Lobey Dosser Tribute Glasgow Blog

The real lowdown

The Lobey Dosser Tribute Blog is my mini-blog about the ferr city o' Glasgow (kind of like a regular journal, really).

To get up to speed, dive into my

• lets you know whenever any new or changed pages appear on my Top Ten Glasgow Guide, telling you about a new find, fun fact or feature (what about all those f's, eh?)
• keeps you up to date with other news, savings and past experiences (you know, like 'have you seen this new Glasgow steakhouse?', or 'what about that other new Glasgow steakhouse?' - You get the general idea!)
• and provides a platform for my pointless diatribe & attempts at humour I'm sure will push you into a slow madness as the paint dries.

Technologoggle

Having recorded with Faither a brand spanking new episode of Glasgow Generations last night, I've spent all day trying unsuccessfully to upload it into the big world of wide webs.

I know that this kind of supposedly painful news will raise arms of delight from Martha's Vineyard to Maryhill, but don't you worry - after I come back from London this weekend I'll be coming back to the problem with a fresh, if slightly hungover, aplomb, so be sure to check back again next week for the Sixth instalment of historical nonsense.

Time for gastronomical change

Nothing's really changed much in the restaurant section of late, but that's about to, well, change.

Having just visited again one of my favourite Scottish restaurants in Glasgow, Arisaig in Merchant Square, I've added it to the top ten and will be completing a review as soon as I get around to it.

At the same time I've taken off Stavka and Cathay Cuisine, both of which are sadly no longer with us, and replaced them with Panda Chinese Cuisine at the Quay, and an almost completely unknown gem of a Spanish restaurant in the Southside of the City called Tinto Tapas Bar. Again, I'll be polishing off another dinner at these places soon before slapping up some reviews.

If you've been to any of these restaurants before I'd be happy to hear from you before I put up the reviews, as it's always great to get as much in the way of reviews into my reviews as possible.

Bon appetit.

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My Social Networking Death

I'm offski.

I've now had my fill of social networking, mainly because it's part of the reason behind the lack of progress on the ol' Top Ten Glasgow Guide over the years.

So I'll be closing my pages on Twitter, mySpace, Facebook (including our For the Love of G...lasgow podcast page), Bebo, Friendfeed, LinkedIn, and any others I find lurking about the milky ether.

To those who care for such things, I appreciate that this is all pretty drastic stuff, but having wasted too many precious hours trying to extend my reach across the world, I want my life back.

Yes siree, it's time once and for all to give this site the kick up the proverbial it needs, and my aim is to do whatever it takes to continue its rise to the dizzying heights it's always been destined to reach (ahem...).

Mission statement ends - time to work.

How does this thing work again?...

Boy has it been a while. I'm sure you'll have been wondering where we got to (OK, so maybe not), so you'll be absolutely ecstatic to note that Faither and I have completed a new episode of our wee Glasgow Generations podcast.

Lots of the usual diatribe about the Barras, the Broons and the DIY bikes. Have a listen and be sure to email us a list of more prompts for Faither's ever-decreasing memory bank.

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Torres

Torres is a Spanish Tapas restaurant on Sauchiehall Street Glasgow. The staff are happy, friendly and the service is fantastic. It's a medium size restaurant,

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Finally - The Provand's Lordship

It only took me about six months to get this page up, but after a long, agonising period full of laziness and playing Call of Duty on the PS3, I've finally got my act together and completed a new page on the site, this time about the wonderful Provand's Lordship.

This wee gem of a place has a fascinating history even most Glaswegians don't know about, and after polishing it off I'm glad I finally did this page, as I've learned even more about the roots of my home town in doing so.

Have a read and let me know what you think. For me, I'm going to try and turn now to the next part of the attractions section, the St. Mungo Museum in the Glasgow Cathedral Precinct, but hopefully it won't take as long to finish this time...

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Erra Commonwulth Gemmes

Here's the new logo for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games for you.

Inspiring eh?

In the run up to 2014 and once I get that finger out the proverbial (erm, how many years is that now?), my hope is to finally complete not only the general incompleteness that darkens my site so tellingly, but also a sparkly new section on the Commonwealth Games due to take place here, including the new facilities and developments in the City that'll hopefully improve life here even after the closing ceremony's final firework has sputtered its last.

Let's be realistic though. For a number of years prior to 2014, this sparkly new section I promise you so promisingly is likely to look somewhat similar to Glasgow's present state of preparation for the Games, but fingers-crossed, I'll manage to trot out enough of a guide on the subject to attract some Lottery funding (anyone?...anyone?...) and which may even help some folks get to know their way around the Games when they eventually descend on the City.

Until then, back to that darned attractions section...

Back in the saddle

It's been a ferr wee while, but faither and I got back into our podcasting seats last night and managed to cram in some more of the town's history and a few personal stories of my Dad's early days here, in our fourth episode of the Glasgow Generations podcast.

Have a wee listen and let us know what you think.

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The Comeback

What you're about to read could very well be described as the most earth shattering announcement you'll hear all year:

On Tuesday, 16th February in the Year of Our Lord 2010, Alan and I will be dusting off the microphone, shuffling ourselves in front of my cobwebbed laptop, fixing each other's flaxen hair, and firing ourselves up for the fire crackling Second Series of our little For the Love of G...lasgow podcast.

