Tag Archives: Glasgow news

The Great City Swap begins today

Scotrail have launched a new campaign today to encourage you to go to Edinburgh. They are also suggesting that those living in Edinburgh will come here for the day. The Great City Swap is supported by the Glasgow City Marketing Bureau and Marketing Edinburgh and it promises ‘memorable experiences and hidden gems’.

Research into the Central Scotland journey found that 90% of those questioned thought that the train trip would make the day out an attractive option, but that only around a third of those actually made the plan a reality. This campaign should help you do just that.

Nesta Gilliland, head of marketing and sales at ScotRail said : “Glasgow and Edinburgh both have great shopping, incredible culture, lively nightlife and family days out. However, 90% of those we spoke with agreed that both cities are different in their own distinctive ways. That means those who live in either place are in an enviable position. When they travel by train, in less than an hour they can easily be in the other city soaking up amazing experiences. That’s what our Great City Swap campaign celebrates.

“We want people to travel from East to West, and vice-versa, with ScotRail. It’s not that the cities don’t like each other – they do – it’s just that they need to take the time to get to know each other again. And we’ve got lots of creative ways to encourage people to take the plunge and get swapping.

“Through train travel, we’ll show how easy and enjoyable it can be to discover the real Edinburgh and Glasgow.”

Councillor Frank McAveety, the Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, said: “Our two great cities share so many common bonds, with outstanding sights and attractions on offer. We know that People Make Glasgow and I would urge everyone, not least our neighbours in Edinburgh, to come and experience our welcome and hospitality. From world-class museums and family attractions, to shopping and great food and entertainment, there really is something for everyone to enjoy.”

As part of The Great City Swap, ScotRail will also be highlighting the affordability of leisure fares between Glasgow and Edinburgh. Outside peak times, return fares between Glasgow and Edinburgh are £12.60** or less. Kids go free*** and over 50s receive a discount if they are members of ScotRail’s Club 50. Passengers can speak with ticket office staff at train stations who are on hand to help people get the best deal.

**Off peak adult day return is £12.60

***Kids go free up to age 16 on off-peak returns

Photos Andy Buchanan

Glasgow Childrens’ Hospital Charity appoints financial expert to board

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A director with investment managers Brewin Dolphin has joined the board of directors at Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity.

With her financial expertise Vicki Drysdale hopes to help the charity in its work to support children, babies and young people treated at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow.

Shona Cardle, chief executive, Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “We’re pleased to welcome Vicky to our board of directors. I have no doubt that her considerable financial acumen will help us continue to deliver the highest level of support to the patients and families from across Scotland who attend the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow.”

An expert in financial markets and understanding the economy, Vicky has demonstrable success in manging clients’ investment portfolios. She has strategic and hands on experience in brand development, marketing and client engagement, and is a fellow of the Securities Institute.

Vicky Drysdale said: “The Charity is fantastic and makes a real difference to the children who attend the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow and I am very proud to join the board of directors.

“I wanted to join a charitable board as I was keen to put my skill set to use to give something back to society. I have learned so much during my professional career and wanted to put it to good use out with the private sector. I never take anything for granted and know there are so many people that need help and support and I am happy to contribute in some small way.”

Vicky was matched to the charity by iMultiply, a recruitment agency which offers charities seeking new board members access to its extensive network free of charge.

Following the appointment, Debbie Shields of iMultiply said: “We are passionate about supporting non-for-profit organisations and have successfully worked with a number of registered charities across Scotland.

“It’s been great to make the introduction with Vicky and Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity. Working with both has been a real pleasure and I’m sure it will be a great appointment for both parties. I look forward to hearing about their continued successes!”

Nominate your new community councillors by the end of the week

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Glasgow City Council is currently seeking nominations for community councillors in 16 areas across the city, all before the end of this week. .

Nominations for the elections will close on 16 September 2016.

Election meetings will take place in each of the areas in October (details to come once nomination deadline has passed) to appoint qualified residents to the respective community councils.

Anyone over 16 years of age who resides within their community council boundary area can stand for election. All that is required is that the candidate, proposer and seconders’ names, as stated on the nomination forms, also appear on the Electoral Register.

Valid nomination forms should be submitted to Glasgow City Council using the details on the online form by noon on Friday 16th September 2016.

