Glasgow is a wonderful city. It holds a special place in my heart because it is the town to which I moved to get married (we were actually married in Inverness, another city which has wormed deep into my heart) but even without the emotional attachment it is a city with a life, an edge, a history. I find Edinburgh rather cold, a little too concerned about the length of its skirt, the cut of its hair and frankly too full of Anglo Scots who pop on a kilt for the odd wedding and thus claim descent from Robert the Bruce.
The Boss and I once went to a party not far from Linlithgow. Everybody else there was coming from Edinburgh. They were all perfectly charming but several confessed conspiratorily to us that apparently there was a couple coming from Glasgow – did we know them? We revealed ourselves but assured them that we had left our second heads andI murderous weapons behind. I rest my case, the best thing to come out of Edinburgh is the M8.
However, this is not a travel blog. Earlier this week the Boss and I were up in Glasgow to see The Other Boss at Hampden Park. It was a fabulous evening from the little girl in Roganos on Buchanan showing off her party dress and the mum with twins who wanted to know what they would be like when they grew up (expensive), to the couple who shared a taxi with us (the queue for the train was practically over the Kingston Bridge) and wouldn’t take a penny from us to the Keeper from Aberfeldy we met in the bar back at our hotel and talked salmon with the Boss and of course the concert, all three and three quarters of an hour of it was magic.
The afternoon beforehand and the morning after before we got on our train home we pottered around some of our old haunts. We walked down streets we had last pounded when we were footlose and fancy free. We marvelled at some developments and were saddened by some streets that had lost their glory. We window shopped. That’s not strictly true, we went inside plenty of shops but apart from the shoes I had no desire to buy. I could appreciate beauty and form, practicality and design but I didn’t want any of it. I didn’t need it.
Like a binger who ate just one doughnut too many I couldn’t face another purchase of something I didn’t really need. Yes the Liberty print dress in the Hospice shop was beautiful and a steal at £15 but I don’t need it. I have plenty of perfectly lovely dresses already and my one in one out policy would necessitate giving away a perfectly good dress.
I didn’t even look at the second hand books. In the great clear out I discovered so many books I had bought and forgotten that I don’t need any new books. Not until I have read the ones I already have and passed them on to new homes.
It was liberating.
one pair of shoes at a time 
I am inspired by your new philosophy and think it is true, we get to a point in life where we need no more, and try to off load all the extras which keep us bogged down. I often think about people who lose everything in floods or bush fires here in Australia and although traumatic find a way to pick up and carry on and rebuild their lives. I look forward to following your new journey.
Thank you Carol. I too have often wondered about how people manage when they lose everything. But it’s just stuff. The real things are in our hearts. Yes, there are some things I would be devastated to lose, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world. I would rather have my daughters than photos of them.
I haven’t been to Scotland since I was a kid and we did not make it to Glasgow. I have always heard wonderful things about it including its architecture. One day I hope….
Put it right at the top of your list and when you know you are coming let me know 🙂
What a fun post, Gillian. I enjoy your use of words: “wormed its way into my heart,” “pottering around some of our old haunts,” and such phrases make your posts delightful to read. Sounds like a great time you had–I’d love to read more about your “one in one out” policy–it might make an inspiring blog post for all of us who tend to hang on to clutter!
Thank you Amy. The one in one out is quite simple, if I buy something non consumable (ie not food or similar) then I must sell/donate an existing equivalent. I will do a post 🙂