Greater Govanhill Issue 12 - Arts, Culture and Subcultures

Issue 12

Oct/Nov 2023

THE STORIES THAT MATTER TO YOU

FREE

GRATU

IT • ÜC RE GRATIS TSIZ • • ZADAR BESPL MO ATNO • •

•

ART, CULTURE AND SUBCULTURES

Featuring the return of FONDS, where residents share the objects that mean the most to them INCLUDING: No Single Track • Roma News and Views • Southside Subcultures • Big Noise’s Trip to India Simon Murphy’s New Book • My Life Before Govanhill • Your Favourite Artists in the Neighbourhood Mirrl • Local Writing Scene • The Anymen Crossword • What’s On • and so much more

Featuring:

, Romanes,

Letter from the Team

Featured Contributors

Dear Readers,

It’s a pleasure to introduce myself here. My name is Devon, and I’m a proud member of the Greater Govanhill team.

I grew up in Castlemilk and lived with family in Pollokshields, so to me Govanhill has always felt like home. This summer I finally graduated from university after studying multimedia journalism for four years. Embracing my new-found freedom wasn’t the easiest transition but working alongside the journalists at Greater Govanhill (and The Ferret!) and getting involved in the community has been so inspiring, reigniting my passion after years of schooling. As the former Arts & Film Editor at independent culture magazine, The Chritical, I’m beyond excited to share with you our first ever arts-themed issue.

In this issue we explore the vibrant local arts scene in Govanhill, which is something of a hotspot for artists and creatives. This time round we want to showcase the different scenes and subcultures that breathe life into the area; bringing like-minded folks together, regardless of social or cultural differences.

You may also have noticed our Editor-in-Chief, Rhiannon J Davies, has not appeared in this issue. That’s because she is away on a fellowship in North America, visiting community media organisations from across the pond to find out what we can do better – which means the rats are running the ship!

We hope this issue will distract from the obvious nip in the air as we move into the colder months. So, bundle yourself up, grab a warm (pumpkin spiced) latte or a toasty cinnamon bun from your local cafe, and enjoy the rest of the magazine.

Journalist

Magikats, Rags to Riches, Streetlevel Photoworks, Studio 70, Take Me Somewhere and Tramway.

Want to advertise in our next issue?

Email advertising@greatergovanhill.com

is a play facilitator and committee member at Rumpus Room. He also makes turntable role-play games around themes of community, care and queer futures.

Check out Chanderkiran’s hip-swinging tour through the Southside on page 27

Sasha Delmage

Devon McCole

A special thanks to our advertisers:

Chanderkiran Thakur

We’re also grateful to every one of our members who help us to keep going, even when times are tight. If you enjoy the magazine and want to support us with just a few quid a month, visit: community.greatergovanhill.com/join

is an illustrator/textile artist interested in critters and foolishness. As well as illustration, Sasha offers a garment mending service based in Govanhill, where she fixes holey jumpers and jeans.

Sasha illustrates an article about Govanhill’s writing scene on page 22

Cover Image Rahela Cirpaci, photographed at Tramway showing the FONDS image of her treasured object. Photo by by Mark Gillies.

Editor-in-Chief Rhiannon J Davies Creative Director Laura Hurst www.paperarcade.co.uk Editor Jack Howse Staff Journalists Devon McCole and Samar Jamal Editorial Support Eve Livingston Words by Chanderkiran Thakur, Devon McCole, Flora Zajicek, Harine Uthayakumar, Isaac Harris, Jack Howse, Jude Hunter, Marzanna Antoniak, Melanie Goldberg, Neil Scott, Peilin Shi, Peter Mohan, Rahela Cirpaci, Sam Gonçalves, Samar Jamal, The Anymen, Toni Bruce and Yifei Liu Photos by Alexander Hoyles, Iain McLellan, Jamie Hepburn, Mark Gillies, Morwenna Kearsley, Niall Morison KM Music Conservatory, Romano Lav’s Community Catalysts, Samar Jamal, Simon Murphy, Yifei Liu and Zianib Ahmad

Harine Uthayakumar

is 16 and has been playing the violin with local charity Big Noise for nine years. She studies at the Royal Conservatoire junior department and is preparing for her Highers. Harine would love to become a journalist.

Big Noise’s big trip to India is documented by Harine on page 21

Illustrations by Aled Haywood, Laura Wade and Sasha Delmage Translations by Rahela Cirpaci and Yifei Liu Printed by Gladstone Print Ltd

All content, unless otherwise stated, is copyright © Greater Govanhill CIC. All rights reserved. No part of this independently published magazine may be reproduced without permission.

Greater Govanhill CIC is a non-profit community interest company registered at 82 Bowman St, Glasgow, G42 8LF, Scotland: SC656194.

Any queries, comments or letters, get in touch via newsroom@greatergovanhill.com or by calling 0141 237 2350. To make a complaint, visit: greatergovanhill.com/complaints

3

Contents REGULARS

FEATURES

06

News in Brief

All the latest from around the neighbourhood

08

Roma News and Views

Something very exciting has been happening in Romano Lav’s Community Catalysts programme

09

Like My Grandmother Used to Make

A recipe for a Chinese cold dish with a translation

10

Volunteer Spotlight

Meet Sam Todd who volunteers as part of the Royal National Institute of Deaf People

11

My Life Before Govanhill

How Zem Moffat ended up living in the area

12

Behind the Portrait

Featuring Brian McFie, with photography by Simon Murphy

21

See what this year’s participants have shared with us

One young person shares their experience of Big Noise’s big trip to India

FONDS II: Objects Speak Louder Than Words

Big Noise: Finding Connection Through Music and Culture

22

Doon and Oot in Glasgow (Not London)

Two local writers’ pen-scribbles about the neighbourhood

24

14

Uncovering the Southside’s Games Clubs

One of Govanhill’s favourite photographers is releasing a book with his snaps from Victoria Road

26

Behind the Lens: An Interview with Simon Murphy

Did you know there is a carrom league in the Southside?

No Single Track

16

A new film about the reality of growing up between to worlds

What does Khadeja, owner of a South Asian clothing store, love to wear?

27

Style Icon

4

17

Dancing on My Own

How dance classes in Govanhill are centring health and community

Issue 12 Oct/Nov 2023

GOVANHILL COMMUNITY QUIZ

By Marzanna Antoniak

28

MIRRL: Unveiling the Hidden Treasures of Traditional Japanese Artistry, Crafted by Govanhill Locals

Govanhill is such a multicultural place, you could say the whole world lives here. Take this quiz to find out how much you know about some of your neighbours’ cultures. Maybe you’ll get a chance to talk to them about what you find out here. There is only one correct answer to each question.

Ever wondered where The Bell Jar’s bar top comes from?

31

1. What are newcomers to the UK typically surprised by?

Arts and Culture

Find your new obsession

a. British people trying to skip queues instead of waiting for their turn b. Separate taps for hot and cold water c. Nobody leaves rubbish in public areas

TO CLOSE

2. When entering a Polish household, you should:

32

a. Leave your shoes on

What’s On

And find out all about Take Me Somewhere

34

b. Put on disposable shoe covers c. Take off your shoes 3. To show good manners, when offered something by an Iranian, you should:

Crossword

The Anymen are back for round two

a. Deny the generous offer three times not to be seen as rude

34

b. Accept it right away or you’ll be seen as rude

My Best Shot

c. Immediately offer something in exchange

From Zianib Ahmad

4. When Japanese people ask a person’s age when meeting them for the first time, they: a. Try to establish how to address the person so that they can show respect

SUPPORT

GREATER GOVANHILL Like the sound of all this?

Want to help keep us going?

Scan this code to support the magazine by becoming a member!

b. Try to establish how much life experience the person has to ask relevant questions c. Are being nosy 5. To protect themselves from negativity and evil, many Turkish people: a. Keep a kedi – a cat b. Eat simit – a circular bread, typically encrusted with sesame seeds c. Wear a blue glass bead shaped like an eye called nazar boncuğu 6. When a child is born in China it is considered: a. 9-months-old on its day of birth b. 1-year-old on its day of birth

FOLLOW US

c. 2 years old, if it was born after spring festival

@greatergovanhill

greatergovanhill

@greatergovanhill

Answers: 1: b | 2: c | 3: a | 4: a | 5: c | 6: b

@govanhill_mag

5

news in brief Queen’s Park Working Group Seeks Local Views Community and council partnership Queen’s Park Working Group has secured Area Partnership funding to undertake a community consultation. The group, which is dedicated to improving the park for all residents, seeks ideas of how to develop the park and Recreation Ground.

You can fill in the survey at tinyurl.com/ queensparkconsultation. Paper copies of the questionnaire are available at South Seeds at the Queen’s Park end of Victoria Road.

Mind the Health Gap Podcast Mind the Health Gap podcast, co-created with The Ferret, is now available online. The three-part podcast looks at health inequalities in Scotland and further afield as well as potential solutions to address them.

Over the past year, Greater Govanhill and The Ferret have been looking into the health gap that affects communities in Scotland. In January this year, UK charity The Health Foundation published a report – Leave No One Behind – which revealed that the gap in Scotland was widening.

Researchers said there were three main factors driving that: child and infant health, drug-related deaths and the health and wellbeing of young and middle-aged men.

This podcast looks at each in turn. Our reporters spoke to people from across Scotland, the rest of the UK, India, Canada and the United States to get inspiration about what works.

You can find all episodes now, just search ‘The Ferret Investigates’ wherever you get your podcasts.

M&S Submit Plans to Build New Store on Old Victoria Hospital Site Marks & Spencer are hoping to build a new store in Battlefield where the Old Victoria once stood. The Victoria development is set to house a number of new luxury apartments once completed, with plans submitted by the store in the last week of September showing their intention to build a shop alongside these.

Glasgow City Council will come to a final decision about planning permission on 20 October.

Man Acquitted of Kenmure Street Protest Charges Kairos Pakleppa, 34 has been found not guilty of threatening police officers and resisting arrest at a mass immigration protest in Glasgow. The arrest took place on 13 May 2021, when immigration officers attempted to remove two men from the area on Kenmure street during a Home Office raid.

An officer claimed that Pakleppa tried to get under a vehicle parked near an immigration van to prevent its removal.

Pakleppa pleaded not guilty to these offences as well as to resisting, obstructing or hindering police officers in the execution of their duty. He was acquitted of all charges.

6

How does it feel at the nail bar?

Becki Menzies, former member of the Greater Govanhill team, has contributed to a book called ‘how does it feel at the nail bar?’

Her writing sits alongside authors Emma Aars and Kitty Brady.

The book was edited by Glasgow School of Art graduate Rosie Coleman Collier and was developed as she undertook a Masters in curatorial practice.

The book drew inspiration from an article that Becki wrote for Greater Govanhill about her experience as a nail artist during the pandemic, when she was told: “you’re the first person to hold my hand”.

The intimacy of her job as a nail artist inspired her Instagram handle @holdmyhand.hmh.

news in brief Govanhill Baths Funding Shortage The Govanhill Baths Community Trust needs an additional £6.5 million to complete internal renovations on the Edwardian bathhouse. The Trust recently unveiled the outside of the building after years of renovation.

A spokesperson said that additional construction costs have occurred due to Covid, Brexit, the war in Ukraine and the cost of living. The Trust hopes to open the Baths in 2024.

Alex Wilde, Chair of the Baths, is reaching out to stakeholders to secure additional funding. “We are at a crucial point where we need to keep on fighting for the building that this community so desperately needs and deserves after all this time,” she said. “We are asking the community, supporters, partners and funders to stand by us so that we don’t lose the momentum we have fought so hard to gain.”

