News & Events Archive
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The Scottish Academy of Asian Arts held another very successful Mela in Kelvingrove Park. See more of our photos in this gallery, and see the BBC's Glasgow Mela Photo Gallery  
'Famous bands support Kelvingrove Bandstand' Belle and Sebastian, and Teenage Fanclub (at a photoshoot in the Glasgow Transport Museum). Both bands very kindly posed for photos for us. They are strongly supporting our campaign to restore the Kelvingrove Park Bandstand as a popular open-air venue, without selling-off Glasgow's valuable public parkland in the process.  Belle & Sebastian  Teenage Fanclub Thanks to both bands for their support, and also to Cookie Scene magazine, Japan Bird Walk All are invited to join us on Saturday 7th May for our second Bird Walk in Kelvingrove Park. We'll meet between 10am and 10.15am at Glasgow's new Royal Society for the Protection of Birds headquarters. It's the last tenement on Park Quadrant. Also, see these photos of a heron and a cormorant, both spotted in Kelvingrove. Bandstand & Amphitheatre Project The Bandstand & Amphitheatre Project has now reached a critical stage, with the handing-over of the draft Business Plan to the City Council Parks Officers. We have asked them to come up with constructive comments on the report, and to respond positively to the principle of restoring the bandstand and amphitheatre as a public facility. A lot of money and effort has been spent on our Feasibility Study and Business Plan for the bandstand, but so far councillors and officials from Glasgow City Council have not made a clear commitment to restore the bandstand. If you wish to express support or find out further information about the Bandstand and Amphitheatre project, then you please contact us using the address below, or you can visit our stall in the upper-hall of Hillhead Library during the West End Festival on 12th June. Tea and Coffee will be provided. 'Past park perfect?' An art piece based around the Bandstand in Kelvingrove Park by Hedley Sugar-Wells  Kelvingrove Park N.B. the time has now been changed to between 6pm and 7pm because it wasn't dark enough to see the film well. It runs on every evening until Thursday 3rd. " Part installation, part performance, this art piece will attract park users to the abandoned bandstand and amphitheatre and hopefully spark a debate as to the future of such public buildings. There are other underlying themes such as: what need do we as a society have for communal public entertainment?; Should we preserve old buildings regardless of their lack of use?; and what facilities do modern city dwellers need in their public spaces.  This multi-layered work, 'Past Park Perfect?' begins when a live piper plays a rallying tune, whilst walking the perimeter of the site from sunset to dusk. He will represent the closure of the site and act as a rallying call to the park users and anyone walking home from work or University at that time. At dusk an archive film (from Scottish Screen) of the bandstand in use during its inaugural year, 1928, will be projected onto the railings which now block the stage. As the piper dies down a sound piece will be played of various crowds of people at public entertainment events such as football matches, theatre, panto, rock concerts etc. Thus, bringing together the past, present and possible future of the site. "     The next meeting of Friends of Kelvingrove Park is on Wednesday, 10th November 2004 at 7.30pm in the small meeting room of Hillhead Library, Byres Road, Glasgow. It will be our A.G.M. and will include an illustrated talk by Iain Gibson (L.S. Parks Conservation Officer) on "WILDLIFE IN GLASGOW'S PARKS"
The new skatepark has opened in Kelvingrove Park - see pic below:   Many of our members have expressed concern to us about the 'consultation' on parks and a recent trend in PR spin. It seems there is a new term for privatisation... a new 'touchy feely' privatisation for the new millennium. Nowadays Glasgow City Council press releases don't say 'privatise' or 'sell parkland to developers'... they instead say 'commercial partnership', 'franchise' and 'added facilities'. You can read some good examples of this spin at this Herald article and this Scotsman article. Our members have also said 'the city council should be doing their job maintaining existing facilities, rather than offering parts of the park to private enterprise'. We shouldn't have been offered a "Hobson's choice"... i.e. no choice at all. The way the consultation was worded, we were only offered "commercial operators". i.e. either you accept private enterprise in public parks or you don't get basic facilities like toilets! Privatisation is an 'easy option' for the short-term thinkers who are looking for a quick commercial return - such commercial operators have demonstrated in the past that they are unconcerned with the environmental and health benefits of parkland... and why should they be? Private Businesses are for the streets, Public Parks are for the people. N.B. We are very active and enthusiastic in working with the City Council to enhance facilities in Parks, where it doesn't involve parts of them being sold-off for car parks etc. Other cities in the UK (e.g. Edinburgh and London) and further afield seem to manage this fine - why do we have to sell our heritage and green space? See our News Archive for more on this story.  Sadly one of the oldest trees in Kelvingrove Park, a mulberry, fell down this summer. However, there are some green shoots remaining so maybe all is not lost :)  Friends of Kelvingrove would like to thank the councillors and park staff who acted quickly following comments about the Stewart Fountain made during the recent 'online consultation'. Many members of the public noted that the Stewart Fountain would be vandalised less if the water was switched on. A few weeks after this we had a rare spell of hot weather and the water was turned back on - as you can see from the photo below, it was flowing well. Hopefully this will be continued, especially if it is restored again - to save it getting further damaged and used as a climbing frame.  Mela Glasgow 2004 will take place in Sunday 25th July in Kelvingrove Park. It is organised by Scottish Academy of Asian Arts, more details on their website at www.saaa.org.uk
