October is just around the corner, but already thoughts are turning to next year … particularly in Glasgow, where 2025 will see the city’s celebrate its 850th birthday.
Last week Herald writer Barry Didcock underlined the importance of creating a legacy from the upcoming Glasgow 850 celebrations.
Today, however, one of our readers argues that the city has much to do if visitors are not to be left disappointed.
William Gold of Glasgow writes:
"Barry Didcock attempts to talk up the importance of the Glasgow 850 events planned for next year. But as a proud Glaswegian I look around the city and the thought occurs to me that if I were holding a birthday party I would make sure my house was clean and tidy first, sadly two adjectives not many would associate with Glasgow city centre.
Mr Didcock highlights the fact that Glasgow is a Unesco City of Music. He then goes on to say 'and it has swapped heavy industry for something called the night time economy'. If he is unsure what 'the night time economy' is or what it contributes to Glasgow then perhaps he should have read the recently-published Moffat Report from Glasgow Caledonian University which shows that despite the well-documented decline being felt across all business sectors in Glasgow city centre the night time economy supports over 1,000 jobs directly and last year was worth £1.8 billion to Glasgow. Later in the piece he writes 'infrastructure and attractions matter - everything from theatres and shops to cafes and bike lanes'; strangely no mention of restaurants or pubs as attractions, and as for infrastructure I am sure Glaswegians and potential visitors would be less concerned with bike lanes and more worried about the city's embarrassingly poor public transport.
The city still does not have integrated ticketing and its Underground system shuts before the pubs six days a week and at 6pm on a Sunday. Pity the poor Glasgow 850 partygoer trying to get out of the city centre at night."
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