The Five Dollar Charity Project Visits Glasgow, Scotland
Glasgow Welcomes The Five Dollars on Vacation
Welcome to Glasgow! This sub-site is dedicated to The Five Dollar Vacation and specifically the arrival of The Five Dollars in the City of Glasgow, as they sadly near the end of their travels. This site will not only track The Five Dollar Vacation around the City of Glasgow and introduce you to some of the sights and attractions of Glasgow, it will give you the opportunity to donate to a whole host of wonderful and deserving charitable causes, helping those both in the City of Glasgow and frequently far beyond.
A Brief Introduction to The Five Dollar Vacation
The bigger project of which this one is but a part
The Five Dollar Vacation began in the Spring of 2009 through what has to be put down to a series of coincidences. It was when I was invited by my friend Jaguar Julie - in Jacksonville, Florida, USA - to participate in her own worldwide charity project and she unexpectedly sent me five US Dollars towards my onward postage costs that I came up with the concept.
Essentially, The Five Dollar Vacation has since involved sending these same Five Dollars on a series of journeys to interesting places and destinations. In the process, the idea has been to raise as much money for deserving charities as possible. The number of people who have helped in this project is now so many that I can not possibly mention them all by name but I extend my deepest gratitude to each and every one of them.
The full story of The Five Dollar Vacation can be found by accessing the parent site of this one, linked to immediately below this introduction.
I very much hope that you enjoy sharing the story of The Five Dollar Vacation, Glasgow style, and will find it within your hearts to donate whatever you can afford to one of the deserving charities featured upon either this page or The Five Dollar Vacation home page.
Gordon Hamilton
Wishaw, Lanarkshire
Saturday, October 31st, 2009
I Belong to Glasgow - By Glasgow's legendary music hall entertainer Will Fyffe
The Five Dollars Visit Glasgow's Barrowland Ballroom
The Glasgow Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow's East End knows a rich and colourful history - sometimes for all the wrong reasons. The Barrowland Ballroom was opened in 1934 and ever since has been one of Scotland's most popular event venues. Acts such as David Bowie, U2, Bob Dylan and many, many more have featured at The Barrowland over the decades and it continues to be an incredibly popular venue right up to the present day.
On a more sinister note, it is thought that The Barrowland is where one of Glasgow's most infamous serial killers, Bible John - who was never identified - is believed to have met his victims in the late 1960's.
Yorkhill Children's Foundation
The charity devoted to benefitting the patients of The Royal Hospital for Sick Children (Yorkhill)
Glasgow's Royal Hospital for Sick Children (Yorkhill) cares for tens of thousands of children from all over Scotland every year. The ailments from which these children are suffering naturally vary to a great extent and the hospital is of course largely funded by the National Health Service.
There are, however, funds desperately required by The Royal Hospital for Sick Children (Yorkhill) which the NHS does not - or simply can not - provide. This is where the Yorkhill Children's Foundation comes in to play and its strenuous efforts to raise as much money as possible to benefit these sometimes very seriously sick children are so appreciated and important.
Please Glasgow, give whatever you can to make perhaps that all important difference to the life of a sick child today, via the link below:
The Five Dollars at Glasgow's Barras Market
Glasgow's Barras Market is an area of Glasgow properly known as Barrowland which lends its name to the adjacent ballroom. There is not much that one can not purchase at The Barras and the market draws visitors from all around the world who happen to find themselves in Glasgow.
Jane Forrest and The Five Dollars in Glasgow
The wonderful lady without whose work and assistance this site quite simply would not have been possible
I am aware that it is normal practise to reserve thanks in a situation like this until nearer the end of the piece of work. It is important, however, in order to fully understand the story of The Five Dollar Vacation in Glasgow, that I at this juncture introduce you to Jane Forrest, quite literally the organisational skills, brains and knowledge consultant behind the whole Glasgow branch of The Five Dollar Vacation.
I am not personally a native of the City of Glasgow, having being born and raised in the county of Lanarkshire, to the south-east of Glasgow. Over the years, I have of course visited Glasgow on many, many occasions but my overall knowledge of the city, its past and even its present could at best be described as sketchy. That is why I asked my friend Jane - a native Glaswegian - to lend me her assistance in this project and I am so glad to say that she readily agreed.
