indeed a much-maligned choice
for our home interiors. But done correctly, these colour
choices can pack a sophisticated punch. So why should
the kids have all the fun?
www.westendermagazine.com | 33
There are a few different ways of using
this palette. To get a professional view
on the topic, Westender asked the
opinions of two experts in the field
of home interiors: Claire Johnston
of I am Nomad and Kevin Baird of
Riverside Decor.
Subtle Yet Sassy
Blue, red and yellow, the building blocks off all
other colours. It takes a brave soul to consider
these as the main choices in our home. But it
needn’t be top to toe block colours.
Firstly, consider what you want to
achieve. You like the colours, the drama and
boldness of them, but are you brave enough to go
all out with them?
The good news is you don’t need to.
It’s perfectly achievable to have décor which
features reds, blues and yellows without
overdoing it. Let’s face it, most of us would feel
more comfortable with neutral walls as our base
canvas. The rule of thumb is to use only two
of the three colours in their true tone. Claire
suggests trying neutral walls with bright colours
in smaller areas: windows, architrave, picture
rail, doors.
Walls needn’t be startling white; warm whites
and neutrals work well too. This allows you to
work with pops of colour with specific areas
catching the eye. By sticking with neutral walls,
you can tie in the accent primary colours in
your soft furnishings e.g. lamps, cushions, to
bring the look together; a statement vase in a
vibrant true blue is a great way to bring colour
into an existing neutral space. To continue
with this toned-down version of the primary
colour palette, Claire also agrees that combining
natural textures e.g. natural woods, jute rugs,
can also look great with splashes of primary
colours around a room; bringing a neutral camel
candle against a lively blue one continues to
blend the palette subtly but with detail around
the room.
Kevin from Riverside Decor agrees. If clients
are afraid to use the bolder colours in paint
décor around their home, he recommends
introducing these colours through the soft
furnishings. Small splashes of primaries within
artwork, rugs or carpets so long as it’s tied in
throughout the room, is every bit as stylish.
The Bolder Look
A wall doesn’t always have to be neutral, white or
muted, however and Riverside Decor has seen a
change in the trend towards the 'statement' wall.
Kevin notes that people can be quite daring
using darker blues on full areas, unlike before
where it may have been only on one wall. Kevin
advises clients to be bold if they have the vision
to do so. The trend that he sees is still for off
whites on ceilings, picture rails and woodwork
with a bold colour on the main walls.
Even going for a bolder look, don’t use all three
colours in their true tones. Using a combination
of two but adding a more muted tone of the
third, ensures you don’t end up with your home
looking like an Andy Warhol painting. Try
teaming a wall in one colour such as blue with
furnishings in another, say a red sofa, whilst
keeping floor and woodwork neutral.
By carrying small flashes of the bolder wall
colour in small, selective pieces, lamps, vases,
candles, the colour scheme is tied in throughout
the room. When adding a third colour, the shade
can be slightly muted to soften the overall colour
palette. So, in a room with two main colours
of a blue wall with a red sofa, subtle tones of
mustard, lemon candles or vases can be a good
way to avoid that modern art/geometric vibe.
Homes & Interiors
34 | www.westendermagazine.com
Finer Details
In considering using primary colours in interior
decor, Claire feels it’s a progression for people.
Primaries can be a bit overwhelming, and
people do have aversions to different colours.
In I am Nomad the interiors boutique
specifically sets colours together that at first
customers might not have considered e.g. pinks
and lemons. Softer tones really can feature in
the primary palette home. Using terracotta and
pink tones of red, powder blue and navy tones
of blue, and lemon and mustard tones of yellow
can help moderate the look. Using toned down
turquoises and oranges can also bring warmth
as third colours.
Kevin has noted the trend towards using
yellows and blues has grown in popularity
and adds that these can often be towards the
muted darker shades of mustard and dark blues.