The following community councils are holding elections:
Carmunnock
Castlemilk
Crosshill Govanhill
Dowanhill, Hyndland and Kelvinside
Dumbreck
Garrowhill
Gartcraig
Hillhead
Hillington North Cardonald and Penilee
Hutchesontown
Molendinar
Newlands and Auldhouse
Jordanhill
Simshill and Old Cathcart
South Cardonald and Crookston
Wallacewell

Community councils play a very important role in serving to bridge the gap between local authorities and communities.

Unlike other community organisations they are formally included in the consultation process for all planning applications and can make representations regarding them. They can also comment on licensing applications that affect their area.

The introduction of the Community Empowerment Act 2015 could also mean that community councils have increased powers in the future.

In addition to influencing decision making, as a community body, the groups are also eligible to apply for council funding for instance to run events and purchase items, for the benefit of the local area.

Councillor Soryia Siddique, executive member for communities and citizens, said: “These elected volunteers have a key responsibility in helping to express the views and articulate the needs of local areas. We are looking for a wide variety of people to join these groups and make them representative of our diverse city.

“So young or old, from the high school student or unemployed person looking to add to their CV, to a retiree, a local business owner or parent with ideas about improving an area for families – all have a vested interested in making the place where you live better . If you can spare some time to influence and make decisions about what happens in your neighbourhood, we want to hear from you.”

For its part the council has a duty to ensure that the community councils are accountable, governed and run correctly. The council also hosts development, training and capacity building sessions to build and ensure the groups’ sustainability and longevity as a thriving community organisation.

Delta now flies to JFK from Glasgow

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Two weeks after Delta Air Lines started service between Edinburgh and New York-JFK, the U.S. airline has announced it will double its Scottish network in summer 2017 when it begins flying between Glasgow and the Big Apple.

The service, which will begin on May 26, 2017, will be the only nonstop fight between Glasgow and New York-JFK and will operate daily throughout the summer. From JFK, customers will have a choice of 60 same-day onward connections throughout the United States, including the popular cities of Los Angeles, Orlando and San Francisco. The flight will be operated in conjunction with partners Virgin Atlantic Airways and this new service adds to Virgin’s seasonal service from Glasgow to Orlando.

“As a core component of our global strategy, we are eager to build our network across the U.K. and this new flight shows our commitment to Scotland,” said Dwight James, Delta’s senior vice president trans-Atlantic. “With this service, Delta will operate from four airports in Scotland and England offering our customers more choice of local services to reach their chosen U.S. destination, as well as offering tourism and business opportunities for Scotland.”

The schedule for the service between Glasgow and New York-JFK is:

Flight	Departs	Arrives
DL266	Glasgow at 1.00 p.m.	New York-JFK at 3.40 p.m.
DL466	New York-JFK at 11.45p.m.	Glasgow at 11.25 a.m. (+1 day)

“The arrival of Delta Air Lines in Glasgow is fantastic news for Scotland and we really can not underestimate the significance of this announcement; especially since it comes just as Glasgow Airport is about to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its official opening,” said Amanda McMillan, Chief Executive of AGS Airports Ltd and Managing Director of Glasgow Airport. “Routes such as this enable Scotland to maintain and increase its global competitiveness. Not only will it play a major role in supporting our growing tourism industry, it will provide Scottish businesses with yet another direct link to what is the world’s largest economy. New York is such an iconic city for which there is huge demand and passengers will be able to take advantage of Delta’s extensive route network through its hub at New York-JFK.”

The United States is the number one inbound tourism market to Scotland, with nearly half a million visitors in 2014 – an increase of 100,000 compared to the previous year*. Scottish Government data also reports that overall tourism expenditure in the country stood around £9.7 billion in 2014.

“This announcement for Glasgow is a fantastic endorsement by one of the world’s biggest airlines for Scotland and the important growth opportunity that is Scottish tourism, coming , as it does, hard on the heels of the commencement of Delta’s new Edinburgh-JFK service,” said Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland. “Our strategy sees us working closely in partnership with airlines like Delta to develop and promote direct air connectivity to Scotland. This new service to Glasgow will be well timed to exploit the increased interest in Scotland and Scots heritage stimulated by the highly successful Outlander TV series and our Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology in 2017.”

Councillor Frank McAveety, Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, added: “The USA is Glasgow’s largest international market with 100,000 American visitors currently travelling to the city each year, contributing £38 million to the local economy. Delta’s new service to Glasgow Airport will bring a mix of leisure and business visitors to the city, as well as serving to increase our worldwide connectivity. We look forward to welcoming Delta to Glasgow and working closely with them and city partners on joint marketing communications activity in the US to grow this key market further.”

