Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Glasgow shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Glasgow offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Glasgow at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Glasgow? Wrong! If the Glasgow is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Glasgow then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Glasgow? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Glasgow and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Glasgow wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Glasgow then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Glasgow site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Glasgow, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Glasgow, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

{{Infobox UK place|official_name= Glasgow|gaelic_name= Glaschu|scots_name= Glesca, Glesga|local_name=|country= Scotland|population= 578,790 (United Kingdom Census 2001)|statistic1= 1,171,390|statistic_title1 = Urban Population|population_density= --> |os_grid_reference= NS590655|edinburgh_distance= |london_distance=|language= English language|area_footnotes =|area_total_sq_mi =67.76|latitude= 55.858|longitude= -4.259|post_town= GLASGOW|postcode_area= G|postcode_district= G1–G80|dial_code= 0141|constituency_westminster= Glasgow Central (UK Parliament constituency)|constituency_westminster1= Glasgow East (UK Parliament constituency)|constituency_westminster2= Glasgow North (UK Parliament constituency)|constituency_westminster3= Glasgow North East (UK Parliament constituency)|constituency_westminster4= Glasgow North West (UK Parliament constituency)|constituency_westminster5= Glasgow South (UK Parliament constituency)|constituency_westminster6= Glasgow South West (UK Parliament constituency)|unitary_scotland= Glasgow City Council|constituency_scottish_parliament1= [Glasgow Anniesland (Scottish Parliament constituency)|constituency_scottish_parliament2= Glasgow Baillieston (Scottish Parliament constituency)|constituency_scottish_parliament3= Glasgow Cathcart (Scottish Parliament constituency)|constituency_scottish_parliament4= Glasgow Govan (Scottish Parliament constituency)|constituency_scottish_parliament5= Glasgow Kelvin (Scottish Parliament constituency)|constituency_scottish_parliament6=Glasgow Maryhill (Scottish Parliament constituency)|constituency_scottish_parliament7=Glasgow Pollok (Scottish Parliament constituency)|constituency_scottish_parliament8=Glasgow Rutherglen (Scottish Parliament constituency)|constituency_scottish_parliament9=Glasgow Shettleston (Scottish Parliament constituency)|constituency_scottish_parliament10= Glasgow Springburn (Scottish Parliament constituency)|website= www.glasgow.gov.uk-->

Glasgow (Glaschu in Scottish Gaelic language meaning "dear green place"; or Glesca/Glesga in Scots language) is the largest city in Scotland and List of United Kingdom cities by population in the United Kingdom. The City of Glasgow is the most populous Subdivisions of Scotland. It is situated on the River Clyde in the country's Scottish Lowlands. A person from Glasgow is known as a Glaswegian. Glaswegian is also the name of the local dialect.

Glasgow grew from the medieval Bishop of Glasgow and the later establishment of the University of Glasgow, which contributed to the Scottish Enlightenment. From the 18th century the city became one of Europe's main hubs of transatlantic trade with the Americas. With the Industrial Revolution, the city and surrounding region grew to become one of the world's pre-eminent centres of engineering and shipbuilding,http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/glasgow/glasgow/index.html constructing many revolutionary and famous vessels. Glasgow was known as the "Second city of the British Empire" in the Victorian era. Today it is one of Europe's top twenty financial centres and is home to many of Scotland's leading businesses.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries Glasgow grew to a population of over one million, and was the fourth-largest city in Europe, after London, Paris and Berlin. In the 1960s large-scale relocation to new towns in the suburban area of the city, followed by successive boundary changes, have reduced the current population of the City of Glasgow unitary authority area to 578,790. 1,171,390 people live in the Greater Glasgow Urban Area based on the United Kingdom Census 2001. The entire Glasgow conurbation covers approximately 2.3 million people, almost half of Scotland's population.

History The present site of Glasgow has been used since prehistoric times for settlement due to it being the ford (crossing) point of the River Clyde furthest downstream, which also provided a natural area for salmon fishing. The origins of Glasgow as an established city derive ultimately from its medieval position as Scotland's second largest bishopric. Glasgow became important in the 12th century as the site of this bishopric, reorganized by King David I of Scotland and John the Chaplain, Bishop of Glasgow. There had been an earlier religious site established by Saint Mungo. The bishopric became one of the largest and wealthiest in the Kingdom of Scotland, bringing wealth and status to the town. Somewhere between 1175 and 1178 this position was strengthened even further when Jocelin obtained for the episcopal settlement the status of burgh from King William I of Scotland, allowing the settlement to expand with the benefits of trading monopolies and other legal guarantees. Sometime between 1189 and 1195 this status was supplemented by an annual fair, which survives to this day as the Glasgow Fair.

Glasgow grew over the following centuries, and the founding of the University of Glasgow in 1451 and elevation of the bishopric to an archbishopric in 1492 increasing the town's religious and educational status.

After the Acts of Union 1707 in 1707, Scotland gained trading access to the vast markets of the British Empire and Glasgow became prominent in international commerce as a hub of trade to the Americas, especially in the movement of Tobacco Lords, cotton and sugar into the deep water port that had been created by city merchants at Port Glasgow. Many of Glasgow's streets, including Glassford Street and Buchanan Street, are named after local Tobacco Lords who grew rich from goods produced by Atlantic slave trade in the Thirteen Colonies until the American War of Independence (after which the merchants concentrated mainly on the British West Indies). Abolition of the Slave Trade, Learning and Teaching Scotland Online, accessed September 26 2007

Daniel Defoe visited the city in the early 18th century and famously opined in his book A tour thro' the Whole Island of Great Britain, that Glasgow was "the cleanest, most beautiful and best built City in Britain, London excepted". At that time, the city's population numbered approximately 12,000, and was yet to undergo the massive changes to the city's economy and urban fabric, brought about by the influences of the Scottish Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution.

In its subsequent industrial era, Glasgow produced textiles, engineering and steel, which were exported. The opening of the Monkland Canal in 1791, facilitated access to the Iron ore and Coal mining in Lanarkshire. After extensive engineering projects to Dredging and deepen the Clyde, Shipbuilding became a major industry on the upper stretches of the river, building many famous ships including the Cunard Line liners RMS RMS Lusitania, RMS RMS Aquitania, RMS RMS Queen Mary, RMS RMS Queen Elizabeth, RMS RMS Queen Elizabeth 2, and the Royal Yacht Royal Yacht Britannia. Glasgow's population had surpassed that of Edinburgh by 1821. By the end of the 19th century the city was known as the "Second City of the Empire" and was producing most of the ships and locomotives in the world. During this period, the construction of many of the city's greatest architectural masterpieces and most ambitious civic projects were being funded by its wealth.

The city experienced mixed fortunes during 20th century. After World War I, the city suffered from the impact of the Post-WWI recession and from the later Great Depression in the United Kingdom, this also led to a rise of radical socialism and the "Red Clydeside" movement. The city had recovered by the outbreak of the Second World War and grew through the post-war boom that lasted through the 1950s. However by the 1960s, a lack of investment and innovation led to growing overseas competition in countries like Japanese post-war economic miracle and Wirtschaftswunder which weakened the once pre-eminent position of many of the city's industries. As a result of this, Glasgow entered a long running period of relative economic malaise, leading to high unemployment, urban decay, population decline and poor health for the city's inhabitants. There were active attempts at regeneration of the city, when the Glasgow Corporation published its controversial Bruce Report which set out a comprehensive series of initiatives aimed at turning round the decline of the city. There are also accusations that the Scottish Office had deliberately attempted to undermine Glasgow's economic and political influence in post-war Scotland by preventing the creation of new industries and creating the new towns of Cumbernauld, Glenrothes, Irvine, North Ayrshire, Livingston, West Lothian and East Kilbride, dispersed across the Scottish Lowlands, in order to half the city's population base.

By the 1990s, there had been a significant resurgence in Glasgow's economic fortunes however, finding a new role as a European centre for business services and finance, as well as benefiting from an increase in tourism and inward investment. The latter is largely due to the legacy of the city's status as European City of Culture in 1990, and attempts to diversify the city's economy. This economic revival has continued and the ongoing Urban renewal of Inner city has led to people moving back to live in the centre of Glasgow.

Toponymy It is common to derive the name Glasgow from the older Cumbric language glas cau or a Middle Irish language cognate, which would have meant green hollow. The settlement probably had an earlier Cumbric name, Cathures; the modern name appears for the first time in the Gaelic period (1116), as Glasgu. However, it is also recorded that the Kingdom of Strathclyde, Rhydderch Hael, welcomed Saint Kentigern (also known as Saint Mungo), and procured his consecration as bishop about 540. For some thirteen years Kentigern laboured in the region, building his church at the Molendinar Burn, and making many converts. A large community developed around him and became known as Glasgu (meaning the dear Green or the dear green place).