Expect the expected, in other words the usual tragic nonsense, because after a fair few months' break we're full once again of vim and of glorious vigour, and cannot wait to fill you in on what we've been up to since you last heard our most angelic of voices in your ears. OK, so I could very well sum up what we've been doing as:

erm, we've been playing the PS3 and our new HTC Hero phones, and stuff...

...but I'm sure as always we'll drag that kind of gold out for at least 30 minutes per show, so tune in, turn up the noise and spank yourself in time with the beat of our comedy genius.

The Twenty Sixth will be with you soon...

Windows Restaurant at the Carlton George Hotel

I'm actually very surprised that this restaurant was not featured in your top ten and can only assume that this is because you have not had the good fortune

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Sugarolly and hudgies

I've just polished off a new episode of the Glasgow Generations podcast with my Dad, and it's now available to download for free using the link here.

This one's all about the old street games played in Glasgow in years past, including the death-defying catching hudgies and jumping the 7 foot dykes.

No wonder that the kids in old photos of Glasgow are always covered in scrapes and tattered clothes...

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Happy New One Anawrat

I hope your festive break was as jam-packed with exciting excitement as mine.

I'm now fresh back from Cardiff and gazing out at the snow-laden ice of Glasgow and towards another year full of promise. I wish you all the very best for 2010, and will (try to) start back in the coming weeks on the creative train delay that is the Top Ten Glasgow Guide.

See you all soon...

As decades go, how's about it?!!

You know, I just finished my usual State of the Bunion there, signing off for another year of fun and wacky frolics, and it struck me like a big, shiny hammer on the head that we're now at the end of the first decade of the 21st Century.

Yeah, wow Scott - way to catch up there.

Personally speaking, the last ten years since the Y2K threat was supposed to have consumed our life has been nothing less than fantastic.

Tracey and I got shackled together; we celebrated the births of our nieces Charlotte and Suzannah, our Goddaughter Brooke, and the beautiful weans of some of our (now over-tired but ecstatic) friends; I've been lucky enough to travel all over the world every year with Tracey and our mates; I qualified in law and became a Partner in a Law Firm before I was 30; we've enjoyed with our friends and family countless unforgettable moments of joy, happiness, laughter and love that I hope upon hope I'll remember forever; and despite there having been some sadness along the way, I felt that I had to share just how eternally thankful I am for the life, family, friends and moments I've had up until now.

To everyone who's spent a while on my little site over the years, sharing your love of Glasgow with me, I'd like to extend my genuine appreciation for your time and your input - ah hope it wisnae wastit - and as we begin to turn the page into the next decade and all its potential, you can rest assured that I'll be in a pub somewhere in Cardiff at the Bells lifting a glass for all of you.

Yours aye,

Scott

State of the Bunion 2009

Well, as I heave myself around after another weekend of festive over indulgence, I find myself at the end of another outstanding year.

For Tracey and myself, despite the recession 2009 was pretty near to perfect. Everyone we know healthy and happy; starting the year with a big bang in Galway; holidays to California and Nevada, Manchester (twice), London, Letterkenny, Newcastle, Albufeira and plenty of wee days out and weekends away here and there; looking forward to ending the year in Cardiff; celebrating our Goddaughter Brooke's Christening; some sterling gigs including U2 then Bruce Springsteen at Hampden, Russell Howard, Metallica, New Kids on the Block (erm...), The Killers, Louis XIV; and much more.

On the site, I didn't quite complete the restaurant and attractions bits, so as promised last year, you might see me running down Buchanan Street naked on Christmas Day, but you will have noted the getting around section completed, a flatsharing bit, additions to the Glesca patter guide, a full hotel section, a complete first series of our For the Love of G...lasgow podcast, and the exciting birth of our new podcast called Glasgow Generations. Once again, the number of folks stopping by my little site has trebled over the year, and it's really pretty humbling to hear from all of those as interested as me in what's going on in my home town, so please keep the emails flying in.

2010 will see the completion of the restaurant and attractions sections (no worries...), and possibly a wee shopping guide as well - I realise now that it's probably best not to promise the earth though, what with my past laziness and all.

So here's to my ever-burgeoning bunion and its crazy life of puss and happiness in Glasgow - have a great festive break, thanks for all your interest and support as always, and I'll see you again in the New Year.

Penny Caramels and Homemade Forts

As it's fast approaching Christmas, we thought that for the new episode of our little Glasgow Generations podcast, we should hark back to how the festive period was celebrated in Glasgow in the 40s, 50s and 60s.

Have a listen to the new show which is free now to download, and hear about what you'd expect to receive in your stocking and under the tree, the old stores in the City that are now closed, and why Hogmanay in Glasgow was far more important than Christmas back in the day.

We'll be back in 2010 with more trips down memory lane, and as we begin to gather some momentum for the show, we look forward to hearing your own memories of Glasgow - feel free to share them at

glasgowgenerations@googlemail.com

or by using the comments box linked from here. Cheers for now and thanks from my Dad and me for listening.

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