Day 1 (and 0) - Euston to Glasgow

18th and 19th October 2019

We left Essex on Friday night at 7pm to get a train and a tube to Euston, where we would be boarding the Caledonian Sleeper, which leaves at 23.50 and arrives in Glasgow at 7:35am the next day.

We found a really sweet hidden little Italian restaurant called Brizzi’s near the station and then started our holiday for real with a pizza/pasta meal and a glass of wine. We then waited in the Virgin First Class lounge for the train. All included in the price of our train ticket.

We boarded the train at 22:40 and were shown to our cabins. There was a BIG disappointment as we had tiny little rooms with bunks. I had specifically booked (or so I thought) double rooms with some extra space which should have included toiletries, our own bathroom and some water. The rather rude lady told me that I was mistaken and these were our rooms. The train tickets were not cheap, so I was a bit disappointed, but the train is brand new. These trains have only been in service for a few weeks, and it shows. Beautifully clean, modern with tartan carpets and walls. We started to unpack our bags, but within ten minutes a new guard came along to say we were in the wrong rooms! There had been a mix up with the room numbers and we were to move…to….LOVELY double rooms! Nice big beds and our own bathroom! YAY! The lady who was swiftly decanted from our double room to the coffin-like bunk wasn’t too pleased!

Oliver was immediately in bed and asleep before the train even left the station, but Andrew and I went to the dining car for a night cap.

Before long we were hurtling our way through Watford Junction and off to the north! The beds were comfortable and we only woke a few times when the train was clearly picking up some serious speed. The next time we woke was when there was a knock on the door from the room service attendant with our bacon rolls and coffee. Although train travel is not at all cheap, it is a very relaxing way to travel. You go to sleep in one place and if you are very tired and lucky, you wake up refreshed in another country. A real treat for a special occasion.

We stepped out from Glasgow Central station at 8am to dark skies and rain. No matter. I love Glasgow. It’s a bit grubby and a bit down at heel, but it has a certain magic about it. Maybe just nice memories of past trips (this is our third time here).

We went to the local Wetherspoons as Andrew was keen to watch the England vs Australia quarter final of the rugby world cup and were lucky to find they were showing it. We bought two coffees and a juice and settled down to watch the match, in the middle of a small group of Irish fans cheering for the Aussies. Two hours later, with a VERY VERY happy Andrew, we made our way to the hotel. It is a chain hotel, and we were unable to check in until 3pm, so we stored our bags and booked tickets for the hop on hop off bus. We had looked into bike tours, but they were all quite long and we were worried about getting soaked through.

The bus stopped outside our hotel and within minutes we had boarded and were enjoying a lovely Scottish voice talking us through the sights and history of Glasgow. We passed the new SEC Armadillo (an events space) and the SSE Hydro (for concerts) - both designed by Norman Foster.

We made our first stop the university. What a grand building. Could totally have been the set from a Harry Potter film. Very Gothic - turrets, towers and staircases galore. Doing a little research we found that the university is the fourth-oldest in the English-speaking world. This turned out to be an open day for prospective students, so we had full access to the campus and were able to stroll through the buildings with ease. I can imagine it would be a little daunting for the 18 year olds that are going to make this their home for 3 years, but I can’t think of a more inspiring place to learn.

The university campus is also home to the Hunterian museum, ‌named after a doctor and teacher - Dr William Hunter who lived in the 1700s and was rather passionate about collecting.‌ He was from Glasgow originally, but amassed a fortune in London after becoming the doctor to Queen Charlotte. He pretty much spent his massive fortune on his hobby and upon his death the full collection was bequeathed to the university, with enough money to build a museum to house it. It is a VERY impressive collection. Loads of dinosaur fossils, stuffed animals, organs in jars, insects, minerals - even an Egyptian Mummy!

The next stop was also part of the Hunterian, but on a different part of the campus. The Mackintosh House. But wait…before we get to that little gem, we stumbled upon another treasure, We crossed the road from the university and saw a round building with the art deco sign above it saying ‘Reading Room’. It was like a huge magnet for us bookworms, and we tried the door. It opened. We were in. We crept out of the reception area into the main area and were greeted with a completely round 1930s warm wooden room. Curved desks, curved bookshelves, and a round platform area above to walk around. There were a few women studying (Andrew assured us the men were in the pub watching rugby). Again, what a facility for students of the university. We walked up the stairs and around the balcony and marvelled at the curved offices of the various professors. Such a wonderful place to be.

So, back to the Mackintosh House. If you ever visit Glasgow, you can’t escape how proud they are of their (maybe) shiniest star - Charles Rennie Mackintosh. He was an architect and interior designer, born in the late 1800s and a major player in the world of Art Nouveau. I have long admired his style and he is the reason that we have been to Glasgow before. He and his wife lived in Glasgow and renovated their house (amongst many others, as well as schools and churches). When they died (childless) it was handed over to one of Mackintosh’s clients. Upon his death it was gifted to the university. Unfortunately, the house fell into disrepair and had to be demolished, but an exact copy has been built onto the side of one of the uni buildings and the full, preserved interiors are inside for visitors to drool over. Modern but timeless. Such a delight. I will never tire of seeing this. I have based so much of my house decor on the work of Mackintosh. Last time we saw it, we could take pictures. This time, not. So the pictures below are not mine. Some of you may recognise the dining chairs in the second one.

After this, we had a very quick whizz around the Hunterian Art gallery - they had some Whistlers, which were nice - but then Oli was running low on patience and calories, so we moved on to find a quick lunch.

We walked back to the university to catch the bus, but not before taking a quick detour to a bookshop that I had read about called ‘Voltaire and Rousseau’. It is a second hand book shop, tucked away down a tiny cobbled street. The entrance has books piled high - all books £1. They are literally stacked up. I found three that caught my eye. The main part of the shop is equally shambolic. I have no idea how you even get to the shelves - just enough room for one person to walk down the aisle. If someone is coming towards you, you have to back up and let them pass. A fascinating shop, if not a little sad that it seems a little out of control.

We caught the bus and rode then full route of the tour back to our hotel. We passed so many beautiful grand buildings. The look of Glasgow is not dissimilar to Bristol - buildings in a sandstone colour with huge tall windows and elaborate entrances.

We had hoped to visit the necropolis today, but we ran out of time. It’s been a long day - but a lovely one.

Just time for a bath and a re-charge (in the form of a glass of Pinot) before going out for a delicious meal at ‘Steak and Cherry’ on Sauchiehall Street. One of the nicest steaks I have ever had.

That’s all for now x