Governance is the seat of local government in Glasgow.

Glasgow has a long history of supporting socialism ideas and politics. The City of Glasgow has been controlled by the Labour Party (UK) for 30 years, after the decline of the Progressive Party (UK). Its socialist roots emanate from the city's days as an industrial powerhouse, and endure through the relative poverty of many Glaswegians. In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the Easter Rising, the city's frequent strikes and revolutionary fervour caused serious alarm at Westminster, with one 1919 Battle of George Square prompting the Prime Minister, David Lloyd George to deploy 10,000 troops and tanks onto the city's streets. A huge demonstration in the city's George Square on January 31 ended in violence after the Riot Act was read.

Later, industrial action at the shipyards gave rise to the "Red Clydeside" tag. During the 1930s, Glasgow was the main base of the Independent Labour Party. Towards the end of the 20th century it became a centre of the struggle against the poll tax, and then the main base of the Scottish Socialist Party, a left wing party in Scotland.

Scottish Parliament region The Glasgow (Scottish Parliament electoral region) covers the Glasgow City council area, the Rutherglen, Glasgow area of the South Lanarkshire and a small eastern portion of Renfrewshire. It elects ten of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituency members and seven of the 56 Additional member system (Scottish Parliament). Both kinds of member are known as Member of the Scottish Parliament. The system of election is designed to produce a form of proportional representation.

The first past the post seats were created in 1999 with the names and boundaries of then existing Palace of Westminster (House of Commons (UK)) constituencies. In 2005, however, the number of Westminster Member of Parliament representing Scotland was cut to 59, with new constituencies being formed, while the existing number of MSPs was retained at Holyrood.

The ten Scottish Parliament constituencies in the Glasgow electoral region are:-

United Kingdom Parliament constituencies Following reform of constituencies of the United Kingdom House of Commons of the United Kingdom Parliament (Westminster Palace) in 2005, which reduced the number of Scottish Member of Parliament, the current Westminster constituencies representing Glasgow are:-

Heraldry

The coat of arms of the City of Glasgow, as granted to the royal burgh by the Lord Lyon on October 25, 1866.R.M. Urquhart, Burgh and county Heraldry of Scotland, London, 1973 It incorporates a number of symbols and emblems associated with the life of Glasgow's patron saint, Kentigern (often known by his nickname, Mungo) which had been used on official seals prior to that date. The emblems represent Saint Mungo#Miracles supposed to have been performed by Mungo and are listed in the traditional rhyme: :::Here's the bird that never flew :::Here's the tree that never grew :::Here's the bell that never rang :::Here's the fish that never swam

Kentigern is also said to have preached a sermon containing the words Lord, Let Glasgow flourish by the preaching of the word and the praising of thy name. This was abbreviated to "Let Glasgow Flourish" and adopted as the city's motto. The motto was more recently commemorated in a song called "Mother Glasgow", which was actually written by Dundonian singer/songwriter Michael Marra, but popularised by Hue and Cry.

In 1450, John Stewart, the first Lord Provost of Glasgow, left an endowment so that a "St Mungo's Bell" could be made and tolled throughout the city so that the citizens would pray for his soul. A new bell was purchased by the magistrates in 1641 and that bell is still on display in the People's Palace Museum, near Glasgow Green.

The supporters are two salmon bearing rings, and the crest is a half length figure of Saint Mungo. He wears a bishop's mitre and liturgical vestments and has his hand raised in "the act of benediction". The original 1866 grant placed the crest atop a Helmet, but this was removed in subsequent grants. The current version (1996) has a gold mural crown between the shield and the crest. This form of coronet, resembling an embattled city wall, was allowed to the four area councils with city status.

The arms were rematriculated by the City of Glasgow District Council on February 6, 1975, and by the present area council on March 25, 1996. The only change made on each occasion was in the type of coronet over the arms.R.M. Urquhart, Scottish Civic Heraldry, London, 1979R.M. Urquhart, Scottish civic heraldry 2, Hamilton, 2001


Geography Glasgow is located on the banks of the River Clyde, in Strathclyde Scotland.

Climate Weather in Glasgow is not typical of the weather in the rest of Scotland for several reasons. Glasgow benefits from its mild south western position; the Gulf Stream currents flow up the River Clyde estuary from the Atlantic warming the entire region. The city is also sheltered by the surrounding Clyde Valley hills keeping the city fairly humid throughout the year. The temperature is often milder than the rest of the country. In general, the temperature in Glasgow is around the same as that in the North of England. In Scotland the weather is more likely to change from a rain storm to a heatwave in the same day.

Spring months (March to May) are mild and cool. Many of Glasgow's trees and plants begin to flower at this time of the year and parks and gardens are filled with spring colours.

The summer months (May to September) can vary considerably between mild and wet weather or warm and sunny. The winds are generally westerly, due to the warm Gulf Stream. The warmest month is usually July, the daily high averaging . (Highest recorded temperature Glasgow July 2006.)

Despite some infrequent clear or dry days, winters in Glasgow are normally damp and cold. However, the Gulf Stream ensures that Glasgow stays warmer than other cities at the same latitude, like Moscow. Winds and rainfall are often fairly chilling and strong, like the rest of western Scotland. Severe snowfalls are infrequent and melt within days. December, January and February are the wettest months of the year, but can often be sunny and clear.

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|Jan_Precip_inch =3.42|Feb_Precip_inch = 3.11|Mar_Precip_inch = 2.93|Apr_Precip_inch = 1.83|May_Precip_inch =1.32|Jun_Precip_inch =1.52|Jul_Precip_inch =1.95|Aug_Precip_inch =2.07|Sep_Precip_inch =2.23|Oct_Precip_inch =3.34|Nov_Precip_inch =2.62|Dec_Precip_inch =2.95|source =weather.com {{cite web| url =http://uk.weather.com/weather/climatology/UKXX0061 | title =Glasgow Weather | accessmonthday =Oct 9 | accessyear = 2007| publisher = | language = -->|accessdate =9 Oct 2007|source2 =msn weather {{cite web| url =http://weather.uk.msn.com/monthly_averages.aspx?&wealocations=wc%3aUKXX0061&setunit=F | title =MSN Weather - Yearly, Monthly Temperature and Precipitation Averages and Records for Glasgow, Scotland. | accessmonthday =Oct 9 | accessyear = 2007| publisher = | language = -->|accessdate2 =9 Oct 2007-->

Demography The population of the Glasgow City Council area peaked in the 1950s at 1,200,000 people and before that for 80 years was over 1 million. During this period, Glasgow was one of the most densely populated cities in the world. After the 1960s, clearings of poverty-stricken inner city areas like the Gorbals and relocation to 'New town#United Kingdom' such as East Kilbride and Cumbernauld led to population decline. In addition, successive boundary changes by the Scottish Office and UK governments reduced the official city boundaries (and hence the official population) making direct comparisons difficult. The city continues to expand beyond the official city council boundaries into surrounding suburban areas, encompassing around if all adjoining suburbs, commuter towns and villages are included.

There are two distinct definitions for the population of Glasgow; the Glasgow City Council Area (which lost the districts of Rutherglen and Cambuslang to South Lanarkshire in 1996) and the Greater Glasgow Urban Area which includes the urban conurbation around the city.

From the 1840s till the mid-1960s, Glasgow became home to many Irish diaspora. principally from the counties of Donegal, Tyrone, Fermanagh, Sligo and Mayo. Many Gàidhealtachd also migrated to the city as a result of the Highland Clearances.

