Issue 17: Hidden Lives - Greater Govanhill community magazine

HIDDEN LIVES

Letter from the Team

Dear Readers,

Hello – happy new year – and thanks for joining us in it. Hidden Lives is the theme of this issue, our first of 2025, in which we illuminate some of the thousand and one things which normally go on out of sight.

Some, like our article exploring the curated records of Radio Buena Vida DJs Barry and Marianne, we marvel at and celebrate. Others are hidden harms which need to be brought from the shadows into the light. Within you’ll find reflections on a Roma living standards report, and a series of articles contributed by women with experience of gambling harms: they’re insightful, important, illuminating.

There’s always something beneath the surface: the swan glides; her feet thrum. On birds, Alison JC Brown brings us the secret lives of Queen’s Park, from squabbling moorhens to chastened herons; less graceful, but no less fascinating. Elsewhere, our reporters explore the power of the many. Devon McCole discovers how a thousand and one pairs of feet can wear away paving stones to reveal fossils hidden within; Samar Jamal reports on collective action for Palestine. We’ve got a style icon, more stories from our streets; the sunny side of solitude, and much, much more.

In the last couple of months, with diminished days and early nights, life can feel shrunken, out of sight and even hard to reach. But the light is lasting longer and the days are getting uncovered more and more, gradually. By the time you read this, spring might well be on its way.

With warmth,

James

Editorial Assistant

A special thanks goes to our advertisers: Alcoholics Anonymous, Glasgow Film Festival, Home Energy Scotland, Link Group Limited, Merry-Go-Round, My Academic Family, Studio 70.

Want to advertise in our next issue? Email advertising@greatergovanhill.com

In a time of polarisation and division, we believe community media has the power to bring people back together. Want to support us? Become a member here:

community.greatergovanhill.com/join

Greater Govanhill Magazine received funding for this issue through GambleAware’s Improving Outcomes Fund. This fund aims to drive change within the sector to reduce the inequalities which exist relating to gambling harm for women and people from minority communities.

Cover image Community reporters photo by Zianib Ahmad

Editorial Team Devon McCole, James McAleer, Rhiannon J Davies and Samar Jamal

Creative Director Laura Hurst paperarcade.co.uk

Picture Desk Iain McLellan, Laura Vroomen

Ad Sales & Socials Mikael Phillips

Funding and Finance Dr Melissa Espinoza

Newsroom Facilities Catherine Weir

Words by

Alison JC Brown, Bruce Downie, Cat Cochrane, Devon McCole, Eva O’Donovan, Francesca Howard, Gabriel Davidson, giacinta frisillo, James McAleer, Kate Samuels, Katie Rose, Laura Vroomen, Lauren Heaney, Lindsey McLatchie, Luke Winters, Lucy Gillie, Marzanna Antoniak, Jenny Jones, Molly Adams, Paulina Gombarová, Rhiannon J Davies, Rabia, Sadia Sikander, Samar Jamal

Photos by

Alison JC Brown, Dan Butcher, Daniel Murray, Iain McLellan, John Bowden, Karen Gordon, Karen Lucas, Laura Vroomen, Miriam Ali, Rob Reid, Sadia Sikander, Syeda Sadaf Anwar, Stefan Krajcik, Stewart Campbell, Toni Bruce, Zianib Ahmad

Illustrations by Laura Wade, Olivia Juett, www.everythingdinosaur.com

Karen Gordon

I am deeply interested in people and their stories. Govanhill offers a rich tapestry of characters whose stories are often overlooked. Through my photography, I strive to elevate the individuals I capture, presenting them in a beautiful and dignified light. I believe that every person is important.

Check out her photos of crate digger Marianne on page 37

Gabriel Davidson

I’m a local artist specialising in painting, with a degree in Fine Art. I’ve lived in Govanhill for roughly five years. The area’s culture, diversity and history is a constant source of interest and inspiration. As well as painting, I dabble with other creative endeavours such as creative writing and songwriting. Read about his Isolophilia exhibition on page 29

Molly Adams

I recently graduated with a degree in sociology and criminology and a particular interest in feminist social theory, art and cinema. I’m a life-long Southside resident and I’m volunteering with the magazine to gain more journalism experience – and to be a part of an organisation that uplifts and supports the local community.

Read her interview with Govanhill Baths’ volunteer on page 11

Welcome to your Neighbourhood Yoga & Pilates Studio

We’re glad you’re here with us.

Offering Reformer Pilates, yoga, mat pilates & pregnancy classes.

We are proud of the inclusive studio that strives to welcome all folks. As a Blackfemale owned business equity, inclusion & honouring the roots of yoga is at the forefront of our values.

We can’t wait to meet you.

Want to try Reformer Pilates? Buy our intro deal 5 classes for £35

www.studio70glasgow.com/intro-offers

06

News in Brief

All the latest from around the neighbourhood

08

The Housing Struggles of Govanhill’s Roma Community “Roma people could be taken advantage of because they are silenced by the shame they feel.”

09

Style Icon: Eva Camille Harold

“Eva can be seen around the Southside, stylishly rocking handmade clothes she creates as a passionate, and rebellious act.”

10

Recipe: Celebratory Kashmiri Biryani

“In Kashmiri families, cooking is more than a task: it’s a craft passed down through generations.”

11

Volunteer Spotlight: David Baumann, Govanhill Baths Archive & Heritage

“When my mother took me out in my pram, I would point over to the Baths –even then I was keen to go inside!”

12

Stories from our Streets: Langside Road

“As a seven-year-old it seemed very exotic; cows, elephants and llamas were paraded up the road.”

13 My Life Before Govanhill: Tom van der Hurk

“I found it really strange because I didn’t really feel German. I had to become it because everybody else said I was.”

Gambling Harms Special A series produced by women who took part in our community reporter workshops

Gambling Support

Information and support for those struggling from gambling harms, including loved ones

Opening Pandora’s Box

What happened when a group of women with lived experience of gambling harm worked collectively to drive change

What I’ve Learned as a Female Gambling Addict

“Today I try to look a gambling as a toxic relationship that I never want to go back to”

Dealing with the Shame Growing up in a South Asian household affected by

The Dark Allure of Gambling and its hidden costs to lives and communities

‘Ignore Past Failures and Forge Ahead’

“Despite the setbacks I have had the most interesting and amazing life.”

of Addiction

systemic exploitation and hidden struggles of those caught in the grip of gambling

“We’re

“My

32 Behind Closed Doors

Confronting coercion and control in multigenerational homes 34

Think Before You Buy: Building an Apartheid Free Zone in Govanhill

“In Bradford you can’t be caught anywhere drinking or selling Coca-Cola” 35

Bona Parle!

“Troll in, troll in and ‘arve a vada at our dolly bijou guide-ette to the world of Polari.”

36

Sound, Soul and Stories

“A record is more than just music, it’s a physical object with history.”

38

Secret Life of Queen’s Park

“The thawing winter reveals a bustling world of birdsong, territorial dramas, and nesting waterfowl.”

Mesmerised and Ensnared

wild west of gambling

and the tricks

What’s On Round-up of upcoming events and classes

Multicultural Quiz

How to say ‘life’ in different languages

Poetry Corner

The Shadow; To the voice that said “tonight I die” By

Getting out and about Ideas for day trips in the Southside, Glasgow and beyond

Stories for Strangers International Boulevard by Luke Winters

news in brief

Citizens Theatre announces reopening act

Small Acts of Love will be the first stage production to grace the Citizens Theatre for its reopening in September 2025. The company originally moved out of its historic home in the Gorbals in June 2018 as work began on the first major redevelopment of the Category B listed building since it began life as a working theatre in 1878. Small Acts of Love is a major new work about the bonds of friendship forged between the people of Lockerbie and the American relatives in the wake of the Pan Am 103 atrocity in December 1988.

Tape Letters Scotland podcast launched

Tape Letters, a project which shines light on the practice of recording and sending messages on cassette tapes as a mode of communication by Pakistanis who migrated and settled in the UK between 1960-1980, have launched a podcast. This follows the exhibition of the project in Greater Govanhill’s Community Canvas space in Tramway. Working on the project is local sound artist, Steve Urquhart, who brings over 30 years of experience in audio production. He has produced a 4-part podcast series entitled: PLAY, REWIND, PAUSE and FAST FORWARD.

What to do if you find bed bugs

A Freedom of Information request has shown that the number of reports of bed bugs in the area has almost doubled from 2019 to 2023 – rising from 90 to 168. This corresponds to numbers of the pest skyrocketing across Scotland in recent years. Residents experiencing bed bug issues should report the issue directly to their housing association and/or GCC. You can report a public health problem like bed bugs to GCC by phoning 0141 287 1059. To find out more about bed bugs visit nhs.uk/conditions/bedbug.

Langside Library to close for refurbishment

Legal challenge over Cathkin Park fence dismissed

A Court has dismissed a second legal challenge by Gregory Brown against Glasgow City Council over the erection of a fence at Cathkin Park. Brown argued the council’s decision to permit a smaller fence, proposed by the Jimmy Johnstone Academy of Football, unlawfully restricted public access. The court upheld the council’s actions but noted future challenges could arise if public access rights are compromised.

Tenants urged to help inform Scotland’s Housing Bill

Living Rent is urging tenants to complete their survey to help gather evidence about the experiences of tenants. Evidence from the survey will be presented before parliament, in hopes that tenants’ needs are considered for the Housing (Scotland) Bill, which Living Rent fear is being “watered down” by landlords. The Bill is due for its third reading and will “cover protections for tenants, preventing homelessness and other housing matters”, according to the Scottish Parliament website. Visit the link to complete the survey: bit.ly/LivingRentSurvey

New Scots Connect map makes it easier for refugees to find help

A new interactive map launched by the Scottish Refugee Council is helping refugees across Scotland connect with vital support services. The New Scots Connect map provides refugees and asylum seekers with a clear, easy-to-navigate guide to key services such as housing, health, and legal aid. This initiative aims to reduce the barriers to accessing help and ensure that people who are new to Scotland can quickly find the support they need to settle and thrive. Access it here: bit.ly/NewScotsConnect

Langside Library will close on 1 February, with major refurbishments expected to keep the library closed until 2026. The upgrade includes full interior and exterior restoration, the installation of an accessible main entry and an increase in the number of toilets. Library-goers can access Pollokshaws and Govanhill libraries during the refurbishment period. Submissions for Govanhill International Festival & Carnival 2025 now open

Glasgow Film Festival soon to get underway

The 21st Glasgow Film Festival is about to kick off, with stars from round the world, including Jessica Lang and Glasgow’s very own James McAvoy set to make appearances at in-conversation events at the Glasgow Film Theatre. Glasgow Film’s CEO Allison Gardener sat down with us to talk about all things film. She said: “I think there’s magic in people’s stories. I think it creates empathy and it creates an understanding, even if you don’t like it, it still creates an understanding… You don’t know what’s going to happen, you don’t know that person’s life, that person’s story, that person’s magic... Try to be more open.”

So, why not try something new this festival season? For a full list of what to expect, visit glasgowfilmfest.org

Plans for the anti-racist festival that celebrates creativity and solidarity, in one of Scotland’s most diverse neighbourhoods, are well underway. The team is encouraging local groups and residents to make submissions for the 10-day festival. In the past years there’s been a variety of events, including Palestine and Roma film screenings, Jewish and Irish heritage guided tours, and loads more. For more info, visit: govanhillbaths.com/gifc

Mark Liddell

news in brief

Pavement parking fines come into place

Glasgow City Council were due to start enforcing the pavement parking ban from January 29. The change has been welcomed by many, including disability groups and those representing people with visual impairments. Fines of £100 can be issued to any driver parked on the pavement that isn’t an emergency service vehicle, waste collection vehicle, postal delivery service vehicle, or those delivering or collecting goods for up to 20 minutes. The council is still evaluating whether some streets will be exempt, including several in Govanhill. To find out which streets this includes visit bit.ly/gccparkingmap. Residents can also apply for their street to be exempt from the rules through the Glasgow City Council website.

Southside organisations among 150 to sign the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel

Over 150 Scottish cultural organisations, collectives and groups have endorsed the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), including several from the Southside. Local orgs that have signed PACBI include Govanhill Baths Community Trust, Category Is Books, Radio Buena Vida, Glasgow Zine Library, Gulabi, Gelatin Prints, Offline, Glasgow Art Map, among others. Find out more via bdsmovement.net/pacbi

New Openings

CAFE PEACHY

At the end of last year, MILK moved from its original home on Victoria Road to Cathcart Road. Soon after, Peachy Cafe moved in and opened its doors. Continuing the community sentiment of the previous tenants of 452 Victoria Road, bringing a friendly atmosphere and tasty grub. Open Mon–Fri from 10–4pm.

SHINWARI GRILL

An Afghan grill house opened its doors on 223 Allison Street, right next to Cafe NUI. Shinwari Grill serves up all the classics, from pakora to burgers and pizzas, with the usual Scottish deep-fried spin. If you fancy a light snack, why not try their fried okra? Open daily from 12–11pm.

SALTSPACE GALLERY

The Saltspace cooperative is relocating from Anderston to a new shopfront space on Albert Road in Govanhill, next to the Glasgow Zine Library. Their first show, in February 2025, will be an exhibition by Glasgow School of Art Graduate Residency artist, Tamsin MacArthur.

PLUTO Q COMMUNITY READING ROOM

Also on Albert Road (No 42-44), a new reading room is being opened soon–dedicated to creating and developing access to creation and publication for marginalised writers. The venue has multiple rooms which will be available for hire by individuals and community groups.

Join our WhatsApp community

Greater Govanhill’s new Whatsapp community keeps you up to date with the latest happenings in the neighbourhood. Avoid the morning doom scroll and get the most important news in one place. If you’re worried about a deluge of notifications, fear not! The group is more of a space to read than to chat. If you’re looking for a bit more interaction head over to our writer’s group to see our latest pitches and suggest stories of your own. To join the group scan the QR code.

We’re crunching the numbers!

Greater Govanhill is one of five projects to receive funding from Research Data Scotland’s public engagement fund. It will enable Greater Govanhill to run data journalism skills classes for local people from marginalised backgrounds. More info available soon, but if you are interested or have ideas for data stories that we should dig into, let us know: bit.ly/datagovanhill

Glasgow Cloth Nappies

THE HOUSING STRUGGLES OF GOVANHILL’S ROMA COMMUNITY

By Paulina Gombarova

Photo by Toni Bruce

Rodents in homes, broken appliances and cold showers are living conditions that have become ‘normal’ for many local Roma people.

