Kelvingrove Park Ranger Service are offering free tours of the park: "Take a walk down memory lane with this pleasant and informative tour around this lovely park which has a history dating back to 1852". They also answer questions such as: "Where is the Elephants Graveyard?", "Are the Art Galleries back to front?" and "How did the Victorians clear snow from the bridge?". For more information contact the Council on Tel: 0141 552 1142 or E-mail: land@glasgow.gov.uk

Also see City Strolls for a different kind of city walk. City Strolls have a great archive of photographs of Glasgow and are regular users of Kelvingrove - there is also extensive background information on various threats to Glasgow's parks


The Botanic Gardens has been in the news a lot recently. The Friends of Kelvingrove Park support the Save Our Botanics campaign in the view that parks have been gifted to the people of Glasgow and should not be sold-off or leased, in this case for a nightclub. The City Council should concentrate more on wildlife and maintenance of the parks e.g. this story in the Evening Times illustrates how wildlife can take a lower priority. Also, private developments are not the only way we can have public toilets in our parks - a false "Hobson's choice" offered in previous 'consultations' on the issue.


According to the Herald newspaper, the "Manhattan themed" nights in a tent in Kelvingrove Park are not taking place as the City Council Licensing Board found that the "all-you-can-eat&drink" nights breached the city's binge drinking policy. A statement on the Manhattan Xmas website said "the following dates have been cancelled: 14th-15th, 21st-22nd".

[ Web editor's note... A lot of people have asked The Friends of Kelvingrove "is that big tent in the park a Christmas market?". They were all disappointed to find out it was a £60-a-head corporate event. I was lucky enought to spend last Christmas in the real Manhattan, New York City, and discovered that Central Park had loads of free music, Christmas markets, hot dog sellers, temporary food stalls, farmers markets etc.... Glasgow needs to act like a real city and provide more community-friendly events for the general public and less corporate piss-ups in our parks. ].


The Friends of Kelvingrove Park AGM will take place in the small hall, upstairs at Hillhead Library on Monday 26th November at 7.30pm. The speaker will be Rory Crawford of RSPB.


"KELVINGROOVE" takes place in Kelvingrove PArk on SUNDAY 5TH AUGUST, 12noon - 6pm : "KelvinGroove is a Zero Carbon, Unsigned Music Festival and Family day out to promote love, life, health, family, good citizenship, environment and our love for Scotland and the World. Featuring 3 music stages: Indie, Jazz and Urban, hosting the finest of Scotland’s unsigned talent. KelvinGroove will also have a 'Mad Skills' Village where young people can attend workshops on: Emceeing, Lyric writing, DJ’ing, Beat Boxing and Street Dance. Plus a Festival Village filled with stalls, information, shops and food where you can experience people, group and organisations that represent the beautiful diversity that is Scotland". See kelvingroove.com or www.myspace.com/kelvingroove for more information.


'Wild In The City' comes to Kelvingrove Park on Wednesday 11th July 2007 from 12-4pm, near the playpark. The Countryside Ranger Service will be providing games, workshops and acitivities for all the family.


The West End Festival and Glasgow Mela both came to Kelvingrove in June (photos will be uploaded soon).


Kelvingrove Park will be host to the BBC nature programme "Springwatch" on Saturday 9th June 2007. The event is part of BBC Breathing Places Cities, a UK-wide project backed by Springwatch presenters Bill Oddie, Kate Humble and Simon King.
On Saturday organisers will offer local people the chance to take a nature ramble, create a butterfly garden, build a nest box or help improve the environment in the park's famous duck pond.

See www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces for more details
BBC Springwatch - Kelvingrove Park
Saturday 9th June 2007 - 10.30am-4.00pm


It was with great sadness that we learnt of the death of Alan Stewart. Alan was a friend to many in the Friends of Kelvingrove - he had great knowledge & expertise in architecture, and a great enthusiasm and interest in the environment (the attached picture of Alan was taken during one of our guided wildlife walks). His obituary in the Herald puts it well: 'Alan will be remembered as a man who helped to make Glasgow a more civilised place'.


Kelvingrove Park is home to a variety of wildlife. Take a stroll along the River Kelvin to see Mallard, Moorhen and perhaps catch a glimpse of a Kingfisher.
A series of projects are planned for this year to enhance the wildlife value of the park.
i) Pond naturalisation- the formal pond is being enhanced by creating shelves and establishing wetland vegetation.
ii) Meadows- areas of diverse and colourful wildflowers are being created, which are good for wildlife and great to look at.
iii) Butterfly Garden- an area is being created with plants for both adult butterflies and caterpillars.
iv) Woodland - woodlands are being enhanced by creating a natural woodland ground flora, under the shade of existing trees.
Come along to help your local wildlife and plant wildflowers. Please by e-mail and get involved!