For updates visit the Govanhill Baths’ website: govanhillbaths.com.

Liveable Neighbourhood Plans for Crown Street Retail Park and Strathbungo Published Following public consultation, including in The Community Newsroom, Glasgow City Council (GCC) has published its proposed designs for improvements to certain areas in the city to create what they call ‘Liveable Neighbourhoods’. These designs aim to create neighbourhoods that are accessible and healthy places to live for everyone, and help reduce the city’s dependency on cars.

For many in East Govanhill, the Crown Street Retail Park is the nearest supermarket and is passed on the most direct walking and wheeling route into town from the area. The GCC plans identify footpaths that are currently inaccessible and pavements that are too narrow in the area, and make suggestions for improvements.

Many of the same design flaws are also present in the streets that flank Victoria Road. In this area, GCC have said they will drop crossing curbs and seek to fix drainage issues.

Strathbungo Bridge Reopened The footbridge at Strathbungo has been replaced with a new curved footbridge which opened 18 August.

Replacement of the 146 yearold bridge began in March this year and was required to electrify the railway. This is part of the Scottish Government’s investment to decarbonise passenger services across Scotland’s railway.

The design was decided by residents, with 85 percent voting for a similar style to the former bridge. A need to meet the area’s conservation status and safety concerns meant there was limited opportunity to enhance access requirements but the new bridge is wider.

‘Holy Grail of Scottish Football’ Found Near Victoria Road The Hampden Collection Team believes it has identified the location where the Queen’s Park Football Club met for the first time as present-day 26 Prince Edward Street.

On 9 July 1867 a group of men met at 3 Eglinton Terrace to form Queen’s Park Football Club, influencing the future of the sport forever. However, a change in the landscape over time meant the original location on the map could not be identified.

Research and archived material, provided by The Mitchell Library, granted the group much needed information to identify the street.

The Hampden Collection Team is now working towards recognition of this important site as part of its UNESCO World Heritage Campaign.

New Openings RYAN’S BAR 165 Allison Street

The Old Toll bar has ventured to the Southside. The team took to social media last month to reveal that Ryan’s Bar will take over the old Neeson’s pub, located on Allison Street. Though many locals were disappointed to see the name changed after Patrick Neeson took the licence there in 1903. The bar will offer quiz nights, traditional Irish and Scottish music, tastings, live DJ sets and cocktails.

A spokesperson said: “We’re overjoyed to have opened up our new pub in Govanhill."

JEJU BAKED GOODS 393 Victoria Road

You might have noticed a new orange shopfront on Victoria Road where Grain and Grind used to stand. Jeju is due to open this autumn and will be serving freshly baked breads. Originally based in South Ayrshire, the faces behind Jeju have made the move to the Southside, armed with sourdough starters and more.

RUDE COFFEE SHOP 28 Minard Road

Another business has expanded to the Southside, with Rude Cookies opening an eatery on 4 September on Minard Road in Shawlands. The bakery is packed with its well known baked goods of various body parts. Magda Lo Bianco and Aga Taylor are best friends and co-owners, whose tongue-in-cheek messages on their treats went viral on TikTok and Instagram. The coffee shop is open seven days a week from 9–5pm.

BUNGO SIGN COMPANY 6 Springhill Gardens

Hana Lindsay and Rachel E Millar of Bungo Sign Company have relocated their sign-writing studio to Springhill Gardens.

The studio will allow Hana and Rachel to have more space and to sell t-shirts, hats, stickers, bespoke hand-painted signs and other wares. In doing so, it has become the first sign-painting shopfront in Scotland and the first woman-owned one in the UK.

SUR LIE 122 Nithsdale Road

Once a restaurant called Cafe Fish, the now refurbished unit on Nithsdale Road has been replaced by a brand new cafe and wine bar called Sur Lie. Alan Tompkins, owner of award-winning bar and restaurant, Ralph and Finn’s (located in town), opened Sur Lie on September 15. The establishment serves as a cafe by day and wine bar by night, catering to all the needs of thirsty Southsiders.

7

roma news and views Join • Explore • Connect • Learn • Collaborate • Uncover • Teach • Realise • Create • Feel • Move • Grow.

This Fertile Ground is Alive

Aven • Explorin • Conectin • Sikion • Colaborin • Descoperin • Sikaves • Realizis • Creios • Simtos • Mishkis • Barios.

By Rahela Cirpaci and Toni Bruce Photo by Romano Lav’s Community Catalysts

Something very exciting is happening with the young people in our Community Catalyst programme. This short piece of writing is an attempt to capture something of it.

O

ver the past two years, the young people have been learning. And then teaching. Growing their knowledge – about human rights, housing rights, all of their rights. That they have rights.

They have made all sorts of connections with new people and organisations. People who will gather around someone who has faced a violation of their rights, who will support them to stand up and fight for their home, their job, their health. People who recognise fierce injustice and who refuse to let the wrong side win.

Then they became these people.

They met people who supported them to explore their creativity. They haven’t been dictated to, they have been allowed to make things the way they want to, explore their own stories and tell them the way they want to.

This way, there has been truth – real ownership, real representation.

The most important thing they have learned – in their own words – is that everything is connected, and it is all about power.

It is all about who has power and what they do with it – whether it’s sexism, a bad boss making workers work for less than minimum wage, discrimination, or an evil company polluting our seas.

But power can also belong to those who fight the abuse of it.

And that – we can fight, we can have community, we can stand up together.

We can use art to challenge these injustices.

Using newfound knowledge and technical skills alongside their training in rights to investigate issues that are important to them.

For instance – short films are currently being made about mental health, and why young Roma people drop out of school. They chose these topics. They

8

see what is wrong with society and they want to change it. Their rights-based training flows into their films, and their photography. These tools of power and change have been clipped on; secured onto belts, into kits.

The intersection between art and activism is being fully explored, investigated with keen and inquisitive young eyes, understanding how they can use it to question the world around them – change the world around them.

They are giving back as much as they are learning. Organisations and individuals working with them are being inspired, creating their own work on the back of this infectious joy of telling their own stories, their own way.

When we feel supported we can support others.

The development of our new space has the potential to act as a radiant hotbed for this extraordinary activity.

We look ahead with a swell in our chest, thinking about what might be.

What new connections, synergies, and cultures will be created?

How will they use this exuberant power?

They feel powerful; they are powerful.

They are representing their culture, whilst creating new avenues of exploration – culture is beautiful in

that it is at once about tradition, as well as ever-changing. It is not static and the young people are teasing out new strands and branches on this fecund tree.

A new cycle for the Catalysts lies ahead, the aim is for this phase to be as youth led as possible.

They will decide what to focus on, what issues to investigate, what stories to tell.

This fertile ground is alive, teeming, bristling with excitement of what will happen, where the young people will lead us. New young people will join.

Old and new - all working together to create. Some will be learning, some will be learning to teach, and some will be teaching how to teach. Airwaves open, frequencies hum, monoliths glow and buzz, the whirring of worlds, vibrations of moving tectonic plates ring out loud and bold over this thrilling, electric space delicately held and moved in time.

We can hardly wait.

Look out for upcoming short films made

by Romano Lav’s Community Catalysts, a photography exhibition in collaboration with StreetLevel Photoworks and next year’s CineRoma - a Roma film festival that will be programmed by young people in collaboration with GAMIS.

like my grandmother used to make

All-Purpose Sauce for Chinese Cold Dishes Words and photos by Yifei Liu

We have an old Chinese saying, “Teaching a man to fish is better than giving him fish”. Our food culture also reflects this philosophy. We create a dish template that works within many different contexts. I always went to the traditional market with my mom after school when I was little; I barely remember going to the supermarket to buy ingredients like I always do now. One booth always caught my eye and stopped me for a long time: the cold dish store. I’d watch as, behind the glass, the shopkeeper would mix different ingredients I had chosen and give the dish its spirit with the magic sauce.

I’ve always wanted to know the secret to making that magic sauce at home. Here is the recipe for the sauce.

My favourite cold dish to have it with is made with black fungi and bean curd, but you can also add other ingredients according to your cold dish preferences and what’s in your fridge.

万能凉菜汁 文字和照片来源：刘亦菲

中国有句古话叫“ 授人以鱼不如授人以渔”。我们的饮食 文化也体现了这一理念：我们创造的菜肴模板适用于多 种不同的食材。小时候放学后，我总是和妈妈一起去菜 市场买菜，我记得以前基本不会像现在这样去超市买菜。 而有一个摊位总能吸引我的目光，让我驻足良久：凉菜 店。我会在玻璃后面看到店主把我选好的各种食材混合 在一起，然后用神奇的酱汁赋予它灵魂。我一直想知道 在家制作神奇酱汁的秘诀。下面是酱汁的配方，我最喜 欢搭配这道凉菜汁的食材是黑木耳和腐竹，不过你也可 以根据自己的喜好和冰箱里的食材进行搭配。

酱汁配料

制作方法

• 半颗大蒜，切碎

1. 将前五种配料放入干净的 碗中。

• 2-3 个小辣椒，切 碎 • 1 汤匙辣椒粉 • 2 根葱花，切碎

Ingredients

Directions

• 1 汤匙白芝麻

• ½ bulb of garlic, minced

1.

Put the first five ingredients into a clean bowl.

• 2 汤匙食用油

Heat the oil in a pan and pour it into the bowl to release the aroma of the seasonings. Make sure the oil is so hot that it smokes and you can hear a sizzling sound when pouring it into the bowl.

• 1 汤匙蚝油（可选， 素食者可省略）

• 2-3 finger chillis, chopped

2.

• 1 tablespoon of chilli powder • 2 stalks of spring onion, chopped • 1 tablespoon of white sesame seeds • 2 tablespoons of cooking oil • 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce

3.

• 2 汤匙生抽 • 2 汤匙醋

2. 在平底锅中烧热油，将热 油倒入装有调味料的碗 中，让配料散发香气。请 保证油热到冒烟，倒入碗 中时你就能听到嗞嗞声。 3. 将剩余配料加入碗中，充 分搅拌，酱汁就做好了！ 想要一份搭配酱汁的美味食 谱吗？请前往我们的网站发 现亦菲的最爱。

• 1 汤匙芝麻油

Add the rest of the ingredients into the bowl, mix everything thoroughly, and the sauce is ready!

• 2 tablespoons of vinegar • 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce (optional; skip this to make it vegan) • 1 tablespoon of sesame oil

us After a delicio a r fo recipe sh to Chinese cold di uce? sa e th ith w have site eb w Head to our i’s fe Yi d to fin favourite.

9

Volunteer Spotlight Sam Todd

Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) As told to Jack Howse Photo by Jamie Hepburn

I

first got hearing aids about seven years ago, but I probably started suffering from hearing loss a few years before then. Having a hearing aid takes some getting used to and there is a lot of maintenance that comes along with it which can be hard to do, especially if you’re older or less able bodied. I remember my mother had a hearing aid, but because she was a wee bit blind and had arthritis she stopped using it as she couldn’t fit it properly by herself.

That is why the Royal National Institute for Deaf people (RNID) was such a massive help for me when I first got hearing aids. I have been an active member of Nan McKay Community Hall in Pollokshields and I would always go along to take part in the cookery classes and things like that. Every month, someone from the RNID would drop-in and we could get our hearing aids checked and cleaned, and access advice on using them. If there were more complex problems we could get referred to specialists within the charity.