N.B. We are very active and enthusiastic in working with the City Council to enhance facilities in Parks, where it doesn't involve parts of them being sold-off for car parks etc. Other cities in the UK and further afield seem to manage this fine - why do we have to sell our heritage and green space? Privatisation is an 'easy option' for the short-term thinkers in some councils around the UK who are looking for a quick commercial return, and are unconcerned with the environmental and health benefits of parkland, and the architectural heritage left by their more far-sighted Victorian counterparts. One of our members sent us this interesting comparison: " Glasgow City Council's Land Services are recruiting for a Parks Commercial Manager, with a one line job description - 'Responsible for the development of commercial activities within parks'. Contrast that with Edinburgh City Council's advert in the same supplement, for a Head of Parks and Sport...'to monitor the operation of Edinburgh Leisure, the not-for-profit company established by the Council to manage its leisure centres... management and development of the City's extensive estate of parks, gardens, woodlands and countryside'. " It may be a slight difference in emphasis... but it could leave Edinburgh residents with a healthier city with extensive parkland and make Glaswegians wonder at why we were once known as the "Dear Green Place".  At our recent meeting the Friends of Kelvingrove Park discussed Glasgow City Council's 'Strategic Review of Parks and Open Spaces'. The meeting was well attended, and the Friends agreed that as well as promoting this consultation paper, we would make a group response. This would include 'an appreciation of the beauty of the park, and the hard work of those involved in its maintenance', 'concern at the recent lack of toilet provision' (the public toilets were closed throughout the West End Festival... the park's busiest day), and 'opposition to the council using commercial operators to provide services in parks'. This last point drew the most comment, with members noting that the 'city council should be doing their job maintaining existing facilities, rather than offering parts of the park to private enterprise'... and 'is the public toilet service being intentionally run-down?'. The Parks public consultation paper is available as a leaflet that you can fill-in, or you can respond online at www.glasgow.gov.uk/parksreview. The consultation period ends on the 9th July, so get your responses in soon. and look out for questions 1, 3 and 12.... Question 12 in particular offers a "Hobson's choice"... i.e. no choice at all. The way this question is worded, you are only offered "commercial operators". i.e. either you accept private enterprise in public parks or you don't get any toilets! .gif){kind=small}
Friends of Kelvingrove had another guided wildlife walk. A wren was spotted nesting in the park and here are some photos of a Heron and a Cormorant. Click on the photos to see the Cormorant in action, catching an eel! 
Parks recently hit the national news in this article: http://society.guardian.co.uk/environment/story/0,14124,1214317,00.html Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) have invested in parks and green spaces across the UK since it began operating its Urban Parks Programme in 1996 but this article asks whether the HLF model of park restoration is still relevant to a modern society, drawing largely on the example of Roundhay Park in Leeds. Some concern is expressed that HLF and other heritage bodies are 'gung-ho' about the destruction of trees in their desire to return parks to a Victorian idyll. Also... The Glasgow City Health Walks are launching the Park led walks. Queens Park and Tollcross Park, 10:30am and 3:00pm Tuesday 15th June 7.30pm, Hillhead Library 'Safeguarding Kelvingrove Park' Kelvingrove Park was mentioned favourably on an excellent BBC Radio 4 series on urban parks - we'll put some more links and information on this site soon. We've recently seen this website 'Urban Fly fishing on the River Kelvin'. Whether you're a fishing fan or not, there's some really great photos and information on many parts of the Kelvin Wildlife Corridor. Also check out Bob Hamilton's excellent 'City Strolls' which was recently featured in the Big Issue magazine. There's a meeting of Friends of Kelvingrove Park on Monday, 3rd November 2003 at 7.30pm in the small meeting room of Hillhead Library, Byres Road. The guest speaker will be Simon Zisman, the Conservation Officer for the RSPB and he will give a talk with slides about 'Birdlife in Kelvingrove Park'.  We've recently added to our links page: City Strolls and the Gal Gael Trust City Strolls are meeting on Saturday 23rd Aug 11:00am at Govan underground, for a walk into town taking in the old docks, riverside developments and the Clyde walkway. Tea/coffee provided and walk would be approx. 2hrs. The Urban Parks Forum have changed their name to GreenSpace. They are a national non profit-making organisation committed to improving open spaces and public parks across the UK, and links to other community groups can be found in the 'Community' section of their website.
The Friends of Kelvingrove Park have recently joined the Urban Parks Forum, a not-for-profit organisation who promote the importance of public spaces whilst increasing awareness of related issues. They work in partnership with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and the Esmée Fairburn Foundation. Take a look at their website for community links, resources and other Urban Greenspaces in the UK.