Prior to 1914 many Lithuanian asylum seekers settled in Glasgow and at its height in the 1950s there were around 10,000 in the Glasgow area. Many Italian-Scots also settled in Glasgow, originating from areas like Frosinone and Lucca at this time, many originally working as "Hokey pokey (ice cream)" men. In the 1960s and '70s, many Asian-Scots also settled in Glasgow, mainly in the Pollokshields area as well as Cantonese people immigrants, many of whom settled in the Garnethill area of the city. Since 2000, the UK government has pursued a policy of dispersal of Immigration to the United Kingdom (1922-present day) to ease pressure on social housing in the London area. Glasgow has seen waves of new arrivals because of this policy, though not always smoothly in some districts. At first there was heavily publicised resentment from the established local population, and the policy looked to have failed, particularly when several hundred refugees left Glasgow voluntarily to make their own way back to London following a couple of high profile murders.{], which has Southest England Population by Area from 1891, Scotland's major city has less than half the current population density of the English capital—. However, in 1931 the population density was , highlighting the subsequent 'clearances' to the suburbs and new towns that were built to empty one of Europe's most densely populated cities.[http://www.demographia.com/db-glasgow.htm Glasgow: Population & Density 1891-2001 www.demographia.com

Economy was built in Glasgow and launched in 2006. Although diminished from its early 20th century heights, shipbuilding remains an important part of the city's manufacturing base.Glasgow is the largest and most dynamic economy in Scotland and is at the hub of the metropolitan area of West Central Scotland. The city itself sustains more than 410,000 jobs in over 12,000 companies. Over 153,000 jobs have been created in the city since 2000 - a growth rate of 32%. Jobs boom on Clyde reverses decline Guardian Online Glasgow's annual economic growth rate of 4.4% is now second only to that of London. In 2005 alone over 17,000 new jobs were created, and 2006 saw private-sector investment in the city reaching £4.2 billion pounds, an increase of 22% in a single year. The city has outstripped many of its European rivals in terms of economic growth. 55% of the residents in the Greater Glasgow area commute to the city every day. Once dominant manufacturing industries such as shipbuilding and heavy engineering have been gradually replaced in importance by a mixed economy.

Glasgow's economy has seen significant growth of Tertiary sector of industry sector industries such as financial and business services, communications, biosciences, creative industries, healthcare, higher education, retail and tourism. Between 1998 and 2001, the city's financial services sector grew at a rate of 30%, making considerable gains on Edinburgh, which has historically been the centre of the Scottish financial sector.

The city retains a strong link to the manufacturing sector which forms the fourth largest manufacturing centre in the UK, accounting for well over 60% of Scotland's manufactured exports, with particular strengths in shipbuilding, engineering, food and drink, printing, publishing, chemicals and textiles as well as new growth sectors such as optoelectronics, software development and biotechnology. Glasgow forms the western part of the Silicon Glen high tech sector of Scotland. A growing number of Blue chip financial sector companies have significant operations or headquarters in the city, including; Abbey (bank), National Australia Bank, Royal Bank of Scotland, HBOS, AXA, Aviva, Standard Life, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Barclays Bank and Lloyds TSB. Other well established firms operating in the city, which represent other sectors of Glasgow's economy, include; Diageo, William Grant & Sons, Pernod Ricard, Whyte and Mackay, Tennents, AG Barr, Trespass (clothing), Jacobs & Turner www.trespass.co.uk MacFarlane Group, MacFarlane Group www.macfarlanegroup.net SMG plc, William Halcrow, John Menzies, BAE Systems, Thales Group, Alstom, Linn Products, Rolls-Royce plc, Albion Motors, Corus Group, British Energy, Scottish Power, Thus plc, Centrica, First Group, Loganair, Flyglobespan, Imperial Chemical Industries, Armitage Shanks, Jacobs Engineering Group, Norit, Norit Weir Group, Babcock International Group, Balfour Beatty, Arup, AMEC, and Aggreko. Glasgow-based Scottish Power is one of five Scottish companies to be included on the Fortune Global 500 rankings. Fortune Global 500 rankings- Britain

Major corporate developments have helped promote its reputation as a leading European centre for business and commerce. Glasgow - Scottish Enterprise

Glasgow is the second most popular foreign tourist destination in Scotland and its largest retail centre. Glasgow is also one of Europe's sixteen largest financial centres and is home to many of Scotland's leading businesses.

Landmarks Very little of medieval Glasgow remains, the two main landmarks from this period being the 14th century Provand's Lordship and St. Mungo's Cathedral. The vast majority of the city as seen today dates from the 19th century. As a result, Glasgow has an impressive heritage of Victorian architecture - the Glasgow City Chambers, the main building of the University of Glasgow, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott and the Glasgow School of Art, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh are outstanding examples. Another architect who had an enduring impact on the city's appearance was Alexander Thomson, who produced a distinctive architecture based on fundamentalist classicism that gave him the nickname "Greek".

The buildings reflect the wealth and self confidence of the residents of the "Second City of the Empire". Glasgow generated immense wealth from trade and the industries that developed from the Industrial Revolution. The shipyards, marine engineering, steel making, and heavy industry all contributed to the growth of the city. At one time the expression "Clydebuilt" was synonymous with quality and engineering excellence. Clydebuilt The Templeton's carpet factory on Glasgow Green was designed to resemble the Doge's Palace in Venice.

Many of the city's most impressive buildings were built with red or blond sandstone, but during the industrial era those colours disappeared under a pervasive black layer of soot and pollutants from the furnaces, until the Clean Air Act was introduced in 1956.

In recent years many of these buildings have been cleaned and restored to their original appearance. Others were demolished to make way for large, peripheral housing estates, and high-rise flats in tower blocks. The latter were built in large numbers during the 1960s and early 1970s; Glasgow has a higher concentration of high-rise buildings than any other city in the British Isles.

Tenements were built to house the workers who migrated from Ireland and the Scottish Highlands in order to feed the local demand for labour; these tenements were often overcrowded and unsanitary. Many developed into the infamous Glasgow slums, such as the notorious Gorbals. These housing estates, known as "schemes", are widely regarded as unsuccessful: many, such as Castlemilk, were just dormitories well away from the centre of the city with no amenities ("deserts wi' windaes" with windows, as Billy Connolly put it), and their establishment led to the split up of long established community relationships. Tower Block Deprivation Some of the high-rise developments were poorly designed and cheaply built and became magnets for crime. Over time some have become as bad as the slum areas that they replaced, though at the time of construction they were largely welcomed. On 7 March, 2003, the Glasgow Housing Association took ownership of the housing stock from the city council, and has begun a programme of demolishing the worst of the tower blocks. Still, Glasgow's skyline is largely dominated by 1960s high rise flats, many of which are being refurbished as part of a realisation that they remain an adequate and modern source of accommodation.

Modern buildings in Glasgow include the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, and along the banks of the Clyde are the Glasgow Science Centre and the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, whose Clyde Auditorium was designed by Norman Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank, and is affectionately known as the "Armadillo". Zaha Hadid won a competition to design the new Glasgow Museum of Transport, which will move to the waterfront. New Transport Museum Shopping centres include the Buchanan Galleries, the glass pyramid of the St Enoch Centre, and the upmarket Princes' Square.

The 39-storey Elphinstone Place mixed-use skyscraper in Charing Cross will be the tallest building in Scotland, and was scheduled to begin construction in mid 2006. Elphinstone Place: Glasgow - Tallest Building in Scotland glasgowarchitecture.co.uk Much development is taking place along the banks of the Clyde. Glasgow Harbour, which neighbours Partick is one of the largest residential developments.

Divisions and suburbs Glasgow was historically based around Glasgow Cathedral, the old High Street (Glasgow) and down to the River Clyde via Glasgow Cross.

City centre The Central business district is bounded by the High Street to the east, the River Clyde to the south and the M8 motorway to the west and north which was built through the Townhead, Charing Cross, Glasgow and Anderston areas in the 1960s.



Retail and theatre district The city centre is based on a Grid plan of streets, similar to that of Barcelona or American cities, on the north bank of the River Clyde. The heart of the city is George Square, site of many of Glasgow's public statues and the elaborate Victorian Glasgow City Chambers, headquarters of Glasgow City Council. To the south and west are the High Street shopping precincts of Argyle, Sauchiehall and Buchanan Streets, the last featuring more upmarket retailers. The main shopping centres are Buchanan Galleries and the St. Enoch Centre, as well as Princes Square and the Italian Centre, with more specialised and designer labels. The London-based department store Selfridges has purchased a potential development site in the city and another upmarket retail chain Harvey Nichols is also thought to be planning a store in the city, further strengthening Glasgow's already impressive retail portfolio, which forms the UK's second largest and most economically important retail sector after Central London.http://www.ifsdglasgow.co.uk/living.asp?page_id=146 The layout of the approximately two and a half mile long retail district of Buchanan Street, Sauchiehall Street and Argyle Street has been termed the "Golden Z". In October 2005 retail locations in the area were sought after to the extent that Buchanan Street had the seventh highest shop rental fees in the world. Retail capital Buchanan Street is world No.7 for shopping www.eveningtimes.co.uk

The city centre is home to most of Glasgow's main cultural venues: Theatre Royal, Glasgow (home of Scottish Opera and Scottish Ballet), Pavilion Theatre (Glasgow), King's Theatre, Glasgow, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow Film Theatre, RSAMD, Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA), Mitchell Library, the Centre for Contemporary Arts, McLellan Galleries and The Lighthouse (Glasgow). The world's tallest cinema, the eighteen-screen Cineworld is sited on Renfrew Street. The city centre is also home to four of Glasgow's higher education institutions: University of Strathclyde, The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Glasgow School of Art and Glasgow Caledonian University.