A new report entitled Rights to Housing and the Environment: Experiences of the Roma Community in Govanhill, produced by Romano Lav and Poverty Alliance found people dealing with significant problems.

Some of the Roma residents surveyed felt constantly drained by issues with their homes, with one resident saying “our mental health is going down into depression” and another adding that they are in “constant stress because we don’t have hot water.”

These are only some examples of many similar responses from members of the community who are suffering the consequences of poor housing conditions. Many Roma families have no knowledge of their housing rights; our goal here at Romano Lav is to make sure those people know their rights.

The report, published at the end of 2024, explored housing rights and experiences of the local environment, including local parks like Govanhill Park, and how these have been impacting people’s mental or physical health. Forty-five surveys were completed by members of the Roma community from the Govanhill area.

ODHALENÍ

PROBLÉMŮ

S BYDLENÍM ROMSKÉ KOMUNITY V GOVANHILLU

Paulina Gombarová Foto: Toni Bruce

Hlodavci v domech, rozbité spotřebiče a studené sprchy - to jsou životní podmínky, které se pro mnoho místních Romů staly “normální”.

Výzkum, který provedla organizace Romano Lav a Poverty Alliance, nazvaný Práva na bydlení a životní prostředí: Zkušenosti romské komunity v Govanhillu zjistili, že lidé se potýkají s velkými problémy.

Někteří z dotázaných romských obyvatel se cítili neustále vyčerpáni problémy s domem, přičemž jeden z nich uvedl, že „naše duševní zdraví upadá do deprese“, a další dodal, že jsou „v neustálém stresu, protože nemáme teplou vodu“.

To jsou jen některé příklady z mnoha podobných reakcí členů komunity, kteří trpí důsledky špatných podmínek bydlení. Mnoho romských rodin nezná svá práva na bydlení; naším cílem v Romano Lav je zajistit, aby svá práva znalo více lidí.

A common issue mentioned in the survey responses was mice and rat infestations. People are quoted as saying: “The mice stress us; they are on our bed and clothes” and “I have to clean like a crazy person every day because of mice. We can’t get rid of them.”

An issue that was also raised was the lack of housing support and awareness of what is available, with 48% of the members reportedly knowing ‘very little or nothing’ about housing rights. The other 45% said they knew ‘a bit’ and only 7% reported that they knew ‘a lot.’ This raises concern and suggests failure on the part of a range of duty bearers to empower Roma people to name and claim their rights.

One reason that I think Roma families live hidden lives in poor housing conditions is because they are embarrassed to ask for help or advice. They are afraid that non-Roma people, or even their own community, will judge them.

The worry is that Roma people could be taken advantage of and not provided with adequate housing because they are silenced by the shame they feel.

One thing is clear from the report; the Roma community is in need of empowerment. In order to stand up for their housing rights, they need to be able to know about these rights. Afterall, knowledge equals empowerment.

Zpráva, která byla zveřejněna na konci roku 2024, zkoumala práva na bydlení a zkušenosti s místním prostředím, jako jsou místní parky, například Govanhill Park, a jak tyto zkušenosti ovlivňují duševní nebo fyzické zdraví lidí. Členové romské komunity z oblasti Govanhill vyplnili 45 dotazníků.

Problémem, který byl rovněž zmíněn, je nedostatečná podpora v oblasti bydlení a informovanost o tom, co je k dispozici, přičemž 48 % členů údajně ví „velmi málo nebo nic“ o právech na bydlení. Dalších 45 % uvedlo, že vědí „trochu“, a pouze 7 % uvedlo, že vědí „hodně“. To vzbuzuje obavy a naznačuje selhání řady povinných osob, které Romům neumožňují pojmenovat jejich práva a domáhat se jich.

Myslím, že jedním z důvodů, proč romské rodiny žijí skrytě ve špatných bytových podmínkách, je to, že se stydí požádat o pomoc nebo radu. Bojej se, že je budou odsuzovany od lidí, kteří nejsou Romové, nebo dokonce od jejich vlastní komunity.

Mám pocit, že Romové mohou být zneužíváni a není jim poskytováno odpovídající bydlení, protože jsou umlčováni studem, který pociťují, a také tím, že nevědí o svých právech.

Ze zprávy jasně vyplývá jedna věc: romská komunita potřebuje posílit své postavení. Aby se mohli postavit za svá práva na bydlení, potřebují o těchto právech vědět. Znalosti se přece rovnají posílení postavení.

Style Icon

Eva Harrold

Eva Harrold can be seen around the Southside, stylishly rocking handmade clothes she creates as a passionate, creative and rebellious act. Want to be more like her? You’re in luck. She teaches sewing to interact with the textiles industry in a way that suits individuals’ needs through inclusive workshops at her own business – Slow Stitch Studio. She’ll also repair, alter, and create for you, if you prefer. You can also find her at the Govanhill Baths’ project, Rags to Riches, where she works as their Environmental Area Connector and sewing workshop facilitator.

By giacinta frisillo

by Stefan Krajcik

Hi Eva! Tell me about what you’re wearing today.

I’m wearing a pair of grey side-tie trousers, a white shirt and a grey waistcoat on top. The trousers and waistcoat I made, and my shirt and shoes are second hand. I love my shoes –they look like bowling shoes!

Wow! You’ve made a lot of your outfit. That’s really cool. I’m building up a nice collection of my own clothing I’ve sewn and knitted, which makes me really happy.

When not making clothing yourself, where do you shop? The majority of my clothing is second-hand. I’m a big fan of the Marie Curie on Victoria Road. And Vinted!

Do you have a favourite article of clothing?

Possibly the waistcoat that I’m wearing today. I made it a few years ago when I thought I was going to try and make clothing full time. It’s really fun to have something that’s completely functional in the way I want it to be; the straps at the sides are adjustable so I can layer as many pieces underneath as I like and I like the way it kicks out at the sides. The wool is really warm, so it’s a good extra layer to have at the moment!

What or who influences your style?

I am very influenced by my friends. I’ve essentially had the same group of friends since I was in high school and it’s really fun to map how our styles change through the years! I’m also influenced by the wider circle of creatives that I know in Glasgow. There’s always a new maker to discover with their own take on a colour palette or someone making a beautiful new item that spurs on a whole outfit for me!

Have you always felt inspired and ready to express yourself through clothing?

Having a larger body, it’s definitely taken a while to get into a stride with my style. I love to see and hear body-positive individuals talking about how to take up space in the body you’re in. It’s given me so much confidence to wear what I want.

How would you describe your style?

I wear a lot of neutral colours these days and love to layer different textures and shapes, which is great when it’s cold – and practical because I’m always cold! I used to wear a lot of pattern and colour and now I’m really content with much more mellow colours and making the layering interesting.

You work at Rags to Riches and have built Slow Stitch Studio – two spaces that are all about reusing materials. Does this influence your style?

Definitely! I love to see the different fabrics that are donated at Rags to Riches. They might remind me of a piece of fabric I have at home or make me think of a garment I’m excited to make. I enjoy making up a little sample item in our beginners’ sewing class that I get to take home.

Do certain colors/textures/prints make you feel good? Leopard print! You can’t beat it for making everything a bit fun and sexy!

Fun and sexy, eh? So, who’s your style icon? Miss Piggy. She’s an utter icon.

Photo

like my grandmother used to make Celebratory Kashmiri Biryani

By Sadia Sikandar

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp of fresh minced ginger

• 3 tbsp minced garlic

• 1/2 tbsp of ground turmeric

• 2 green chillies - finely chopped

• 1 green chilli - sliced

• 3 tbsp of cumin seeds

• 2 small cinnamon sticks

• 6 cloves

• 8 black peppercorns

• 2 black cardamon pods

• 2 star anise

• 3 bay leaves

• 1 box of National Bombay biryani/ masala seasoning (you can buy this in local Asian-owned shops)

• 2 large red onions, finely chopped

• Cooking oil of your choice

• 1 tub of plain yoghurt

• 1 lemon

• 6 big tomatoes, chopped

• 2 cups of basmati rice

• 1 small chicken cut into pieces

• 4 dried prunes

• Some saffron (or the cheaper yellow/ orange powdered food colouring)

• A handful of fresh mint leaves

• A pinch of salt

In Pakistan, we often prepare biryani to mark moments of celebration, whether it is a joyful event, a milestone of success, or a wedding. It is more than just a dish; it is a symbol of festivity, togetherness and tradition. Each province adds its unique touch to the recipe.

My parents were born in Kashmir, a region where food is considered an art form. My own connection with biryani is deeply personal, rooted in the Kashmiri traditions of my family.

My mother lost her mother when she was only five years old: afterward she was lovingly raised by her aunts and uncles. They taught her the skills of running a household, including how to cook. I was fortunate to learn from her the art of making biryani, one of my favourite dishes.

In Kashmiri families, cooking is more than a task: it’s a craft passed down through generations. This biryani recipe carries the essence of my grandmother’s legacy, handed down to her children, who in turn shared it with me.

Method

1. In a large bowl, mix a few tbsp of yogurt with half a tbsp of turmeric, 1 tbsp of garlic, 1 tbsp of ginger, and the 2 chopped chilis (or less if you don’t like heat). Then add the chicken and stir to coat. Cover and leave to marinate for between 30 minutes and 2 hours before cooking. This will tenderise the meat and infuse it with flavour.

2. Add some oil to a large saucepan over a medium heat and fry the chopped onion. Once softened, add 2 tbsp of minced garlic and 2 tbsp of minced ginger.

3. Stir and, after a couple of minutes, add 1 tbsp of cumin seeds, a cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, one star anise, 4 black peppercorns, 1 cardamon pod and a couple of bay leaves.

4. Add the chopped chicken and fry, stirring until the chicken is lightly browned.

5. Add the chopped tomatoes, then some more yogurt (approximately equal to the amount of tomatoes), the prunes, and around half a pack of biryani spice mix (depending on how spicy you like it).

6. Add a squeeze of lemon and simmer on a medium heat for 20 minutes.

7. Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear, then partly cook the basmati rice (in boiling water or a rice cooker) until it’s about 50-70 percent done, making sure to add a pinch of salt to the water – and set aside. This ensures

the rice doesn’t overcook while steaming. Check the rice packaging for cooking instructions to be sure how long it will take.

8. Meanwhile, in another saucepan add some oil (until a thin layer covers the whole bottom of the pan) and toast 2 tbsp cumin seeds, a cinnamon stick, 2 cloves, 1 star anise, 4 black peppercorns, 1 black cardamon pod and 1 small bay leaf.

9. Add the partly cooked rice to the pan and stir.

10. Now add the rice directly into the pot with the chicken, mixing them together. Stir gently to combine, ensuring the rice is evenly distributed with the chicken and sauce. The rice will absorb the flavors.

11. Add the saffron or a small amount of food colouring at the end (when using powdered food colouring mix it with a small amount of water before adding to the dish) to tint the rice orange. Decorate with mint leaves, sliced green chilli and slices of lemon.

12. Cover the lid of the pot with a tight fitting lid (and/or cover with foil to prevent any steam escaping) and leave it to cook on a low to medium heat until the rice is fully cooked (around 10-20 minutes of steaming depending on the type of rice).

13. Once the cooking time is up, let the biryani rest for 10-15 minutes before opening the lid to allow the flavours to fuse together.

Volunteer Spotlight

David Baumann

Govanhill Baths Community Trust: Archive & Heritage

Ivolunteer at Govanhill Baths’ Archive & Heritage project helping to digitise the Zenith Amateur Swimming Club collection.

I was taught to swim at Govanhill Baths when I was five, but my connection to the Baths goes back to 1945. I was born at 106 Calder Street, directly across from the building. I was told that when my mother took me out in my pram, I would point over to the Baths – even then I was keen to go inside! In 1950, when I was five years old, my father arranged for me to have swimming lessons there.

He took me to join the Zenith Amateur Swimming Club which operated out of Govanhill Baths in 1956. At that time the club was focused on training and technique. David Lyall, the Zenith Coach, told us he was entering us in the Western District Amateur Swimming Associations swimming league for 13-14 year old boys.

There were five boys in the team and we were excited as this was our first competitive race. Ten clubs entered and amazingly Zenith came first. This was a major achievement; Falkirk were the firm favourites as they had Bobby McGregor on their team and six years after that he won a silver medal in the 1964 Olympics. I later completed my Scottish Amateur Swimming Association teaching certificate which allowed me to coach the B Squad. When David Lyall indicated he wished to retire, he suggested that with my organisational skills, and with the help of my colleague Robert Jackson’s coaching experience, we could take the club to a higher level – if we could obtain more training time, which we did.

I spent 25 years there until 1974 when the Zenith was forced to close by Glasgow City Council. We were informed that they wanted to form their own City of Glasgow Club and were told we had to join or we would have to cease training all together. This effectively put us out of business. The Zenith was always been run on a voluntary basis. It was a tremendous amount of work but it gave us a lot of satisfaction.

In 2001 when the council decided to close Govanhill Baths I went down to join the protest. My name was passed on to the committee because of my knowledge of the history of the Baths and this is when I started to assist with the archives. Shortly after that Paula Larkin, the Archive and Heritage manager, got in touch and I have been involved as a volunteer ever since. Next year I will have completed a further 25 years of involvement with the Baths.

Interview by Molly Adams

Portrait by Laura Vroomen

stories from our streets

LANGSIDE Road

By Bruce Downie

Photo by John Bowden

Origins & Etymology

Langside Road, named after the historic village of Langside (meaning the long hill or long field), was once much longer than it is now.

In 1888, a writer, known by the pen name Dulsie, wrote in the Glasgow Herald about a journey undertaken forty years previously from the Gorbals to Langside.

Dulsie left Glasgow via the Gorbals. Heading south on Pollokshaws Road, the road he was on branched off to the east onto what was sometimes known as the Mid-Road or Langside Road – part of which would later become known as Old Langside Road.

This road continued south and east towards the small village of Butterbiggins. Old Langside Road existed until 1929 but was built over when the Larkfield Omnibus Depot opened.

Fruitful Developments

South of Butterbiggins, the traveller emerged onto the northern part of what we consider Langside Road today, but was then occupied by the Coplawhill Nursery, a significant estate.

Coplawhill Nursery primarily grew fruits and vegetables and was renowned for developing a unique variety of the Double Scotch Rose called the Mary Queen of Scots. The nursery occupied this site from 1828 until 1862.

South of the nursery, the land surrounding Langside Road became an industrial area known as Allanton Park. Langside Road weaved a path through this area. There were several small coalpits and mine workings on both sides of the road.

