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VIRGINIA GALLERIES - PARADISE LOST?
Whatever happened to the Virginia Galleries? Does the name ring a bell? Or has it been lost in the mists of time? For years. students. hippy-types and wee old ladies spent many a leisurely afternoon rummaging through racks of second-hand clothes. books and videos and every other kind of antiquity in search of a bargain. But then about two-and-a-half years ago. the whole place suddenly and mysteriously shut down, never to be heard of again.
So why was it that one day the Galleries was a hive of patchouIi-scented activity and the next it became nothing but a condemned building that everyone forgot about? What happened was some dramatic foundation subsidence which may or may not have been connected to the construction work being carried out along the street by Marks and Spencer. Since the closure of the old premises. a good many of the traders it housed went out of business. but some did manage to relocate.
Mary Ann King. the owner of second hand retro clothing shop and firm Galleries favourite Mr Ben. says that it has been ‘really. really
PHOTOGRAPHS JOHN DEVLIN
tough going' setting up her business again (especially with the £0 compensation deal generously bestowed by the powers that be). and that she could be keener on the shop‘s new location: ‘It’s cold, it's lonely, it‘s like being in bloody Siberia'.
While it's certainly true that the shop's out of the way location does mean it has to rely on reputation rather than passing trade for custom, it is reassuring that, after everything, it's still around. I mean, where else would you buy your 608 cocktail dresses and your skinny-rib Starsky and Hutch t-shirts? After all, nobody does a better line in god-awful 70s shirts than good old Mr Ben. So go on. Give Mary Ann and her friends a visit. I know they'd love to see you.
Mr Ben relocated to King’s Court in King's Street (opposite the 13th Note and beside Cantina del Ray) as did Kozi (exclusively designed clothes and funky jewelry) and Trip (quality second hand gear with a bit of skate- style thrown in).
Other old favourites Nirvana Body Piercing and Bub-a-Dub Records relocated to Nirvana, 4O Osborne Street, near the Tron Theatre. and Bub-a-Dub to 35 Howard Street. opposite Somerfield in St Enoch's Square. (Eleanor McGlynn)
What a load of pants
Shoptalk
Spend, spend, spend. . .
GLASGOW SCHOOL OF Art is hosting a con- ference looking at the link between creative arts and industry. The school is becoming well known for its research iii this field. and the day- long event Will feature international speakers including Ann Marie Shillito, Tim Andrews and SOphie Roet. The relationship between technology and art and design is being studied within a three year project. Hitech Lotech. and there's an accom- panying exhibition at the Art School. Fri 76 Mar. 9.308m—5pm, Glasgow School of Art, 767 Benfrew Street; 5—7pni. The Lighthouse, 77 Mitchell Lane, £80 (£40). 0747 353 4589.
IT’S BEEN A LONG time coming, but a video tape company has finally brought out tapes in colours other than black. “High- grade videocassette with a funky trans- lucent coloured shell available in four fashionable colours’ is how JVC describes the tapes. It suggests you might want to use the colour coding as a filing method; sport on lime green and feature films on orange, perhaps? Pack of four available from around £10.
IF A WEDDINGS IN THE air you might want to visit the Wedding Exhibition and Designer Fashion Show at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow this weekend. There'll be dresses and every accessory you can imagine
from a variety
of designers.
Sat 77 8 Sun
18 Mar.
7 7.30am— 5.30pm. £2.50. BCH, 2 Sauchieha/I Street, 0747 287 557 7.
SHUNNING THE 805 revival, H&M has launched its spring collection which takes its inspiration from the 50s and 60s instead (that
Shopping
thing about there being no new ideas must be true . . .) Look out for capri pants, knee-length tight skirts and pastel cardigans for the ladies, while gents can’t be seen without fine-knit sweaters and loafers. Just stick some Deano on the stereo and you're ready to groove. More details on www.hm.com
THERE'S BEEN Bl UE Suede Shoes. Crocodile Shoes and exen Hole In My Shoe. but now the relationship between shoes and muSic has gone one step further. New Jersey pop group the Danielson FalllllO has ioinerl lorries Willi shoe»
inaker John l luexiir) to produce a liiniteil eilition shoe designed for fans. When you purchase the shOes you'll even get a copy of a (It) single ‘l lip Flor) Hiin l larn'. the
whole era/y package WI“ be available next month. find out more on the record label site ‘NWW.F;(:(;r(:l|\,((ialléldlall. corn or order your shoes on w.W/.t|uevog.(;oin
NEW TO PRINCES Square in Glasgow will be a Hugo Boss store, taking over the now closed Blazer shop. Famous for its fashion, fragrances and accessories, the company should be moving in at some point in April. Keep up to date at www.princes- square.com