Merchant City To the east is the commercial and residential district of Merchant City, which was formerly the residential district of the wealthy city merchants in the 18th and early 19th centuries. As the Industrial Revolution and the wealth it brought to the city resulted in the expansion of Glasgow's central area westward, the original medieval centre was left behind. Glasgow Cross, situated at the junction of High Street (Glasgow), Gallowgate, Trongate and Saltmarket was the original centre of the city, symbolised by its Mercat cross. Glasgow Cross encompasses the Tolbooth Clock Tower; all that remains of the original City Chambers, which was destroyed by fire in 1926. Moving northward up High Street towards Rottenrow and Townhead lies the 15th century Glasgow Cathedral and the Provand's Lordship. Latterly, due to growing industrial pollution levels in the mid to late 19th century, the area fell out of favour with residents.

From the late 1980s onwards, the area has been rejuvenated with luxury city centre apartments and warehouse conversions. Many new cafes and restaurants have opened. The area also contains the Tron Theatre, the Old Fruitmarket, the Trades Hall, and the Glasgow City Hall.

The area is also home to Glasgow's growing 'Arts Quarter', based around King Street, the Saltmarket and Trongate, and at the heart of the annual Merchant City Festival. There are many art galleries here including Glasgow Print Studio and will soon be home to Trongate 103, a new arts centre.

A large part of Glasgow's gay scene is located within the Merchant City. This includes Polo Lounge, MODA, Delmonica's, Bennett's, Court, Revolver, Merchant Pride, and the UK gay chain store Clone Zone, along with a couple of saunas.

Recently the city council defined (and perhaps expanded) the area known as Merchant City as far west as Buchanan Street, marking these boundaries with new, highly stylised metal signage.

Financial district .To the western edge of the city centre, occupying the areas of Blythswood Hill and Anderston, lies Glasgow's financial district, known officially as the International Financial Services District (IFSD), although often irreverently nicknamed by the contemporary press as the "square kilometre" or "Wall Street on Clyde". Since the late 1980s the IFSD has grown to become the third largest financial quarter in the UK after the cities of City of London and Edinburgh. With a reputation as an established financial services centre, coupled with comprehensive support services, Glasgow continues to attract and grow new business. Of the 10 largest general insurance companies in the UK, 8 have a base or head office in Glasgow - including Direct Line, AXA and Norwich Union. Key banking sector companies have also relocated some of their services to commercial property in Glasgow - Resolution plc, JPMorgan, Abbey (bank), HBOS, Barclays, Morgan Stanley, Lloyds TSB, Clydesdale Bank, BNP Paribas and the Royal Bank of Scotland. The Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) have several departments and Peel Group, the Glasgow Stock Exchange, Student Loans Company, Scottish Executive Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department, Scottish Qualifications Authority and Scottish Enterprise also have their headquarters based in the district.

Since the late 1980s, this area of the city centre has seen the construction of many modern office blocks, a trend which continues into the 21st century with a new wave of high rise developments currently on the drawing board

The West End is Glasgow's premier museum and art gallery, housing one of Europe's great civic art collections.Glasgow's West End refers to the Bohemianism district of cafés, tea rooms, bars, boutiques, upmarket hotels, clubs and restaurants in the hinterland of Kelvingrove Park, the University of Glasgow, BBC Scotland's Headquarters, Glasgow Botanic Gardens and the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre. The area's main thoroughfare is Byres Road and one of its most popular destinations is Ashton Lane.The West End is home to some of the wealthiest addresses in Scotland, and includes the upmarket residential areas of Hillhead, Dowanhill, Kelvingrove, Kelvinside, Hyndland, and, to an increasing extent, Partick. However, the name is increasingly being used to refer to any area to the west of Charing Cross, Glasgow. This includes areas such as Scotstoun, Jordanhill, Kelvindale and Anniesland.The spire of Sir George Gilbert Scott's University of Glasgow main building (the second largest Gothic Revival building in Britain) is a major local landmark, and can be seen from miles around, sitting atop Gilmorehill. The university itself is the fourth oldest in the English-speaking world, after University of Oxford, University of Cambridge and University of St Andrews. Much of the city's student population is based in the West End, adding to its cultural vibrancy.

The area is also home to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Hunterian Museum, Kelvin Hall International Sports Arena, Henry Wood Hall (home of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra) and the Glasgow Museum of Transport, which is to be rebuilt on a former dockland site at Glasgow Harbour to a design by Zaha Hadid. The West End Festival, one of Glasgow's largest festivals, is held annually in June.

Glasgow is Europe's fastest growing conference and events destination, and the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre is the UK's largest exhibition and conference centre. A major expansion of the SECC facilities at the former Queen's Dock by Foster and Partners is currently planned, including a 12,000 seat arena, and a 5 star hotel and entertainments complex.

The area is served by bus, rail and the Glasgow Subway.

The East End in Glasgow Green.

The East End extends from Glasgow Cross in the City Centre to the boundary with North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire. It is home to the famous Glasgow Barrowland market, popularly known as 'The Barras', and Barrowland Ballroom Music Hall, Glasgow Green, and Celtic Park, home of Celtic F.C.. Many of the original sandstone tenements remain in this district. The East End in contrast to the West End, includes some of the most deprived areas in the UK. However, many areas of the district are not deprived in any way. In particular, the Dennistoun area has become increasingly fashionable and expensive.

The Glasgow Necropolis Cemetery was created on a hill above the Glasgow Cathedral of Saint Mungo in 1831. Routes curve through the landscape uphill to the high statue of John Knox at the summit, with some tombs designed by prominent local architect Alexander Thomson. The design creates a dramatic skyline of obelisks, pinnacles and statues in memory of Glasgow's wealthiest inhabitants. It was described by James Curle as 'literally a city of the dead'. The main entrance is approached by a bridge over what was the Molendinar Burn towards an impressive set of classical mausoleum. The bridge, designed by James Hamilton, is known as the Bridge of Sighs because it formed the route of funeral processions.

There are two late 18th century tenements in Gallowgate. Dating from 1771 and 1780, both have been well restored. The construction of Charlotte Street was financed by David Dale, whose former pretensions can be gauged by the one remaining house, now run by the National Trust for Scotland. Further along Charlotte Street there stands a modern Gillespie, Kidd & Coia building of some note. Once a school, it has been converted into offices. Surrounding these buildings are a series of innovative housing developments conceived as 'Homes for the Future', part of a project during the city's year as UK City of Architecture and Design in 1999.

East of Glasgow Cross is the magnificent Saint Andrew's Church, built in 1746 and displaying a Presbyterian grandeur befitting the church of the city's wealthy tobacco merchants. Also close by is the more modest Scottish Episcopal Church Saint Andrew's-by-the-Green, the oldest post-Reformation church in Scotland.

Overlooking Glasgow Green is the façade of Templeton's carpet factory, featuring vibrant Polychrome brickwork intended to evoke the Doge's Palace in Venice.

The extensive Tollcross, Glasgow was originally developed from the estate of James Dunlop, the owner of a local steelworks. His large Scottish baronial style mansion was built in 1848 by David Bryce, which later housed the city's Children's Museum until the 1980s. Today, the mansion is a sheltered housing complex.

The new Scottish National Indoor Sports Arena, a modern replacement for the Kelvin Hall, is planned for Dalmarnock. If the 2014 Commonwealth Games bid is successful, the area will house the Athletes' Village, adjacent to the new indoor sports arena.