Dulsie described the road beyond the coal-pits, in what is now technically Crosshill, as ‘covered in dross and full of water holes, turnings and windings, sharp angles, down and uphill in the most diversified fashion’.

Before 1859, and before turning Pathhead Farm into Queen’s Park, Queen’s Drive did not exist and Langside Road did not sweep around the hill as it does today. The Langside Road we know today only took shape in 1862, after the opening of Queen’s Park. Existing roads leading to the new park were upgraded and new infrastructure was built, opening up the area to new housing and development.

Bombs and Buildings

One of the most notable buildings to have existed on Langside Road was the Queen’s Park United Presbyterian Church, completed in 1869 and designed by famous Scottish architect Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson. This spectacular building stood until 1943, when it was hit by a German bomb.

The main entrance to the Govanhill Library is on Langside Road. The library opened in 1906 and was designed by James Rhind, who designed many district libraries in Glasgow. Steel magnate and philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie, donated money for its construction.

Another distinctive building still stands on the southern corner of Langside Road and Queen Mary Avenue. This was the Marie Stuart Hall, owned and managed by the local Masonic Lodge, and built in 1877. The faintest trace of the signage for the hall can still be seen above the second-floor windows facing Langside Road.

Your Memories of Langside Road

Isobel Bradley Boyce recalls a family story of the bombing of the church: “My parents lived at 179 Langside Road, they stayed one floor above my uncle and grandmother. The story goes that my gran came home from Darvel after being evacuated from Govan – with my dad and his wee brother – the night the church was bombed! My uncle, who was 16, had to go up on the tenement roof beside the church to remove the incendiary bombs which fell during the raid.”

Pauline Farquhar remembers the circus coming to town: “I lived at 346 Langside Road and I could watch the circus procession passing the top of the road when they came to town.

As a seven-year-old it seemed very exotic; cows, elephants and llamas were paraded up the road. Then, to me and my wee sister’s delight, the ring master on stilts came down the road waving up to us… then bent double and went into the Albert Bar for a drink. This shattered my illusion of him being a magical creature.”

My Life Before Govanhill

TOM VAN DEN HURK

Interview by Marzanna Antoniak

Photo by Daniel Murray

Where are your roots?

I was born and raised in an industrial area in Germany called the Ruhr but my ancestry is very multicultural: Polish, Dutch, Jewish and German. I grew up in a tenement in a predominantly Turkish neighbourhood very similar to Govanhill. I loved living there. It was a very busy and vibrant area with lots of Turkish shops and cafes.

What about your education?

In my secondary school there were 30 kids in my class and I think we had about 20 different nationalities. That introduced me to so many ways of thinking and seeing the world. I would be going to my friends’ homes and eating food from Ghana, India, Poland and elsewhere. I remember I once went to my Indian friend’s home, the night before I watched a documentary where they said that it was rude in India to say ‘no’ if someone offers you food. My friend’s mum made spaghetti bolognese (which isn’t very Indian) and I was struggling with how spicy it was. She found it really bland and wanted to add more spices. I thought I had to say ‘yes’ to everything, so I did.

How did you end up in Scotland?

One of my school friends had family in Glasgow and when I was 15 I visited them here. I instantly fell in love with the city. Glaswegians are really warm-hearted and welcoming. People were curious about my background. Although I went to a multilingual high school, I couldn’t fully understand what Scottish people were saying, but they were singing to me and joking – and I could understand that. I eventually moved to Scotland aged 18. At first I lived in Edinburgh but my dream was to move to Glasgow and to study filmmaking, so I did.

What about your working life?

After graduating from the School of Audio and Engineering Creative Media Institute in Glasgow, I made films. I’ve worked in all areas of the film industry including on really big productions, which I didn’t enjoy. Eventually I settled on documentaries. Real people and their stories were what really interested me. I did film-making and drama workshops with vulnerable youth and adults. I did it because I needed money but I quickly discovered I loved doing it. When you work with communities you get

so much out of it and film is such a fantastic way to get people to rediscover the world around them.

Although I was gaining recognition for my work, including receiving some awards, I wanted a completely different challenge in life. I’ve been passionate about ancient history all my life and always wanted to become a historian. Brexit made me question a lot of things, and it was at that time I decided to fulfil my other dream and enrol into university. I graduated last year and soon after I started teaching antiquity at the University of Glasgow.

Do you feel connected to your cultural roots?

Growing up I had a difficult relationship with being German. Most of my friends were from other cultures, so I didn’t really understand what it was to be German. That was really messy. At that time it was still very shameful to be German because of our history. I have a Dutch surname and citizenship, so I’d always say I’m Dutch. Then I moved to Scotland and I was German. I found it really strange because I didn’t really feel German. I had to become it because everybody else said I was. Now I feel like a German living in Scotland, but when I go back to Germany I feel Scottish. I appreciate when people are direct, but sometimes when I deal with people from Central Europe I’m shocked by how direct they can be because I’m not used to it any longer.

I remember when I first moved to Scotland and someone at work said to me: ‘Tom, would you like to go and clean the toilet?’ and I said ‘no’ because I didn’t really want to do it. I didn’t understand that they were actually telling me, not asking.

How do you feel in Govanhill?

In 2021 I moved in with my partner in Govanhill. I instantly liked it because it reminded me a lot of where I grew up. We lived just off Victoria Road and it was such a bustling place. We had really lovely Pakistani neighbours there and even though we live in a different part of Govanhill now, they still come and bring us food sometimes.

Govanhill gets a really bad reputation sometimes but I feel safe here. There is such a strong sense of community. It’s not just culturally diverse; the area is diverse in terms of education, socio-economic status, lifestyles, experiences, and interests. In Govanhill people embrace their differences whereas people living elsewhere might try to hide it.

The Ruhr

Gambling Support

Are you or a loved one struggling with gambling? There are plenty of support options out there who can help.

GAMBLEAWARE

GambleAware is a charity focused on reducing gambling-related harms. They offer services to support those affected by gambling, including tools for selfassessment and resources for managing gambling habits. They also provide connections to local support and guidance for professionals who work with people experiencing gambling-related issues. gambleaware.org

GAMCARE

GamCare runs the National Gambling Hotline where they support both people suffering from gambling addiction as well as people whose loved one may have a problem. You can contact them in several ways, whether that’s a phone call, through Whatsapp or by joining a group chat with people in a similar situation as you. gamcare.org.uk | 0808 8020 133

RCA TRUST

If you are concerned about your own gambling or the gambling of a loved one, RCA Trust is the main support provider for gambling-related harms in Scotland. Working in partnership with GamCare and part of the National Gambling Support Network, they also offer group meetings, counselling, and access to specific help. 0141 887 0880 email: info@rcatrust.org.uk

THE SCOTTISH GAMBLING EDUCATION HUB

Their mission is for every young person in Scotland to have access to gambling education and prevention opportunities. They support young people’s health and wellbeing by promoting awareness of gambling harms through training, peer education, peer theatre, our network and more. gamblingeducationhub.fastforward.org.uk

GAMFAM

GamFam is a registered charity set up by those who have experienced first-hand the devastating effects that gambling can have on family and friends. They offer peer support, advice and programmes for families, parents and gamblers themselves. gamfam.org.uk

GAMSTOP

This is a free tool that enables people who live in the UK to exclude themselves from all licensed gambling websites and apps. You can choose how long to exclude for and once registered, you cannot remove the exclusion until the minimum period chosen has been reached. gamstop.co.uk

MULTI-OPERATOR SELF-EXCLUSION SCHEME

Launched in 2016, MOSES is a free service for users who want to control their gambling by choosing to self-exclude from multiple land-based bookmakers –meaning you can ask a gambling operator to exclude you from gambling with them for a set length of time. Responsibility for sticking with this lies with you, but you can expect the operator to do all they reasonably can to prevent you from gambling.

self-exclusion.co.uk

STEPCHANGE DEBT CHARITY SCOTLAND

Get free, confidential and impartial advice on money and debt problems from this independent service. There is a ton of information about debt on their website and they operate a Monday–Saturday helpline for anyone struggling with debt problems, including if this relates to gambling problems.

stepchange.org | 0800 138 1111

GLASGOW CITY GAMBLING HARMS

This project aims: to connect people in Glasgow who are suffering harms from their own or somebody else’s gambling towards sources of support; to raise awareness of gambling harms as a serious public health issue; to provide some basic advice and materials to frontline workers who support Glasgow citizens; to offer an overview of work being done in Glasgow to reduce gambling harms; to challenge stigma associated with gambling harms. glasgowcitygamblingharms.org

GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS SCOTLAND

Gamblers Anonymous is a free-to-join fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other so that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from a gambling addiction. The only requirement is a desire to stop gambling. They have regular meetings in Toryglen, the Gorbals and Shawlands. gascotland.org | 0370 050 8881

CITIZENS ADVICE SCOTLAND

From 2022-2025, Citizens Advice Scotland are offering free training to different organisations on identifying and supporting people affected by gambling harms and how to be an advocate for your community. If you want to find out how you or your community can get involved, email them with any questions. gamblingsupport@scottishcabs.org.uk

SAMARITANS

Confidential emotional support for anyone in crisis. This can be if you are suffering with gambling harms or if you are struggling with a loved one’s addiction. Call them for free 24/7 or head to their website for resources. samaritans.org.uk | 116 123

OPENING PANDORA’S BOX

What happened when a group of women with lived experience of gambling harms worked collectively to drive change

By Rhiannon J Davies

On a chilly September evening, ten women walked into The Community Newsroom for the first time. Ranging in age from their 20s to 70s, they came from diverse backgrounds and heritages, but they shared one connection: their lives had been affected by gambling. For some, it was their own struggles; for others, it was the impact of a loved one’s addiction.

Gambling harm is an issue we’ve explored before, including a 2023 investigation into the proliferation of betting shops on local high streets and the hidden costs of gambling. The more we looked, the more stories we uncovered.

With funding from GambleAware’s Improving Outcomes Fund – which aims to ‘drive change within the sector to reduce the inequalities which exist relating to gambling harm for women and people from minority communities’ – we developed a community reporter training program to amplify the voices of those directly affected.

Participants learned storytelling techniques, conducted interviews, factchecked and created videos. Alongside journalism training, we introduced participatory action research, enabling participants to analyse how power dynamics shape individuals’ experiences of gambling and to identify solutions in their communities.

The women’s advocacy efforts ranged from raising awareness in schools to encouraging GPs to address gambling in mental health assessments and tackling stigma in South Asian communities. Many described the program as transformative, finding the confidence to share long-hidden stories.

And it didn’t stop there. Participants appeared on STV, attended roundtable discussions and collaborated on a gambling awareness website.

These remarkable women are pushing for systemic change and reshaping how gambling harm is understood – one story, one action, one community at a time.

We’ll run a second iteration of this course later this year. Express interest here: bit.ly/GHgambling.

All illustrations in this series by Olivia Juett

What I’ve Learned as a FemaLe Gambling Addict

By Cat Cochrane

to play the Irish Lottery and then to lay bets on horses and football.

By the time online betting arrived, I was more settled in Glasgow, had a steady job and enough disposable income to choose what to fritter

During Covid, my gambling behaviour accelerated totally out of control. Compulsive gambling requires time, access and money and I found myself in the perfect storm of having all of these – or the first two anyway – as the money I had from work and savings dwindled away.

documentary, Gambling and Me that despite past addictions to alcohol and cocaine, “by far the most destructive and the only one I’m struggling with today is gambling.”

I can identify with that.

At 19, I had an addiction to amphetamines, and have leaned heavily on alcohol at various stages of my life. I kicked the speed in time, out of both necessity and lack of access and I’m at a point where I can leave alcohol just as much as I can take it. It's my gambling addiction that’s had me tightest in its grip.

My first memory of gambling was popping into the local bookies on Grand National day aged 18 to lay an each-way bet for me and my mum. There was no way she’d ever step into the male domain of a ‘turf accountants’. In those days smoking was allowed in bookie shops and they certainly didn’t provide a female toilet. It was a man’s world, but I still recall the buzz of placing a potential winner and the desire to come back to collect my winnings after the race. It was like the die was cast.

I travelled and worked around the world during my 20s in a carefree,

Today I try To look at gambling as a Toxic relationship that I never want To go back To

I gambled in isolation and would tell my partner tall stories avoiding

September 2021 when I had to come

Within a week I walked into my first Gamblers Anonymous meeting. Here

women?’ I knew for a fact I wasn’t the only female gambling addict in the

After eight months of attending Gamblers Anonymous, I was still gambling and I hit my rock bottom when I lost £600 in ten minutes in a city centre casino at

That night I googled treatment

through a flood of shame and tears. Within a couple of months I was on a six-week residential rehab course in Birmingham (the only one for women across the UK). Weirdly I absolutely

up every ounce of advice from the therapist team alongside the wisdom of the other ladies, there for the same

Orwell’s novel 1984 that reads ‘… football, beer, and above all, gambling, filled up the horizon of

three years since rehab and the only way I can stay away from a bet is by filling my willpower bank through support groups and being creative and staying healthy.

WDealing with the shame Growing up in a South Asian household affected by gambling harms

By Aisha*

ithin South Asian culture, gambling has always been a taboo subject. If you are from a Muslim family it’s even more unheard of. Just as with alcohol and drugs, it is prohibited in the Qur’an.

From as young as five years old, I remember how gambling affected me. On our first family holiday, in 2005, we drove down to Blackpool

to Ginesi’s on Victoria Road. But just before that, there was always a quick stop at Coral bookies opposite. Those places became so linked in my mind, that I remember asking him to get an ice cream another

the taboo of gambling within [my] culture means my family still can’t get the support they need

nearest bookies – often forgetting to pick us back up after the session finished.

Eid celebrations would involve my dad booking us cinema tickets, and showing us into the theatre, for him to then sit in the car and gamble while we would wait for him to return. When going for ice cream, he would leave us in the car and go

was followed by a large loss. It was like we could celebrate the win, but we all really felt the loss. It not only impacted my sisters and I, but really affected my mother. She would stop engaging with us for days.

I remember growing up, with money and nice clothes, and sometimes a sudden dark cloud was over us. My mum wouldn’t leave her

room and my dad was out of work – applying for jobs such as delivery driving. We’d go from being well off to dealing with harder times. It was always from one extreme to another and was never consistent.

The taboo of gambling within South Asian culture means my family still can’t get the support they need. Anytime I have suggested to my mum to get some gambling counselling, it is shot down due to worries around stigma and shame. Even nearly 20 years on, from when I remember this being an issue within my family, it is still there.

