AREA GUIDE Glasgow West End
’ As the West End Festival takes to the streets, we look at what makes Glasgow's trendiest quarter tick. Mark Craig
Words: Louisa Pearson Plictograptic:
MES. “A u n A u 19'
Eclectic Menu Happy Hour 5pm — 7pm mon to thura
Weekend all day breakfast
Kids Menu and Competition
Lunchtime Mighty Big Baguettee
8 RUTHVEN LANE, OPPOSITE HlLLHEAD UNDERGROUND
TEL - 0141 554 7165
128 THE lIST 8-22 June 2000
It’s easy to see why Glasgow’s West End has been described as ’a way of life’ rather than a place. It has its own annual festival and even a website (wwwglasgowwestend.co.uk). Students, media types, artists and business people rub shoulders with those who’ve lived here all their life, creating a cosmopolitan buzz. The University makes its presence felt through the bars and affordable eateries as well as speciality shops selling vintage clothing and music. The area is blessed with impressive architecture — Alexander ’Greek’ Thomson was responsible for several buildings — and landmarks like the Kibble Palace in the Botanic Gardens and the Art Gallery and Museum at Kelvingrove are just some of the reasons which make living, working or just visiting the West End
so enjoyable.
Shopping
The West End is a mecca for speCiality shopping. Scotland's only underground Will get you around, connecting the busy areas around Woodlands, Byres Road and Great Western Road. If you’re bored with High Street fashion and looking for a one-off outfit then try Retro (8 Otago Street, 339 8770). This stylish shop is a little girl’s dream come true With its well-ordered selection of Vintage clothing, where you can rummage among evening dresses and fab accessories such as evening gloves and handbags. Glory Hole (41 Ruthven Lane, 357 5662) stocks Vintage clothes for men and women With the accent on quality, and just off Byres Road, Nicol's Originals (8 Chancellor Street, 337 6994) is a colourful shop With a fine selection of second-hand clothing
If you’re after modern clothing With a clubbing feel, investigate Possibly Clothing (37 Ruthven lane, 576 7300) for men and women With a reputation for their Celtic-influenced Povone label, Clan Skates (45 Hyndland Street, 339 6523) stock a Wide range of clothing along With surf, skate and snowboard equipment Gothic delights are the order of the day at Osiris (487 Great Western Road, 337 2999), With original fashions sculpted from rubber and lace With
the colour accent on black. It's also the place to go if you're looking for sparkly dog collars. Eurasia Crafts l528 Great Western Road, 339 3933) is the sister shop to Osiris, and a mecca for tie-dye clothing, with offbeat accessories, hair dyes and the like.
Consolidating your CD collection is easy in the West End. High up the food chain in the record shop stakes is Fopp t358 Byres Road, 357 0774). Always popular for its special prices, not to mention its broad appeal to indie kids and jd/Z buffs alike, just about every music category under the sun can be found on Vinyl and CD. Other places to search for second hand goodies and limited editions include The Beat Museum (.639 Great Western Road, 579 5034), Lost Chord (l 1 Park Road, 334 5528), Missing Records t685 Great Western Road, 400 2270) and Lost in Music (De Courcey's Arcade, Cresswell Lane, 339 8155), where you can sell your Vlllyl and CDs, before spending the profits on new and second hand wares.
If you’re trying to track down an unusual gift, then head to Mumbo Jumbo i8 Cresswell Lane, 334 8002) where you'll find a ric h mix of jewellery and ornaments, or try Gumps l 181 Byres Road, 576 0025). Evolution (396 Byres Road, 334 3200) has a good selection of hanging mobiles and chimes, while Papyrus i374 Byres Road, 334 6514) is ai‘. established favourite in the West