The drop-in sessions were so helpful and I decided that I wanted to become a volunteer about four years ago. I completed my training just before the pandemic.

When the community hall reopened I restarted going along to the monthly drop-in sessions, but this time as a volunteer. One of the main things I do is change the batteries in people’s hearing aids which we do for free. You can get them for free at the hospital too but it can be difficult to get an appointment and hard to get to, especially when you’re older and isolated like many people at the community hall.

Volunteering has been a really great experience for me. I’m retired but used to work at the old power station in Renfrew before it closed down. My wife of nearly fifty years also passed away recently and, for me, volunteering is very fulfilling and also helps when things are not as good as they could be. It helps to have somewhere to be, something to do, somewhere to go.

The hearing clinic is not just about helping people with their practical needs. It’s about making them feel valued and less isolated. Volunteering is not just a one-way street either; I’ve learned so much from the people I’ve helped. They’ve taught me the importance of empathy and understanding.

Before I was ever a volunteer at RNID I have been a part of the Nan McKay Community Hall. We have everything from movement classes to game nights and there are lots of volunteers who come to offer social health services to us which have been cut in recent years by the NHS. All of us who access the hall volunteer in our own way; we don’t have a caretaker or cleaner so we help out with these kinds of tasks a lot.

I have lived in Pollokshields for the past fifty years and I love it. The diversity of the place and the people who come to the hall is so different from the wee mining town I grew up in in Lanarkshire. I believe that volunteering is an essential part of building a strong and compassionate community.

The hearing clinic has been a big success and lots of people access it. We have seven clinics across the Greater Glasgow Area. We would love to run more but we need more volunteers for that to happen. For older people, the hearing clinic can really be a great thing, whether that means using the service or becoming a volunteer themselves.

If you are interested in volunteering for the RNID or finding out more, get in touch by emailing hugh.donaghy@rnid.org.uk You can also find out more about the Nan Mckay Community Hall at nanmckay.scot

10

My Life Before Govanhill ZEMIRAH MOFFAT

South Elmsall

Interview by Marzanna Antoniak

Where are your roots?

My mum’s a Londoner and my dad’s from the Scottish Borders. I was born in Edinburgh but grew up in South Elmsall, a small mining town in Yorkshire. It’s a place where you’d walk along the street and greet people. I used to love climbing our garden wall and the poplar trees. I’d knock on friends’ doors and we’d go exploring, making baskets or trying to build a rabbit’s hutch.

I lived in a vicarage. My dad was a vicar to the Church of England, so we had a big house with a big garden, and lots of people were always coming round. The kettle was always on, and you greeted everyone with a cup of tea.

Drinking tea with people is still fundamental to how I go around and do what I do.

What about your education?

I’m probably over-educated. After my GCSEs, I went to Hong Kong before doing a year long art foundation course in Bradford where my family had moved. After that, I did Social Anthropology at Manchester University where I became very interested in gender and queer studies. Then I did my Masters in Visual Anthropology where I learned documentary filmmaking and made a documentary about drag kings in San Francisco. I did a PhD in London where I made a film about a queer club called Bar Wotever in 2006. It was a place that welcomed people of all genders and sexualities, and I absolutely loved making the film.

What brought you to Govanhill?

My wife at the time was studying in Glasgow, so I moved up with her. I arrived in Govanhill and absolutely loved it.

It really felt like a place where I could be the best version of myself. Between London and Glasgow, I lived in the Forest of Dean. It was very different, in the countryside, so I learned to be very self-reliant. When I moved to Glasgow I was wondering how I could keep the peace and the stillness. My immediate thoughts were to climb trees, forage, and join the Quakers. And so I joined the Quakers upon my arrival and I have been there for 11 years. I’m now a Quaker elder in the Meeting House.

I love the quiet discipline, the sense of peace and thoughtfulness there.

What do you do for a living?

I’m a professional declutterer now, which means I go to people’s homes and help them make sense of their stuff. People have so much stuff in our consumerist world, and it often links in with emotional trauma and overconsumption. I love to explore the connections between people, places, and objects, and how we circulate around the globe.

For me, decluttering is about just thinking and not making an immediate decision about having or not having something, about throwing something away or getting something. It’s about taking that time to pause and to think. Decluttering is as much emotional and motivational as it is about physically moving stuff.

How do you feel in Govanhill?

I like Govanhill for its history and its complexity, and I love the ability to chat with people. Last year, I fell off my bike on Sauchiehall Street and broke my femur. It was very traumatic and painful, but I’m lucky enough to be living in a ground floor flat and in a part of Govanhill where my doctors and shops are very close. The neighbours including all the kids were very helpful.

I live on Carfin Street and we have a wonderful community garden on the street now. It’s been a great healing process to hop around on my crutches and pick the herbs that I planted. I’ve also sung with Govanhill Voices for over 10 years now.

Having lived in London, Bradford, and Manchester, and been around the world, I love this part of Glasgow where I can walk out and hear different accents and different languages. I can buy rosewater for 79 pence, and different foods from around the world. And that just keeps me connected with my global landscape, which I really appreciate. I love seeing visibly queer people on the streets of Govanhill. And I love the sense of dress, and the attitudes coming through. It makes me feel a lot more at home.

11

BEHIND THE PORTRAIT Brian McFie

Interview by Jack Howse Photo by Simon Murphy

1

Brian McFie is an artist and musician who currently plays in the pop noir outfit, Lola in Slacks. In the the 80s, he was in The Big Dish, a band who became something of a cult favourite in Glasgow. Brian lived in Govanhill until the pandemic when he decided to move back to the east of the city, where he grew up. He now spends most of his time painting and is currently creating pieces for a new exhibition in Maryhill.

This photo forms part of Simon Murphy’s Govanhill series. Follow @smurph77 for more.

I grew up in Coatbridge, just across the street from the steelworks. I used to love standing in my front room and watching the furnaces open up. Everything would glow orange like daylight; it was phenomenal.

I was about twelve years old when they closed down. We used to play in the ruins in these big slabs of concrete that looked like caves. On the floor you could see this sort of silty silver, which turned out to be mercury which is highly toxic.

When I was at school I wanted to be a pilot. But then it turned out that I was colour blind, which meant my pilot career was over before it started. So I decided to become a painter, I guess there’s some irony in that.

I used to tour with Marianne Faithfull. She had dropped her band and all of a sudden me, two other Scots and an Irish guy were in. We had to learn sixty songs in just a couple of weeks before going around the world for a year.

I hung out with all these famous people while I was on tour but I was never part of the gang. I didn’t want to be either really. Some of the people I met died very young.

Nowadays, I don’t find anything about the industry attractive.

Music is still integral to what I do as a visual artist. I’ve always got something on in the background. I have synesthesia, meaning I experience music visually as well as auditorily.

I moved to Govanhill because I wanted my own space to do my art. The bass player in my band lived in the area and I lived in the flat across from him. I used my flat as a studio really and slept at his. I’m sure the landlord would have thought that a bit cheeky.

The flat was so cold but I loved it. I stayed there for six years. In the picture with Simon, which was taken in the flat, I’m wearing a coat. I used to have to wear it all the time. I would have stayed there longer but one day a huge chunk of the ceiling fell out.

Queen’s Park Railway Club is one of the best galleries in Glasgow. They have some really cutting-edge stuff in there. Once they did an exhibition where musicians made art and artists made music. That really suited me.

I used to go and sit in Queen’s Park all the time and draw. I loved having a coffee at Crema too. I think I probably met Simon around there for the first time, he was always cutting about.

My next exhibition is all about the microscopic and macroscopic. I think art and science are inexorably linked. All my art for the exhibition looks both like an abstract piece and a petri-dish at the same time.

A new book showcasing Simon Murphy’s work, entitled GOVANHILL, is published

by Gomma Books. An accompany exhibition is on at Street Level Photoworks from 21 October – 27 January. Turn over for an exclusive interview with Simon about the project.

13

BEHIND THE LENS

An Interview with Simon Murphy

By Melanie Goldberg

D

espite having travelled the world for his work, photographer Simon Murphy has always felt drawn to the place where he grew up: Govanhill.

Therein lies the inspiration for his new book, a document of the area he has been shooting for more than 20 years.

The book, aptly titled GOVANHILL, is the area’s story told through black-andwhite portraits of its residents.

Simon first began his foray into photography after leaving his job as a postman, when aged 19 he opted for a photography course at college. He has since traversed continents, been featured in the British Journal of Photography, worked for broadsheets like The Herald and shot figures such as Noel Gallagher and John Hurt.

But it is his gritty street portraits of Govanhill and beyond that he is best known for. According to Simon, the Govanhill project has been in the works for over 20 years: “During my time at The Herald, I’d travelled the world a lot. I’d been to all sorts of places, like Congo, Rwanda, Bangladesh, Colombia. I loved the thrill of travelling. It was a real change in my life because before that I hadn’t really been outside Scotland much, or Glasgow for that matter.

“So, when I left The Herald about 14 years ago and I went into teaching, I loved the job but there was this hunger to be creative. I needed a project that

14

was very close by, and it dawned on me that this project that I’d started about 20 years beforehand, which wasn’t a project at the time, is what I should continue. So, it’s really been for the past seven years that I’ve thrown myself into it and it’s become this project of mine, although I’ve been shooting it for about 20 years.”

Having lived here for significant periods of time growing up, Simon’s personal connections to the area serve as central motivation for his desire to accurately represent the neighbourhood and its people.

Simon remarks that “It’s a place that I love because it’s mad. I like that. It excites me, the madness.”

Wanting to make art and creativity more accessible, he has collaborated on outdoor exhibitions with many local

businesses and organisations, gifted subjects with copies of his shots, and made much of his work available for free to the public through his social media.

The book has already generated significant buzz, with 200 pre-orders selling out within a matter of hours. “I don’t really want it to sell out, I want to see it in bookshops,” Simon jokes. He also hopes that a second edition will be in the works in the near future.

One particular challenge Simon faced was selecting a cover photograph that could succinctly represent both the contents of his book, and Govanhill itself: “I always refer to it as a portrait of the place and no individual that I’ve photographed could sum up the place Govanhill because it’s so diverse, it’s so interesting and so that’s a real challenge.”

He eventually landed on a photograph of a local street performer, Seamus, dressed as a rat. “Not one individual could represent Govanhill in that sense, but this picture isn’t really a portrait of a person,” he explains.

“It’s a character and the character is quirky, unique, a little bit odd in a way, and all those qualities are qualities I also see in the place Govanhill. It’s why I love Govanhill; because it’s eccentric.”

He concludes that the book is “dedicated to the people of Govanhill. As a photographer, I speak about how you’ve got to have this vision, but you cannot create these photographs alone and especially the nature of these photographs where someone’s looking at me or looking at you, the viewer, with direct eye contact, there’s a collaboration there. We’ve both got to be comfortable, we’ve both got a say in it.

“These pictures wouldn’t have been possible without the trust of the people of Govanhill, without the support and without the way they just got what I was doing.

“I hope that the people of Govanhill, diverse as they are, enjoy it and are proud of it.”