As for my dad, I think the taboo affects him too. It’s like it’s easier to just continue than accept it or seek

There’s plenty of other instances I could recall of gambling taking over our lives, but some are too painful to share. If there’s one thing I would ask you as a reader to take away from this, it would be that anyone can be impacted by gambling, but

THE DARK ALLURE OF GAMBLING and its hidden costs to lives and communities

By Jenny Jones

Most towns and communities are affected by a hidden harm, a well-kept secret that damages society, hidden behind a cloak of mystery.

It leads us into a fantasy world of fun and pleasure. We are enticed into this harm with promises of life-changing experiences, untold wealth, and a luxurious lifestyle.

A harm that is endorsed by celebrities, sporting heroes, charities, even governments. But behind these promises of a better life is a danger that sucks us in, possesses us, and lures us into a life of misery and angst.

What is this harm? Gambling.

Gambling is one of the most insidious human vices as it gives us the impression there's easy money to be had. However, it can lead to financial hardship and other problems that have a far-reaching effect on our lives and the lives of others. While it provides pleasure in moderation, the brutal truth is it also causes so much harm and destruction.

The fallout from gambling disorders is often unknown to the general public. Gambling can be a secretive activity and information gathered from healthcare professionals, charities, and other agencies is not always shared or reported. Easy access to gambling sites through online and mobile platforms has increased the likelihood of people suffering from gambling harm.

Gambling addiction is now recognised as a mental health disorder and contributes to suicidal harm and behaviours that fall out of societal norms.

Who is more susceptible to gambling harm?

There seems to be a prevalence of gambling harm among young men aged 18-24, who are also the highest group to report suicidal thoughts, attempts, and account for a number of actual suicides.

The amount of children gambling has increased. Some people think that games that give rewards might lead to addictions and the possibility of developing gambling disorders in adulthood.

Demographics, geography, social and cultural backgrounds also contribute to gambling harms. Deprived communities, where people can face poor physical and mental health, low life expectancy, low self-worth, and limited opportunities are more likely to experience the consequence of gambling disorders. However, even high-profile sports people, celebrities, and wealthy individuals have experienced gamblingrelated issues.

Is there a difference between men and women’s gambling?

Women’s reasons for gambling can be complex and varied. They may use it as an escape from isolation, financial restrictions, health issues, difficult personal relationships, or domestic abuse, extra childcare and caring responsibilities.

Women who have experienced childhood trauma through ill treatment, sexual abuse or homelessness are particularly vulnerable to gambling harm and secondary addictions.

Bingo is particularly popular among women and is the only gambling activity where they outnumber men. The gap between men and women's gambling overall has decreased as gambling online has become more popular. Women often choose online gambling because of its accessibility, anonymity, and reduced stigma compared to traditional methods used by men. It can be done in private and in a safe environment. Many online platforms specifically target women with advertising that promotes colours and site layouts, free gifts and social chat rooms that appeal specifically to women. Continuous slot games with high frequency, high rewards and high variability have been found to be addictive due to the instant gratification experienced.

Women tend not to frequent bookies as there is a stigma associated with these male-dominated establishments. Bookies can be a hostile, unfriendly, dangerous and an intimidating environment for women.

Men’s experience of gambling

On the other hand, men often gamble as a social activity. They attend more live sporting events and are more likely to gamble at bookies, casinos and online. Men also exhibit riskier gambling behaviours due to the fact they may have less coping mechanisms and higher sensation-seeking traits. Statistically men are more likely to go bankrupt or engage in criminal activities and money laundering.

Looking forward

I have been affected by gambling harm indirectly as a child and directly as an adult. I welcome the chance to tell my story and to reiterate that my gambling history isn't the only thing that defines who I am. I have used my strength of character and my determined doggedness to achieve things that I aspire to be and to do. It has not been easy and I have succumbed to temptation at times. I am proud of myself and of the person I have become and look forward to enjoying a happy and fruitful life.

‘IGNORE PAST FAILURES AND FORGE AHEAD’

Iam a 72-year-old cockney and I have a similar story to a lot of the women who have lived experience of gambling harm. But I wanted to tell you about the person I am and not about the person the word addict defines.

Even at my lowest ebb, a little bit of my personality and the characteristics that people love and admire about me would poke their heads above the chaos of my gambling life. I have slowly managed to undo some of the harm caused by my gambling.

Despite the setbacks I have had the most interesting, varied and amazing life. I have visited 39 countries – usually with a backpack, a few pennies and not much else. All you need is to be stoic, kind and have an open heart to all the people you meet on the way.

Another way of finding an alternative to gambling was by getting involved in community projects. I love diversity so it isn't unusual for me to be seen locally at a queer life drawing class or popping into the queer bookshop (Category Is Books) or the Glasgow Zine Library.

Victoria Road is special to me because of the cultural mix resulting in amazing cafes and restaurants. One of the most interesting things I have taken part in was at MILK cafe (a social enterprise supporting refugee and migrant women), where I attended a Romani cooking class. I experienced such joy –not only did I learn how to cook Romani food, but I was told the history of the Roma people and learnt a few Romani sentences whilst enjoying the delicious food.

Lately, I have also helped develop the website Aila for the homeless charity, Simon Community Scotland.

By Jenny Jones

It is aimed at women gamblers and those affected by gambling harm. It contains information on how to get help and allows them to connect with others and not to feel alone. I have also contributed to the website with several poems and I made an artwork called Hiding Behind My Mask. I am proud to say that it now has a permanent place In Edinburgh's Streetreads library –a place which offers a safe reading environment and practical help to the homeless.

I am also taking part in GALLANT, a project led by the University of Glasgow and funded by the Natural Environment Research Council focusing on biodiversity, active travel, addressing flood risk and sustainable energy. At the Hidden Gardens I have been helping to find out the best ways to make compost. I collect data by taking the temperature and PH levels and generally record any changes happening.

In my darkest moments, gambling has taken over my life. But despite that I don't restrict myself and have had many exciting experiences – including taking part in Trust Me, I’m A Doctor with the recently departed Dr Micheal Mosley (no I didn't appear naked!). I even went on Fifteen To One and finished fifth which I am quite proud of. During my travels, I was an extra in two films; one in South Africa and one in India. Life can be all about being in the right place at the right time.

By embracing these opportunities

SEEDS ADDICTION OF

By Eva O’Donovan

Gambling harms thrive in plain sight, especially in less affluent communities like Govanhill. With bookmakers on every corner and addictive mechanics embedded in video games, the seeds of addiction are planted early, often in the lives of vulnerable young people. Eva O’Donovan unpacks the systemic exploitation and the hidden struggles of those caught in its grip, shedding light on the urgent need for change.

As a local of Govanhill, gambling feels omnipresent. With four bookmakers within walking distance of one another and flashing puggie machines dwelling in corners of pubs, temptation is never far away. This is not an issue unique to Govanhill – it’s a pattern found in less affluent areas across Scotland, creating an ecosystem designed to exploit people who are often already struggling financially.

For young people already showing early signs of gambling addiction, this environment can easily fuel their habits and escalate into a fullscale problem.

Why do these businesses target areas like this? The answer is as stark as it is simple: they know they’ll find a vulnerable customer base. Gambling companies profit most not from casual players but from problem gamblers –those who lose more than they can afford to and who return time and again, chasing the hope of a better outcome.

What I learned researching gambling

When I started my research on gambling addiction for this magazine, I approached the topic with curiosity. Gambling was always there in the background of my community – the flashing signs of bookies, the clatter of coins in slot machines, but it wasn’t something I had experienced personally. I wanted to know what draws people in. Is it the thrill of a lottery ticket?

The suspense of a last-minute football goal turning a small bet into a big win? The sound of your numbers being called in the bingo hall?

What I quickly realised was that gambling is far more than a simple game of chance. It’s a complex interplay of psychology, economics, and culture – a perfect storm of factors designed to hook people and keep them coming back. My journey into this topic uncovered stories I had never expected, many of them from the people I grew up with.

The seeds of addiction: gambling starts young

During my research, I spoke to people from my community, some of whom had been gambling since their teenage years – something I had never known about until now. They told me stories of how their gambling started innocently, often with something as seemingly harmless as FIFA collector cards.

These digital cards, sold in the popular video game FIFA (Now EA Sports), allow players to spend real money for a chance to unlock better players for their teams. The excitement of the lottery of a digital pack is strikingly similar to gambling. In fact, in 2020 two Parisian lawyers argued that these mechanics should be classified as a form of gambling and filed a lawsuit against EA – claiming they are exposing children to addictive behaviours long before they’re old enough to set foot in a betting shop.

For some, what began as an innocent thrill, escalated. By adulthood, this behaviour had transformed into a compulsive need. One friend admitted he often bet on football games he didn’t even care about, just so he’d have a reason to watch at the pub with a vested interest. With football interwoven into Glaswegian society I was not surprised to hear that friends of mine had lost thousands over the years.

The lure of the algorithm

The more I researched, the more I noticed how gambling companies target people like me. My internet searches for ‘gambling support’ and ‘Gamble Aware’ quickly triggered a flood of targeted advertisements. Suddenly, my screen was filled with offers for free bets and enticing odds – 30/1 on a football game, deals that seemed too good to be true (and, of course, were).

I’m not a gambler, yet I found myself momentarily swayed by the thrill of those odds. It made me aware of just how easily someone who is more susceptible could be drawn in. The advertisements, the bright lights of the arcades, the glaring windows of the bookies, the constant bombardment of promises – it all feels calculated to keep people hooked.

Sense of control

I spoke to Michael*, who works in a bookies and is also an active gambler. He described gambling as less about the money and more about the fleeting sense of control it gave him.

His words stuck with me. They highlighted how gambling preys on human vulnerability – on our need for excitement, distraction, or a sense of agency in an unpredictable world. For many, that fleeting sense of control comes at a devastating cost.

Female gamblers:

The hidden struggle

One area of gambling harm that remains vastly underrepresented is the experience of female gamblers. While much of the narrative focuses on men in betting shops, the reality is that gambling addiction affects women too – often in ways that are even more hidden. Whilst researching this topic, I found plenty of men to talk to. But finding women outwith my group who wanted to share their experience was difficult. There is a real stigma around female gambling.

I worked with female gamblers who spoke candidly about the unique challenges they faced. They described how difficult it was to find support or connect with others who shared their experiences, even though they knew other women like them were out there. Several women shared how they had attempted to attend Gamblers Anonymous meetings, only to find they were the only woman in the meeting.

Working alongside the women at Greater Govanhill, I learned that the UK has only one residential gambling support centre for women. This shocking scarcity of resources shows how female gambling continues to be overlooked, despite its prevalence. Women often face compound triggers for gambling – coping with emotional stress, financial hardship, or trauma – yet the support systems available rarely reflect these nuances.

Their stories highlighted a glaring gap in the conversation about gambling harm. For these women, finding a space where they can safely share their experiences and seek help feels like an uphill battle. Their journeys underscore the urgent need for more inclusive resources and greater awareness of how gambling addiction impacts women differently.

A glimmer of hope

Despite the bleakness of what I uncovered, there was one source of light in my journey: the Greater Govanhill newsroom. Surrounded by nine strong women with a shared goal of tackling gambling harms, I felt inspired by their commitment to raising awareness and advocating for change.

What began as a part-time research project became a lesson in human vulnerability. I saw how easily people can be drawn into the illusion of control when life feels uncertain. But I also saw the resilience of those willing to confront this issue head-on, from grassroots activists to those bravely sharing their stories.

*names have been changed

ELEVATING CHILDREN’S RIGHTS in the fight against gambling harms

Children are the hidden victims of gambling addiction, often bearing scars that go unnoticed. It’s time to recognise the harm, uphold their rights, and demand meaningful action.

By Lindsey McLatchie

We all know how important protecting children from harm is so why does the impact of gambling harm go unheard?

Most people have a strong reaction when we talk about the need to protect infants and children from alcohol and substance misuse. Where is the same appetite for child protection when it comes gambling?

Research confirms that for every one person experiencing gambling addiction there are six more people being negatively impacted by their behaviour.

In Scotland, a national health study now happens every year which asks lots of questions on people’s health, wellbeing and locality and this helps to drive forward policy and decision making for the government. In recent years it has included questions on Adverse Childhood Experiences which explain how:

‘growing up with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) – such as abuse, neglect, community violence, homelessness or living with adults experiencing mental health issues or harmful alcohol or drug use – can have a longlasting effect on our lives’.

In July 2024, the Scottish Government ratified legislation to embed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). This protects and upholds the inalienable rights that every child in Scotland has and places the onus on adults and families supporting children to understand and exercise these rights.

But what do they mean for children and young people who are experiencing gambling harms from a parent or guardian?

Speaking about how gambling may impede upon children’s rights, James Docherty, a leading voice on ACES and Project Manager at the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit and Advisor to Community Justice Scotland confirms:

“It’s a form of neglect – as meeting the need for the addiction is more important than meeting the developmental, emotional and psychological needs of the child.”

I have my own lived experience of gambling harms, and it’s only now in my 40s that I’m opening Pandora’s box to start to sort through some of the memories that I thought were typical of my childhood. Now, speaking with others through this course, I know that I am not alone.

I never gave any thought to having a sandwich of meat paste on plain bread for my dinner every night or having to wear ripped, worn and ill-fitting clothes because all our money went to feed dad’s gambling addiction. The habits of this still linger and to this day I still regularly will choose a sandwich for dinner, but I’ve never eaten plain bread again.

Childhood Memories

I’m seven years old and really excited to finally spend some time with my dad. I haven’t seen much of him lately so it’s a real treat for him to surprise me with a mystery trip just for us. I don’t know where we are heading to as I get into the car and it doesn’t matter; he’s made time for me.

Time flies with laughter and storytelling and before I know it, we have arrived at a 24hr snack van. It’s his treat and we’re both getting a hot dog and I get to order for us. I notice it’s still quite wet out from the earlier rain as my bare feet splash onto the ground. I mind to lift my long My Little Pony nightdress up to stop the hem getting wet as it’s all I have on as I head to the counter.

I can’t see over the counter, but I place the order, and I’m asked what I’m doing out so late. I can see the wall clock has gone 2am. Before I can answer, my dad has joined us to pay and tells me to go and play in the car park. It’s one of my dad’s favourite places, the snack bar next to the Shawfield Greyhound Stadium.

He comes over with our food and shares his stories about his favourite greyhounds. I have favourites too, but it’s based on their names, not how much money my dad makes off them.