Jane is not simply the model in most of the photographs on this page. It was Jane who came up with the list of destinations which The Five Dollars should visit, devised a workable schedule for said visits, obtained the necessary photographic permissions and even chauffeured The Five Dollars and I around Glasgow. I can not thank her enough for both her efforts and her time and hope that this will equally be appreciated by all who enjoy viewing this site and benefit from what it is trying to achieve.
I also have to thank Jane for adding a further little bit of spice to the site. It had not been my intention to include any details of Glasgow's sectarian divide upon this site but it was Jane who came up with a way to incorporate this less savoury side of Glasgow in to the project in a positive sense, borrowed her son's Rangers shirt and even sent her son off quite literally in the early hours of the morning to borrow a Celtic shirt from a friend that many of the photos further down this page would prove possible...
The Five Dollars Visit what Little Remains of the Old Glasgow Green Station
Glasgow Green Railway Station was first opened in 1895. It closed for a period of two years, around the end of the First World War and then closed for what appears to be for good in 1953. There is very little remains of the station, other than the outer shell as pictured above.
The Five Dollars Bridge Glasgow's Sectarian Divide
The sectarian divide in Glasgow is not something which I wish to dwell upon but it forms a large part of what Glasgow has been for the past century or so and remains right up to the present time. It can not, therefore, simply be ignored, as I am glad Jane allowed me to see; rather, it should be addressed as a very real part of Glasgow and an attempt made to show that there are a great many aspects of life within Glasgow upon which all who live in the city can stand united in a positive sense.
Very briefly and perhaps over simplisticly, the Protestant/Roman Catholic divide in Glasgow began with the influx of Roman Catholic Irish immigrants to the largely Presbyterian city's East End in the late nineteenth/early twentieth century, following Ireland's crippling potato famine. Over a period of time, frictions and resentments developed. It soon came to be that the city's two biggest football (soccer) teams were associated in the case of Rangers with Protestants and Celtic (founded by a Roman Catholic monk) with Roman Catholics.
Although both Rangers and Celtic have individually - and together - attempted to distance themselves from this issue in recent years and gone to great extremes to eradicate this element from their respective supporter bases, to pretend that it no longer exists - and to a huge extent, no matter who may naively or falsely claim otherwise - among football supporters and in the city in general is simply to bury one's head in the sand. The Five Dollars will in certain respects attempt, however, to bridge Glasgow's sectarian divide - at least for a short time - for the greater good of Glasgow and all the people of Glasgow.
Radio Clyde Cash for Kids
A charity helping all children in need in Glasgow and West Central Scotland
The Radio Clyde Cash for Kids Appeal began in 1981 and since that time has focused on the run up to Christmas each year in raising funds to help any and all children who are under-privileged in any way to enjoy the special magic that Christmas brings, as well as to know the pleasures of everyday life all year round. If you want to help bring a smile to a little face on Christmas morning where it would never have otherwise appeared - or help a local child in any other way - please give what you can to Radio Clyde's Cash for Kids appeal today, via the link below:
The Five Dollars Visit Glasgow Cathedral
Glasgow Cathedral sits just off the High Street on the eastern edge of the city centre. It is reputed that the site upon which Glasgow Cathedral now stands was first consecrated as far back as the sixth century AD, by St Mungo, and the present Cathedral is the fourth place of worship to be built upon the site of that first humble structure. St Mungo's tomb is located in the lower levels of Glasgow Cathedral and each year a special service is held in his memory. There are parts of Glasgow Cathedral as it stands today believed to date back to the very late twelfth century AD and the structure was developed and enlarged over the following three or four centuries. Jane is pictured to the right under one of the Cathedral's stunning stained glass windows.
Whilst in Glasgow Cathedral, Jane and I chanced to encounter three students from Glasgow Metropolitan College and their sketch pads, who were busy sketching images of the Cathedral's stunning architecture and fittings. Laura Telfer, Iona Webster and Louise More are pictured left with The Five Dollars in the main aisle of Glasgow Cathedral. (Click photo to enlarge.)
Admission to Glasgow Cathedral is free to the general public but opening times vary depending upon the day of the week and time of year. Full details can be obtained via the link below:
The Five Dollars Visit The Oldest House in Glasgow
This house has seen more than five centuries' of Glasgow life
The oldest house in Glasgow, Provand's Lordship, is located only two minutes' walk from Glasgow Cathedral and across The High Street. It was built in the late fifteenth century, circa 1471. The house is now a designated Glasgow Museum and contains period furniture, cooking and eating utensils and more. Clearly, space limits the number of exhibits available to see in Provand's Lordship but The Five Dollars still managed to get a taste of what life was like in Glasgow all those many centuries ago, before pausing for the photograph to the right to be taken upon exit, just at the exact second at which I got splashed by the puddle water thrown up by a passing lorry!