You can get a copy of Simon’s book (if they’re not all sold out) at gomma.store

PHOTOGRAPHY • PRODUCTION • PARTICIPATION

SIMON MURPHY - GOVANHILL 21ST OCTOBER 2023 – 27TH JANUARY 2024 EXHIBITIONS • PRODUCTION FACILITIES • COURSES • PRINT SALES STREET LEVEL PHOTOWORKS, TRONGATE 103, GLASGOW, G1 5HD 0141 552 2151 / streetlevelphotoworks.org / reception@streetlevelphotoworks.org Image: ‘Seamus’ © Simon Murphy

Style Icon

Words and photo by Samar Jamal

Khadeja Imtiaz

Khadeja Imtiaz is the owner of Al-Jannat (meaning Paradise in Arabic), a South Asian clothing store on Allison Street. The store first opened its doors 26 years ago, and since then Khadeja has become well versed in the latest trends.

Hey Khadeja, thanks for inviting me to your shop to chat.

Can you tell me a bit about what you’re wearing today?

So I am wearing what we call shalwar kameez. It’s part of the traditional clothing in Pakistani culture. I like to wear it because I am Pakistani. I bought it premade but did the alterations myself to my own size. And I’m wearing some jewellery too. I love to wear jewellery, I think it makes the outfit nice.

How do you decide what you’re going to wear each day?

Well, it’s dependent on the season, whether it’s summer or winter. It’s a different colour of clothes for each. Especially during summer, I wear something more colourful and sharp like yellow or white. But during winter it’s duller colours and a little bit thicker material. But also it just depends on my own feelings and my own mood.

I know that you offer a stitching service at Al-Jannat, so you can buy any fabric and have it made into a design of your choice. Do you use that for yourself and make your own clothes?

Yeah, I’ve made my own dresses. I learned it all in Pakistan because I did my diploma in fashion design. I love different clothes so I thought I should go into this line of work. When we first opened the shop I would just buy the clothes and stitch them together myself because it was cheaper that way. Plus there’s a sense of satisfaction, and more perfection, when I make it myself. But now I don’t have so much time to stitch.

You have a shop full of ready-made clothes (pre-stitched, ready-to-wear shalwar kameez). What influence does that have on the clothes that you wear?

I think it’s the other way around – I influence what is in the shop because all the clothes here are my favourites.

Because when I buy it for the shop, I think about whether I would buy it for myself. Otherwise, I won’t buy it.

What’s the future for Al-Jannat?

We’ve been here for 26 years and we are the oldest shop here that sells South Asian clothing. My oldest daughter has gone into this line of work too and she has a degree in fashion and technology. She’s doing a job now but maybe in the future, she will take over this place. Until then I will keep using my knowledge and personal style to help customers. Two weeks ago a customer came in and said ‘I need an outfit for a wedding but it’s up to you, anything you want, just make it’. I asked her if she wanted me to send her photos and she said ‘No, I totally trust you’. So I will keep doing that for now.

16

South Asian Fashion: what you need to know Anarkali

A flowing ankle-length dress originating during the Mughal era in the 1600s. The name comes from the legendary Mughal woman, Anarkali, whose life was tragically taken.

Shalwar Kameez

A shalwar is a loose trouser, narrow at the ankle and with an elastic waistband. A kameez is a knee-length tunic, unstitched at the bottom. It is also worn by men but this version has collars. It is one of the most popular day-to-day outfits worn in Pakistan and influences of the style can be traced back to the Middle East, Persia and Turkey.

Kurta

An evolved and modernised version of the kameez but shorter in length, collarless and popular in urban areas of the Indian Subcontinent.

It’s worn as a casual outfit that is often paired with jeans.

Sherwani

A long kameez that goes below the knees and is decorated with sequins. Worn by men at their wedding or other celebratory occasions. Its origins are from the Mughal Empire which ruled much of the Indian subcontinent between the 16th and 19th centuries.

Lehenga Choli

The lehenga is a three-piece outfit made up of a long skirt (lengha), a top (choli) and a scarf. The entire outfit is decorated in sequins.

Similar to the sherwani, it’s an extravagant outfit worn by brides and can also be traced back to the Mughal period.

FONDS II

Objects Speak Louder Than Words

Flora Zajicek & Sam Gonçalves in conversation Photos by Morwenna Kearsley

FONDS is back. In 2022, twenty-five residents shared their precious objects with us for an exhibition and radio show. This year, we have again teamed up with Morwenna Kearsley to shoot local people’s objects. The technique Morwenna uses requires complete darkness as the object is 'painted with light' using a moving torch, a process that takes eight minutes. In this inky blackness, filmmaker Sam Gonçalves or audio producer Flora Zajicek interview the object’s keeper and unfurl its story. Flora and Sam got together to discuss storytelling techniques.

Sam Gonçalves: We’re both working on FONDS this year. Do you want to talk a bit about your role?

Flora Zajicek: We both sat with the participants while their object was photographed and asked them questions about it. From that, I’ve been editing those interviews into podcast episodes. To me, that means breaking down the stories and finding their emotional core.

SG: For me, as well as the interviews, I’m creating some videos about FONDS – a behind the scenes piece, and some other bits for social media. So you’ve been doing a lot of listening, and I’ve been doing a lot of watching. What have you learned from the experience so far?

FZ: The context of a dark room is so special and intimate. Morwenna is fully focused on the photograph, so it’s just one of us and the participant.

It’s a very special environment for people to open up.

SG: It feels so intimate right? Your knee is like an inch away from the other person and you can’t see a thing.

FZ: With a total stranger! I actually don’t think people often have that experience of being really listened to…

It comes with a big moral duty to look after those people and their stories. It is an extractive process, we’re sitting there with our bottler of stories (i.e. a microphone and recorder) asking them questions… but you need to make sure they’re in control of the narrative.

SG: In terms of bottling stories, what makes a good story for you?

FZ: An element of authenticity. Some people’s stories may seem small but the way they tell it can contain something so true about themselves that it reveals something about humanity.

SG: I think that connection to humanity is really important. I like stories we can all understand from our own experience of being alive.

FZ: But on a practical level, I think having little scenes is really helpful.

It’s lovely to hear someone talk about love, for instance, but the story really hits home when they wrap that with a memory or occasion.

SG: Right, the thing that makes it not just a cliche but instead an angle that only this person could have arrived at. I think that theme of connection stood out so much in this project.

I think we’ve lost space for human connection and conversation, so sitting in the dark with someone and really connecting with an interviewee feels like we’re meeting a need that hasn’t been met in a long time.

FZ: Even for myself that’s the case.

That’s why I do this job. You get that privilege of that human connection with strangers.

SG: I think if you do the kind of work we do there must be a deep down need to connect with humanity, a want for that type of relationship with strangers.

Morwenna Kearsley created FONDS during a Culture Collective residency in partnership with Street Level Photoworks. The podcast, has been supported by The National Lottery Community Fund.

FZ: I love speaking to strangers, trying to piece their life together from that conversation. When I was 18, a woman sat next to me on the Eurostar and we started talking. Without any prompting, she told me about her whole life, including an affair she was having and no one in her life knew about it. It was an incredible story. We eventually left without even knowing each other’s names.

There’s something about that almost confession-like space of anonymity.

SG: That’s maybe another reason I do what I do, I love people’s secrets. So, what’s next for FONDS? FZ: Well, we’ll be releasing the podcast later this year and organising an exhibition for the photos.

SG: We already held a smaller event where we listened to a pilot of the podcast and heard from a few folk discussing their objects. It was amazing – I feel like I know the people there so much better.

FZ: It really makes you see Govanhill in a different light, to know so much about so many strangers.

The FONDS podcast will launch later this autumn. Listen to a trailer for the show and subscribe now by scanning the QR code

17

Name: Ursula Object: Pencil case I first got this case when I was in Hong Kong with my family. My mum and dad went to China for the day and brought it back for me. It has a little magnetic strip which was quite high-tech for the 80s. I grew up in Ireland but would spend summers in Hong Kong. The case is really nostalgic for me and reminds me of both the privilege and the confusion of enjoying two different cultures.

The case brings back a real multi-sensory experience for me. When I have it I can smell the humid summer heat, the marketplace with its fruit, dumplings and pork, even the rubbish in the city. On the inside of the case are loads of little scribbles from my friends – their names and some drawings they did. I can almost hear the playground chatter when I open it.

These days I’m an illustrator and I keep the case in my studio. The case holds a lot of memories of that creativity that I’ve always had. I'd keep all my colouring pencils in there as a kid but now I use it more for keeping mementos.

Name: Fareeha Object: Plaster This plaster was given to me by my dad back in 2006 when he was visiting me in the UK. I was dropping him off at the airport and he hugged me and gave me his final goodbyes when all of a sudden he took out the plaster from his pocket.

He said to me “If you cut yourself or anything, just use this, I have this for you”.

So since then I’ve had a very strong emotional attachment to this thing, I haven’t used it and I keep it in my bag at all times.

I have three children now and whenever they get a cut or graze they’ll ask me, “Mum I need a plaster, can I use that one I’ve seen in your purse?” and I say “No, don’t you dare touch it”. I have lots of other things they can use and now they know I have a sentimental attachment to it. They will sometimes still tease me and say stuff like “Oh, we are going to use this one but it’s very old, there might be no stickiness left!”.

Name: Daniel Object: Blue glass fish Fish are a symbol of good luck in Romania. This style of glasswork fish, you would see everywhere in the 60s. I always remember them being on top of TVs, I think because during the communist era people didn’t get much electricity so you didn’t turn it on, and put things on top of it instead. My grandparents had one like this but it got smashed when there was an earthquake in 2005.

Me and my partner really wanted one like my grandparents’ but we couldn’t find one anywhere for a long time. We actually got this one from a Scottish guy who worked in Romania during the communist era. You really can’t find this style these days. When we put it on display in our shop on Victoria Road [Transylvania Cafe] all the Eastern Europeans who came in were like: ‘Oh my God you’ve got this fish, it’s unbelievable.’

Name: Rahela Object: Baby scan I have brought along an ultrasound scan of my son. My son is now one and is my third child but my first son. Both my husband and I are from big families of mostly women, so it was a great surprise when we found out we were having a boy.

It’s so amazing when you go in to have your ultrasound. Seeing your baby on the screen makes it feel even more real and it actually clicks that you are bringing another baby and another blessing into your family. We named our son David after his dad. In most Roma families, children tend to share the names of their parents so that’s why he’s known as wee David Junior.

David is now 14 months old and so cheeky and cute. I keep his scans in a photo album along with the scans of my two daughters so I can show them one day.

All the FONDS photos and their keepers’ stories will be displayed in an exhibition soon. Follow @fondsgovanhill on Instagram for all the latest updates.

20

BIG NOISE:

Finding connection through music and culture

I

started Big Noise when I was in P3 as an after-school club.

I would go to play the violin for fun but I slowly began taking it more seriously and participating in concerts. Going to India with Big Noise wasn’t expected, I never really thought about playing outside the UK. But when I heard there was a possibility of going to Chennai, a city in the south of India, I was really excited and curious. I was worried I might be homesick and would want to come back right away. But it was really fun and, in the end, I wanted it to last longer.

India was a brand new experience for everyone going.

Travelling with a group of people from my school to another country was a very special and rare occasion. We spent a week there experiencing a brand new and eyecatching culture. We went there to participate in a concert with the local Sunshine Orchestra. We spent hours upon hours practising the pieces with them to make sure the performance was perfect. This was really hard and I didn’t really look forward to it but it led us to meet people from the Sunshine Orchestra. They communicated with us like we were a part of their orchestra and were always ready to help us with anything that confused us.

We learnt two new pieces for the concert. The music may have looked simple but I personally thought it was harder than all the other music I learnt for the concert. The young people from India played it so effortlessly, it really brought out another side of music for me. For example, the method that they were using to play well-known classical songs sounded pretty and different. There were also many different ornaments that were added to the music – these are effects added to the music to make it sound more entrancing, such as trills. The concert also meant a lot to me as this was the first time my family from India saw me perform in person.