Dad picked tonight for the mystery trip to share his good news that he made lots of money with his bets earlier that day; he couldn’t sleep with excitement and wanted to celebrate with a hot dog at the winning venue to relive the winning feelings. It doesn’t matter that it’s a school night.

Now as an adult writing this, it’s horrifying to think about so many red flags. Addiction is addiction, but compared to substance abuse, there is so little out there on the impact of gambling harms on the children and young people affected by a close family member’s gambling addiction.

I was regularly left outside betting shops for hours, waiting on my dad, as he had forgotten about me. I know what it feels like to have your bedroom riffled through during a police raid as my dad had resorted to hiding stolen property in our house for cash to spend on gambling.

If these rights had been there for me, would things have been different? Would I have experienced less harm and more support to process these horrific experiences? Of course, I’ll never know. I

do know that it has created a strong, resilient and compassionate woman who wants to use her voice to highlight these hidden harms and ask the government and organisations to build a picture of this issue so that meaningful action can be taken to reduce the harm for this generation and the next.

According to James Docherty: “This is about children rights and can’t be swept under the carpet. (The) harms associated with gambling are unbelievable… Social media and government need to be held accountable as they are stealing away children’s rights”

We can’t begin to have meaningful conversations and explore education, support and treatment options for all members of the family until we understand and quantify

the harms and impact on the children and young people that gambling behaviours of a close family member causes. To do this, we first need to raise awareness of just how pervasive and destructive the legal addiction can be.

It is time to level the playing field in addiction support and elevate gambling harms in line with substance misuse and alcohol. As all addiction is a pursuit of a behaviour but the bulk of funding programmes being directed at the latter, gambling addiction is often left behind or more often omitted.

From my research in writing this article, I approached key children and youth poverty organisations to hear their thoughts on this issue and repeatedly heard that they didn’t have any information on the subject.

The absence of data on emerging needs can take time to uncover and I have asked myself whether these organisations are unwittingly not data-gathering. However, the rights are now legislation, and you can only collect this information if you are asking the right questions.

The harm is visible to those who have grown up through it and we are now asking for action.

What are the key articles in the UNCRC?

No. 12: you have the right to give your opinion and for adults to listen and take it seriously

No. 19: you have the right to be protected from being hurt or mistreated in body or mind

No. 27: you have the right to food, clothing, a safe place to live and to have your basic needs meet.

MESMERISED AND ENSNARED

The wild west of gambling advertising

By Rabia

Isat down one cold winter evening looking forward to a quiet night in watching TV. Instead, I found myself captivated by a torrent of gambling adverts. They were relentless: mesmerising flashes of light, vibrant outfits, elated young people enacting energetic moves dominated every commercial break.

If, as a non-gambler, I could feel overwhelmed, this must surely have a powerful triggering effect on those struggling to resist the seductive allure of such enticing ads.

I spoke to Cat Cochrane, who has been in gambling recovery for over two years. Cat has strong feelings about the pressures of advertising:

“I’ve got to the point where I don’t watch commercial TV channels due to the amount of advertising found on programmes and films. There isn’t any given day when a gambling ad doesn’t pop up… Even if someone is in a good place in their recovery, TV gambling ads could still trigger something. There are no trigger warnings and they can be seen early afternoons through to night, seven days a week.”

The

reality of gambling adverts on TV

Subsequently, I undertook a random three-hour survey of all gambling adverts during every commercial break between approximately 9.15pm and 12.15am. I was appalled; I counted 24 adverts in that relatively short time; at least two were aired in every commercial break. After 11pm, as many as four gambling adverts were aired during each break.

The intensity of gambling adverts flooding our TV screens is inescapable with ads even being aired early in the mornings. The reality of gambling advertising, I discovered, was even worse than I had anticipated.

The policy

The Gambling Act 2005 removed previous restrictions on advertising

Relentless and insidious marketing tactics are drawing people into the grip of gambling addiction, with devastating impacts on vulnerable individuals.

for many gambling products. Britain is now at a crossroads where gambling ads are proliferating on an exponential scale – threatening to potentially overwhelm the cultural and societal direction of the current youth and severely impact upon future generations’ wealth and mental health. Pandora’s box is wide open.

Meanwhile Gamble Aware and Ipsos data revealed that 67 percent of the public feel there is currently too much advertising related to gambling, and over 70 percent indicated a preference for more regulations on both social media and TV adverts.

How big a problem is it?

On a worldwide scale, a report by the Lancet Public Health Commission on gambling published in 2024 found that 46.2 percent of adults and 17.9 percent of adolescents had participated in any form of gambling within the previous year, while 5.5 percent of women and 11.9 percent of men experience some form of gambling harm.

The conflation of gambling with gaming has lit a fuse with the expansion in online gambling superseding other forms. Social media is also a major issue with 16 percent of adults admitting to following or interacting with gambling companies on any social media or video sharing platform, most commonly Facebook.

Why does it matter?

While some may see gambling as a harmless diversion away from the humdrum and stresses of daily living, the problem is not gambling per se but ‘problem gambling’. A significant subset of all gamblers experience gambling harms. Males are more likely to feature among this subset as are those who engage in multiple gambling activities, gamble late at night, those with mental health issues and people with the highest gambling expenditure.

The most recent Gambling Commission Report from July 2024 indicates that as many as 1.3 million people in the UK could have a gambling problem. While 2.8 percent of those who have gambled in the previous 12 months have experienced harms. These can include harms not only directly through financial loss but domestic violence, breakdown in relationships and crime.

Costs associated with problematic gambling in the UK are estimated at around £1.4 billion, but this does not take into account secondary knock-on effects through impact on family or society. The Department of Health has found that there are possibly between 117 and 496 suicides related to gambling each year in England alone.

This is only the tip of the iceberg and could potentially lead to seismic changes to the trajectory of our society. The consequences are yet to be fully realised.

Who regulates advertising?

It is Ofcom who ‘considers complaints about the content of programmes, including trailers for a broadcaster’s own programmes and programme sponsorship credits… and also sets rules related to the identification, amount and placements of adverts around programmes’. The gambling industry selfregulates through UK Advertising Codes issued by the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) and administered by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). But it also funds the ASA/CAP – the bodies responsible for its regulation.

The Culture, Media and Sport Committee found that this suggests a conflict of interest relative to restrictions and bans on gambling marketing practices which may negatively impact the funders themselves and is of concern.

Why do gambling adverts continue to proliferate?

Several reviews have assessed the impact of product and brand advertising and gambling marketing on behaviours. Collectively, they have suggested that exposure to gambling advertising and marketing positively correlates with gambling behaviour; there is evidence of a dose–response relationship and that exposure to marketing promotes high-risk gambling behaviours.

So why is more not done in the UK to protect the current and future generations from this looming public health crisis? Well, there is big money in gambling. The total annual gross gambling yield of the UK gambling industry from April 2023-March 2024) was a staggering £15.6 billion.

The UK government’s purported aim ‘to balance gambling harms with commercial freedoms’ is pivotal to the relative absence of statutory regulation. Advertising is not being curbed on the basis of the Gambling Industry’s claims that a direct and causal connection between gambling and marketing) has not been substantiated.

According to the Lancet report, the gambling industry’s symbiosis with the sporting industry has created a powerful juggernaut in the ‘commercial gambling ecosystem’. Once you learn that gambling companies spend millions upon millions on hospitality, and nine MPs are reported to have accepted free Euro 2020 tickets from gambling companies, the tactics deployed by the gambling industry seem self-evident.

No surprise then that despite the UK having the strongest volume of evidence underpinning the contrary, marketing restrictions are generally less strict than within some of our neighbours.

Final thoughts

It feels like we are teetering on the brink of a Public Health crisis; a tsunami wave of gambling harms is rising to a swell before our eyes.

As Zoe Osmond, CEO of GambleAware said: “Do we remain passive onlookers during the onslaught of a gambling pandemic which sows seeds of harm in its wake, with a predilection for the more vulnerable strata of society?”

Or do we act?

All is not yet lost. Will Prochaska, director of the Coalition to End Gambling Ads (CEGA) said:

“The WHO recently came out in support of ending all gambling advertising, and the leading public health institutions in the UK have chosen to join the Coalition to End Gambling Ads – so there can be no question that if the government wants to take a public health approach to gambling, they will need to restrict gambling ads… We all need to work together to send a clear message to the government that communities want an end to gambling ads as a way to reduce gambling harm,”

GAMBLING MARKETING SPEND BREAKDOWN

If you want to take an active part, head to CEGA’s website where you can find further information and join this call to action by writing to your MP.

£747m

spent on direct online internet marketing costs

£301m spent on advertising through marketing ‘affiliates’ – websites, tipsters and publications who earn a commission for generating new business for the gambling companies

£234m spent on TV gambling advertising

£149m

spent on social media –more than tripling over three years

£60m

spent on sponsorship – double the amount spent in 2014

By 2027 it is estimated that gambling advertising spend is likely to mushroom to over All above figures from 2017 report

£48 billion

WHO’S DOING IT BETTER?

How other countries are tackling gambling advertising

By Kate Samuels

As gambling adverts saturate all aspects of our lives, the UK lags behind Europe on gambling advertising regulation, while other countries are taking bold steps to limit their impact. Kate Samuels examines approaches taken in three different countries and explores what the UK can learn to better protect vulnerable communities and reduce gambling-related harm.

The Netherlands

The Netherlands allows social media, streaming, and mail adverts for gambling, while creating stricter rules and regulations. For example, it has banned celebrities and influencers from appearing in gambling adverts. This is an innovative approach as often people start gambling by betting on their favourite sports teams. Before the ban, it was common for companies to use athletes in gambling adverts. The country will try to break the link between gambling and sports further in 2025 by banning advertising in sports clubs, and banning gambling businesses from sponsoring venues. The UK, having already banned tobacco and alcohol advertising in sports, could learn from this example. The Dutch Association of Mental Health and Addiction Care does not think that these measures are enough though, and has called on the government to impose a complete ban on all forms of gambling adverts.

Italy

In 2018, the Italian government banned gambling advertising. From 2019 this has included banning gambling advertising at events, activities, and services. The government has also taken bold steps to protect children by introducing age verification for amusement machines. The ability to use fines to deter gambling advertising has already helped redivert money to address gambling harms.

One example is the penalty of 1.35 million euros handed to social media platform X in 2024 for breaking gambling advertising rules. Banning gambling advertising outright could be a radical solution to break the high tax percentages that governments often receive from gambling companies which makes them less likely to reform gambling advertising despite health warnings from the experts.

Australia

In Australia, the government is supporting research into gambling behaviours and advertising to improve public health outcomes. One example of this is the commissioned research on in-game purchases for children and gambling behaviours. The research has found a link between games of chance such as loot boxes and gambling behaviours in later life. This evidence has resulted in tangible change by reclassifying these games as mature, for over-15-year-olds. The UK government has so far resisted a similar regulation despite recent reporting that advertising rules have been broken in the past. Recently calls for a total ban on gambling advertising have grown in Australia as annual losses have reached 32 billion Australian dollars. The government has proposed a partial ban that would see adverts banned online, in children’s programming, during live sports broadcasts and an hour on either side, and limits in general programming.

What can the UK learn?

Many have called for an update to the Gambling Act 2005 as it predates many social media and streaming platforms. In 2023, a white paper was published setting out the government’s plan for reform of gambling regulation following the review of this act. Although campaigners say it didn’t go far enough. Labour’s General Election manifesto committed to ‘reduce gambling related harm’. However, we are behind on regulating gambling advertising at this point and much more must be learned from international examples of solutions.

Two initiatives making a difference

Developing resources for the Roma community

By Francesca Howard, programme manager at the Scottish Gambling Education Hub

Fast Forward, the charity which runs the Scottish Gambling Education Hub has teamed up with The Space in Govanhill to raise awareness about gambling harms within the Roma community. Having identified a gap in knowledge, we decided to set the scene by creating a short video in the Romanes language.

With the help of two community members who gave voice to this video, we focused on the realities and impacts of gambling that the community might encounter. Alongside this, we created two interactive activities that we could use to facilitate conversations around gambling and the impacts gambling can have.

With these resources in place, we set about holding an in-person event at The Space to premier the film, test the activities and begin discussions. To make the event fully accessible, the entire session was translated into Romanes, allowing everyone to engage fully and comfortably.

Fast Forward was on hand to help any attendee who might indicate a need for support throughout the event. Staff from The Space also provided people with practical

introducing: Aila

Simon Community Scotland has worked in partnership with RCA Trust (which provides community-based alcohol and gambling related prevention and treatment services) and a steering group of women to co-design a website for women affected by or experiencing harm from gambling in Scotland.

Aila has been created by women with lived experience of gambling harm as a safe, psychologically-informed digital environment to provide support and elevate female voices in Scotland. Each organisation that provides support in

advice on budgeting, planning and safer ways to build financial security.

The open discussion at lunchtime was the highlight of the day, where people shared their personal stories and reflected on their own experiences or those of someone close to them.

These discussions highlighted how many people’s lives are impacted by gambling and that there is a need for continued awareness and support. The event was such a success we are planning to hold more in the future and tackle some of the more nuanced challenges.

As a next step, we are excited to announce that we have developed a toolkit tailored to specifically help support the Roma community around gambling harm. It will address some of the impacts of gambling that are more prevalent in this community, with advice on how to address any concern and where to go for support.

All resources will be available for free on The Space and Fast Forward websites. This ongoing partnership is working towards building a better-informed community and hopes that other groups will think about joining us on this journey together.

By Lauren Heaney, policy and practice lead for gambling harms at Simon Community Scotland

Scotland has recorded a video to introduce themselves to provide a welcoming and warm environment. It means you can meet some of the people from the service before you phone or meet them in person.

Come meet us online on live chat to speak to someone who understands. You can look at all the options for support that suit you, visit our Lived and Living Library to listen, read or watch other Scottish women’s stories, and assess if you are experiencing harm from gambling.

This is an evolving digital space where we want to raise awareness in our communities by working together to contribute to research, share women’s stories and link people in with support that works for them. You can be involved either anonymously or not – the choice is yours.

If you are a professional, we have created a separate part on the site for you to upskill yourself and learn how you can further provide support for people in your services. This section has e-learnings, toolkits, in-person and online training, plus handy hints to support your practice.

You are not alone on your journey.

Come meet us at www.aila-scotland.co.uk (launching February) – we’re a friendly bunch!

UNEARTHING HISTORY

Fossil found at The Hidden Gardens

We’re often told to look up in Glasgow, but a new discovery at the Hidden Gardens suggests it might be worth looking down instead.