To the north of the East End lie the two massive {{Infobox UK place|official_name= Glasgow|gaelic_name= Glaschu|scots_name= Glesca, Glesga|local_name=|country= Scotland|population= 578,790 (United Kingdom Census 2001)|statistic1= 1,171,390|statistic_title1 = Urban Population|population_density= --> |os_grid_reference= NS590655|edinburgh_distance= |london_distance=|language= English language|area_footnotes =|area_total_sq_mi =67.76|latitude= 55.858|longitude= -4.259|post_town= GLASGOW|postcode_area= G|postcode_district= G1–G80|dial_code= 0141|constituency_westminster= Glasgow Central (UK Parliament constituency)|constituency_westminster1= Glasgow East (UK Parliament constituency)|constituency_westminster2= Glasgow North (UK Parliament constituency)|constituency_westminster3= Glasgow North East (UK Parliament constituency)|constituency_westminster4= Glasgow North West (UK Parliament constituency)|constituency_westminster5= Glasgow South (UK Parliament constituency)|constituency_westminster6= Glasgow South West (UK Parliament constituency)|unitary_scotland= Glasgow City Council|constituency_scottish_parliament1= [Glasgow Anniesland (Scottish Parliament constituency)|constituency_scottish_parliament2= Glasgow Baillieston (Scottish Parliament constituency)|constituency_scottish_parliament3= Glasgow Cathcart (Scottish Parliament constituency)|constituency_scottish_parliament4= Glasgow Govan (Scottish Parliament constituency)|constituency_scottish_parliament5= Glasgow Kelvin (Scottish Parliament constituency)|constituency_scottish_parliament6=Glasgow Maryhill (Scottish Parliament constituency)|constituency_scottish_parliament7=Glasgow Pollok (Scottish Parliament constituency)|constituency_scottish_parliament8=Glasgow Rutherglen (Scottish Parliament constituency)|constituency_scottish_parliament9=Glasgow Shettleston (Scottish Parliament constituency)|constituency_scottish_parliament10= Glasgow Springburn (Scottish Parliament constituency)|website= www.glasgow.gov.uk-->

Glasgow (Glaschu in Scottish Gaelic language meaning "dear green place"; or Glesca/Glesga in Scots language) is the largest city in Scotland and List of United Kingdom cities by population in the United Kingdom. The City of Glasgow is the most populous Subdivisions of Scotland. It is situated on the River Clyde in the country's Scottish Lowlands. A person from Glasgow is known as a Glaswegian. Glaswegian is also the name of the local dialect.

Glasgow grew from the medieval Bishop of Glasgow and the later establishment of the University of Glasgow, which contributed to the Scottish Enlightenment. From the 18th century the city became one of Europe's main hubs of transatlantic trade with the Americas. With the Industrial Revolution, the city and surrounding region grew to become one of the world's pre-eminent centres of engineering and shipbuilding,http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/glasgow/glasgow/index.html constructing many revolutionary and famous vessels. Glasgow was known as the "Second city of the British Empire" in the Victorian era. Today it is one of Europe's top twenty financial centres and is home to many of Scotland's leading businesses.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries Glasgow grew to a population of over one million, and was the fourth-largest city in Europe, after London, Paris and Berlin. In the 1960s large-scale relocation to new towns in the suburban area of the city, followed by successive boundary changes, have reduced the current population of the City of Glasgow unitary authority area to 578,790. 1,171,390 people live in the Greater Glasgow Urban Area based on the United Kingdom Census 2001. The entire Glasgow conurbation covers approximately 2.3 million people, almost half of Scotland's population.

History The present site of Glasgow has been used since prehistoric times for settlement due to it being the ford (crossing) point of the River Clyde furthest downstream, which also provided a natural area for salmon fishing. The origins of Glasgow as an established city derive ultimately from its medieval position as Scotland's second largest bishopric. Glasgow became important in the 12th century as the site of this bishopric, reorganized by King David I of Scotland and John the Chaplain, Bishop of Glasgow. There had been an earlier religious site established by Saint Mungo. The bishopric became one of the largest and wealthiest in the Kingdom of Scotland, bringing wealth and status to the town. Somewhere between 1175 and 1178 this position was strengthened even further when Jocelin obtained for the episcopal settlement the status of burgh from King William I of Scotland, allowing the settlement to expand with the benefits of trading monopolies and other legal guarantees. Sometime between 1189 and 1195 this status was supplemented by an annual fair, which survives to this day as the Glasgow Fair.

Glasgow grew over the following centuries, and the founding of the University of Glasgow in 1451 and elevation of the bishopric to an archbishopric in 1492 increasing the town's religious and educational status.

After the Acts of Union 1707 in 1707, Scotland gained trading access to the vast markets of the British Empire and Glasgow became prominent in international commerce as a hub of trade to the Americas, especially in the movement of Tobacco Lords, cotton and sugar into the deep water port that had been created by city merchants at Port Glasgow. Many of Glasgow's streets, including Glassford Street and Buchanan Street, are named after local Tobacco Lords who grew rich from goods produced by Atlantic slave trade in the Thirteen Colonies until the American War of Independence (after which the merchants concentrated mainly on the British West Indies). Abolition of the Slave Trade, Learning and Teaching Scotland Online, accessed September 26 2007

Daniel Defoe visited the city in the early 18th century and famously opined in his book A tour thro' the Whole Island of Great Britain, that Glasgow was "the cleanest, most beautiful and best built City in Britain, London excepted". At that time, the city's population numbered approximately 12,000, and was yet to undergo the massive changes to the city's economy and urban fabric, brought about by the influences of the Scottish Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution.

In its subsequent industrial era, Glasgow produced textiles, engineering and steel, which were exported. The opening of the Monkland Canal in 1791, facilitated access to the Iron ore and Coal mining in Lanarkshire. After extensive engineering projects to Dredging and deepen the Clyde, Shipbuilding became a major industry on the upper stretches of the river, building many famous ships including the Cunard Line liners RMS RMS Lusitania, RMS RMS Aquitania, RMS RMS Queen Mary, RMS RMS Queen Elizabeth, RMS RMS Queen Elizabeth 2, and the Royal Yacht Royal Yacht Britannia. Glasgow's population had surpassed that of Edinburgh by 1821. By the end of the 19th century the city was known as the "Second City of the Empire" and was producing most of the ships and locomotives in the world. During this period, the construction of many of the city's greatest architectural masterpieces and most ambitious civic projects were being funded by its wealth.

The city experienced mixed fortunes during 20th century. After World War I, the city suffered from the impact of the Post-WWI recession and from the later Great Depression in the United Kingdom, this also led to a rise of radical socialism and the "Red Clydeside" movement. The city had recovered by the outbreak of the Second World War and grew through the post-war boom that lasted through the 1950s. However by the 1960s, a lack of investment and innovation led to growing overseas competition in countries like Japanese post-war economic miracle and Wirtschaftswunder which weakened the once pre-eminent position of many of the city's industries. As a result of this, Glasgow entered a long running period of relative economic malaise, leading to high unemployment, urban decay, population decline and poor health for the city's inhabitants. There were active attempts at regeneration of the city, when the Glasgow Corporation published its controversial Bruce Report which set out a comprehensive series of initiatives aimed at turning round the decline of the city. There are also accusations that the Scottish Office had deliberately attempted to undermine Glasgow's economic and political influence in post-war Scotland by preventing the creation of new industries and creating the new towns of Cumbernauld, Glenrothes, Irvine, North Ayrshire, Livingston, West Lothian and East Kilbride, dispersed across the Scottish Lowlands, in order to half the city's population base.

By the 1990s, there had been a significant resurgence in Glasgow's economic fortunes however, finding a new role as a European centre for business services and finance, as well as benefiting from an increase in tourism and inward investment. The latter is largely due to the legacy of the city's status as European City of Culture in 1990, and attempts to diversify the city's economy. This economic revival has continued and the ongoing Urban renewal of Inner city has led to people moving back to live in the centre of Glasgow.

Toponymy It is common to derive the name Glasgow from the older Cumbric language glas cau or a Middle Irish language cognate, which would have meant green hollow. The settlement probably had an earlier Cumbric name, Cathures; the modern name appears for the first time in the Gaelic period (1116), as Glasgu. However, it is also recorded that the Kingdom of Strathclyde, Rhydderch Hael, welcomed Saint Kentigern (also known as Saint Mungo), and procured his consecration as bishop about 540. For some thirteen years Kentigern laboured in the region, building his church at the Molendinar Burn, and making many converts. A large community developed around him and became known as Glasgu (meaning the dear Green or the dear green place).

Governance is the seat of local government in Glasgow.

Glasgow has a long history of supporting socialism ideas and politics. The City of Glasgow has been controlled by the Labour Party (UK) for 30 years, after the decline of the Progressive Party (UK). Its socialist roots emanate from the city's days as an industrial powerhouse, and endure through the relative poverty of many Glaswegians. In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the Easter Rising, the city's frequent strikes and revolutionary fervour caused serious alarm at Westminster, with one 1919 Battle of George Square prompting the Prime Minister, David Lloyd George to deploy 10,000 troops and tanks onto the city's streets. A huge demonstration in the city's George Square on January 31 ended in violence after the Riot Act was read.