Yellow tones can be uplifting and fresh in a
room and we certainly all needed uplifting this
past year! Used in dining rooms, even hallways,
yellows have brightened our homes over this
ever so dark year in a time where our homes
have been our whole world. When it comes
to paint finishes, the chalk finish on walls is
still the trend. However, Kevin does advise
woodwork be done in a more durable finish. If
you want a painted piece or area to stand out,
a glossier texture will pull the eye to it. Why
not try painting an unloved wooden chair in a
glossy red to catch the eye? This is a lovely idea
in a dining space against natural floors and
white walls. A classic primary blue door against
white walls is incredibly eye catching and gives
a Mediterranean feel to a room. Kevin uses the
analogy of a letter box; would a letter box stand
out if it had a flat red finish?
The bonus of the primary colour palette is
that it really doesn’t need to be a renovation job.
It allows you to keep a room neutral with pops of
highlighted colour. Claire notes it’s a great way
to give a room a facelift quickly and affordably.
A few clever choices of colour, be it a blue
painted door and coordinating rug, carried
through to red lamps and cushions with a flash
of mustard candles sprinkled throughout the
room and voila, your living room's transformed.
Helpful Hints:
√ Consider using two principal
colours on larger pieces, a wall,
woodwork, sofas, storage. Carry
these colours into specific pieces
throughout the room
√ Combine this with a neutral
natural palette e.g., the other
walls, floors, rug
√ Bring the 3rd primary colour
in using a toned up or toned-down
version e.g., for red, an orange or
a pink. Use this colour for specific
smaller accessories around the
room
√ If brave enough go big on the
walls with a toned-down primary,
carrying true tones on selected
pieces of furnishings and soft
furnishings
iamnomad.co.uk
riversidedecor.co.uk
www.westendermagazine.com | 35
Bespoke Residential and
Commercial Decorating Contractors
T. 0141 389 3287 | M. 07984 880 199
info@riversidedecor.co.uk | www.riversidedecor.co.uk
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Westender www.westendermagazine.com Magazine Promotion | 37
Your best friend on a
bad day – Joe @ Aspray
Stuff happens. If the past 18 months
has taught us anything it’s that really
weird, sometimes bad, stuff happens.
Joe McGuigan at Aspray Insurance is the
right bloke to have on quick dial should
the bad thing happen to your home or
commercial premises. Flood, fire, or storm –
Joe is your fourth emergency service. Think
of him as part of your resilience toolkit!
‘Anything to do with buildings insurance
after a burst pipe from the flat above, or an
electrical fire in the kitchen – we take care
that the claim is handled properly so the
client can simply carry on with their life.
The team and I put everything back together
again so your home or property looks exactly
as it did before,’ explains Joe.
‘At Aspray Insurance we are Certified
Loss Assessors, regulated by the FCA.
We deal with your claim from the very start,
assessing damage, building a scope of
works, dealing with loss adjuster negotiations
and then carrying out the reinstatement of
your property using our database of vetted
contractors,’ Joe continues.
Joe works alongside West End based
letting agents, building factors and insurance
brokers, and knows the built environment
of the West End inside out. High ceilinged
properties with intricate cornicing do not
faze him. And neither does their century old
plumbing.
And with climate change wreaking its
havoc across the globe: it’s great to know
a man who can. The recent summer floods
experienced in concentrated patches of
Scotland and the wider UK, resulted in the
largest amount of new claims in any period
across the UK at any given time. It can be an
emotionally devastating experience.
What Joe and his team at Aspray
Insurance provide is practical assistance,
so homeowners can concentrate on their
family’s physical and mental health. Because,
let’s face it, that’s priceless.
To see how Aspray Insurance could be
fighting your corner on a really bad day,
call Joe and his team on 07875 765708.
Aspray Insurance
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aspray.com/glasgow-north
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www.westendermagazine.com | 39
Colourful Transformations
Primary brights are a major interior trend in mid-late 2021.