By Devon McCole • Photo by Rob Reid

The Hidden Gardens, tucked behind the Tramway, is best known as a peaceful green space offering sanctuary from the rest of the urban environment here in the Southside.

Amid the calm and quiet setting, an ancient fossil has been hiding in plain sight, embedded in the Caithness slates which pave the meditative walking trail.

Morvern Odling, The Hidden Gardens community programme manager detailed the day the discovery was made during a routine cleaning of the pathway: “I was in on the day the guy came to clean the path with a giant power washer. It made a lot of noise and washed away a lot of dirt and grime. Business as usual really – it never occurred to me anything was out of the ordinary… and then we got a Facebook message from Katie Strang.”

Katie messaged The Hidden Gardens after visiting the Tramway for an art car boot sale. Wandering around the gardens later she made the discovery – alerting staff that a bit of a fossilised bony armored fish had been preserved in one of their Caithness slabs.

quite black and dark, so it's an easy way to spot them. It's a bit harder when it's wet because the stone will get darker when it gets wet.”

“I just thought it'd be really cool to let them know because one of the things I love about geology and the urban environment is it's more accessible for a lot of people; I work at The Hunterian and even I feel like I shouldn't be there sometimes. If you’re going to The Hunterian it’s likely because you’ve already been exposed to that world. Working class kids don’t always get that luxury.

“I come from a working-class background and I never thought of myself as being a scientist or even going to university. I only saw it as an option when tuition fees were scrapped. That’s why it's really important to do that kind of outreach in communities, sharing that knowledge and raising awareness of those hidden, fossilised pieces of history that’s all around us.”

Katie happens to be the curator of mineralogy and petrology at The Hunterian museum, and using her knowledge she was able to share more about the fascinating discovery: “I'd gone over to have a look and right away, I was like ‘oh, that looks like Caithness flagstone’.

“My friend was very embarrassed; I dropped to the floor and I was inspecting this slab. I noticed it’s likely not the full fossil, probably just the bony armour of one of the placoderms from the Devonian period.”

Caithness slates pave many walking ways in Glasgow and across Scotland and it’s common to find fossils in them. That’s because the rocks used to make the slabs are around 390-400 million years old, hailing from the Devonian period, or the ‘Age of Fish’, which is when fish first emerged from the sea and moved onto the land.

One of the really fascinating things about the Caithness slates, says Katie, is that, as people walk over them, they will wear away to reveal, over time, the fossils embedded within:

“Quite often the fossils inside have a distinct greyish blue colour, or a kind of sandy colour. Anything that kind of stands out or contrasts to the colour of the slate could be a sign there’s a fossil trapped inside. The fossils tend to be

Fossils themselves aren’t just wellpreserved creatures, they are little time capsules full of information which tell us a lot about the earth’s past; particularly how climate change affects the land and life on earth – making the discovery all the more exciting for The Hidden Gardens.

Morvern said: “Fossils are such a vivid reminder of how much time has passed. And it spurs on quite big thoughts really quickly. You're like, ‘oh my gosh, the beginning of the universe!’ We are looking at the slabs differently now because we're wondering what else is in there.”

Morvern is keen to encourage people to visit the fossil and take part in some of the citizen science projects at The Hidden Gardens: “We’re really excited to be able to share this new found fossil. We just want to remind people that we're open, we're accessible and that we're the people's back garden.

“So please continue to come and access what we're doing, like our Compost CoLab or even just to use our walking trail. Especially if you're looking for nice places to go and educate or entertain your young people. There’s still new things to uncover.”

If you want to know more about The Hidden Gardens’ Compost CoLab visit bit.ly/GHcompost to read our article from last year.

Placoderms ranged in size from bottom-dwellers of less than a foot, to predators over thirty feet long, like this Dunkleosteus. Wouldn’t fancy coming across one this size round the back of Tramway. Scale drawing of Dunkleosteus terrelli courtesy of everythingdinosaur.com

ISOLOPHILIA Embracing the beauty of solitude

Govanhill based artist Gabriel Davidson (26) held his first show of paintings in Glasgow. The exhibition called ‘Isolophilia’ explored the hidden joys of being alone. In this article Gabriel writes about the inspiration behind his first solo exhibition.

By Gabriel Davidson • Photo by Stewart Campbell

In December I held my first solo exhibition of my paintings from the last two years at the Saltspace Gallery. After observing a lot of my paintings showing figures alone, ‘Isolophilia’ seemed like an appropriate title. It describes someone who has a deep desire to be alone.

German philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer said “A man can be himself as long as he is alone; if he does not love solitude, he will not love freedom; for it is only when he is alone he is truly free.’’

He meant when you are alone you have the ability to think clearly without distraction.

Alone time gives me the chance to think about my experiences and gives me some relief from social pressures. I relish the moment after socialising when the opportunity to decompress with music on the bus home arises. My exhibition was not about loneliness or isolation. It was about the quiet peaceful places we go to when needing a break from life.

or pressures of social media is a luxury after a hard day’s work.

After limiting my social media use, my life became a lot clearer. Time wasted on worrying about not being included was filled with personal growth and opportunity. Socialising even became more enjoyable, making it less about needing to stay included and more about the enjoyment of people's company. Before, socialising could get tiresome.

for me, can arise at work or at social gatherings. Getting away on my break was a priority when I worked at M&S. This inspired one of my pieces, which aimed at capturing my then imagined idea of heaven or fantasy land. It represented an escape from the hard grind of everyday working life.

I also painted my brother scraping wallpaper off a wall with a handheld machine, using dramatic lighting to illuminate the scene and bringing drama to the mundane. It also captures those quiet, thoughtful moments during work.

Life, especially in Govanhill, is vibrant, fast paced and full of people mingling. Getting away from the hustle and bustle is sometimes needed.

But there are times where I think social media has affected my ability to appreciate being alone. FOMO ( fear of missing out) leaves people feeling excluded, particularly if someone sees friends having fun on social media while they’re stuck at home. Letting my mind wander without the distraction

During my exhibition I featured a painting of my sister on her phone relaxing, with the window beside her overlooking a tenement outside. This was inspired by the song Waterloo Sunset by The Kinks, which captures an intimate moment alone in the songwriter's life: "Everyday I look at the world through my window." She is looking at her phone, a different type of window to the world referenced in the song. The aim was to capture the intimacy of being with yourself.

For me, solitude is a comfort as long as there are opportunities to socialise when I want. The need to escape

Alone time is a great way to connect with who you are. In the modern world, social interaction is sometimes more about exchanging stock phrases, and knowing what to say. Expressing oneself completely can be difficult. Some people keep parts of themselves hidden for good and bad reasons. When alone you can acknowledge these hidden traits comfortably. People with a good sense of self are usually more secure in their own company.

Everybody has a different capacity for sociability. My view is that more people, if inclined, could benefit from a small dose of solitude and a break from social media.

Not everyone may like it. But being comfortable in your own company is necessary when growing up, living on your own and when moving between different friendship groups. It is underrated. Why not embrace it from time to time?

The Greater Govanhill Photography Group

Hidden Lives

In December, the Greater Govanhill photography group set out to capture photos on the theme ‘Hidden Lives’. For a few days that month, Govanhill itself seemed to disappear in the densest fog in recent memory. Beyond that, we observed the mysterious lives of animals, peeked inside a restaurant after hours, found a stark beauty in shadows and mused on once cherished items that now lie broken and unwanted on our streets. And occasionally we revealed that most private creature of all, the photographer, in both self-portrait and Rorschach test. We were seduced by all of this – we hope you are too.

By Laura Vroomen

Clockwise from top left: giacinta frisillo, Iain McLellan, John Bowden, Laura Vroomen, Sadia Sikander, Rob Reid, Syeda Sadaf Anwar

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

Confronting coercion and control in multigenerational homes

By Samar Jamal

“In just six months we received 332 calls from BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) women reporting extended family abuse,” says Safa Yousaf, Project Coordinator for Amina’s Violence Against Women and Girls programme.

These calls revealed a hidden and often overlooked dimension of domestic abuse – one that Amina – The Muslim Women’s Resource Centre (Amina MWRC) is working to bring to light.

Amina is an organisation dedicated to supporting the social welfare of Muslim, BME women in Scotland. The Southside-based organisation, which first opened its doors in 2002, works on two levels; advocating for policy change and providing services to Muslim, BME women that considers their specific experiences.

Their report, Sabr, Silence and Struggles: Extended Family Abuse in Muslim, BME Communities in Scotland, outlines the ‘need for practice and policy to adopt an intersectional framework when addressing and responding to domestic abuse, coercive control and gender-based violence more widely.’ It comes as a much needed call for change, as Scotland's current Domestic Abuse Act (2018) only identifies perpetrators of domestic abuse as intimate or expartners.

Amina is working to highlight the impact extended family abuse has on BME women. Their report shows that, for Muslim, BME women, coercive control perpetuated by extended family members, such as in-laws, can be more common. Particularly as multigenerational homes are common in some cultures, including South Asian.

“Coercive control is when there’s a repetitive pattern of abusive behavior that isn't necessarily physical, but it's controlling behavior and emotional abuse,” Safa explains.

If extended family abuse was enshrined in law, coercive control charges brought against an intimate partner would account for the involvement of extended family abuse, potentially leading to harsher penalties. This distinction is critical, as abusers often enlist family members to reinforce control, deepen the survivors' isolation, and sustain a cycle of oppression, making it even harder for the abused to seek support.

Scotland’s 2018 Domestic Abuse Act is already viewed as the gold standard, due in no small part to the fact that it considers American sociologist Evan Stark's definition of coercive control. This reconceptualises domestic abuse as an

Illustration by Laura Wade

ongoing behaviour opposed to viewing it as isolated incidents. It also recognises that structural gender inequalities are both a cause and effect of domestic abuse.

Interviews with survivors in Amina’s report record some of the abuse women were subjected to. One interviewee said: “All my in-laws abused me because my mother-in-law controlled the entire household.” Similarly, another woman recalls, “I was childcare for my sister-inlaw. She had a job. I wasn’t allowed.”

Legally recognising extended family abuse would not only grant survivors protection but it would spark conversations around the topic and validate the survivors experience. Safa recalls incidents where survivors have reported abuse to the police but they’ve not been able to provide any support as it’s not categorised as abuse, causing them to suffer in silence.

“Unfortunately, [the survivors] end up feeling like justice has not been served because there isn’t a way to report it. Often they will call Amina, seeking support – even emotional support –just so that somebody at the end of the phone can say, ‘Look, that is abuse and that shouldn't have happened to you,’” Safa explains.

“When the police are saying this is not what we can help you with, what the survivor might be hearing is that what they're experiencing isn't important or bad enough.”

In other instances, some support services don’t have the cultural knowledge or understand how detrimental family abuse can be for Muslim and BME women. When this understanding falls short women are left without the support they need.

One statement from the report states: “The refuge didn’t ask me or care about the abuse I experienced from my inlaws.”

Although Amina are dedicated to supporting Muslim and BME women, they are limited on the support they can provide due to funding and constraints within the law.

“If the law was to change and include extended family within the course of control legislation or domestic abuse legislation, it would give women power to feel that, ‘yes, this is problematic, and therefore justice needs to be served,’” Safa adds.

While the Scottish Government has been receptive to Amina’s report and is working with them to incorporate these recommendations, there is a concern that the intersectional experiences of

“THE REFUGE DIDN’T ASK ME OR CARE ABOUT THE ABUSE I EXPERIENCED FROM MY IN-LAWS.”

marginalised communities are not a priority for the government, Safa says.

This is why Amina is striving to decolonise definitions within the Domestic Abuse Act, ensuring they reflect the nuanced realities of diverse experiences. This year, they will launch a campaign addressing intimate image abuse – the act of sharing intimate images that may have been consented to taking but not for sharing.

“We’re hoping that the legislation can encompass and provide further protections for women. At the moment it's such a strict category of what is considered an intimate image which doesn't entirely reflect Muslim and BME women’s experiences.

“For many Muslim and BME women, images shared are not necessarily of a sexual nature but are still very problematic. Such as their bare arms, legs or a photo without a hijab,” Safa explains.

Amina's efforts to shift the narrative around domestic abuse extends beyond policy advocacy to fostering constructive conversations within communities. By engaging young men and religious scholars, Amina seeks to challenge cultural perceptions, patriarchy and intergenerational trauma – factors that often underpin and perpetuate abuse.

Past workshops run by Amina, like The Best of Men, led by Muslim scholar Hassan Rabbani have addressed healthy relationships, the responsibilities of men, and Islam’s stance on gender roles, consent and marital rape.

Similarly, Amina has organised seminars for women on topics such as healthy relationships, narcissism and consent in Islam, creating a more approachable space for attendees to engage with sensitive issues.

But, as a single organisation, Amina's reach is limited. They urge religious spaces and community groups to take up the mantle, raising awareness and steering these critical conversations toward cultural and systemic change. By working together, communities can help dismantle the structures that enable abuse and empower survivors to seek justice and support.

If you or someone you know has been affected by domestic abuse you can get in touch with Amina by calling their helpline on 0808 801 0301 from Monday to Friday, 10-4pm. You can also get in touch by email: helpline@mwrc.org.uk.

THINK BEFORE YOU BUY

Building an Apartheid Free Zone in Govanhill

By Samar Jamal • Photo by Miriam Ali

“In Bradford you can’t be caught anywhere drinking or selling Coca-Cola,” Jan explains. “That’s the kind of community awareness that leads people to take a stand and advocate for change.”

Jan Baykra is one of the organisers behind Govanhill Apartheid Free Zone (GAFZ). This is a community-led initiative, which began organising in December last year, working to help the people ‘end their complicity in the Israeli apartheid state and amplify their solidarity with Palestine.’

I sat down with Jan, along with Miriam Ali and Tony Boardman, who are part of a wider team of organisers, to find out more.

Talks for GAFZ were born from a Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC) meeting at The Ark, Tony recalls: “Conversations for an apartheid-free zone were going around in lots of places. People were saying different places have tried this, including Aberdeen, as well as further afield in Belfast and Bristol. But we knew it wouldn’t work if just three people were involved. It had to be a community thing.”

Israel’s occupation of Palestine runs deep – embedded in cultural, academic and economic structures worldwide. Govanhill Apartheid Free Zone focuses on the economic front at a local level with two interconnected aims that align with the broader Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement; a Palestinian-led call for freedom, justice and equality as well as targeted boycotts.