& a Peaceful New Year to all Congratulations to David Sneddon, who won BBC TV's 'Fame Academy' recently. Those of you who attended Spirit Aid in Kelvingrove (see News Archive) may remember him and his excellent band The Martians. They did some great acapella and a satirical medley of boy-band songs that day. We think he's a well deserved winner :-)  The Martians at Spirit Aid The Dussera Parade & Festival took place on 26/10/02. Click below for some images from the day.  Click for Image Gallery The Dussera Festival takes place on Saturday 26th October in Kelvingrove Park. The parade assembles in Clifton Road, and at 1pm proceeds via Sauchiehall Street, Woodlands Road and University Avenue to reach Kelvingrove Park at Kelvin Way. The procession will include horse-drawn chariots, open flotillas, bands, clowns, jugglers and stilt walkers. Fireworks, and the burning of a 30ft effigy of Ravana should take place 3-4pm in Kelvingrove Park. This event is organised by the Glasgow Indian Cultural and Festival Committee: "Dussera is celebrated all over India to signify the destruction of Ravana, the evil King and the victory of good over evil". There is also a Diwali Stage performance on Sunday 27th October at the Woodside Hall, ticket details shown on ICFC leaflet.  Burning The Effigy of Ravana part of the Dussera Festival Click here to read the details on the front and back of the festival leaflet. The Bandstand project is progressing slowly but surely. We've had encouraging support from the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Glasgow Repertory Company (Shakespeare in the Park), 7:84 Theatre and many other potential users of the venue. See our bandstand news page for more info. You can also join the Friends of Kelvingrove Park for a small annual fee.
The Mela Glasgow 2002 takes place on Sunday 28th July, from 11am to 9pm in Kelvingrove Park. There will be multicultural music and dance groups, magic shows, kite-making and other workshops, trade stands, South Asian and European food, a mini fun fair, an inflatable village and much much more. More information available from the Scottish Academy of Asian Arts.  Wild In The City takes place on Wednesday 24th July, and includes guided walks in Kelvingrove Park and the River Kelvin, telling children more about the wildlife that they can find in these areas. Contact Glasgow City Council for more info. Spirit Aid are having a Picnic for Peace in Kelvingrove Park at 1-4pm on Sunday 21st July. Spirit Aid focuses on projects that help children to grow and develop free from poverty, wars and injustices, and have recently sent donations to Kosovo and Guinea Bissau. " Bring along a picnic and support peace. There will be entertainment, street theatre, stalls with information and crafts, musicians and DJ's. At 3pm there will be a few minutes quiet focus on World Peace. A small area of the park will be give over to create Glasgow's first permanent 'Clootie' Tree dedicated to peace. Bring along a piece of cloth (Clut), write on the cloth your message of peace and tie it to the tree. This is our last event so come along and join in the celebrations."  Spirit Aid's 'Bed-in' with Ford Kiernan, Shareen Nanjiani & David Hayman A couple of summer events to report. On Sunday 30th June, our friends at The Coach House Trust are having an Open Day with BBQ, live bands and chainsaw sculpting. Jackie Bird and Lord Macfarlane of Bearsden will be present at the official opening of the newly restored Coach House buildings. You can see our tour of the gardens, or visit their website. Also, on Saturday 6th July, North Kelvin Community Council, Friends of the River Kelvin and the Lighthouse are celebrating the River Kelvin with a day of events called Kelvin Kulture. More information can be found at the NKCC website, or by contacting the Friends of the River Kelvin via their website. We got an e-mail from France recently from someone who remembered hearing a song about Kelvingrove. Here's some information about the song, and there's also a link to an archive film showing Kelvingrove in 1959.  Kelvingrove song & movie clip There is a meeting of 'Friends of Kelvingrove Park' at Hillhead Library on Thursday 7th February 2002, 6.30-9.30pm, to launch the Kelvingrove "Bandstand Feasibility Study". The presentation will be made by Neil Baxter Associates, and music will be provided by the Johnny 7. Also see our bandstand news page.
A River Kelvin Wildlife & Heritage walk took place on Saturday 6th October. Take a look at this new page.  The River Kelvin Walk Many thanks to John Keeman who sent us some photos of Kelvingrove Park in the 1950's. These show the south side of the park (and Mr.Keeman's dog 'Brandy'!), and the main slope in the early 1950s and in 1959. It's good to note that this popular spot is still as busy on sunny days as it was in these photos from the 1950's. Glasgow Cyclefest, Sunday 17 June 2001, Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow.
From 11am to 5pm in Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow, a day-long family-oriented celebration of all forms of cycling with a range of events suitable for all abilities, ranging from family groups and newcomers to experienced cyclists. The event highlights the health and fitness benefits of cycling as an enjoyable outdoor leisure activity and competitive sport, and promotes its environmental benefits as part of a sustainable transport solution. Glasgow Cyclefest is part of the annual Festival of Cycling and Glasgow West End Festival.
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