Delta’s Glasgow service will be operated using a 164-seat Boeing 757-200ER. All flights will be equipped with Wi-Fi, allowing customers to stay connected at 30,000 feet, in addition to complimentary on-demand in-flight entertainment in all cabins. Movies and TV shows can also be downloaded to tablet and laptop devices.

Customers flying in Delta Comfort+, will benefit from up to four additional inches of legroom and 50 percent more recline than Main Cabin seats, as well as priority boarding. Furthermore, Delta’s flights from Glasgow feature fully flat-bed seats in the Delta One cabin, with Westin Heavenly Inflight Bedding from Westin Hotels & Resorts and TUMI amenity kits featuring products by MALIN + GOETZ. Customers enjoy a range of regional dining options in the Delta One cabin produced using seasonal ingredients and paired with wines selected exclusively for Delta by Master Sommelier, Andrea Robinson.

Tickets for Delta’s New York service are available through Delta Air Lines on 0871 221 1222, www.delta.com or via travel agents.

Leverndale patient missing

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Yesterday 10 March 2016 Mr Lee McFadyen a restricted patient, absconded from Leverndale Hospital, 510 Crookston Road, Glasgow from a period of unescorted suspension of detention in the community.

Mr McFadyen is 29 years old and is described as being 5ft 10 in height, of medium build with a fair complexion, brown eyes and dark brown/black hair. He was last seen wearing a black parka jacket with a burgundy scarf, navy t-shirt, blue denims, royal blue Nike sweater and royal blue Adidas trainers.

Authorities are anxious to trace this man as soon as possible. If you see him you should contact Police Scotland on 101 or your local police office.

The rise of Glasgow’s independent coffee culture

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Glasgow last night played host to the launch of Scotland’s first Independent Coffee Guide, cementing its place as a major player on the speciality coffee scene.

Over 100 people packed into South Block on Osborne Street to experience the landmark moment for the local industry, as Salt Media publishers unveiled their glossy 130-page encyclopaedia of Scottish coffee shops and roasters.

The guide is the first of its kind in Scotland after similar successful projects by Salt Media in the south-west and north of England. North Berwick-based photographer Gavin Smart contributed an array of images to the guide, and these were displayed in a mini-gallery at the launch event.

“Incredible”

Jo Rees, editor of the Indy Coffee Guide, said: “There’s loads of coffee in Scotland – some of it incredible, some not so good, but with your Indy Coffee Guide in your back pocket, you can be confident that you won’t waste your precious and limited caffeine intake on anything but the very best speciality coffee. It’s your starting point for some brilliant coffee adventures.”

Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood, UK Barista champion, said: “The guide represents the emergence of “coffee tourism”. After all, guidebooks have led people to new and exciting realms for centuries.”

A four-strong panel picked out 44 top coffee shops and 11 top roasters stretching from Ullapool to Berwick. Also included are supplementary lists of 27 highly recommended shops and 7 roasters. All in all, 22 Glasgow establishments are featured in the Guide.

The Scottish speciality coffee industry is riding a wave of publicity at the moment. The second Glasgow Coffee Festival was held in October last year, and the launch of the Independent Coffee Guide comes one day before the ‘northern’ heat of the 2016 UK Barista Championship which is being held in Glasgow today.

The guide will be available for sale at the coffee venues featured in the guide, at Waterstones and good bookshops, via Amazon and from the Indy Coffee Guide website

Distant Voices – EP written by prisoners and musicians

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Distant Voices, a project which has developed songwriting in Scottish prisons in an innovative exploration of punishment and reintegration, will be launched officially on Monday, November 9.

The studio EP “Distant Voices: Silent Seconds” will be launched at the CCA in Glasgow on Monday, November 9, at a gig featuring Louis Abbott, Emma Pollock, Donna Maciocia, Andrew Howie and a number of other musicians, showcasing a full set of songs written collaboratively with prisoners. Until then you can listen to it here.

Songwriters Louis Abbott (Admiral Fallow), Emma Pollock (The Delgados), Rachel Sermanni, Andrew Howie, Donna Maciocia and Jo Mango have worked with prisoners, former prisoners, criminal justice social workers, criminologists and a prison officer to write songs, in workshops called The Vox Sessions. The sessions have thus far produced over 100 songs. The gig is the main event in the Distant Voices festival at Glasgow’s CCA running from November 5-9. They have been recorded at the Chem19 studio, under the musical direction of Louis Abbott.

Distant Voices is a partnership between Vox Liminis, a charity established two years ago, and the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research (SCCJR), with funding from the Scottish Prison Service, the University of Glasgow and the Economic and Social Research Council.