Welcome to the re-designed KelvingrovePark.com website. I hope you can find everything you need, if not please .
Some highlights of the website are the new heritage and environment pages, the heritage walk page with an accompanying map of Kelvingrove Park, and the Scottish Parliament motion supporting the restoration of the bandstand.


"Healthy" cafe set for listed Kelvingrove site - Evening Times , Herald - we wonder what the existing sandwich shop and café pictured left will feel about this new café on their doorstep - not too "healthy" for them? We have heard from Garnethill, Hillhead, Partick and Woodlands&Park Community Councils that they were not consulted about this proposal. From the public's point-of-view a "healthy" café in this disused building would be a wonderful idea - however it is unfortunate that the Council are getting private developers to do it, i.e. selling-off (or long-term leasing) that part of the park, rather than keeping it in public ownership. This contradicts Councillor Colleran's welcome statement in the Evening Times that parks will be "protected and safe from developers". Other cities have managed to improve their park facilities while keeping them publicly-owned, why not Glasgow?
This Evening Times poll asked "Is Glasgow doing enough to preserve its parks?".. 16.67% said "Yes" and 83.33% said "No".



The Friends of Kelvingrove Park would like to express our thanks to Gordon Urquhart and Awards for All for making possible the excellent Heritage Walk leaflet & map. Please or join the Friends if you would like a copy sent out to you. The website also now has a page of information on the Tigress & Cubs statue which was the gift of John Stewart Kennedy, a son of Glasgow who had immigrated to New York and made his fortune. Today the New York version of the statue sits not on a tall pedestal but at ground level, in the Central Park Zoo (see photos on Tigress page).


On Saturday 16th September Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres are holding their first Building Life Walk, which is a 10 mile walk around the centre of Glasgow. The vital funds raised will make a real difference to people living with cancer. 2006 is Maggie’s 10th birthday and to mark this momentous occasion they are organising this very special day. Glasgow City Council and the City Health Walks, plus SAGA 105.2fm are all supporting the event.

Maggie’s Glasgow Building Life Walk will follow a route around many of Glasgow’s best and most inspirational buildings, which are all open to the public for free as part of Doors Open Day. These include the Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery, the Glasgow Necropolis, the Cathedral of St. Mungo, St. Andrews in the Square and the SECC, as well as their own Maggie’s Centre. Full details of the buildings taking part in Doors Open Day can be found at www.doorsopendays.org.uk For more information on the Building Life Walk or to sign up please call Dehra on 0141 341 5669 or email dehra@maggiescentres.org or go to www.maggiescentres.org


Kelvingrove Park will again play host to the Glasgow Mela, the highly popular multicultural music and dance festival [more details at this events listing site].

To add to the carnival atmosphere, this year the West End Festival will also be on the same day. The spectacular Festival parade will start from the Botanic Gardens, then along Byres Road, and should be entering Kelvingrove Park by around 3.45pm. The Mela continues on late into the evening. Should be a good day :-)

There has been lots of support for our project from various quarters: a motion in the Scottish Parliament, support from internationally famous bands, theatre companies and an extensive array of people from all areas of the arts and public life.
All it needs now is Council approval for the project to move forward with Glasgow Building Preservation Trust. You could help us by contacting your local city councillor via this webpage, http://www.writetothem.com/, and letting them know that you support the restoration of the bandstand in Kelvingrove.
Thanks for all of your continued interest and support.

Some excerpts from the plan drawings for the bandstand restoration

'Parks Pack' for schoolchildren The City Council's Land Services department has produced a 'Glasgow Parks Pack' as an educational resource for use in primary schools. The publication covers ten topics ranging from Birds of the Park; Using Your Senses; Day and Night, Summer and Winter; to People and Parks; Minibeasts; and Plants of the Park. There are also maps, photographs and activity sheets designed to teach youngsters about parks and the environment. Councillor Aileen Colleran said: "Parks are packed with wildlife areas, interesting features and history and are ideal for school outdoor activity visits. This new initiative will help children learn all about parks and the environment in a fun way". [ more info here]



The Friends of Kelvingrove Park received a great boost for the bandstand restoration campaign recently, when Pauline McNeill MSP put forward the following motion to the Scottish Parliament:

"S2M-04276 Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): That the Parliament congratulates the Friends of Kelvingrove Park for their excellent campaign to have Glasgow's last remaining bandstand restored to its former and deserved glory; notes the proposals to have Edinburgh's Ross Bandstand upgraded as a major new cultural facility; further notes that Historic Scotland has declared that the Kelvingrove Bandstand has cultural and social significance; welcomes the support to the campaign from contemporary Scottish music acts Belle and Sebastian, Franz Ferdinand and Teenage Fanclub; further notes that the Heritage Lottery fund which is currently considering a funding application has previously provided support to some 50-plus bandstand restoration projects across the United Kingdom, and calls on Glasgow City Council to lead the way in ensuring that a viable and sustainable future can be secured for this proud piece of the city's heritage and so create a unique open air venue in the heart of Glasgow's West End. "