The Five Dollars Visit The Old College Bar, the Oldest Pub in Glasgow
Following their visit to Glasgow's oldest house, it seemed appropraite that The Five Dollars thereafter visit Glasgow's oldest public house. There are many in and around Glasgow who believe this title is held by The Saracen's Head or even The Scotia Bar. The reality is, however, that The Old College Bar, an "Ancient Staging Post and Hostelry," was built in approximately 1515 and is the true holder of the title of, "The oldest pub in Glasgow."
George Square is a large, open square in the heart of Glasgow City Centre. There are many events held in George Square throughout the year but the square is also home to, among other things, Glasgow City Chambers and the Glasgow Cenotaph (War Memorial.)
The photographs above may each be enlarged and a fuller explanation obtained simply by clicking upon them. They show The Five Dollars outside Glasgow City Chambers, protecting a young man's modesty inside the City Chambers and climbing the magnificent staircase which leads to the upper floors of the Chambers. They also show The Five Dollars at both sides of the Cenotaph and meeting Eddie Wallace (far right in the relevant photograph) and the fellow members of his scaffolding crew who simply happened to be passing by at the time!
In the larger photo to the above right, The Five Dollars can just about be discerned adorning the large mosaic in the foyer of the Glasgow City Chambers, depicting the city's emblem and motto, "Let Glasgow Flourish."
A Taste of Glasgow
A look at the foodstuffs enjoyed by Glaswegians and Scots in general
In my capacity as Food and Drink Channel Steward on Helium.com, as well as other writing commitments within this field, food and drink is something which plays a big part of my everyday life, for more than the obvious reasons. This means that I both read and write a great deal upon the subject and have on many occasions explored the traditional foods of Scotland and compared what they are in reality to what they are perceived to be around the world.
Whether you like a pie and beans (with or without chips,) a roll and sausage and tattie scone (pictured right,) or even a hot, steaming bowl of cullen skink, you may find the website linked to below to be of interest:
A Scotch Pie and Beans
They Gave Their Tomorrows for Our Todays - Surely we can give something back?
The Erskine Hospital - in Bishopton, near Glasgow - was founded in 1916 to help care for injured Armed Forces personnel returning from the battlefields of the First World War. Since that day, the hospital has continued to care for the seriously injured victims from all the branches of HM Forces who have sustained their injuries in so many different conflicts over the years. As more victims continue to require the expert services which Erskine Hospital provides, so too are more funds required in order to provide the care which our heroes require.
Erskine Hospital is another more than deserving charity within the Glasgow area and I hope that The Five Dollars can draw attention to this and provide them with even a little of the much needed funds they require.
Click on the link below to very simply donate to the Erskine Hospital online, today:
The Song of The Clyde - The musical story of Scotland's greatest river
The Five Dollars Reach the River Clyde - The slideshow below features some of the places along its famous banks which they visited
Click thumbnail to view full-size
A Brief Guide to Glasgow and Glaswegians - For those who wish to know more and support charity at the same time
Shopping from the UK and want to buy this book?
No problem! SImply click on the link below:
The Five Dollars with Glasgow University in the Background
This picture was taken in the car park of the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. The shape of the University of Glasgow can clearly be discerned, just beyond the trees.
Glasgow Old People's Welfare Association
A charity set up following the Second World War to care for the elderly in Glasgow
The GOPWA was set up following consultation with the churches, the city's entrepreneurs and money-men and anyone else who could conceivably assist in the aftermath and particularly deprived times of the Second World War. It was recognised that the elderly could experience difficulty in everything from financial hardship, to loneliness, to lack of quality or even basic accomodation. The charity therefore addresses these problems and more for the senior citizens of Glasgow, right up to the present day.
To find out more about the GOPWA, or how you can offer help and assistance, click on the link below:
The Five Dollars About to Court Controversy at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
As a native of West Central Scotland, I can not of course fail to realise how there will be many who will throw up there hands in horror and outrage at the sight of the photo to the right and the one below. This is because the photo to the right is of William, Prince of Orange, ("King Billy,") symbol of the Protestant Faith in Glasgow with Jane shown wearing a Celtic strip! There are not many such photos around and we were very grateful while taking these photos that we had the religious exhibition section of Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum to ourselves! I very much hope that those who would normally take umbrage at the sight of these images will have the grace to grant us reprieve from our indiscretions in the name of the greater cause of The Five Dollar Vacation.
