Dear Old Glasgow Toon

Wed, Nov 28th 2018 at 12:50 pm - 2:00 pm

Ian Hamilton will renew fondness of the "Old Toon"

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“I belong to Glasgow” was the theme of the talk given to St Andrews Rotary Club last Wednesday by Rotarian Rev. Ian Hamilton in which Ian presented many reminiscences of his home town….or “toon”!

He began by telling his fellow Rotarians about the Nursing Home where he was born, on the fringe of Kelvingrove Park. Ian and his wife Margaret had recently gone to find it only to discover that it had been converted into a modern office block. He thought there might have been a plaque on the wall somewhere to denote his birth there, but the only notice was on the railing around it….”PARK HERE AND YOU WILL BE CLAMPED!”

In a packed full paper Ian spoke about the Victorian character of Glasgow, the fact that it is one of the fastest growing cultural centres in Europe housing the R.S.N.O., Scottish Opera, Scottish Ballet, the new Opera House and the Burrell Collection, not to mention one of the most splendid art collections in the world in its famous city galleries. He spoke of Glasgow’s beginnings, its industrial heritage, its disasters, its famous people, especially Charles Rennie Mackintosh, and not least of its language and its renowned sense of humour.

Homing in on comic characters like Jack Milroy and Rikki Fulton (“Francie and Josie”) and especially Stanley Baxter of “Parliamo Glasgow” fame Ian brought his presentation to a hilarious climax as, in the anticipated applause, he invited his fellow Rotarians to “GEEITLALDY!”

A warm and generous Vote of Thanks was extended by George Finley in which he complimented Ian for presenting, not a talk, or a speech or a sermon, but a “production!” All that was missing said George were the video cameras!