But what to do if you don't want to commit to a full room, or even
wall, of primary colour? An easier, and quicker option, is to opt for
colourful accents instead. Placed against neutral walls and floors,
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Westender www.westendermagazine.com Magazine Promotion | 41
Property
Matters
with Walker Wylie
Estate Agents
Prices in Glasgow’s West End are
exceeding levels seen before the
housing crash due to a lack of properties
available for purchase. It is a trend played
out across the nation. Indeed, a recent
survey found that 21% more surveyors said
there was an increase in house prices over
the last few months – and the West End had
appeared as a tension area, with few newbuild
plans within our heavily desired locale.
The West End of Glasgow is invariably
regarded as busy, energetic, lively, and
dynamic in normal times, and all these words
might similarly be applied to the local housing
market as we transition out of the Covid
situation. There is no denying that there is a
high level of confidence.
The relaxation of restrictions, the return
to school, and the fast roll out of the UK’s
vaccination scheme have removed any
reluctance, hesitation, or worry from the
previous year. Although there have been a
few persistent times of hectic activity since
March, as well as some dark moments of
despair, demand is now extraordinary and
agents are indicating a fiercely fought and
exceedingly competitive market.
/walkerwyliescotland
/walker_wylie
Are house prices going
to drop anytime soon?
Buyers will most certainly show interest
in a home if it is the appropriate size – which
is becoming ever more essential – and also
checks all the necessary requirements
in terms of quality and location. It’s not
uncommon for a desirable property to have
countless viewings scheduled. Due to a
continued scarcity of availability, not only are
there a lot of people looking at the houses,
but there are also a lot of offers, with prices
substantially over home report values and
speedy closing dates. In fact, it’s uncommon
to encounter sales that don’t easily exceed
expectations.
Overall, the market is remarkably strong
and is likely to stay that way for a long
time, assuming no unexpected external
developments occur. Regardless of what
could happen in the future though, it’s certain
that the West End will never lose its charm or
desirability.
Walker Wylie Estate Agents
148 Woodlands Road G3 6LF
0141 404 1333 / 07855 952298
walkerwylie.co.uk
42 | Westender www.westendermagazine.com
Magazine Promotion
Making Renting Better
with Western Lettings
The future of the private rental sector
Landlords in Scotland have been buffeted
with many changes in recent years,
including the introduction of mandatory
registration, tenant deposit protection
and, in 2017, a comprehensive overhaul of
the tenancy regime. While some of these
changes are welcome, they all increase the
administrative burden on private landlords.
Along with the creeping regulatory changes,
the sector has been rendered less viable by
an increasingly unfriendly tax regime and
tightening availability of finance.
One could be forgiven for expecting a
period of stabilization. However, bigger
changes are coming. It’s likely, for example,
that rent controls will be in place within the
next few years. To alleviate the housing crisis,
the Scottish government is considering
restrictions on second home ownership in
tourist areas.
By April 2023, landlords earning over
£10,000 per year in rent will be required to
sign up to Making Tax Digital for Landlords.
Under the scheme, income and expenditure
must be reported quarterly using an
approved software package.
There is growing evidence that small
private landlords are abandoning the private
rented sector by this increasingly regulated
environment. They are being replaced
by financial institutions and corporates.
Recently, John Lewis and Lloyds Bank
have announced plans to enter the sector.
Institutions are channeling funds into the built
to rent sector (BTR) in search of yield.
BTR developments are popping up
throughout the UK, with several already
operating in Glasgow and many more
planned. These developments resemble
grand hotels rather than traditional apartment
blocks, with cafes, bars, gyms, concierges,
and communal areas.
BTR is likely to continue growing fast while
interest rates remain low and housing in short
supply. It serves the needs of ‘generation
rent’, young people priced out of the housing
market and accustomed to renting long term.
In the next few articles, I’ll be exploring
each of the above areas in more detail. In
the meantime, please feel free to contact our
office directly if you would like to discuss how
we can help.
If you have a property to let, please
give us a call. We don’t do pushy sales,
so you can expect to speak to a friendly
and understanding adviser. Alternatively
have a trial of our free rental valuation
tool by scanning the QR code below.
Western Lettings
Craighall Business Park G4 9XA
0141 357 0436
westernlettings.co.uk
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