A photographic exhibition by Bill Millett, which features images of Kelvingrove Park, takes place this week at the Hillhead Library. Here's some of Bill's description:
The exhibition takes a look at the Architecture that surrounds Kelvingrove in the context of the play of light and the ever changing weather that influence the atmospheric imagery of Kelvingrove. The viewer is taken on a journey one misty morning, as the mist lifts the sequence follows the flight of birds down the Clyde to wards the Ayrshire coast, then to the artic waves that pound the far north of Scotland.

The exhibition is at Hillhead Library and runs until the 1st of April. Some of the images can also be seen on the web site www.visual-osmosis.com



The Friends have received even more support and press coverage in the last few months. Thanks to all the various people, organisations and bands for their support.
By the way... apologies to any of the bands who were surprised by some misquotes and misunderstandings in the press, particularly the "XXXX band have been signed to play at a star-studded gig!" type of stories. We appreciate your support, and regret if these misquotes caused any panic or consternation!

The Friends have had a great response to the stories in the press about our plans for the bandstand restoration.

Thanks to Carol Laula for her great support:
" The Paisley born artiste - who has just released her sixth album 'Kitchen Stories' - now lives in the vicinity of the park and is horrified by the way that the structure has been allowed to deteriorate over the years.
The Kelvingrove Park Bandstand is the only one left in Glasgow and has been given B-listed status by Historic Scotland due to it's 'cultural and social significance'. An estimated £500,000 is needed to fully reinstate the construction that played host to bands and performers as recently as 1999.
Carol is the latest musician to add her name to a list that includes Franz Ferdinand, Belle & Sebastian and Teenage Fan Club, by saying that she'll happily devote her time and talent to raising awareness and money for the beleaguered bandstand.
It's not the first time that Carol has been supportive of it's plight. Several years ago she made attempts to get Glasgow City Council to address the issue of the local landmark before it fell into further disrepair.
She explains why she feels it's so important to restore the Kelvingrove Park Bandstand to it's former glory;
"The joy of playing at this kind of venue - out in the open air - is the ambience it creates for both the performer and the audience.
It's such a beautiful building in such a beautiful part of the world.
Surely Glasgow deserves better; anyone walking through the park - tourists and locals alike - deserves better.
Let's celebrate this building, not dilapidate!" [LINK TO PRESS RELEASE]

and here's another of the pages linking to us:
"CLANN AN DRUMMA WANT TO SHOW OUR SUPPORT ALSO! BROWSE OUR WEBSITE AND SEE THE VIDEO FOOTAGE OF OUR PART IN THE HOGMANAY SHOW IN GEORGE SQUARE AS WE TRIBALISE THE 30.000 CROWD, SO IF A TRIBAL AWARENESS IS REQUIRED IN THE DURATION OF THIS CAMPAIGN, THEN COUNT US IN ! " [link]


The Friends' campaign to restore Kelvingrove Park Bandstand was featured in The Sunday Herald Newspaper on 4/12/05. With the headline Franz Ferdinand battle to save bandstand", the article concentrated on the enthusiastic support the proposed restoration has received from bands such as Franz Ferdinand, Teenage Fanclub and Belle & Sebastian.
"Of course it should be saved," said Alex Kapranos, of Franz Ferdinand, adding that he would love to play the bandstand.
"What an amazing venue it would be," he said. "It’s such a fantastic Glasgow landmark, and it’s a great wasted opportunity. It’s in such a beautiful setting, and [restoring] it could really enrich the city’s cultural scene. To see it crumble would be a waste."
Stuart Murdoch of Belle And Sebastian remembers seeing bands such as Hue And Cry and Tom Robinson perform at a "crammed" bandstand in the 1980s. "I look upon it as one of the spiritual parts of the west end. I dig the bandstand as much when there’s nothing going on, which is all the time now, as when there was stuff going on. It’s got a magical atmosphere," he said.
Teenage Fanclub chose Kelvingrove bandstand as the site for a video for the song Dumb Dumb Dumb from their 2002 album Howdy!.
"We would like it to be saved," said the band’s Raymond McGinley. "It’s a great location and I’m sure it could be used for open-air events."
see full Sunday Herald Article


It was with great sadness that we learnt of the death of Colin Macleod. Colin founded the GalGael Trust and was an inspiration to many. See this BBC article and this photo gallery on the work of the trust. We would like to extend our condolences to Colin's family & friends.