But it wasn’t just rehearsals every day, we got time to look around Chennai. There were many temples in the city, some

Earlier this year, local music charity Big Noise travelled to South India to participate in a concert that celebrated the shared heritage of Scotland and India. One of the young musicians shares her experiences of the trip.

Words by Harine Uthayakumar Photo by KM Music Conservatory

small, some big. Every temple had a statue of Gods on it, one building that we went to was made of little detailed statues which went from the bottom all the way to the top.

It also ranged in different colours, making the building pop out from the rest of the surroundings. The statues brought out the culture of India and highlighted how so many people value their Gods and celebrate them together.

We also went to the DakshinaChitra Heritage Museum.

This museum had a lot of old houses from the 50s and we had an insight into how people lived their life during that time and how a normal day was for them. It was eye-opening to see the houses and how they were built for bigger families as a place to connect with each other, whereas modern day houses now have more technology meaning you can talk to anyone, anywhere without being in the same room.

The local food was also really good. I have eaten Indian food in Glasgow regularly, but it made me feel more comfortable eating it there as everyone else also ate it and didn’t question why it tasted like this or that. I felt more comfortable there as I was connecting with my culture. I was happy to see people wear clothing from Indian culture which I would rarely wear in Glasgow, apart from special occasions.

Going to India has really shown me what it’s actually like to travel across countries to play in a concert. It comes with negatives – like jet lag, and the lack of sleep – but, really, it was a big opportunity to do something you love while being in a different country and investing yourself into a culture.

When you think about all the positives it’s way better and worth it. This has really made me consider travelling the world and performing as a future career because of how fun this one experience was alone. I really hope I can revisit it, including the classical music I heard and I hope I can spend more time learning it well and playing it even better.

If you’d like to get involved with Big Noise, you can get at find out more info rg.uk makeabignoise.o

21

DOON AND OOT IN GLASGO (NOT LONDON) Sitting by the flagpole that stands atop a mound of earth named after Mary Queen of Scots – perhaps Scotland’s most mythologised character – you can see why Govanhill has become a place where writers congregate. The lookout that spans over streets of industrial pasts and uncertain presents, flanked by the bright purple of heather-laden hills, seems steeped in metaphor. And below on Victoria Road are the plotline’s oddball players, where over-the-fence gossip is currency in a nation of 15,000.

For the writers and revellers in the area, there is always an eclectic assortment of groups and evenings on offer. The experimental writing open-mic night ‘Shrill’ at McNeills, the queer ecology reading group just across Victoria Road at Glasgow Zine Library and the printing press down at Burning House Books are just a few of the different outlets for writers in the area to flex their literary muscles.

Two local writers share their pen-scribbles on what the area means to them, in specially commissioned pieces for Greater Govanhill:

GOVANHILL JUST

’

ON T STOP By Peter Mohan

So I was with my brother but we weren’t in the pub and we weren’t at the game, we were walking down Victoria Road instead.

Does Govanhill always sound like this?

Like what?

Like a building site.

He’s right, of course. He always is. Just don’t tell him I said that.

Road works, cycle lanes or blocks of flats being built, sewers and drains and surfaces need replaced. Diggers and rollers on pavement tarmac, cutting and drilling through landscape concrete, hi viz slow motion lo viz blur.

You hear more languages round here, too. Arabic, Kurdish, Farsi and a hundred more to go with the high-density housing, exclusion and ill health. Creaking floorboards, a dripping radiator, the sound of a mattress dropped in an alleyway.

Up near the park now, buskers busking, almost jazz in the almost sunshine, or Roma musicians with fiddle and squeezebox. A siren in the distance, probably an ambulance or a fire engine or a cop car.

Does Govanhill always smell like this?

Like what?

Like a barbecue or a festival.

Aye, sounds about right.

Grand tenements up here, bourgeois views over the park, stoops that could double for Brooklyn.

Aye, right. Flowers in a basket, fragrant wee plants from a scratched patch of land in a damp backcourt. Cake box over there, kebab shoap round the corner, spearmint ice cream from the Italian down by.

Is that grilled lamb?

Might be the vegan and veg café. Could be Anarkali, everyone’s favourite curry house. Maybe smoked sausage or black pudding from the chippy next door. A roll and fritter, a haggis supper, or a chicken taco from the place across the road.

The Asian dude from the supermarket, the Arsenal fan, on his way to the bookies to discuss ingame markets or Kieran Tierney or the odds in Govanhill on Bournemouth being relegated.

The friendly chef outside the pizza joint who was fed up working long hours for terrible pay but who’s much happier here doing something he loves with good people.

An old Sikh man on a bicycle, bright turban and long grey beard. Couple of bams drinking cans in a doorway, sounds of a barbecue from the backcourt. I could feel my brother trying to take it all in.

Every time I come here there’s something new. A café, a pet shop, a record store.

I know, it’s always the same round here.

Then he said there’s so many places to eat no wonder you’re a fat bastard and I said shut it Gorbals right and he said calm doon Govanhill what are you having and I said I’m having the lot.

Cheers.

Peter Mohan is the author of the blog Cheers Govanhill, semi-fictional tales from Glasgow’s weirdest neighbourhood. A podcast will be available soon. cheersgovanhill.home.blog

22

I LOVE RAMSA S By Isaac Harris Stink of melancholy, putrefaction of memories Conversations that leave ur head as soon as u have em Intro by Jack Howse Illustration by Sasha Delmage

There aint no sense in my mind, and my knees ache Its 6am at the day today in mount florida and I just left after work drinks, alone, I stare at nothing My cornrows fuzzy as hell, and my ears ringin cus i aint been sleepin right But in my mind i think i look like such a playboi Bossman is looking at me like im a loser The cries of gulls outside fighting over a cheese sandwich(no mayo) Im stood there looking at nothing, there isnt anything I want here Ritualistic consumption, spending money is therapeutic cus i aint got enough for therapy There is no better way to feel alive, to feel part of humanity Than to blow cash on sumn that gon kill me, than to consume something I aint need I get a 50g pouch of baccy that I see as an investment, and think about how much money i saved Im basically martin lewis I AM martin lewis I leave it on the number 6 bus to st enoch two days later The world is ending, I always think that and it never ends, but to be a doomer Issa fixation that got no downsides Either you wrong and thank god,or you right and can be smug while it burns You can always be smug tbh, but its more fun to be righteous about it More fun to spite those international customers that gave me hassle when cop26 was goin on The world ending, I think that whenever the bin strikes reach those last few days where people just stick garbage wherever and u can hear rats fightin for it outside, whenever there a match outside hampden n I see a brawl perpetual outside my flat or living in a rented room where the ceilin leaked heavy when it rained to become more Blackmold than human, U can romanticize being sick every month with a shit space heater as the ‘Glasgow experience’ But it wasnt, Im just an idiot that slumlords get slobbery dreamin bout You just gotta be delusional at times it makes everything more easy If you ever find a landlord on spareroom named Jeff just know ur gonna get screwed Kiss your deposit goodbye because he uses a fake name and will do anythin for a band There is sincerity in them cities that remember theyselves as sumn that aint existed for more than half a century Senile titans that stand as monuments to neoliberalism Where would we be without Reagan and Thatcher?

Better What difference is there between anywhere Nothin What makes Glasgow Good people, negro alienation, a nice platter of ramsays chips, an incompetent council Im Black as human beginnings but got a scottish last name I get my hair braided by an auntie in plantation There gotta be sumn funny i can say about that Isaac Harris is a Black writer from Virginia but has been based in Glasgow for the past two years. They focus on the aesthetics of Black history, radicalism, religiosity, and culture.

23

Uncovering the Southside’s Games Clubs

The Southside is full of clubs and social nights as diverse and vibrant as its residents.

Many of these clubs, despite their tendency to fly under most people’s radar, run frequently and are popular among residents. We headed out to meet with some of these groups and find out more.

By Devon McCole

By Devon McCole lan Photos by Alexander Hoyles and Iain McLel

b

Queens Park Chess Clu

Caitlin

Chess has always been popular, dipping in and out of the mainstream depending on media depictions (Queen’s Gambit anyone?). But residents may be surprised to know just how popular the local Queens Park Chess Club (QPCC) is, with anywhere from 15 to 50 players each week.

Inspired by the old Queens Park Chess Club (active 18731936) enthusiastic residents restarted the group in 2019.

Membership fees pay for boards, tournaments and venue hire at The Bungo each Thursday from 6:30–9:30pm.

President Caitlin McCulloch remembers one tournament where 22 QPCC members were beaten by International Master, Andrew Greet: “We have members at varying levels of skill and this guy beat every one of us! It was quite impressive… Our regular nights are a lot less competitive than that.

“I like seeing new people find a love for chess. There’s lots of people who haven't played it in a while and they come and then they kind of get back into it. They rediscover why they liked it in the first place and I love seeing that – that’s what we’re all about.”

QPCC regular of two years, Ronnie Martin, had an interest in chess but hadn’t played since childhood: “As kids we were really just moving pieces about a board. Then, a guy that I worked with, all he spoke about was chess. I thought, ‘if I don't start playing, I've got nothing to talk to this guy about.’ Now, when I go home from a night of playing chess, I just go up the road and play more chess. It ends up being dead obsessive.”

Beginner Camilla Fanizza joined only weeks before meeting Greater Govanhill: “The guy I was playing with, I didn't know him before and he was way more advanced than me, but he was really kind. We played two games and I lost them both, like really fast. He asked if it would be okay to tell me when I was going Note: Bob McCalden of to make a bad move and explain the Apostrophe Protection why. That made it a lot more fun Society contacted the chess club for me. He was really explaining about the missing apostrophe – it and helping me play better.” a deliberate choice made after Find out more about the QPCC via their website at queensparkchessclub.com.

Find their Facebook group by searching ‘Queens Park Chess Club’.

Ronnie

some deliberation, which they addressed in a blog post online at queensparkchessclub.com/ about-the-apostrophe

Know a club we should feature in our online round up? Email newsroom@greatergovanhill.com 24

Queen’s Park Camera The Queen’s Park Camera Club (QPCC) is Glasgow’s oldest camera club, holding presentations and workshops since 1945.

These activities continue to this day, with meetings every Thursday, monthly workshops and talks on all types of photography.

The QPCC takes tuition fees from its members to pay for the opportunities and support they offer. This has allowed the club to remain on the same premises at 54 Millbrae Road. Once an old grocery, the building doesn’t look much now, but there are decades of history behind its doors.

Tom Doherty, former QPCC president, told Greater Govanhill about the longevity of the historic club, formed at the end of WW2: “There’s a big shield in the premises that relates to a Queen's Park Photographic Association, which existed far earlier. We also discovered old minutes dating back to the early part of the 20th century.”

Yvonne Livingstone, a longstanding member, said the most important part of being involved in the group was the chance to share images and ideas: “When I came into the building, there

Bruce

Namrata

Club

seemed to be a sea of people. The quality of the images on the wall were all first class, which made my knees knock a bit because I thought, ‘these people in here, they are really, really good.’

“Soon I started to learn things from other people's work, and started to develop a critical eye after spending so much time with other like minded people who would share editing programs that they've used, or books that they've used, or just general advice as to how you can improve your images. It's a real sharing experience.”