Later, industrial action at the shipyards gave rise to the "Red Clydeside" tag. During the 1930s, Glasgow was the main base of the Independent Labour Party. Towards the end of the 20th century it became a centre of the struggle against the poll tax, and then the main base of the Scottish Socialist Party, a left wing party in Scotland.

Scottish Parliament region The Glasgow (Scottish Parliament electoral region) covers the Glasgow City council area, the Rutherglen, Glasgow area of the South Lanarkshire and a small eastern portion of Renfrewshire. It elects ten of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituency members and seven of the 56 Additional member system (Scottish Parliament). Both kinds of member are known as Member of the Scottish Parliament. The system of election is designed to produce a form of proportional representation.

The first past the post seats were created in 1999 with the names and boundaries of then existing Palace of Westminster (House of Commons (UK)) constituencies. In 2005, however, the number of Westminster Member of Parliament representing Scotland was cut to 59, with new constituencies being formed, while the existing number of MSPs was retained at Holyrood.

The ten Scottish Parliament constituencies in the Glasgow electoral region are:-

United Kingdom Parliament constituencies Following reform of constituencies of the United Kingdom House of Commons of the United Kingdom Parliament (Westminster Palace) in 2005, which reduced the number of Scottish Member of Parliament, the current Westminster constituencies representing Glasgow are:-

Heraldry

The coat of arms of the City of Glasgow, as granted to the royal burgh by the Lord Lyon on October 25, 1866.R.M. Urquhart, Burgh and county Heraldry of Scotland, London, 1973 It incorporates a number of symbols and emblems associated with the life of Glasgow's patron saint, Kentigern (often known by his nickname, Mungo) which had been used on official seals prior to that date. The emblems represent Saint Mungo#Miracles supposed to have been performed by Mungo and are listed in the traditional rhyme: :::Here's the bird that never flew :::Here's the tree that never grew :::Here's the bell that never rang :::Here's the fish that never swam

Kentigern is also said to have preached a sermon containing the words Lord, Let Glasgow flourish by the preaching of the word and the praising of thy name. This was abbreviated to "Let Glasgow Flourish" and adopted as the city's motto. The motto was more recently commemorated in a song called "Mother Glasgow", which was actually written by Dundonian singer/songwriter Michael Marra, but popularised by Hue and Cry.

In 1450, John Stewart, the first Lord Provost of Glasgow, left an endowment so that a "St Mungo's Bell" could be made and tolled throughout the city so that the citizens would pray for his soul. A new bell was purchased by the magistrates in 1641 and that bell is still on display in the People's Palace Museum, near Glasgow Green.

The supporters are two salmon bearing rings, and the crest is a half length figure of Saint Mungo. He wears a bishop's mitre and liturgical vestments and has his hand raised in "the act of benediction". The original 1866 grant placed the crest atop a Helmet, but this was removed in subsequent grants. The current version (1996) has a gold mural crown between the shield and the crest. This form of coronet, resembling an embattled city wall, was allowed to the four area councils with city status.

The arms were rematriculated by the City of Glasgow District Council on February 6, 1975, and by the present area council on March 25, 1996. The only change made on each occasion was in the type of coronet over the arms.R.M. Urquhart, Scottish Civic Heraldry, London, 1979R.M. Urquhart, Scottish civic heraldry 2, Hamilton, 2001


Geography Glasgow is located on the banks of the River Clyde, in Strathclyde Scotland.

Climate Weather in Glasgow is not typical of the weather in the rest of Scotland for several reasons. Glasgow benefits from its mild south western position; the Gulf Stream currents flow up the River Clyde estuary from the Atlantic warming the entire region. The city is also sheltered by the surrounding Clyde Valley hills keeping the city fairly humid throughout the year. The temperature is often milder than the rest of the country. In general, the temperature in Glasgow is around the same as that in the North of England. In Scotland the weather is more likely to change from a rain storm to a heatwave in the same day.

Spring months (March to May) are mild and cool. Many of Glasgow's trees and plants begin to flower at this time of the year and parks and gardens are filled with spring colours.

The summer months (May to September) can vary considerably between mild and wet weather or warm and sunny. The winds are generally westerly, due to the warm Gulf Stream. The warmest month is usually July, the daily high averaging . (Highest recorded temperature Glasgow July 2006.)

Despite some infrequent clear or dry days, winters in Glasgow are normally damp and cold. However, the Gulf Stream ensures that Glasgow stays warmer than other cities at the same latitude, like Moscow. Winds and rainfall are often fairly chilling and strong, like the rest of western Scotland. Severe snowfalls are infrequent and melt within days. December, January and February are the wettest months of the year, but can often be sunny and clear.

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|Jan_Precip_inch =3.42|Feb_Precip_inch = 3.11|Mar_Precip_inch = 2.93|Apr_Precip_inch = 1.83|May_Precip_inch =1.32|Jun_Precip_inch =1.52|Jul_Precip_inch =1.95|Aug_Precip_inch =2.07|Sep_Precip_inch =2.23|Oct_Precip_inch =3.34|Nov_Precip_inch =2.62|Dec_Precip_inch =2.95|source =weather.com {{cite web| url =http://uk.weather.com/weather/climatology/UKXX0061 | title =Glasgow Weather | accessmonthday =Oct 9 | accessyear = 2007| publisher = | language = -->|accessdate =9 Oct 2007|source2 =msn weather {{cite web| url =http://weather.uk.msn.com/monthly_averages.aspx?&wealocations=wc%3aUKXX0061&setunit=F | title =MSN Weather - Yearly, Monthly Temperature and Precipitation Averages and Records for Glasgow, Scotland. | accessmonthday =Oct 9 | accessyear = 2007| publisher = | language = -->|accessdate2 =9 Oct 2007-->

Demography The population of the Glasgow City Council area peaked in the 1950s at 1,200,000 people and before that for 80 years was over 1 million. During this period, Glasgow was one of the most densely populated cities in the world. After the 1960s, clearings of poverty-stricken inner city areas like the Gorbals and relocation to 'New town#United Kingdom' such as East Kilbride and Cumbernauld led to population decline. In addition, successive boundary changes by the Scottish Office and UK governments reduced the official city boundaries (and hence the official population) making direct comparisons difficult. The city continues to expand beyond the official city council boundaries into surrounding suburban areas, encompassing around if all adjoining suburbs, commuter towns and villages are included.

There are two distinct definitions for the population of Glasgow; the Glasgow City Council Area (which lost the districts of Rutherglen and Cambuslang to South Lanarkshire in 1996) and the Greater Glasgow Urban Area which includes the urban conurbation around the city.

From the 1840s till the mid-1960s, Glasgow became home to many Irish diaspora. principally from the counties of Donegal, Tyrone, Fermanagh, Sligo and Mayo. Many Gàidhealtachd also migrated to the city as a result of the Highland Clearances.

Prior to 1914 many Lithuanian asylum seekers settled in Glasgow and at its height in the 1950s there were around 10,000 in the Glasgow area. Many Italian-Scots also settled in Glasgow, originating from areas like Frosinone and Lucca at this time, many originally working as "Hokey pokey (ice cream)" men. In the 1960s and '70s, many Asian-Scots also settled in Glasgow, mainly in the Pollokshields area as well as Cantonese people immigrants, many of whom settled in the Garnethill area of the city. Since 2000, the UK government has pursued a policy of dispersal of Immigration to the United Kingdom (1922-present day) to ease pressure on social housing in the London area. Glasgow has seen waves of new arrivals because of this policy, though not always smoothly in some districts. At first there was heavily publicised resentment from the established local population, and the policy looked to have failed, particularly when several hundred refugees left Glasgow voluntarily to make their own way back to London following a couple of high profile murders.{], which has Southest England Population by Area from 1891, Scotland's major city has less than half the current population density of the English capital—. However, in 1931 the population density was , highlighting the subsequent 'clearances' to the suburbs and new towns that were built to empty one of Europe's most densely populated cities.[http://www.demographia.com/db-glasgow.htm Glasgow: Population & Density 1891-2001 www.demographia.com

Economy was built in Glasgow and launched in 2006. Although diminished from its early 20th century heights, shipbuilding remains an important part of the city's manufacturing base.Glasgow is the largest and most dynamic economy in Scotland and is at the hub of the metropolitan area of West Central Scotland. The city itself sustains more than 410,000 jobs in over 12,000 companies. Over 153,000 jobs have been created in the city since 2000 - a growth rate of 32%. Jobs boom on Clyde reverses decline Guardian Online Glasgow's annual economic growth rate of 4.4% is now second only to that of London. In 2005 alone over 17,000 new jobs were created, and 2006 saw private-sector investment in the city reaching £4.2 billion pounds, an increase of 22% in a single year. The city has outstripped many of its European rivals in terms of economic growth. 55% of the residents in the Greater Glasgow area commute to the city every day. Once dominant manufacturing industries such as shipbuilding and heavy engineering have been gradually replaced in importance by a mixed economy.