The EP is already attracting national radio play ahead of release, with radio presenter and Deacon Blue frontman Ricky Ross commenting: “Listen to these songs not because it’s such a worthwhile project, though it is, but because you’ll love them. ‘Breathe Life’ will become one of these songs I’ll treasure for a long, long time.”

One of the prisoners involved in the workshops said: “Everybody’s kinda been through the same in here, either losing family or missing people and letting people know that you love them and all that kind of stuff. And for a guy it’s hard to express that, so that’s how it’s good to do it through music.”

A prison officer involved in the project added: “I think something like this shows you that when we actually all put it down together and write about our experiences, my experiences personally and emotionally are no different to what the guys have been writing about.”

Vox Liminis Director Alison Urie said: “Crime is at heart an emotive topic, but the way we deal with it often ignores the human aspects for everyone involved. Offending both stems from and results in emotional impact for many people – perpetrators, victims, the families of those imprisoned, and staff in prisons and community justice. Songs provide a way to share stories and thoughts that connect with each other’s humanity, and help us to see beyond the prevailing narrative of ‘goodies and baddies’.”

Fergus McNeill, Professor of Criminology & Social Work at the University of Glasgow, explained: “This project was developed in response to research showing that punishment in the criminal justice system is often poorly understood, and that ex-offenders often struggle to stop reoffending because the effects and stigma of punishment often extend far beyond the formal end of sentence. People with convictions are often locked out of employment, housing and social participation; and these are the very things they most need if they are to keep out of trouble.“

“It makes little sense for the criminal justice system to invest in rehabilitation programmes if we are not prepared as a society to allow people to move on. What we are trying to do with Distant Voices is to see if we can challenge those attitudes and maybe open doors for ex-offenders.”

But the songwriting may also play a part in helping participants to express and develop themselves, according to musician Donna Maciocia: “The people we worked with said that the experience had made them feel humanised again, part of something, and gave them a meaningful focus whilst in prison. Many would go away between sessions and return with pages of lyric ideas they’d been writing. And for me it has been one of the most fascinating, intense, beautiful, challenging, boundary pushing and rewarding projects of my career.”

Louis Abbott, lead singer of Admiral Fallow, who has delivered a number of The Vox Sessions and produced the “Distant Voices — Silent Seconds” CD said: ‘The standard of songs have been scarily good especially considering most of those involved are writing for the first time.’

The work also involves building a growing community of former prisoners, criminologists and others working in the criminal justice system that continues to meet to eat, make music and build connections. One former prisoner, now regularly writing songs, commented: “Without being too dramatic, seriously, it has been to an extent life changing for me. I’m happier than I have been for a long time and Vox has played a significant part in that.”

Take The Leap with the Royal Marines in Glasgow

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Scotland’s Commando Spirit Appeal is calling on participants to sign up for an eye-watering abseil from Glasgow’s Finnieston Crane with the Royal Marines on 25 July. Those who sign up by 3 July will get a discounted entry fee.

Take The Leap is a unique opportunity to meet and spend a day training with the Royal Marines before abseiling with them from the very top of Glasgow’s iconic Finnieston Crane.

The challenge will raise funds for the Royal Marines Charitable Trust and participants can continue fundraising for three months after the event, receiving help and support with their fundraising efforts along the way

Participants can sign up at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/commando-spirit-take-the-leap-tickets-17211610390

A spokesperson for Commando Spirit said: ”Take The Leap is an amazing adrenalin rush and will give anyone, young or old, female or male awesome bragging rights.”

Commando Spirit creates and delivers life changing challenges, which offer once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for participants to show their courage and test their mettle against a substantial commando challenge. Each event offers a chance for those involved to gain a rare insight into what it means to be a Royal Marine Commando and raise life changing sums for Royal Marines and their families in need. Other events in the Commando Spirit Series include Escape The Dunker in which participants take on the formidable underwater escape training all Royal Marines have to face as part of their training; and Survive The Yomp the legendary 30-miler hike across Commando Country in the Scottish Highlands.

Encouraging participants to support the Commando Spirit events, Radio and TV Presenter Dermot O’Leary said: “I am delighted to support Commando Spirit; a great initiative to raise life changing funds for our Royal Marines and their families in need. I urge you to show your courage and sign up for a Commando Spirit challenge; a true test of guts and determination that will give you an insight into what it takes to be a Royal Marine.”