Willie Bell, who joined the QPCC during the pandemic, told us he’d passed the club daily before finally giving it a go: “There's so much experience, it can be intimidating but also helpful. You've got all levels of people and all types of photography, there's something for everybody. Everyone encourages you to take your photography a wee bit further, it’s a welcoming environment.”

Tom

Yvonne

The QPCC’s 2023/24 season has already begun but you can find out more via qpcc.com ahead of next season.

Southside Carrom Carrom is an oddly familiar looking South Asian board game: shaped like a square and played with black and white pieces, it resembles a giant draughts board. The gameplay, however, is more like snooker. Each player has to knock their opponent's pieces into pockets in the board’s corners using a decorative ‘striker’ piece.

In Linen 1906 on Pollokshaws Road, a group of carrom enthusiasts known as the Southside Carrom League (SCL), get together every Thursday from 6–10pm to play, sometimes competing in mini tournaments.

Most members found the group organically, like local resident Bruce Morton: “It all started with a small group of friends. We played at each other's homes before the pandemic. It was like an obsession, I even started watching competitive games of carrom during lockdown.”

After restrictions were lifted, Bruce and the others found a place to meet up and play: “We got in touch with staff at Linen and the owner has been letting us use the mezzanine there since January. That’s how the SCL was born.

We all fell in love with the game, there’s a real spiritual quality to it. It’s an adhesive – it bonded us and attracted the curious.”

League

Fraser Johnstone, who’s been playing since January, said: “It’s unique. Carrom was completely new to me before a friend introduced me to it. I love the fact I’m improving but the main thing is the social side: seeing friends, a few pints and lots of laughter.”

Namrata Ashok first played with her grandparents in India. She joined the SCL after Fraser invited her along: “My grandparents and I had a bit of a language barrier but through carrom we were able to overcome that. It was exciting, getting the chance to play my childhood game after so long.

“I was honestly shocked when I heard about the SCL but playing with them brought back so many wonderful memories. It was such a lively and inviting atmosphere. Everyone was just so friendly and welcoming. I hope the league continues beyond time, it was truly special to be a part of!”

Members including Bruce contribute to CarromGlasgow.blog.scot, writing about all things carrom. To find the group on Facebook search for ‘Southside Carrom League’.

25

No Single Track

A new film about the reality of growing up between to worlds

Words by Samar Jamal Photos by Niall Morison

“I

really feel like it changed my life in a way and made me think about something that I was pushing aside because it was almost painful to think about.”

That’s Shanine Gallagher, the filmmaker behind No Single Track, reflecting on her time in the Being Mixed project, which she also wrote about for Greater Govanhill last year. Founded by multi-faceted visual artist, Aph, Being Mixed began as a photography project and grew from curiosity and a need for community and connection.

It brings together people with mixed identities, creating a space for them to meet, make art and share soul food that is dear to them. It was a space that ignited a bigger feeling for Shanine: “The places and things we would talk about would resonate with me and it made me think about my own experiences of being mixed,” she remarked. “I'm half Scottish, half Filipino, and it's been a long time since I tapped into my Filipino side because I've not seen my mum since I was very young.”

No Single Track is a documentary of that journey. It’s a tender recollection of the spaces where those conversations took place; with her dad, brother, old friends and new, all of whom she has since formed life-long memories with.

I was invited to an exclusive screening of No Single Track at The Community Newsroom before its premiere at the Sea Change Film Festival on the Isle of Tiree in September. Shanine also hopes to host a private screening with everyone involved soon.

The film is split between two worlds: the Highlands where Shanine grew up, and Glasgow, where she now lives. It begins in idyllic hills, where Shanine and her brother chat about their identities. The conversations explore the challenges of growing up mixed in a village, why it’s not always picturesque and the emotional labour involved in

26

revisiting and being at peace with those difficult experiences.

Shanine explains that the Being Mixed project provided a space for those discoveries to bloom, not only for herself but her brother, who was initially hesitant to be in the space: “At the end of the film my brother joins the group to help make a soundtrack for the documentary. I could never imagine him putting himself in that position before. It made me really happy to have people I care about in the same room and create a memory that I'll never forget, and hopefully the people involved won't as well.”

At one point we observe an interaction between Shanine and her friend Richard who, despite being older, still felt that the conversations around mixed heritage fostered a feeling of validation for him in his selfidentity: “Talking to Shanine for the film was a cathartic experience for me. Whenever I talk about my racial identity it’s usually always from the perspective of being someone who is brown. I’m extremely proud of being both brown and mixed race, Scottish and Indian, but rarely do I get a chance to chat indepth about being of mixed heritage.

Most importantly, I feel the film gave me a chance to reflect on my parents’ experiences. They divorced when I

was young so it’s not like a shared experience and was rarely discussed, so as you get older you tend to focus on your own experiences rather than that of others.”

Equally, for Shanine, the exchange was affirming: “It's kind of like seeing the future or how I want to be in the future… The way [Richard] parents his children and the way he wants them to celebrate being mixed meant a lot to me.”

No Single Track is a film about vulnerability and connection, to both yourself and the people around you, and taking that leap to explore who you are. Shanine is a budding filmmaker, and by generously capturing her personal experiences she grants viewers a compassionate lens into her journey and encourages them to begin theirs.

This is only the beginning of the journey for Shanine, she is looking forward to the future: “I think everything that I’ve done so far has led to this moment. I want to go to the Philippines and see my family that I've never met and make another documentary about doing that”.

For information on future screenings and to follow Shanine’s past and future projects, follow her on Instagram @Shaninegallagherfilm

Dancing On My Own Learning to let yourself go in some of the inclusive dance workshops offered around Govanhill.

By Chanderkiran Thakur • Illustration by Laura Wade

I

love to dance! Usually in my room copying the glittering Bollywood dances or emo classics of my childhood to an imaginary screaming audience. It’s a strictly solitary practice that rarely gets transferred to an actual dancefloor. Self-consciousness and comparison usually lead me to a restrained sexy bop or hair flick, arguably very satisfying but lacking liberation.

This is a well-known feeling for many for whom going to a dance class full of choreo is more likely to increase nerves than make a Dance Dance Revolution champion. In Govanhill, however, there are a number of classes less focused on choreo and more about the liberation and health benefits of dance, and the inclusion of all body types.

One such class is No Lights, No Lycra at Larkfield Community Centre. I wouldn’t really call it a class though. The room was fitted with large speakers and coloured lights spinning across the walls. There were no instructions, no choreography, routine or mirrors. The music played and we were free to dance however we liked in the dark, surrounded only by the whoops, claps and stomps of other dancers.

Imogen Wilson and Lucy Gordon, who facilitate the class, say it’s a huge stress reliever: “Both being mothers and dance lovers we just wanted to dance for the hell of it. I always leave feeling energised and lighter,” Imogen says.

No-one was looking at me, I didn’t have to talk to anyone. It was simply a space to dance where I could close my eyes, get my body moving and reignite the joy of spinning around like a kid.

A regular advised me to notice where resistance was coming from: certain unused muscles, movements that feel uncomfortable, or even songs you don’t enjoy!

“It’s a bit of a challenge with a song you don’t like. To let go of your preconceived ideas or notions and just dance to it,” the shadowy attendee told me. “It’s very good for you to surrender yourself

to something you have resistance to.”

No Lights, No Lycra has seen people attend with walkers, with their daughters, or in formal suits straight from work.

“We’re people who hear good music and can’t keep still,” Lucy says.

In comparison a dance class at Scottish Ballet’s base in Tramway, where the touring company spends hours perfecting their technique, might seem intimidating. I imagine myself like Billy Elliot the first time he watches the tutu-clad dancers in the boxing gym. However, the company’s Dance Health programme’s holistic and relaxed approach shares more in common with ‘No Lights, No Lycra’ than my favourite childhood film.

Danielle Tyrer is Scottish Ballet’s Health Artist and runs classes for people with Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, Dementia and long COVID. The classes mix the current Scottish Ballet repertoire with other techniques like seated routines, mindfulness, imagery, rhythmic movements, creative choreography and more to accommodate specific symptoms. Live, improvised piano ebbs and flows alongside the class which is followed by a social cafe.

“Some dancers have told me when chronic pain flares up, they use the rhythms learnt from the classes to centre the body and achieve daily tasks,” Danielle tells me. “A rise from the toes reaching for the top shelf, a plie while washing the dishes, a port-de-bras to focus at your desk.”

My own health has been up and down as I’ve navigated a slow recovery from surgery. Building back trust in my mobility and connection with my body has been challenging. Pushing myself into uncomfortable territory, I attended Dance Moves For Friends at Southside Studios by Kirstin Halliday where I learned steps from dance film Rosas

Danst Rosas. This seated choreography is filled with rigid repetitive movements, body strokes and hair flicks. The routine begins with a nod to others in the room, as if asking permission to dance together. It is an intimate and powerful invitation,more like a communal ritual than dance. Attending was Lydia Morrow, who has recovered from an eating disorder and lives with disability: “The class allowed me to let go of my own body image while dancing.,” Lydia said.

After grasping the movements and adjusting some to our abilities and strengths, we danced together, coming in and out of sequence along a line.

Unlike a céilidh, we were not focused on each other or partnered, but I felt bonded to everyone in the class as we thrust our heads between our knees, flicked our hair back and slapped our thighs in unison.

These spaces help uncover the healing and unifying power of dance, moving it away from unintelligible steps and bringing it closer to how we dance in clubs or in the kitchen to Cher. While I’ll never be a back-up dancer to my Bollywood heroes like Rekha, classes like these are teaching me that’s not what dance should be about.

No Lights No Lycra is on every Wednesday at 5pm at the Larkfield Community Centre.

Check out scottishballet.co.uk and @dance_moves_for_friends on Instagram for details of future classes.

27

Unveiling the Hidden Treasures of Traditional Japanese Artistry, Crafted in Govanhill

By Devon McCole Photos by Iain McLellan

28

T

ucked away down an unassuming alley in Govanhill, best friends turned business partners, Simon Harlow and Lewis Harvey, create swirling motifs of colour for worktops and surfaces, inspired by a striking and increasingly rare, traditional Japanese decorative technique.

Eagle-eyed residents may have spotted their colourful, abstract designs in local businesses around the area, like Sacred Tum Tacos and The Bell Jar, who have sourced their respective shelving unit and bartop from the men behind Mirrl.

Simon and Lewis invited Greater Govanhill into their workshop to find out more about the mysterious designs, which are their best kept secret – so secret, in fact, that they were unable to disclose just how the designs are made. They did let us in on how they discovered the traditional Japanese technique, known as Tsugaru Nuri, which they spent years trying to recreate prior to launching their business in 2018.

“Two pals of ours from art school got married. She was Japanese. He’s from Glasgow,” Simon recounted. “So we went out to the wedding and her family asked if I could stay on a bit longer so I could do a bit of joinery out there, which I thought was bloody amazing.

Japanese joinery is phenomenal.

“While I was there, I was in the kitchen one time and opened one of the kitchen drawers. And I saw this pair of chopsticks with the most amazing pattern on them. It just stopped me still in my tracks. I was taken aback and thought ‘that’s amazing!’ I work with materials for a living and I just couldn’t put my finger on what it was made of.

It looked like it was made of some kind of shell, or ceramic. But it wasn’t that.

“It was completely mind blowing, otherworldly and incredibly beautiful.

And that just stuck in my mind for years. I got back to Glasgow and it was just like an eye-worm, you know, like how you get an ear-worm with music. It was so beautiful. I was like, ‘oh, wouldn’t it be amazing If you could create this stuff on scale?’”