In a similar sense, although St Patrick is of course the patron saint of the whole of Ireland and of Protestants and Roman Catholics alike, he is very much perceived in Glasgow to be representative of the Roman Catholic side of the city and is not often therefore seen pictured alongside someone wearing a Rangers top! Again, the pictures are in no way intended to cause shock or offence, merely to show that it is possible to unite all the people of Glasgow at times in the pursuit of a greater good.
The Five Dollar Vacation Receives the Royal Seal of Approval from HM Queen Victoria at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
The Five Dollars Prepare to Visit the Doctor Who Exhibition at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
The Doctor Who Exhibition which was running at the Glasgow Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum at the time of The Five Dollars' visit allowed them to meet probably the world's most famous time travel device. I am glad to say that The Tardis behaved itself during the time which it took to take this photo and did not whisk Jane, The Five Dollars and I off to some far distant timeline and galaxy!
The Doctor Who Exhibition will continue until January 4th, 2010 - only four days longer than The Five Dollar Vacation!
The Five Dollars Take a Tram at Glasgow Transport Museum
The Glasgow Transport Museum is not only a monument to Glasgow's transport modes of yesteryear, it also includes a mock-up of a Glasgow street of a long gone era. "Kelvin Street" - seen below - includes not only a number of cars and vans used in the time period but a number of shops and other venues found on Glasgow streets of the era.
The Five Dollars Get a Glaswegian Education, Victorian Style
The Scotland Street School Museum is a place which affords an insight in to Glasgow's educational establishments of yesteryear. The photo above shows Jane seated in a Victorian style classroom, holding not only The Five Dollars but a slate which would have been used by the pupils to scribe their work in chalk.
It would have been a shame to bring The Five Dollars all the way to Glasgow and not get them, "Mangled." Although the picture to the right shows The Five Dollars quite literally going through a mangle - so quaintly described as, "Girls' Work" - the expression in Glasgow is more commonly associated these days with someone being or becoming extremely intoxicated.
The pictures below show Jane in the position of the class dunce, which would lead to the unfortunate individual being forced to sit on a stool at the front of the class wearing the rather, "Fetching," designer hat pictured. The photos also show The Five Dollars being summoned to the Headmaster's office, their meeting with the school, "Jannie," (Janitor/Caretaker,) taking a class from 1955...and taking a sneak look in to the girls' cloakroom and changing room!
Still to Come on The Five Dollars' Glasgow Vacation
They had many more adventures in Glasgow which have yet to be revealed!
Siill to be revealed on The Five Dollars' Glasgow Vacation are details of how they visited The Peoples' Palace and Winter Gardens.
This and more is still to come very, very soon on The Five Dollar Vacation in Glasgow...and details will even be disclosed of precisely what Jane is sheltering from in the photo to the right!
What Will Happen to The Five Dollars at the End of their Worldwide Vacation?
That is something which - for the moment - I can only partially reveal...
I have to be perfectly honest in this respect and state that when I first come up with the idea for The Five Dollars Vacation and started the project off all those months ago, I had myself merely but a sketchy series of ideas as to where the project would ultimately lead. I wrestled with a great many options but it was only around late July/early August 2009 that I finally decided upon the ultimate destinations of The Five Dollars.
Essentially, I decided that the dollars would go their separate ways at the end of the project. I would designate each dollar as representating one particular desirable human quality, reveal these qualities or attributes one by one, then proceed to reveal how each dollar was to be made to represent that quality.
At the time of writing, I am half way through the disclosure process, in that I have revealed only what each dollar will be made to represent but not yet how they will be made to do so...
Dollar One will be made to represent Faith.
Dollar Two will be made to represent Hope.
Dollar Three will be made to represent Charity.
Dollar Four will be made to represent Freedom.
Dollar Five will be made to represent Love.
It will be at some point in mid to late November 2009 that The Five Dollars will start to go their separate ways and I have to state that I will miss them...
Firstly, I would like to thank you for your visit to this site and for hopefully taking the time to read through it. I very much hope that you have also in some small way been able to help The Five Dollars to help Glasgow and the people of Glasgow.
Any comments which you have may be left in the space below.