GAFZ is both encouraging business owners to stop stocking the boycotted products, as well as urging customers to take a stand and avoid them too.

This means thinking about the impact you’re having on the lives of Palestinians when buying something like a can of Coke from your local corner shop.

Reports from WhoProfits (an independent research center dedicated to exposing the role of the private sector in the Israeli occupation economy) reveal that Coca-Cola operates in the occupied territories – and its subsidiary Tabor Winery, ‘produces wines from grapes sourced from vineyards located on occupied land in settlements in the West Bank and Syrian Golan’. As a result, purchasing products made by CocaCola contributes to the oppression of the Palestinian people.

Last year, Amnesty International’s investigation concluded that Israel is commiting genocide against the Palestinians in the occupied Gaza strip. At the time this article was written, a ceasefire had been announced but it was too early to say if the agreement would be followed through. In the meantime, Coca-Cola and thousands of other brands continue being complicit.

The GAFZ group started by making a brochure, also translated into Urdu, informing shop owners of what BDS is and how they could support the movement by removing certain items from their shelves. It also guides them on the alternatives available to them. They say that most independent shopkeepers have been receptive to

the request. “Around 40 shops have agreed to sign up,” Miriam says. When they have not been able to speak to the shop owner, workers have still been able to put up posters, showing their support for the cause. Seeing other shops, like Pakistani Street Food on Victoria Road, sign up has been a positive influence and helped ease worries about profits.

In a linguistically rich area like Govanhill, canvassing has proved to be a challenge at times. Particularly, not having someone at GAFZ who can speak Urdu to the Pakistani community or Kurmanji to Kurdish shopkeepers. It is a gap the group is keen to fill, urging other language speakers to join their efforts.

The next step for GAFZ is to also encourage shoppers to stop buying products that are complicit, particularly from larger stores like Lidl on Victoria Road. If enough people stop buying items it could potentially trigger a similar outcome to that what happened in Ireland last year, when SPSC reported that every Lidl in the country had stopped stocking products made in Israel after a year of campaigning.

But GAFZ wants to emphasise that the work doesn’t stop at the boundaries of Govanhill. The point of GAFZ is to encourage others to canvas in their area. “Boycott is cultural, it’s a shared project – an act that we do together. There’s no one running the zone. We all live in the zone and operate together,” Jan emphasises. “If you care for Palestinian liberation, then this is a practical way that you can think about that every day and act on it every day.”

To become involved in GAFZ, visit their instagram, govanhillapartheidfreezone or email govanhillapartheidfreezone@proton.me

Bona Parle!

In 1533, King Henry VIII introduced a law which asserted that an intimate act between men was illegal. The penalty was death.

Centuries later, the discriminatory act remained enshrined in law, and while it was adapted over the years, homosexuality wasn’t decriminalised in England and Wales until 1967. It took until 1981 for Scotland to follow suit.

From the 1920s to the 1960s, when same sex relationships were still illegal – and long before the government issued its long awaited apology to the public for ruining the lives of countless gay men and women – many hid behind a secret coded language: Polari.

Polari was born out of the need to escape persecution in unsafe spaces. The linguistic origins tell us a lot about the resilience of people on the fringes of society who rebelled, finding a way to protect themselves and others from the risk of being blackmailed, fired from their jobs, publicly shamed or imprisoned.

According to Paul Baker, author of Fabulosa! The Story of Polari, Britain’s Secret Gay Language, Polari exists on a spectrum. At one end were people who knew only some Polari words, often using it in conversation as playful slang. At the other end were those with a wider vocabulary whose conversation included more Polari than English, and who made up words in Polari as the need arose.

Not everyone who spoke Polari was queer, and not every queer person knew how to speak Polari. Polari was also quite common among travelling entertainers, criminals and others who moved in the margins.

Polari borrows words or phrases from other languages, reflecting the diverse linguistic environment in which it developed and creating a lexicon that

By Devon McCole

Fabulosa!

So don’t be shy! Troll in, troll in and ‘arve a vada at our dolly bijou guide-ette to the world of Polari.

alamo: they’re attractive

bona: good

bijou: small

bevvy: a drink

butch: masculine, or a masculine lesbian

camp: effeminate, or flamboyant

dish: an attractive man, or buttocks

dolly: pretty, nice drag: clothing

eek: face

naff: awful, tasteless

nanti: not, no, none (from Italian niente)

omi: man

omi-palone: gay man

palone: woman

scarper: to run away

slap: make-up

trade: a sex partner

troll: to walk

vada: to look

How Polari became a vital tool for the LGBTQ+ community to communicate safely during times of severe repression. This fascinating language, with its blend of cultural and multilingual influences, remains a symbol of queer resilience and resistance.

was flexible and could be understood by a wide range of people.

These influences include Italian, French, cockney rhyming slang, and back slang (saying a word as if it’s spelt backwards). Interestingly, while many people claim there is a link between Romani and Polari, leading expert Paul Baker told us he wasn't able to find much connection: “When you start to compare the lexicons of Polari and Romani, there isn’t very much overlap (around 10 words)... I suspect that the linked words are more likely due to shared influences from a third source, like cockney or slang used in circuses."

Polari is rarely spoken today but recordings can be found online; it was famously spoken on Round the Horne, a 1960s comedy show, by two characters, Julian and Sandy (played by Hugh Paddick and Kenneth Williams). Their conversations, thick with innuendo, were humorous but also reflected the kind of coded language that was used by the LGBTQ+ people to express themselves safely.

As time passed and societal attitudes evolved, so did the use of Polari, which began to fade as more rights were won and the need for secrecy diminished. But its legacy lives on, serving as a testament to the ingenuity and resilience of those who fought for their right to love and express themselves freely.

Many of the words have become part of mainstream slang today. And it remains a powerful symbol of queer history, a reminder of the challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community (and others), and testament to the lengths to which they went to carve out a space for themselves in an often hostile world.

To learn more about this fascinating language, visit: wp.lancs.ac.uk/fabulosa

Sound, Soul and StorieS

We spoke to two Radio Buena Vida residents about their vinyl collections, uncovering stories of rare finds, well-loved grooves and the deeper connections that make records more than just music.

By Devon McCole

Barry Rooney

RBV show: Bandolier on the second Friday of every month

Photo by Dan Butcher

What sparked your interest in music and collecting records?

Music has always been a huge part of my life –growing up I was surrounded by it. But it was a moment at T in the Park that sparked my passion for DJing. I was at Sven Väth’s set in the Slam Tent, I was like ‘what is that music that’s playing?’ I picked up a set of digital DJ decks after that, then a record player, and that was it. I’ve always been fascinated by how music connects people and how you can discover new sounds.

Where do you go to discover new music?

I love digging through local record stores like Otherside Records and Some Great Reward, and I also find gems on Discogs. Me and my friends also host vinyl parties. We'll bring a few records and each gets to play one, it gets a little competitive, we’ll share our music and rate it.

What makes a record stand out for you?

I love a record that shows its age. A cracked cover or scratches on the vinyl will be enough to turn away some people, but for me they tell a story. I like picking up records that’ve clearly been loved by someone else. One of my favorites is a signed disco album by Two Tons of Fun, and there’s one track on it that is a little worse for wear, but it just means whoever owned it before loved that track.

How did your DJing influence your collection?

Playing vinyl at my gigs felt risky – there’s always that chance you’ll mess up a mix. But when I started using analogue equipment that boosted the sound quality, it made me realise how much better vinyl sounds compared to digital tracks. From there, I started playing more records at my shows. It made me a better DJ. It makes you more in the moment because you have to be dialed in.

What’s the holy grail of records for you?

There’s this track by Fynness called Such a Dream. It’s a broken-beat disco song from

the '80s with these really powerful female vocals. I’ve only found it once online, but the copy playing had a skip in it. It’s hard to justify paying £400 for it, but I’d love to add it to my collection someday.

How does your record collection influence your show on Radio Buena Vida?

When I first started at Radio Buena Vida I was mainly playing digital tracks, but once I got into vinyl more, I wanted to showcase my collection on the airwaves. My shows differ, but I’ll usually focus on one genre for the entire hour, like disco or house.

Susie and Speedy [who run RBV] are just amazing people. They try to give the opportunity to new DJs. I know quite a lot of DJs from there, you end up meeting folk because you're hearing their music before your own show wondering what they’re playing.

What advice would you give to new record collectors?

Always go to record stores as well as online, otherwise it just feels like you’re clicking through files. If you’re unsure about a record, ask for the store Wi-Fi, plug in some headphones, and check it out on YouTube. Don’t be afraid to explore genres you wouldn’t normally check out and always pay attention to the B-side. People overlook the B side, but I’ve got so many records where the B-side is the only side worth listening to.

Marianne Wilson

RBV show: UNI.OMNI on Wednesdays at 7pm

Photo by Karen Gordon

What sparked your interest in collecting records?

I started collecting over 10 years ago. Before that, I was DJing in clubs around Glasgow, including The Art School and Sleazies. Italo disco became a big passion for me. It’s got such a unique energy that’s hard to beat on a packed dance floor. My records are well-loved with scratches and scuffs from club use, but that’s part of the charm. I always remember hearing a Motown DJ talk about how records weren’t meant to be preserved but played loud and danced to – that stuck with me.

Do you have any memories of digging for records that stand out?

Italo disco is close to my heart, and most of my collection has come from online sources like Discogs. I once bought an Italo disco record from Discogs and it came wrapped in a pizza box – it doesn’t get more Italian than that! I’ve also traveled to places like Berlin, Amsterdam, Florence, and New York to dig for records. Some of my best finds were just because the cover art caught my eye and I ended up discovering incredible gems. The thrill of finding something unexpected is a big part of why I love it.

How does Italo disco feel on a packed dance floor? Can you describe a moment that really encapsulates that energy?

I remember playing La Bionda’s I Wanna Be Your Lover at La Cheetah. The energy in the room was electric. The way that Italo disco can lift the crowd with its catchy melodies is unmatched – especially in Glasgow, I’ve done gigs in London and the Italo stuff didn’t go down well. I find people here just want to dance and some cheesy Italo disco is perfect for that.

Do you have a favorite well-loved record?

Are You Loving by Brand Image is one of my favourites. I used to mix it in and out of other tracks and it was the perfect transition track to get the crowd hyped. It has this brooding energy, but also a quirky Italo comedy element with some odd lyrics. It’s one of those records that’s perfect for creating anticipation before a set really takes off.

What’s the appeal of vinyl over digital music for you?

Vinyl has a warmth and depth that digital music lacks. The sound feels more organic and full.

As a graphic designer, I also appreciate the material culture of vinyl –everything from the cover art to the shop stickers tells a story. I think a record is more than just music, it’s a physical object with history.

What’s your favorite or rarest record?

One of my favourites is Feel the Drive by Doctor’s Cat. It’s not super rare but it’s one of my oldest Italo records and has been played more times than I can count. I also love the nostalgia it brings every time I drop it.

What’s your holy grail record?

Funky Family’s Funky is On is the one. It’s a 1984 Italo disco track with incredible female vocals. I’ve been hunting for it for years. It's got this energy that just makes it a must-have.

Tell us about your show on Radio Buena Vida.

My show, UNI.OMNI, is a collaboration with my husband, Jack. We play a mix of Italo, electronic, techno, and new wave, and we try to bring in fresh, exciting tracks each week.

Radio as a platform plays an integral part in any music scene whether its community or internet based. It allows DJs to reach their audience. Radio Buena Vida is such an incredible space and part of the music community here in the Southside. We’re so lucky to have such a cool platform on our doorstep.

Listen online at radiobuenavida.co.uk

t daytime creche

e grebe on the big

s and cygnets pree

The Secret Life

Queen’s Park of

Alison JC Brown takes us on a vivid journey through Queen’s Park, where the thawing winter reveals a bustling world of birdsong, territorial dramas, and nesting waterfowl. From robins’ melodies to the fierce devotion of coots, every corner of this Southside gem teems with life and wonder.

Words and photos by Alison JC Brown, Friends of Queen’s Park committee member for biodiversity recording

The icy start to the new year has thawed and, only three weeks into 2025 – with the days already getting noticeably longer – the bird activity in Queen’s Park has taken on an energetic vibrancy.

Territories are starting to be defined and marked. The park’s many robins are particularly vocal now, singing their little hearts out from the low-level branches in the later afternoon. A stroll through the park from 4pm is already a musical treat.

Similarly, the birds are returning to the two ponds of Queen’s Park. The thick ice over the festive period had driven many of the resident waterfowl away to locations where water was still free flowing. Now, they are all back, including a pair of mute swans who seem to very much like it here, and I hope will make the islands on the small wildlife pond their nesting site this year. Queen’s Park has not had cygnets since 2020 and it’s an absolute treat to watch these birds teaching their young to swim, feed, preen and fly.

The gregarious and bossy mallard ducks are already mating, the much shyer and tinier tufted ducks are quietly gathering in numbers before they pair off, and the rails – the collective species name for birds which include coots (black feathers, white beak and crest), and moorhens (brown-black feathers, red crest with red and yellow beak) –are already aggressively staking out their watery borders.

My daily walks in Queen’s Park during the pandemic made me much more aware of avian intelligence, and the rails fast became my personal favourites for their intelligence and sassiness.

Fiercely territorial, these birds are ready to have a full-on fight with any opponent that ventures into their

territory; foes are pursued across the water at speed at the slightest opportunity with a cacophony of noise. They are the loudest birds on the pond by far. Yet, what intrigues me most about them is despite their aggression they are utterly devoted to their mates and to their teeny tiny young (that is, until said young become adult sized teenagers, at which point they are driven away from home).

I still spend time every day feeding the coots and moorhens in Queen’s Park and have been rewarded witnessing the soap opera of their daily lives; the joy when the adorable fluffy-bottomed, flamed-headed cootlings first hatch and the sadness when the young are predated upon by the gulls or crows –the distress of the parents is real.

But when they have nests, these feathered cousins are also pretty mean to each other. On the island of the small wildlife pond, a pair of moorhens have, for the last three years, nested in the tree above a coot nest; such close proximity is intolerable to both of them and usually the moorhens lose.

However last year, even the coots did not do well on the small pond, frequently fighting a hungry heron who stealthily lurked in the undergrowth of the pond vegetation. A young bird is a tasty morsel for a heron, but never underestimate a coot, for they put up a fierce fight; an unsuspecting young heron being pursued with a yelp is quite an astonishing spectacle.