Simon had been working as a sculpture fabricator before he finally decided to try and recreate what he saw in Japan. With no idea of how to make it, he decided to reverse engineer the technique using his skills as an artist and designer – an intricate process which took almost 15 years of trial and error before he was able to successfully recreate the unique design using resin.

Mirrl:

Meanwhile, Lewis had been working odd jobs, including with Greenpeace, for many years. There, he repaired boats using the same material he would later work with at Mirrl – resin. After he stopped working for the charity in 2014, he realised he wanted to work on something new and creative, and remembered Simon, who he had first met at art school in the 90s, and who had shown him his experiments with Tsugaru Nuri.

“I called Simon from Australia, and I said, ‘oh, you know, that thing you made, it’s really amazing. I think there’s something in it. I want to make it, I want to do that.’ So, we talked about doing it separately or together, and then as it turned out, about a year later, my dad who was living up in Skye fell ill. So I moved back to Scotland and then I was here.

“Then around 2016 we were like, ‘let’s just do it.’ We founded the company in 2018. We launched it and all of a sudden it was this real thing. We’ve just been trying to survive and grow ever since.”

Lewis was drawn in by how rare the traditional design style is: “If you’re the only one making this unusual thing then there is a draw; no one else seems to be doing what we’re doing so it was perfect. You know, I think there are only really a handful of people in Japan that can make this thing.

“It was sort of seen as a really old and pointless thing to do, it was a tradition that seemed to be on its way out, people didn’t want to learn a ‘dying’ trade. But now I think that attitude is changing slightly. I think more people now are appreciating the time and effort that goes into the craft and admire that.”

For a business that runs out of a small workshop in a back alley in Govanhill, Mirrl has been remarkably successful, taking orders from across the globe.

The pair say they ‘wear many different hats’, doing all of the work themselves; balancing making each mysterious and custom Mirrl design, whilst doing their own admin and running their website and social media accounts.

Lewis noted how the area has changed over the years and how Mirrl, although hidden away, fits in among the ‘chaos’ of Govanhill: “It’s actually a funny thing working from Govanhill as a creative now. I think that Govanhill has changed so much. My dad was from around here, grew up near Queen’s Park. My grandparents used to live just about two streets over and I’d seen the place change a lot in many ways. I remember it being quite, like, middle-working class and then going down. And now there’s lots of cool things happening around here.

“That’s accelerated more in the last four years. It’s quite odd because I think we feel like we’ve been here long before that. But our business, what we do, fits in better now, which is slightly odd. It always feels to me like there’s always places that are consuming what’s cool, and then there’s the place where the cool stuff’s been generated.

It definitely feels like Govanhill is way more ahead of the curve than anywhere else in Glasgow. It’s like all the weird stuff is happening here and then it’s being picked up by the rest of the city.”

Simon, echoing his business partner, added: “It’s nice to work alongside so many other creative people here doing their own thing. We just absolutely love it here, it’s just really diverse, there’s a lot of interesting stuff going on, and, you know, it’s just constantly quite inspiring actually. Which is good for an artist.”

You can follow Mirrl on Instagram @mirrl_ltd or visit their website at www.mirrl.com

29

Your Neighbourhood Yoga and Pilates studio Offering you Yoga & Pilates 7 days a week from our beautiful studio on Victoria Road.

We want you to feel good in your body!

Join us for classes including flow, yin, pilates, pregnancy yoga, sound baths, workshops, courses, community & more. www.studio70glasgow.com @studio70glasgow

Preparing Preparing

for exams? for exams?

Build their Builddence their and confi confidence and help them reach help them reach their full potential their full potential with extra help with extra help from MagiKats. from MagiKats.

SAT 9TH 9TH && SAT SAT 16TH DEC, SAT DEC, 2023 2023 THEDEEP DEEP END, END, 21 NITHSDALE NITHSDALE STREET THE STREET

FREE PLACEMENTININOCTOBER! OCTOBER! FREE PLACEMENT * *

Out tuition from pre-school to Nat5.

Outofofschool school tuition from pre-school to Nat

magikats.co.uk/glasgow-south magikats.co.uk/glasgow-sout

Call: 0141 473 1777 Call: 0141 473 177

@RAGSTORICHESGLA @RAGSTORICHESGLA

@RAGSTORICHESGLA @RAGSTORICHESGLA

*Offer ends 31.10.2023

*Offer ends 31.10.2023

ARTS & CULTURE Mrs. S by K Patrick Neil Scott

This April, K. Patrick was named one of Granta Magazine's 20 Best Young British Novelists, a whole two months before the publication of their debut – Mrs. S. Expectations were high, so it helped to have the launch amongst the friendly faces at Govanhill's local queer bookshop Category Is. I am not the obvious audience for K Patrick's sultry debut novel. Set in an all-girls boarding school, it tells the story of a torrid lesbian love affair between the matron and the headmaster's wife. Indeed, the only straight male character is described as unbearably smug, "his whole life one elongated wink." But novels are the best way to inhabit the consciousness of another and in this sense the book is extraordinary.

Mrs. S takes place inside the matron's mind. Everything is written in short sentences in the first person and present tense. The dialogue is not closed in speech marks, it exists in the thoughts of the narrator. You have to work out who is speaking and what is happening, helping this distracted reader to slow down and appreciate the words. I was engrossed by its intimacies: "I avoid my own reflection. I thought, for a long time, everyone did. I was wrong. Most other people study their reflections carefully. Instead I’ve spent a lifetime focusing on the interior, a place that happens without me, organs passing their intimate thoughts, the chase of blood, valves clenching and releasing. Stunning inevitabilities."

Grab yourself a copy of Mrs. S at Category Is on Allison Street

Illustrations

by Aled Haywood

For this issue, we asked readers to send in reviews of their favourite artists and writers working and living locally. Hopefully, you can find your next obsession.

How Does it Feel on the Rooftop in this Concrete City?

by Masaki Ishikawa Peilin Shi

In August of this year, Govanhill-based artist Masaki Ishikawa displayed a piece tentatively named Rooftop, he made as part of his four-week residency at the CCA. This painting intricately weaves together abstract and metaphorical elements. Its colour scheme is a captivating interplay of sunset hues – blue, purple, grey, and red – blending the urban skyline with a thin, oceanic horizon. At the centre, a complex body emerges, composed of shapes and graphical blocks, while circular forms hint at a human head and elongated bars allude to limbs.

How does it feel to be a ‘living’ body in the ‘dead’ concrete forest?

In Masaki’s artwork, the backdrop of concrete skyscrapers becomes a nostalgic childhood memory, akin to the environment he grew up in. It’s a blend of concrete and comfort, when a sense of alienation turns into naturality and normality, carrying the joy and simplicity of childhood innocence.

Masaki Ishikawa’s works reflect his exploration on the interplay between humans and their urban surroundings. Masaki’s current project draws inspiration from the oral history of former residents of multi-storey housing in Glasgow, providing a unique lens through which to view the city’s social history and the experiences of urban life.

Marcin’s Arts on Brilliant Bartering Jude Hunter

I came across the art of Martin Blink (Marcin’s Arts) on the popular Brilliant Bartering Glasgow page on Facebook.

If you don’t know this page, it’s a place where you can swap and trade any items you no longer want, the rule being that it’s not for money. There are thousands of barterers in the Southside, so it’s a good site for local bargains.

Martin lives in Govanhill with his partner and dog, and is a selfprofessed baker by day, artist by night.

His work includes drawings, paintings and prints, but it’s his abstract landscapes that I love. Over the last couple of years, he has posted about a clear out of paintings on Brilliant Bartering at least three times, and on each I’ve been lucky enough to procure a painting for nothing more than some red wine.

They are all framed oil paintings, my favourite being one of the sea, an abstract of gently rippling waves.

I love the intense blue colours and the peacefulness of it. My dream is to retire and live by the sea, with the dog I plan to have. When I am there, I will swim every day, but in the meantime, I have this painting on my bathroom wall. I like to lie in the bath and think about the future or imagine looking out of a window to a similar view. Of course, in Scotland it won’t always look that blue, but a woman can dream!

In case you’re wondering, I haven’t tried his cakes – but if they are anything like his paintings, they must be good.

Martin’s work can be found @marcinsarts on Instagram and Facebook

31

What’s On

For more regular events and groups, see our noticeboard: greatergovanhill.com/noticeboard

OCTOBER A Quiet Fire When: Until 28 January Where: Tramway, 25 Albert Drive, G41 2PE What: A Quiet Fire at Tramway is the first solo exhibition in a Scottish institution by Malawian artist Billie Zangewa. In her work, Zangewa creates intricate figurative collages from hand-stitched fragments of raw silk that challenge the historical stereotypes and perceptions used to objectify and exploit Black women.

Tim Scott: Curlicue Exhibition When: 5–8pm, 16 September – 22 October (Saturdays and Sundays, 12–5pm) Where: 20 Albert Road, G42 8DN What: Exhibition by Tim Scott, featuring a trio of reconstructed sculptures that were produced by the artist in 1963. Now on display to the public for the first time as a group.

Cathkin Blazes: Football For Survivors When: 6–8pm, Every Tuesday 10 – 21 October Where: Toryglen Football Centre, 480 Prospecthill Road, G42 0BY What: Cathkin Blazes Community Football Club’s free football sessions for women and non-binary survivors of abuse will restart this autumn. The sessions have been created as a safe space to play football. No skill or level of fitness is required – everyone is welcome!

Attendees are also welcome to bring a friend or family member along with them.

Art Classes with SCAP When: 11am–1pm, Wednesday 11 October Where: Queen’s Park Church, 1700 Queen’s Drive, G42 8QZ What: Free, local art classes for all, run by Seahorse Creative Arts and Publishing (SCAP) from October in Queen’s Park Church.

More info: Contact SCAP at info@scapscotland.com or reach them via social media @scapscotland.

Pierre Schryer and Seán Gray When: 7:30–10pm, Sunday 15 October Where: The Glad Café, 1006a Pollokshaws Road, G41 2HG What: Looking for an evening filled with Celtic, country, jazz, bluegrass and more? Renowned traditional fiddler Pierre Schryer and in-demand session musician Seán Gray have teamed up for a UKwide tour, showcasing their combined talents.

32

Podcast Workshops at Awaz FM When: 1–3pm, 17 – 19 October Where: Craig House, 1st Floor, 64 Darnley Street, G41 2SE What: Awaz FM is hosting free podcast workshops for young people aged 15–18 from ethnic minority backgrounds. The workshops will focus on skills in planning, recording and editing podcasts.

More info: To sign up, email Sive Malik at sive@awaz.org.uk or phone on 0141 286 1885.

Southside House Histories: Strange Affray at Crosshill When: 6pm, Thursday 19 October Where: The Deep End, Govanhill Baths Community Trust, 21 Nithsdale Street, G41 2PZ What: Dr Ailsa Boyd of The South Glasgow Heritage and Environment Trust will present her research into her very own home and its first residents from the late 19th to early 20th century. The talk will explore social and political issues in the Southside through the story of this particular family.

The Niche Family Live at The Glad Café When: 7:30pm, Friday 20 October Where: The Glad Café, 1006a Pollokshaws Road, G41 2HG. What: Holy Smokes Records presents The Niche Family, Glasgow’s newest folk harmony band, as they bring their blood harmonies and soul-stirring folk and Americana tunes to the Southside.