For more information about Commando Spirit, visit http://www.commandospirit.com

Submitted by Kirsty Innes

BBC Music at The Quay comes to Glasgow

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Stevie McCrorie, James Bay, Jamie Cullum, Deacon Blue, Lulu, Twin Atlantic and KT Tunstall are among an array of artists set to take part in the BBC’s five-day pop-up festival, BBC Music at the Quay in Glasgow next month.
This event is a nationwide music celebration with BBC Music Day at its heart and will feature, among others, The One Show, Radio Scotland, Asian Network, Radio 2’s Ken Bruce and a fantastic BBC Music Night concert at Glasgow City Halls featuring the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

Over 60 artists will take part in the music festival from Thursday 4 to Monday 8 June, as part of more than 50 events over the five days. BBC Music at the Quay will showcase an eclectic range of music from jazz to traditional, emerging new talent to established acts, highlighting Scotland’s unique and varied musical landscape. Every BBC Radio Scotland music show will be part of the celebrations with special performances, Q&As and must-see music events. All tickets for BBC Music at the Quay events are free while the City Halls Concert tickets range from £10 to £25. Ticketing information can be found by clicking here.

The BBC Music at the Quay festival kicks off on Thursday 4 June for five days with BBC Music Day at the heart of the celebrations on Friday 5 June. The inaugural BBC Music Day is a nationwide celebration of music, which aims to bring people together across generations and communities through their love of music.

There will be two performance spaces at BBC Scotland’s Pacific Quay site in Glasgow which will host an array of events on a big outdoor stage and The Quay Stage within the reception, which will also become the home to BBC Radio Scotland’s new weekly music programme, The Quay Sessions. In addition to music moments, there will also be film screenings on the big screen in Millennium Square at Pacific Quay, and the Glasgow Science Centre will be hosting live music events and workshops across the weekend to link in with the festival.

Sharon Mair, Project Executive of BBC Music at the Quay, is delighted Scotland will play a key part in the music celebrations: “We know that our audiences loved the BBC at the Quay site last year during the Commonwealth Games and we are bringing this five day festival back to celebrate BBC Music Day. Glasgow is the UNESCO city of Music and what a brilliant way for us to showcase the city and the fantastic musical talent that will be at the event. Come along and join in the music celebrations – there’s something for everyone!

“We are working with many partners across the BBC and externally including UNIQUE events, the Glasgow Science Centre, Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, the GFT and the SAY Award to make this happen.”

The rundown of music moments include:

Thursday 4 June

Ricky Ross hosts Another Country with performances from Red Sky July, Glasgow ‘roots rocker’ Daniel Meade and Andy Fairweather Low
Asian Network welcomes Bhangra musician Jaz Dhami
Janice Forsyth features music from a house band led by Ged Brockie as well as special guest Glasgow Film Festival Director Allan Hunter
Friday 5 June – BBC Music Day
At the heart of the music festival is the nationwide celebration of music – BBC Music Day.

Radio 2’s Ken Bruce comes lives from the BBC Music at the Quay big stage with guests including Midge Ure, singer-songwriter James Bay, rising star Rae Morris, Black Star Riders and Eighties icon Howard Jones
BBC Music Day with Bryan Burnett (BBC Radio Scotland) welcomes guests including The Voice winner Stevie McCrorie, Francis MacDonald and the Cairn Quartet with further acts to be announced
The One Show comes live from Pacific Quay (7-7.30pm, BBC One) hosted by Alex Jones and Chris Evans with guests including Lulu
BBC Radio Scotland will be delivering live music up to midnight with a special performance from the reception stage with guests including Del Amitri’s Justin Currie and guitarist Chris Thomson, Love & Money’s James Grant, legendary artist Donovan and Latino musician Stephanie Urbina Jones
BBC Music Day culminates with a fantastic concert from Glasgow’s City Halls, hosted by Ken Bruce and Radio 3’s Katie Derham. Along with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra conducted by Richard Balcombe, acts taking part in the music celebrations include Deacon Blue, acclaimed jazz musician and Radio 2 presenter Jamie Cullum, opera tenor Noah Stewart, harpist Catrin Finch, folk singer and BBC Radio Scotland’s Young Traditional Musician award winner, Claire Hastings, classical violinst Jack Liebeck, and Bhangra artist, Jaz Dhami. Tickets range from £10 to £25. This concert will also be screened live, and free, on the big screen at the Pacific Quay site
Live music with Errors plus support in the Glasgow Science Centre from 8pm. Ticketing and information for these free tickets can be found here.
Saturday 6 June – big Family day with children’s events across the site