The Friends of Kelvingrove Park's Annual General Meeting is on Thursday 3rd November Our speaker will be writer and broadcaster Alastair McIntosh (involved in many successful groups such as the Isle of Eigg Trust and GalGael Trust) speaking on 'The Value of Urban Parks'.
Thursday 3rd November at 7.25pm (tea & coffee at 7pm)
Venue: Partick Community Assoc., The Annexe, Stewartville Street.



The 'Friends of the River Kelvin' and 'Kelvin Clyde Greenspace' are having a wildflower planting event in Dawsholm Park and Maryhill Park. They aim to increase the biodiversity of the Kelvin valley wildlife corridor, through planting indigenous trees and wildflowers. Around 1000 species of wildflower will be planted, including Common Knapweed, Common St John’s Wort, Purple Loosestrife, Devil’s-bit Scabious, Ragged Robin, Meadow Cranesbill, Tufted Vetch and Red Campion and Ladies Bedstraw.

Planting at Dawsholm will be on Saturday 29th October and Saturday 12 November, at 10.30 am (at the Vet School side of the park). The date for Maryhill Park is Saturday 19 November, at 10.30am (at the Maryhill Road entrance). They aim to be finished by 12 noon. Transport can be arranged for those who need help getting to Dawsholm or Maryhill Park. Gloves and trowels will be provided, as will hot soup and coffee.
FORK’s planting schemes are developed in collaboration with Kelvin Clyde Greenspace, which receives funding from the Area Budgets of Glasgow City Council to invest in plants.


Here's some photos from the Friends of
Kelvingrove Park 'Autumn Wildlife Walk':

 

(more in the photo gallery)


The Kelvingrove Autumn Wildlife Walk is taking place on Saturday 15th October 2005. It is led by Fiona Stewart of the Scottish Wildlife Trust, and starts at the Stewart Memorial Fountain at 10am. All welcome.

The Friends are pleased to note the following development. Glasgow City Council have recognised the importance of 'Friends' organisations, and have agreed that they should be consulted and encouraged across the city.
Here's a scanned extract from the approved City Council policy document:
Scanned from "Glasgow Parks and Open Spaces
- Strategic Best Value Review and Implementation Plan"
(Available online as a PDF document)


'Pedal in the Parks' voluntary work
"Pedal in the Parks" are looking for a coordinator for their Common Wheel project which enables people with disabilities to enjoy cycling.
The project was launched in Bellahouston Park in March 2004 in partnership with Glasgow City Council and the North West Area Learning Disability Team. Special cycles provided by the Lottery’s Awards for All scheme run on designated paths around the park.
The project now needs a coordinator to manage the day to day sessions and to identify and develop potential growth areas. Although the position will initially be voluntary, it is envisaged that it will develop into paid employment. Number of hours worked will depend on how much time and energy the volunteer can commit but will be at least one day per week.
Contact Norman Armstrong, Common Wheel, 53 Chapel St, Glasgow, G20 9BD. Tel. 0141 946 0777, or e-mail at this address



World-famous bands support bandstand
Having previously received support from Belle & Sebastian and Teenage Fanclub, our readers have now sent us this article from the Sunday Mail:

Take me out... to the park
Alex Kapranos has revealed Franz Ferdinand have been checking out bandstands in Glasgow parks as possible venues.
The band's frontman wants to play a gig in his local public park – so he can walk home after the show.
He said: "We'd like to do our own big show in the city. The bandstand at Kelvingrove would be amazing , so would Queen's Park."
“We played a festival in Oslo recently in a little park and the city completely surrounded us. It made the show more exciting."
- article by Billy Sloan “Franz for nothing” Sunday Mail, 4/9/05

Thanks Alex! We hope it happens soon... check out this page about the bandstand restoration, and then contact your local city councillor to let them know how keen you are to see Glasgow's last public bandstand being used again.




Ice-cream cart, Central Park, New York City
The above photo was recently sent to the Friends of Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow, by a fan of Kelvingrove who lives in New York and appreciates the difference that Central Park makes to that huge city.
These hand-carts are seen all over Central Park, selling food, drinks and ice-cream. The advantages are that they are temporary (and don't require permanent building on green space), they don't cause pollution (or littering), and they successfully provide employment and much needed refreshment in the 843 acres of Central Park.
The Friends would like to hear your views on this. Our members have already noted that Kelvingrove is a much smaller park, and that there are already a substantial number of eating and drinking facilities around it on all sides. These carts would fill the need for refreshment on a hot summer's day without building permanent cafés/restaurants/bars in the park.


flying bat, Kelvingrove, 2nd August 2005
click here to see more from our photo gallery


Bandstand Restoration Business Plan - presentation
This brief presentation outlines part of the Business Plan for the restoration of the Kelvingrove Park Bandstand and Amphitheatre, produced by Gen Consulting Ltd. and funded by Glasgow City Council Land Services, Glasgow Conservation Society West and Scottish Enterprise Glasgow.