It’s rather fabulous to witness that the most successful nesting site in Queen’s Park is actually a piece of public art; the kinetic stainless-steel sculpture installed into the big pond by Glasgow City Council in 2021. Three Right Angles Horizontal, by the American artist George Rickey has proven to be an absolute hit with the

coots – it is the park territory they most fiercely battle over.

The sculpture’s value lies in a number of physical attributes. Firstly, it is installed on a raised cement base, so the coots do not have to build such deep structures for their nest. Secondly, the gently moving arms of the sculpture provide a level of protection for the young. Though the seagulls perch on the upper arms of the sculpture, it is far harder for them to reach the cootlings, and even when off the nest, the little cootlings know to not stray beyond those metal arms, or from the shadow those protective beams cast on the water below. With nesting season usually in March to September, it's rewarding to take a pair of binoculars and watch coot family life unfold at its central foot.

As the year goes on, the pond also hosts a variety of other water fowl: little grebe (who have a spectacular willowy call), goosanders (who usually arrive for the winter months) and there have been sightings of a variety of geese and other ducks, including a teal and a wood duck. And if you see a tiny bird furtively hopping around the edge of the pond wagging a long tail into a blur, it’s a gorgeous yellow wagtail.

In the Southside, we are blessed to have such a beautiful greenspace on our doorstep with a mix of terrain

that provides a home to a wide range of wildlife. In addition to the ponds, Queen’s Park hosts formal Victorian landscaped avenues and terraces where blackbirds hop, magpies strut and the little finches, tits and robins watch the human passersby from the bushes, hopeful of tasty offerings being made.

Take a saunter through the upperlevel woodland paths and you’ll hear, if not spot, woodpeckers, nuthatches, tree creepers, wrens and long tailed tits. The song thrushes sing their beautiful jazz soliloquies from their favourite branches. The park is also home to tawny owls and three kinds of bats.

A walk through the park is a wonderfully mindful way to top and tail a working day.

The Friends of Queen’s Park (FoQP) run a range of activities throughout the year, so do keep a look out on our website and social media channels to see the events and activities we have planned. FoQP has a gardening group (you can find them in the Scottish Poetry Rose Garden) and a biodiversity recording group (who organise walks and citizen science identification events) and both are ways you can get involved. We’d love to hear from you.

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For more regular events and groups, or to share an event, visit: greatergovanhill.com/noticeboard

F

E B R UAR Y

Friends of Queen’s Park Gardening Session

When: Saturday 1 February, 10am-12pm, & Sunday 16 February, 2-4pm

Where: Rose Garden, Queen’s Park

Join the Friends of Queen’s Park for a fun and hands-on gardening session, with duties changing as the seasons shift. All are welcome, although under-16s must be accompanied by an adult.

More info: Drop-in

Queen’s Park Orchards Wassail

When: Saturday 8 February, 12-3pm

Where: Meet at the Victoria Rd gates of Queen’s Park, before processing up to the orchards near the flagpole at 12:15pm.

Celebrate the ancient tradition of Wassail by singing to and blessing apple trees, waking them from their winter slumber and wishing for a fruitful harvest. Join in with colorful costumes, noise-making, choir singing, and Morris dancing.

More info: harrycampbell.weebly.com/wassail-2025

Divine! Valentines Day Special

When: Friday 14 February, 8-11:45pm

Where: Queen’s Park Bowling Club, 381 Langside Rd

Divine! Returns this Valentines Day with an array of northern soul, garage punk, deep funk, latin jazz, protodisco and a sprinkling of indie classics, aimed squarely at the dancefloor. All vinyl all night.

More info: Tickets from £10 via wegottickets.com

Brass, Aye? In Bloom!

When: Saturday 15 February, 8pm-1am

Where: The Rum Shack, 657-659 Pollokshaws Rd Brass, Aye? return with their annual event – and a perennial favourite – the Mardi Gras Masquerade at The Rum Shack. Join them for some funky brass and fancy dress.

More info: Tickets £7.50-10 via brownpapertickets.com

Battlefield Window Wanderland 2025

When: 15 – 18 February, 6-9pm Where: Battlefield

Battlefield Window Wanderland is back this February. Decorate your window(s), put your lights on and turn Battlefield back into a magical outdoor gallery. The theme this year is ‘Stage & Screen’ but anything goes as long as it’s family friendly.

More info: Sign up via windowwanderland.com

Long Form Jam

When: Monday 17 February, 7-8:30pm

Where: Govanhill Neighbourhood Centre, 6 Daisy St

An evening of long-form improvised theatre from The Improv Cooperative. No scripts, no audience save for your peers. A great opportunity to build up performing experience and meet other people from the improv community.

More info: Free. Book via The Improv Cooperative’s Eventbrite

Craic Epidemic 3: Featuring Raymond Mearns

When: Tuesday 18 February, 8-10:30pm

Where: Bossa, 69 Nithsdale Road

Bossa, the new artisanal pizza place which opened where Zinfandel once stood, is hosting a night of comedy in the Southside, with comedian Raymond Mearns headlining the evening.

More info: Tickets from £6 via Eventbrite

REVIVAL: A Solo Exhibition by Guido Munch

When: 19 – 23 February, Saturday & Sunday, 12-5pm

Where: Ivory Tars, 20 Albert Road

A solo exhibition by Guido Münch, focusing on paintings Münch made as a student at State Academy of Fine Arts Karlsruhe in the mid 1990s.

More info: ivorytars.co.uk

Crochet Club Glasgow: Crochet Baskets

When: Sunday 23 February, 10:30am-1pm

Where: MILK, 378 Cathcart Rd

This basket-making workshop is designed to be totally accessible for beginners and will cover the very basics of crocheting and pattern following. You’ll learn some useful crochet stitches and techniques and pick up a new crafty hobby. All materials are provided.

More info: Tickets £35 via Eventbrite

Glasgow Film Festival

When: 26 February – 9 March

Where: Glasgow Film Theatre, 12 Rose St, G3

Glasgow’s premiere film festival returns with a 13 day celebration of cinema. Kicking off with the world premiere of Tornado, a 1790s survival thriller from director John Maclean, the festival takes in everything from folk horror to feel-good.

More info: Ticket prices vary and are available through glasgowfilm.org

MAR C H

All Made Up!

When: Monday 3 March, 7-9:30pm

Where: McNeil’s, 106 Torrisdale St

Join The Improv Cooperative for their monthly show of unscripted improvisational comedy from some of the best comedians in Scotland.

More info: Tickets £5 via Eventbrite

Glasgow Storytellers Group

When: Monday 3 March, 7-9pm

Where: Glasgow Zine Library, 32-34 Albert Rd

A place for storytellers to work in-progress, collaborate creatively and foster a professional community. GZL welcomes anyone who identifies as a storyteller, or who uses storytelling in their creative practice.

More info: Drop-in 18+ event with space limited to 15 people

24th Anniversary of the Occupation of Govanhill Baths

When: Friday 21 March, 2-5pm

Where: The Deep End, 21 Nithsdale St

Join Govanhill Baths at their archive session celebrating the historic occupation of the Baths 24 years on. Explore their Save Our Pool collection materials, including banners, picket rotas, news clippings and more. Then gather outside the Baths to sing Save Our Pool songs and honour Glasgow’s fight for social justice.

More info: Drop-in

Service to Empire, A play by Maud Sulter

When: Saturday 22 March, 6pm

Where: Tramway, 25 Albert Dr

A screening of the filmed rehearsed reading of Service to Empire, directed and abridged by Adura Onashile and co-curated with Mother Tongue. Following the screening there will be a conversation with the acclaimed actor, playwright, and director Adura Onashile.

More info: Free. Tickets via glasgowlife.org.uk

Sex Positive Reading Group

When: Tuesday 25 March, 7-8:30pm

Where: Glasgow Zine Library, 32-34 Albert Rd

A night of chatting and myth busting for anyone interested in sex education, sexual health, or how we relate to the people around us.

More info: Free. Tickets via glasgowzinelibrary.com

N E W Y E A R, N E W YO U

Workshops and classes to sign up to

Music Broth: The Solace Singers

When: 6, 13, 20, 27 February, 6:30-8pm

Where: Music Broth, 7 Holybrook Place

Join Music Broth for weekly singing sessions in a traumainformed space. The group is open to female identifying persons, including ciswomen, transwomen and non binary persons who have had experience of genderbased violence or sexual harm.

More info: Free but ticketed via musicbroth.org

Time for Art

When: Wednesdays 10am-1pm, until 26 March

Where: St Ninian’s Church Hall, 1 Albert Dr

Are you 55+ and looking to get creative, meet new people or engage with your community? Join Govanhill Baths’ Art group to take part in painting activities, photography and more. They will provide the materials so you can thrive artistically and emotionally.

More info: Contact artsgbct@govanhillbaths.com to register your interest

MILK’s Art Class for Kids

When: 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 March, 10-11:30am

Where: MILK, 378 Cathcart Road

MILK’S Art Class for Kids is a weekly, inclusive arts and crafts class for children from 2+.

More info: £15 via Eventbrite

Queer Baseball training sessions and games

When: 16, 23, 30 March, 11am-1pm

Where: Queen’s Park Recreational Ground

Join The Glasgow Honeydews for baseball training sessions and games specifically designed for women and all LGBTQ+ folks!

More info: Free drop-in sessions

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2025

Women, Activism, Archives & Heritage #3: Celebrating Irish Women

When: Saturday 8 March, from 7pm

Where: The Deep End, 21 Nithsdale St

Join Christine McBride, Dr Laura Kelly, Rachael Kelly Ryder and Madeline Robertson to celebrate Irish women on International Women’s Day; topics range from hunger strikers in the 1920s to the use of documentary film to tell the story of Irish migration to Glasgow.

More info: govanhillbaths.com

Women of Donegal: Christina McBride

When: Saturday 8 March, 7-10pm

Where: The Community Newsroom window, 82 Bowman St

This is a simultaneous projection of archival photos to explore Donegal women’s migration to Scotland, in partnership with Artlink Fort Dunree, Donegal, Outdoor Projection Loop and Greater Govanhill. These events will also be part of the St Patrick’s Day Festival, Glasgow.

The Multicultural Button Workshop

When: Wednesday 12 March, 1-3pm

Where: The Deep End, 21 Nithsdale St

Explore the ornamental world of buttons in this workshop celebrating International Women’s Day. Lunch and refreshments will be served

More info: govanhillbaths.com

GETTING OUT AND ABOUT

By Lucy Gillie, South Seeds

IN THE SOUTHSIDE

Have a go at identifying the trees on the Southside Tree Trail before the leaves appear. The trail starts at the Victoria Road gates to Queen’s Park and takes you to two other Southside parks in the area, before returning to Victoria Road.

The map showing the trail with information to identify the trees all year round is available here: bitly.cx/uDnt

A WEE OVERNIGHT

IN GLASGOW

Walk, cycle or get the underground from Bridge Street to Kelvinhall to enjoy an afternoon in the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, which is free. This is an ideal place to hide from the cold and the rain while exploring the world through art and objects. The building is huge and there is exhibition space which regularly changes. Check out their ten most popular objects here: bitly.cx/AEMb8

Get a train from Central Station to Wemyss Bay in less than an hour. At Wemyss Bay, purchase a ticket for one of CalMac’s 14 daily sailings to the Isle of Bute (bikes go free). The boat lands in Rothesay where you can explore the castle and local walks. For those with bikes, the café at Ettrick Bay is not far, but feels a world away. Cross the bay to continue around the island, with a nice stop at the Kingarth Hotel for refreshments or the café at Mount Stuart House, if it is open. Many hotels on Bute have good deals out of season and there is a very reasonable hostel, or you can try the Charcoal Huts in the woods in the north of the island for an off-grid experience.

The Shadow To the voice that said “tonight I die”

Tomorrow I live --

CORNERPOETRY

By Katie Rose

In the space between translations, on the platform, in the gap. I live in breaths that mark the ages, in the dripping of the tap. Words unspoken shudder my desires from their traps, Tomorrow I will fade from pages, just to stutter across the map.

I permit the snow its glitter as I lurk so in the black, I am all that I am not, and I have all that which I lack. I live in broken promises, the patterns that I stoke, I live in stolen glances, flashing trances at a joke. I live in one’s abandon, and another love’s rejection, I live in pointing fingers, in my knowing eye’s projections.

Tomorrow’s flesh in fragments, in the wounds that have not healed, I live below the reason, the facts I don’t bear to feel.

Tomorrow’s choices I forget will follow to my sleep And weave their whispers through my dreams. Better that, than to regret.

Tomorrow’s love will rage within the hatred buried cold, I live in cards and wagers, what I manifest unfolds. tomorrow I live and live again, for I am young as I am old, tomorrow I live for me alone -- I’ve a story to be told. tomorrow I live, tonight I love, tomorrow I live, tonight I love tomorrow I live, tonight I love My soul: imperfect, whole.

Stories for Strangers

We met Luke Winter on Victoria Road one Saturday in January, sitting with his typewriter atop a red velvet covered table, and a handpainted sign advertising ‘Stories while you wait’. Intrigued, we asked for a story based on the streets of Govanhill… and here it is.

MULTILINGUAL QUIZ

By Marzanna Antoniak

Below is the word ‘life’ in some of the languages spoken in Govanhill. Draw a line to match a language with its ‘life’ word.

zhe-chie

Butterbiggins Road

Affordable Retirement Living

An opportunity to purchase or rent a new-build one or twobedroom apartment, exclusively for residents aged 55 and over. All properties include: (properties with additional accessibility features available)

Lift access to all floors.

Access to a shared common room and outdoor space for socialising.

Shower room with low-profile shower tray.

Private balcony or patio area.

Double glazing and energy efficient heating system.

Video controlled entry system.

Buyer contributions from just £75,000

Buy a home with help from the Scottish Government’s New Supply Shared Equity scheme. Purchase a share of between 60% and 80%, subject to criteria.

Buyers aged over 60 do not need to take a mortgage. Find out more and apply online, www.linkhousing.org.uk/NSSE or phone 01324 417 135.

Rent from £536 per month

C~urb Lettings has one and two-bedroom apartments available for Retirement Living Mid Market Rent. To find out more and apply online, visit www.linkhousing.org.uk/lettings or phone 01324 417 180.

HELP US GROW OUR MEMBERSHIP

In every corner, behind every door, lie stories waiting to be heard and experiences to be shared. At Greater Govanhill, we’re dedicated to bringing these narratives to light.

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If you enjoy the magazine and believe in the power of storytelling, consider supporting us. Your contribution helps us dig deeper, amplify unheard voices, and celebrate the hidden lives around us.

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