New weekly show The Quay Sessions, which launches earlier in the week. Host and guests to be announced
BBC Radio Scotland’s Pipeline will feature the Lomond & Clyde Pipe Band with Pipe Major Alasdair Tennent
Robbie Shepherd’s Take The Floor takes over the reception space with a ceilidh at Pacific Quay with guests to be announced
Later on Saturday evening, Roddy Hart welcomes guests including Scottish folk musician Rachel Sermanni and singer songwriter Kathryn Joseph
Free workshops will take place in the Glasgow Science Centre on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June between 11am and 4pm including Sonic Pi, Lego Mindstorms, Music-themed maker activities with Makalb, and animation and computer programming with BBC Learning
Sunday 7 June – BBC Introducing Day at the Quay

Vic Galloway presents BBC Introducing, eight acts on the outdoor stage headlined by Glasgow duo Honeyblood. The full line-up will be announced on Vic’s Radio Scotland show on Monday 11 May
Scots rock stars Twin Atlantic will take part in a special Q&A session with Vic Galloway
Workshops throughout the day including a song-writing session with experimental hip-hop group Hector Bizerk
Later in the evening, The Jazz House with Stephen Duffy will include the Edinburgh music collective Hidden Orchestra
Monday 8 June

The BBC Music at the Quay celebrations draw to a close on Monday 8 June with a special Q&A session with Scots singer-songwriter KT Tunstall
Iain Anderson will feature special guests Peter Nardini, Jellyman’s Daughter, Kind Eider and others
Travelling Folk includes performances from folk singer Emily Smith and guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, Tim Edey
Radio Nan Gaidheal’s Ceilidh Rapal will come live from the Quay Stage featuring multi-award winning ‘trad-rockers’ , Skerryvore, with further acts to be announced.
All the latest news regular updates and details on how to apply for tickets can be found here

Number 10 Hotel, Southside’s hidden gem

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The Wright Brothers, John (left) and Gordon (right) pictured with bar manager Shaun (centre)

From Functions and Funerals to Flourish and Fame

How Number 10 Hotel became the new hidden gem of the South Side.

As a Glaswegian West Ender who now lives in Edinburgh, I will hold my hands up to say that I rarely venture over to Glasgow’s South Side, especially when going for a meal. I was therefore intrigued when a friend recommended a visit to a small function-hotel turned local produce restaurant in Queen’s Drive. Number 10 Hotel, normally famed for its large function areas alone has transformed its once gastropub menu into a pinnacle for local flavour. Using fresh, seasonal ingredients and making everything in-house, the wonders coming out of the restaurant’s kitchen are setting tongues wagging in Glasgow’s South Side. The creative forces behind this shift are the hotel’s chefs, brothers John and Gordon Wright. At 29 and 27 respectively it’s hard to believe that these brothers could boast 20 years’ experience between them. Yet with both retaining impressive CVs built working in 5 star restaurants throughout the city, the brothers have brought their penchant for all things local to Number 10’s extensive menu. “I think that we have both taken the best parts from the restaurants we worked in and applied them to our own menu,” John explained. “We came here wanting the opportunity to provide something fresh and local and we don’t think that anyone else is providing the same service over on this side of the city.” Gordon injected. The Reporter cannot fault them on their dedication to fresh flavours, rising early to bake everything from the bread to the biscuits – Gordon jokes that the only thing they cannot make themselves is the eggs and the flour. So what took these brothers away from their five star kitchens and into Number 10 Hotel? “I once worked in a kitchen where their supplier for cooked chicken was sent over from Thailand” John explains. “I wanted the opportunity to provide people with quality food in the way I know how to cook it and here at Number 10 Hotel we have been fortunate enough to have creative control” “We’re lucky as the owner trusts us completely.” Gordon agrees, “And we believe we’re proving that people are interested in good local food, since we’re getting busier and busier.” Tucked up away opposite the greenery of Queen’s Park, Number 10 Hotel could be a country club a million miles away from the bustling city centre. However, this quiet exterior proves to have its drawbacks. “We can be easy to miss” John admits, “though we’re seeing that when people discover us they come back again and again.” “We tend to be fully booked at the weekend.” Gordon emphasises. “But we still feel like more people would be interested in what we’re trying to do if only they knew about it.” With the commitment and obvious pride in the service they are providing, I have no doubt that these brother’s will go from strength to strength. Number 10 Hotel is worth a visit, even just to sample their Hot Chocolate Fondant, a treat that dare I say it is worth the extra hour in the gym working it off.