11 January Clyde Walkway in Glasgow

Andy, Allan, Davie C, Davie Mc, Ian, Jimmy, Johnny, Malcolm, Paul, Peter, Robert & Ronnie

It was a great idea and like all great ideas it was so very simple: Johnny would check the time of the bus leaving Irvine and arriving at Kilmarnock bus station, Ian would check the time of the same bus arriving at the bus stop near his house in Killie, the outlying contingent would meet at Ian’s place and we would all travel to Glasgow on the same bus. Simples! But this is the Ooters we are talking about here and if anybody can muck up a simple idea it’s the Early Ooters.

Jimmy and Peter were first to defect from the plan. They couldn’t get a bus to connect with the one from Irvine so would travel direct to Glasgow and wait there for the rest of us. This they did, having coffee and bacon rolls in the Concert Halls while they waited. Andy from Largs had a similar problem with the same solution, only without the coffee and roll. He was found loitering by the ‘Tempus Fugit’ when the other two had finished coffee and had made their way back to the bus station to await the arrival of the others.

The bus from Irvine arrived bang on schedule. That’s not to say that all the Ooters arrived on schedule. The first part of the plan had been carried out to perfection. The Irvine contingent caught the bus and two of the Killie men boarded at Kilmarnock bus station. So far, so good. But what we had failed to factor into our plan in our alcohol induced euphoria last week was the capriciousness of the travelling public. It appeared that the whole of Kilmarnock wanted to travel to Glasgow on the same day, and on the same bus. The inconsiderate so-and-so’s filled the bus at the bus station leaving no room for those poor Ooters waiting at Ian’s place. Five of them were forced to stand and watch as a full bus sped past with familiar faces gesticulating furiously from the upper deck windows.

Now there were seven Ooters in Glasgow and five waiting in Kilmarnock for the next bus. There was nothing to do now but to spend the time having coffee in the Concert Halls while we waited. (Remember when this was a walking group? - Ed) Nearly half an hour later the missing five appeared having been fetched from the bus station by Robert. They had no time for coffee for the rest of us were ready for the off.

Sometime before noon we wandered down Buchanan Street admiring the city scenery. (One of these days one of you will be arrested for admiring the scenery too closely – Ed) We crossed Argyle Street, came through St. Enoch Square and came to the Clyde Walkway at the foot of Dixon Street. We thought we were turning eastward along the riverside but Davie Mc and Ronnie turned in the opposite direction - ‘Just going to show Ronnie La Pasionara’ – and we followed. La Passionara, the sculpted tribute to the men of the International Brigade who fought Fascism in the Spanish Civil War, has had a lucky escape. The recent storms have blown down a tree the branches of which just missed the upreaching arms of the bronze lady on top of the pedestal. Luckily no damage has been done and La Pasionara still looks defiantly over the river – ‘Better to die on your feet than live forever on your knees’. While we admired the artistic and other interest of the memorial, Davie and Ronnie wandered further westward to look at some Greek inscription on the remains of the old railway bridge.

Once the Greek had been examined and La Pasionara commented on, we did turn eastward along the walkway following it to Glasgow Green and beyond. A skuller from the Glasgow Rowing Club drifted upriver with a casual stroke passing us easily. He passed us again drifting just as casually downstream. We would see him again later. Then we met a walking group coming in the opposite direction and we being of a sociable nature, stopped for a blether. They were a group from East Kilbride who had started at Dalmarnock and were walking into the city centre. They did tell us the name of their group but the scribe has forgotten it. Johnny presented one of them with our blog cards so East Kilbride walkers if you are reading this get in touch and we will give your group a mention.

But time was now wearing on, nearing lunchtime, and we had promised ourselves lunch in West, the German pub on Glasgow Green. An arrangement was made that we would walk on until one o’clock and then turn back. The designated hour came with Andy, Davie Mc and Robert some hundred metres in front of the main group. When they thought one o’clock was we don’t know but they were walking on. Despite shouts from the pack, they walked on. We turned and ambled slowly back along the walkway. We were passed once more by the skuller but this time he was accompanied onshore by a coach on a bike, a coach with a megaphone, and his stroke was more intense. And they passed us again going downstream. But, this apart, there was very little to record before we came to Glasgow Green for the second time.

The errant three caught us up as we came to the Green and we made our way as a group to the Doges Palace and the German pub. Ian’s brother, Alistair, was waiting for us in the pub. It was nice to meet one of our regular readers and it might be nice to meet the other one sometime. However a convivial couple of hours were spent over lunch and refreshment and we can only hope that we haven’t put Alistair off joining us some other time.

Peter and Alistair left us early for different reasons – Alistair to make his way home and Peter to view some art work in St Andrews Cathedral - but the rest of us sat for a while yet. Then we made our way through the city centre to the Buchanan Bus Station and the bus back for Kilmarnock and Irvine and Largs. This time we all managed to get on whichever bus we required.

Next week we are not using buses!