I'm the editor, a proud Glaswegian but Glasgow could do better

I am that proud Glaswegian. I love how we speak and confuse people with words which really can be taken out of context elsewhere.

(Image: Stacey Mullen, Glasgow Times editor at four years old) We have the funniest people in the world. Our city is full of comedians who don’t even realise the power of their humour. Recently the cleansing union chief Chris Mitchell employed a secret weapon to make the council stand up and take notice. He had a mascot dressed up as a seagull to protest outside Polmadie Recycling Centre. He wanted to tell the council that it was unacceptable for the cleansing staff to have to deal with the gathering of hundreds of unruly seagulls at their depot. He called the protest mascot Steven Sea-gull. Now that’s funny.

(Image: Steven Sea-gull’ to tackle Polmadie gull invasion (Image: Robert Perry))

I love the rain. Deacon Blue calling their 1987 debut album Raintown is genius because it captures the permanent mood of the city. It rains a lot and I’m always prepared for it.

I also get a sense of pride when I hear a Glaswegian voice especially on TV. The Drumchapel-born actor James McAvoy on Graham Norton talking how we do, not apologising for it and sounding absolutely gorgeous in the process. There is no other accent like ours.

I could go on and on but I can’t just love bomb Glasgow and its people. This investigative series delivered by the Glasgow Times and our sister title The Herald was looking at how this city has changed. What have we done right and where are we failing?

I grew up in the Gorbals which is one area that has undergone the biggest transformation in the last few decades.

My mum was born into a tenement flat on Coburg Street. Times were hard. Families survived on tick and acquired cats to shoo away rats.

(Image: Norfolk Court)

Then came the tower blocks. Norfolk Court, Stirlingfauld Place, Sandiefield Place, Queen Elizabeth Square, Caledonian Road and Waddell Court. One by one they came down - with the exception of two - to make way for a new Gorbals.

The families who were once squeezed into the 20-storey blocks now had back gardens. Money moved into an area that was traditionally working class thanks to private housing. A new two-bedroom flat overlooking the city’s Sheriff Court will now set you back £250k. The Gorbals shows Glasgow can do transformation well.

The Finnieston effect is similar. I can still hear the rumble of excited feet walking up and down the stairs to get to their seat in Hall 4 of the SECC. I have fond memories of losing my voice screaming at Take That, wearing oversized combats to All Saints and dancing with a foam finger to Steps’ Deeper Shade of Blue.

Then came the Hydro. Architecturally it’s stunning. It looks like a spaceship, the colours constantly change and every time I am there someone is posing outside for that Hydro snap.

(Image: Argyle Street, Finnieston)

That arena allowed Finnieston to become hip. It was the new West End to have nights out. Eating at exquisite restaurants and bar hopping between the old and new drinking holes. Finnieston is a totally different area thanks to the Hydro and proves we can change Glasgow for the better.

But let’s face it some things have been left behind including our famous Golden Z (Sauchiehall Street, Buchanan Street and Argyle Street). I can’t remember the last time I had a shopping trip in the city centre. As a teenager, I spent hours every Saturday in Woolworths, HMV and Shellys of London. Not now. And this says a lot coming from a shopaholic.

I walk through it every day - Union Street - is part of my route. I’m gallus enough to handle it but if I were a tourist coming out of Central Station, my first impression of Glasgow would not be good. It has an edge and can be imposing especially at night. 

Empty unit after empty unit throughout with Sauchiehall Street worse hit. Pretty pavements and trees might look lovely but what’s the point if there is no development around it?

I really hate to big up Edinburgh but the city has become a shopping destination. A title we used to own. At the high end, they have stand-alone Louis Vuitton and Harvey Nichols stores then St James Quarter has every major brand, many we don’t have. Silverburn and Glasgow Fort are thriving but is it at the cost of our once great city centre? There was a time when people from all over Scotland travelled to Glasgow for a day of shopping, and I just can't see that happening anymore. 

From rubbish shops to actual rubbish. Where have we gone wrong as a city when there are rats, flytipping, overflowing bins and rubbish everywhere. The cleansing staff work so hard but the problem never seems to be solved. It shocked me when my friend visited us last summer from Norway with his kids and his daughter asked why is there rubbish everywhere. I was embarrassed for my city. 

(Image: GT)

For this series I returned to George Square, back to the bench I sat on as a four-year-old. The trees are gone and plans are in place to transform our iconic centre. I am optimistic and hope it will make a difference. 

Glasgow always has my heart, and I always want this city to thrive and do better. 

But we need to do better. We need to attract investment in the areas that have been left behind.

We need to clean up this city and make it a place we all love and are proud of. 

And we need a city centre that can compete with the rest of Europe. We have the personality, let's show it!