Glasgow's economy has seen significant growth of Tertiary sector of industry sector industries such as financial and business services, communications, biosciences, creative industries, healthcare, higher education, retail and tourism. Between 1998 and 2001, the city's financial services sector grew at a rate of 30%, making considerable gains on Edinburgh, which has historically been the centre of the Scottish financial sector.

The city retains a strong link to the manufacturing sector which forms the fourth largest manufacturing centre in the UK, accounting for well over 60% of Scotland's manufactured exports, with particular strengths in shipbuilding, engineering, food and drink, printing, publishing, chemicals and textiles as well as new growth sectors such as optoelectronics, software development and biotechnology. Glasgow forms the western part of the Silicon Glen high tech sector of Scotland. A growing number of Blue chip financial sector companies have significant operations or headquarters in the city, including; Abbey (bank), National Australia Bank, Royal Bank of Scotland, HBOS, AXA, Aviva, Standard Life, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Barclays Bank and Lloyds TSB. Other well established firms operating in the city, which represent other sectors of Glasgow's economy, include; Diageo, William Grant & Sons, Pernod Ricard, Whyte and Mackay, Tennents, AG Barr, Trespass (clothing), Jacobs & Turner www.trespass.co.uk MacFarlane Group, MacFarlane Group www.macfarlanegroup.net SMG plc, William Halcrow, John Menzies, BAE Systems, Thales Group, Alstom, Linn Products, Rolls-Royce plc, Albion Motors, Corus Group, British Energy, Scottish Power, Thus plc, Centrica, First Group, Loganair, Flyglobespan, Imperial Chemical Industries, Armitage Shanks, Jacobs Engineering Group, Norit, Norit Weir Group, Babcock International Group, Balfour Beatty, Arup, AMEC, and Aggreko. Glasgow-based Scottish Power is one of five Scottish companies to be included on the Fortune Global 500 rankings. Fortune Global 500 rankings- Britain

Major corporate developments have helped promote its reputation as a leading European centre for business and commerce. Glasgow - Scottish Enterprise

Glasgow is the second most popular foreign tourist destination in Scotland and its largest retail centre. Glasgow is also one of Europe's sixteen largest financial centres and is home to many of Scotland's leading businesses.

Landmarks Very little of medieval Glasgow remains, the two main landmarks from this period being the 14th century Provand's Lordship and St. Mungo's Cathedral. The vast majority of the city as seen today dates from the 19th century. As a result, Glasgow has an impressive heritage of Victorian architecture - the Glasgow City Chambers, the main building of the University of Glasgow, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott and the Glasgow School of Art, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh are outstanding examples. Another architect who had an enduring impact on the city's appearance was Alexander Thomson, who produced a distinctive architecture based on fundamentalist classicism that gave him the nickname "Greek".

The buildings reflect the wealth and self confidence of the residents of the "Second City of the Empire". Glasgow generated immense wealth from trade and the industries that developed from the Industrial Revolution. The shipyards, marine engineering, steel making, and heavy industry all contributed to the growth of the city. At one time the expression "Clydebuilt" was synonymous with quality and engineering excellence. Clydebuilt The Templeton's carpet factory on Glasgow Green was designed to resemble the Doge's Palace in Venice.

Many of the city's most impressive buildings were built with red or blond sandstone, but during the industrial era those colours disappeared under a pervasive black layer of soot and pollutants from the furnaces, until the Clean Air Act was introduced in 1956.

In recent years many of these buildings have been cleaned and restored to their original appearance. Others were demolished to make way for large, peripheral housing estates, and high-rise flats in tower blocks. The latter were built in large numbers during the 1960s and early 1970s; Glasgow has a higher concentration of high-rise buildings than any other city in the British Isles.

Tenements were built to house the workers who migrated from Ireland and the Scottish Highlands in order to feed the local demand for labour; these tenements were often overcrowded and unsanitary. Many developed into the infamous Glasgow slums, such as the notorious Gorbals. These housing estates, known as "schemes", are widely regarded as unsuccessful: many, such as Castlemilk, were just dormitories well away from the centre of the city with no amenities ("deserts wi' windaes" with windows, as Billy Connolly put it), and their establishment led to the split up of long established community relationships. Tower Block Deprivation Some of the high-rise developments were poorly designed and cheaply built and became magnets for crime. Over time some have become as bad as the slum areas that they replaced, though at the time of construction they were largely welcomed. On 7 March, 2003, the Glasgow Housing Association took ownership of the housing stock from the city council, and has begun a programme of demolishing the worst of the tower blocks. Still, Glasgow's skyline is largely dominated by 1960s high rise flats, many of which are being refurbished as part of a realisation that they remain an adequate and modern source of accommodation.

Modern buildings in Glasgow include the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, and along the banks of the Clyde are the Glasgow Science Centre and the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, whose Clyde Auditorium was designed by Norman Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank, and is affectionately known as the "Armadillo". Zaha Hadid won a competition to design the new Glasgow Museum of Transport, which will move to the waterfront. New Transport Museum Shopping centres include the Buchanan Galleries, the glass pyramid of the St Enoch Centre, and the upmarket Princes' Square.

The 39-storey Elphinstone Place mixed-use skyscraper in Charing Cross will be the tallest building in Scotland, and was scheduled to begin construction in mid 2006. Elphinstone Place: Glasgow - Tallest Building in Scotland glasgowarchitecture.co.uk Much development is taking place along the banks of the Clyde. Glasgow Harbour, which neighbours Partick is one of the largest residential developments.

Divisions and suburbs Glasgow was historically based around Glasgow Cathedral, the old High Street (Glasgow) and down to the River Clyde via Glasgow Cross.

City centre The Central business district is bounded by the High Street to the east, the River Clyde to the south and the M8 motorway to the west and north which was built through the Townhead, Charing Cross, Glasgow and Anderston areas in the 1960s.



Retail and theatre district The city centre is based on a Grid plan of streets, similar to that of Barcelona or American cities, on the north bank of the River Clyde. The heart of the city is George Square, site of many of Glasgow's public statues and the elaborate Victorian Glasgow City Chambers, headquarters of Glasgow City Council. To the south and west are the High Street shopping precincts of Argyle, Sauchiehall and Buchanan Streets, the last featuring more upmarket retailers. The main shopping centres are Buchanan Galleries and the St. Enoch Centre, as well as Princes Square and the Italian Centre, with more specialised and designer labels. The London-based department store Selfridges has purchased a potential development site in the city and another upmarket retail chain Harvey Nichols is also thought to be planning a store in the city, further strengthening Glasgow's already impressive retail portfolio, which forms the UK's second largest and most economically important retail sector after Central London.http://www.ifsdglasgow.co.uk/living.asp?page_id=146 The layout of the approximately two and a half mile long retail district of Buchanan Street, Sauchiehall Street and Argyle Street has been termed the "Golden Z". In October 2005 retail locations in the area were sought after to the extent that Buchanan Street had the seventh highest shop rental fees in the world. Retail capital Buchanan Street is world No.7 for shopping www.eveningtimes.co.uk

The city centre is home to most of Glasgow's main cultural venues: Theatre Royal, Glasgow (home of Scottish Opera and Scottish Ballet), Pavilion Theatre (Glasgow), King's Theatre, Glasgow, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow Film Theatre, RSAMD, Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA), Mitchell Library, the Centre for Contemporary Arts, McLellan Galleries and The Lighthouse (Glasgow). The world's tallest cinema, the eighteen-screen Cineworld is sited on Renfrew Street. The city centre is also home to four of Glasgow's higher education institutions: University of Strathclyde, The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Glasgow School of Art and Glasgow Caledonian University.