Simon Murphy: ‘Govanhill’ When: 12–5pm, 21 October – 27 January Where: Street Level Photoworks, Trongate, G1 5HD What: The long awaited opening of Simon Murphy’s new exhibition, ‘Govanhill’. The event will exhibit photographs from his most long term project, with Govanhill and its residents as the focal point. The exhibition will continue into the new year.

Buenafest When: 4pm–12am, Saturday 21 October Where: The Glad Cafe, 1006A Pollokshaws Road, G41 2HG What: Radio Buena Vida is hosting a special event dedicated to showcasing the creativity and diversity within our community. Buenafest is a celebration like no other and will bring to life the voices, stories and rhythms that make our community thrive. The festival will include live acoustic and electronic music, spoken word, visual artists, and a live radio broadcast courtesy of Greater Govanhill.

More info: Tickets are free but donations welcome at buenavida.co.uk Moira’s Run 2023 When: 10am, Sunday 29 October Where: Queen’s Park What: This annual event in honour of Moira Jones, who was murdered in Queen’s Park in 2008, returns once again to keep her memory alive. The Moira Fund, set up to help family and friends who have been bereaved by the murder or manslaughter of a loved one, will be fundraising for the cause during the event.

More info: Tickets £12 from entrycentral.com/MoirasRun

NOVEMBER

Govanhill vs Climate Chaos When: 1 – 12 November Where: The Deep End, 21 Nithsdale Street, G41 2PZ What: A series of workshops, talks, films, exhibitions and more about the climate crisis and how it affects Govanhill, organised by Govanhill Baths.

More info: Email community@govanhillbaths.com or go to govanhillbaths.com/govanhillvsclimatechaos.

LGBTQ+ Meditation Group When: 7:30–9pm, 2 November & 7 December Where: Finn’s Place, 167 Ledard Road, G42 9QU What: A monthly group in the Southside for the LGBTQ+ community to come together, meditate and cultivate community.

Day of the Dead Festival: Sowing Dance, Growing Roots When: 4–8pm, Saturday 4 November Where: Queen’s Park Govanhill Church, 170 Queen’s Drive, G42 8QZ What: Organised by Latin American dance groups Mextli and LatinoDanceProject, alongside the Latino community in Glasgow, the Day of the Dead Festival will celebrate Mexican traditions by showcasing the food, fashion, music and dance of both the Central American states, and other Latin American cultures.

TAKE ME SOMEWHERE

By Samar Jamal

RETURNS IN 2023

T

he International Biennial festival, Take Me Somewhere, returns to Glasgow in October for the first time since 2019.

Performances will take place across the city with many sitespecific installations, including at Tramway, from 13 to 28 October 2023.

After the closure of The Arches – the infamous city centre venue which hosted a mix of music and club nights, theatre performances and art from locals – Take Me Somewhere was born. It hoped to provide a space for artists to nurture their talent, without having to seek out cities like Berlin or London.

It works in two parts: as a festival, which takes place every two years, and as “a sector-supporting arts development organisation

at other times of the year,” explains LJ Findlay-Walsh, Artistic Director for the festival.

It brings together a range of artists from across the globe, in partnership with organisations including the British Council. This year it is using art to explore themes like connection, disability, ecological issues, date rape, femicide, post-colonialism, queerness, racial identity and much more. The intention was to keep the legacy of The Arches alive through thoughtful, anarchic and vibrant performances.

Whilst the artists are international, the concepts in their art are issues on our doorstep and have been created in connection with people in the community.

“A big part of what drives us is ensuring that we follow

Guitar Club (Ages 13-17) When: 4:30–5:30pm, Mondays Where: The Glad Café, 1006a Pollokshaws Road, G41 2HG What: During school term, the Glad Foundation will be hosting a guitar club for young people of all skill levels. Attendees can bring their own instrument or borrow a guitar: electric, acoustic or bass.

More info: To sign up for the Guitar Club contact info@thegladfoundation.co.uk Cataloguing Disability Zines When: 2-3:30pm, Sunday 19 November Where: Glasgow Zine Library, 32-34 Albert Road Glasgow, G42 8DN What: Part of Glasgow Zine Library’s cataloguing workshops, join the team to catalogue work and discuss how to catergorise zines exploring the broad ranging experiences of disability.

More info: Sliding scale tickets from glasgowzinelibrary.com/events

advertorial

FK Alexander presents The Problem With Music.

Credit Joana Stawnicka.

the legacy that already exists in Scotland of this kind of radical change-making work”, LJ says.

The festival is putting accessibility centre stage, with a large number of shows featuring integrated audio descriptions and touch tours. For LJ, this is about ensuring accessibility within creative spaces and making it a standard and not an occasional add-on feature. She hopes that this is experienced by a “breadth of people”.

It’s also seeking to challenge the spaces where art is viewed. Manual is one such piece doing just that, providing a guided experience of reading and moving around, taking place at The Mitchell Library, in the city centre.

LJ encourages everyone to look at the programme as she believes that the diversity of the festival means there will be something that feels pertinent to everyone.

For more information on the festival and to book tickets, visit the website takemesomewhere.co.uk

Kieron Jina / Afriartik presents The Rise.

Credit Alyssa Rivas.

33

MY BEST SHOT

Zianib Ahmad

CROSSMYWORD

By The Anymen

Answers published online on 1 November.

Crossmyword no.2 THE ANYMEN 1

2

3

7

4

5

6

8

9

10 12

11

13

14

15

16 17

18

19

20

21

22 23 25

24

26

27

28

31

Zianib Ahmad is an aspiring photographer. As part of South Asian Heritage Month in August, she and others organised a photo walk around Govanhill as a chance for South Asian people to reflect on their identity through images. The event saw participants free to use disposable cameras in any way which reflected identity, history and South Asian heritage. “One of the beauties of using disposable cameras is the fact you can’t see what the image is, meaning you just live in the moment,” Zianib said of the photo walk.

Follow @z_snaps1 for more of Zianib’s work

GOT A POEM OR LOCALLY TAKEN PHOTO TO SHARE? WANT TO BE FEATURED IN THE NEXT ISSUE?

Send them in to newsroom@greatergovanhill.com to be considered 34

29

30

32

4 Piranas active on 23 Joyful bewilderment ACROSS Nintendo are recent say, to be looked back 1 Partially agree with champions (9) upon fondly (5,4) society reorganised or queer haven (8,2) 5 Sun rising for rodent 25 Lift sound beams 1 Partially agree with society reorganised 1 (4) Wheels, Northern Irish, on annual leave(4) 6 Tent collapsed by the 27 Within this irksome lord 5 Jogged with one in wet or queer haven (8,2) initially.

Five inside making a huge French stinger (6) (3) weather (4) celebration7(8)Got up and had easy 57 Impulsive Jogged withbreakout one in wet(4) weather 28 (4) Touch and go hirsute at public (5) 8 Scheme with Tennents 2 Hesitation joinslife Allison’s Headhouse for 7 in Impulsive breakout (4) (4,6) 32a (5) 29 Some daredevil? Oh! an age (3) 8 Dull spoken word for in awith modern form!

89 One Scheme Tennents in 32a (5) East to West religious 3 Loch Restil contains yellowish festival (4) surface (5) pigment (5) (3) 910 From One inthe a modern form! (3) 31 Clever clogs is4doctor 11 on Drink gargled top, sensible Piranas active Nintendo are salami recent song (5,5) unilaterally 10 magazine From the top, sensible magazine of language reversed champions (9) (4) trashed filth (4) 13 Double entendre unilaterally trashed filth (4) hidden(4) deep 5 Sun rising for rodents 12 Storm upraises a 32 You shouldn't throw 12 speciality Storm upraises a speciality food shop (5,4) undercover (3) food shop stones if you live in one 6 Tent collapsed by the French stinger (6) made 15 A sailor's calling first 14 (5,4) A whizz now selling principally smocks (6) of sand castle blistering (9) 7 Got up and hadaid easyinlife at publichot house 14 A whizz now selling 16 principally Attention! Headwear insects smocks for (6)nocturnal 17 Oscar created in a DOWN (4,6) (7) frenzy for honour (8) 16 Attention!

Headwear for 1 Wheels, Northern Dull spoken19 word for surface (7)dynamic. Ha!Irish, on annual8 leave Insinuate I'm(5) toilet roll?!

18 nocturnal Tea shop ininsects a delicious I initially. Five inside (5) 18 Tea shop in a delicious 11 Drink gargled salami song (5,5) ingest happily (2,5) making a huge dynamic. Ha! I ingest 21 By means of small hidden deep undercover celebration (8)13 Double entendre (2,5)with testosterone, becoming container without litre 20 happily Elves wrestle (3) 2 Hesitation joins (3) 20 Elves wrestle with sleek (6) Allison's Head 15 for an testosterone, becoming 22 Street auto flipper (6) A sailor’s calling first aid in blistering hot 23 sleek Joyful bewilderment say, to be looked back age (3) (6) (9) upon fondly (5,4) 3 Loch Restil contains yellowish pigment (5) created in a frenzy for honour (8) 17 Oscar 25 Lift sound beams (4)

ACROSS

DOWN

27 Within this irksome lord (3)

19 Insinuate I’m toilet roll?! (5)

28 Touch and go hirsute (5) 29 Some daredevil? Oh! East to West religious festival (4)

21 By means of small container without litre (3) 22 Street auto flipper (6)

31 Clever clogs is doctor of language reversed (4) 32 You shouldn’t throw stones if you live in one made of sand castle

Scan this code to re ad the explan ation of answer s to the last crossw or we featur d ed.

24 Ranji provid heart (5) 26 Aban South 30 Stuck powe (3)

PHOTOGRAPHY • PRODUCTION • PARTICIPATION

‘RUYA’ - GOVANHILL WOMEN’S PHOTOGRAPHY GROUP AN EXHIBITION BY SARAH ABASI, SYEDA SADAF ANWAR, NAJAT EL BOUHALI DIGOUG AND MORWENNA KEARSLEY, TOLD THROUGH PORTRAITURE AND STILL LIFE 2ND NOVEMBER - 3RD DECEMBER AT GALLERY 103, TRONGATE 103

‘FUTURE HISTORIES – CELEBRATING THE SCOTTISH DIASPORA’ - AJAMU PART OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH 30TH SEPTEMBER - 26TH NOVEMBER AT HILLHEAD LIBRARY, GLASGOW

FUTUREPROOF 2023 31ST OCTOBER - 9TH JANUARY AT HARBOUR ARTS CENTRE, IRVINE

‘THROUGH MY EYES’ - IAIN McLEAN & PARTICIPANTS OF THE SIMON COMMUNITY 7TH DECEMBER - 24TH DECEMBER AT GALLERY 103, TRONGATE 103

OSCAR MARZAROLI’S GORBALS A NEW PERMANENT EXHIBITION AT GORBALS LIBRARY

EXHIBITIONS • PRODUCTION FACILITIES • C OURSES • C OMMUNIT Y C OLLABORATIONS

STREET LEVEL PHOTOWORKS, TRONGATE 103, GLASGOW, G1 5HD 0141 552 2151 / streetlevelphotoworks.org / reception@streetlevelphotoworks.org Image: ‘Mint Tea’ © Najat El Bouhali Digoug

WE ARE PART OF THE PEOPLE POWERED MEDIA REVOLUTION. And we need your help.

We want to become sustainable through reader support.

If you can spare a few quick each month, that would really help.

Sign up here

To keep up with us even more regularly, follow us on social

If you run a local business, charity, social enterprise, or community group and would like to advertise in the next magazine, reaching new audiences while supporting a positive community initiative, get in touch via advertising@greatergovanhill.com