Merchant City To the east is the commercial and residential district of Merchant City, which was formerly the residential district of the wealthy city merchants in the 18th and early 19th centuries. As the Industrial Revolution and the wealth it brought to the city resulted in the expansion of Glasgow's central area westward, the original medieval centre was left behind. Glasgow Cross, situated at the junction of High Street (Glasgow), Gallowgate, Trongate and Saltmarket was the original centre of the city, symbolised by its Mercat cross. Glasgow Cross encompasses the Tolbooth Clock Tower; all that remains of the original City Chambers, which was destroyed by fire in 1926. Moving northward up High Street towards Rottenrow and Townhead lies the 15th century Glasgow Cathedral and the Provand's Lordship. Latterly, due to growing industrial pollution levels in the mid to late 19th century, the area fell out of favour with residents.

From the late 1980s onwards, the area has been rejuvenated with luxury city centre apartments and warehouse conversions. Many new cafes and restaurants have opened. The area also contains the Tron Theatre, the Old Fruitmarket, the Trades Hall, and the Glasgow City Hall.

The area is also home to Glasgow's growing 'Arts Quarter', based around King Street, the Saltmarket and Trongate, and at the heart of the annual Merchant City Festival. There are many art galleries here including Glasgow Print Studio and will soon be home to Trongate 103, a new arts centre.

A large part of Glasgow's gay scene is located within the Merchant City. This includes Polo Lounge, MODA, Delmonica's, Bennett's, Court, Revolver, Merchant Pride, and the UK gay chain store Clone Zone, along with a couple of saunas.

Recently the city council defined (and perhaps expanded) the area known as Merchant City as far west as Buchanan Street, marking these boundaries with new, highly stylised metal signage.

Financial district .To the western edge of the city centre, occupying the areas of Blythswood Hill and Anderston, lies Glasgow's financial district, known officially as the International Financial Services District (IFSD), although often irreverently nicknamed by the contemporary press as the "square kilometre" or "Wall Street on Clyde". Since the late 1980s the IFSD has grown to become the third largest financial quarter in the UK after the cities of City of London and Edinburgh. With a reputation as an established financial services centre, coupled with comprehensive support services, Glasgow continues to attract and grow new business. Of the 10 largest general insurance companies in the UK, 8 have a base or head office in Glasgow - including Direct Line, AXA and Norwich Union. Key banking sector companies have also relocated some of their services to commercial property in Glasgow - Resolution plc, JPMorgan, Abbey (bank), HBOS, Barclays, Morgan Stanley, Lloyds TSB, Clydesdale Bank, BNP Paribas and the Royal Bank of Scotland. The Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) have several departments and Peel Group, the Glasgow Stock Exchange, Student Loans Company, Scottish Executive Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department, Scottish Qualifications Authority and Scottish Enterprise also have their headquarters based in the district.

Since the late 1980s, this area of the city centre has seen the construction of many modern office blocks, a trend which continues into the 21st century with a new wave of high rise developments currently on the drawing board

The West End is Glasgow's premier museum and art gallery, housing one of Europe's great civic art collections.Glasgow's West End refers to the Bohemianism district of cafés, tea rooms, bars, boutiques, upmarket hotels, clubs and restaurants in the hinterland of Kelvingrove Park, the University of Glasgow, BBC Scotland's Headquarters, Glasgow Botanic Gardens and the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre. The area's main thoroughfare is Byres Road and one of its most popular destinations is Ashton Lane.The West End is home to some of the wealthiest addresses in Scotland, and includes the upmarket residential areas of Hillhead, Dowanhill, Kelvingrove, Kelvinside, Hyndland, and, to an increasing extent, Partick. However, the name is increasingly being used to refer to any area to the west of Charing Cross, Glasgow. This includes areas such as Scotstoun, Jordanhill, Kelvindale and Anniesland.The spire of Sir George Gilbert Scott's University of Glasgow main building (the second largest Gothic Revival building in Britain) is a major local landmark, and can be seen from miles around, sitting atop Gilmorehill. The university itself is the fourth oldest in the English-speaking world, after University of Oxford, University of Cambridge and University of St Andrews. Much of the city's student population is based in the West End, adding to its cultural vibrancy.

The area is also home to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Hunterian Museum, Kelvin Hall International Sports Arena, Henry Wood Hall (home of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra) and the Glasgow Museum of Transport, which is to be rebuilt on a former dockland site at Glasgow Harbour to a design by Zaha Hadid. The West End Festival, one of Glasgow's largest festivals, is held annually in June.

Glasgow is Europe's fastest growing conference and events destination, and the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre is the UK's largest exhibition and conference centre. A major expansion of the SECC facilities at the former Queen's Dock by Foster and Partners is currently planned, including a 12,000 seat arena, and a 5 star hotel and entertainments complex.

The area is served by bus, rail and the Glasgow Subway.

The East End in Glasgow Green.

The East End extends from Glasgow Cross in the City Centre to the boundary with North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire. It is home to the famous Glasgow Barrowland market, popularly known as 'The Barras', and Barrowland Ballroom Music Hall, Glasgow Green, and Celtic Park, home of Celtic F.C.. Many of the original sandstone tenements remain in this district. The East End in contrast to the West End, includes some of the most deprived areas in the UK. However, many areas of the district are not deprived in any way. In particular, the Dennistoun area has become increasingly fashionable and expensive.

The Glasgow Necropolis Cemetery was created on a hill above the Glasgow Cathedral of Saint Mungo in 1831. Routes curve through the landscape uphill to the high statue of John Knox at the summit, with some tombs designed by prominent local architect Alexander Thomson. The design creates a dramatic skyline of obelisks, pinnacles and statues in memory of Glasgow's wealthiest inhabitants. It was described by James Curle as 'literally a city of the dead'. The main entrance is approached by a bridge over what was the Molendinar Burn towards an impressive set of classical mausoleum. The bridge, designed by James Hamilton, is known as the Bridge of Sighs because it formed the route of funeral processions.

There are two late 18th century tenements in Gallowgate. Dating from 1771 and 1780, both have been well restored. The construction of Charlotte Street was financed by David Dale, whose former pretensions can be gauged by the one remaining house, now run by the National Trust for Scotland. Further along Charlotte Street there stands a modern Gillespie, Kidd & Coia building of some note. Once a school, it has been converted into offices. Surrounding these buildings are a series of innovative housing developments conceived as 'Homes for the Future', part of a project during the city's year as UK City of Architecture and Design in 1999.

East of Glasgow Cross is the magnificent Saint Andrew's Church, built in 1746 and displaying a Presbyterian grandeur befitting the church of the city's wealthy tobacco merchants. Also close by is the more modest Scottish Episcopal Church Saint Andrew's-by-the-Green, the oldest post-Reformation church in Scotland.

Overlooking Glasgow Green is the façade of Templeton's carpet factory, featuring vibrant Polychrome brickwork intended to evoke the Doge's Palace in Venice.

The extensive Tollcross, Glasgow was originally developed from the estate of James Dunlop, the owner of a local steelworks. His large Scottish baronial style mansion was built in 1848 by David Bryce, which later housed the city's Children's Museum until the 1980s. Today, the mansion is a sheltered housing complex.

The new Scottish National Indoor Sports Arena, a modern replacement for the Kelvin Hall, is planned for Dalmarnock. If the 2014 Commonwealth Games bid is successful, the area will house the Athletes' Village, adjacent to the new indoor sports arena.

To the north of the East End lie the two massive

Glasgow City Council - Home Page
The local government's web presence.

About Glasgow
Find out about Glasgow and what it's got to offer - its history, culture and leisure attractions.

University of Glasgow :: Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Research affiliation: Research Library Group.

Glasgow: Scotland with style - See Glasgow Home Page - The Official ...
Official guide to accommodation, visitor attractions, events and activities.

BAA Glasgow: Welcome to Glasgow Airport | Parking
BAA's travel and shopping guide to the city's main airport. Includes real-time departures information.

Glasgow Guide: Hotels and City Tourist Information Scotland, UK
The city guide to Glasgow 1999 in Scotland. Includes maps, images and games, as well as a historical guide and a range of tourist information.

Glasgow hotels, hotels in Glasgow West End, Glasgow hotel ...
Glasgow hotels in Glasgow West End, close to the SECC and Glasgow airport - providing superb hotel accommodation for leisure and business travel, short breaks in Glasgow, Glasgow ...

Functional Programming at Glasgow
Simon Marlow (editor) Functional Programming Group Department of Computing Science University of Glasgow Glasgow G12 8QQ Scotland Last changed: 1998/01/26 14:52:13

Glasgow News
Aims to inform both locals and an international audience of Glasgow's revitalised architecture scene.

Glasgow Caledonian University
Offering a wide range of undergraduate programmes and postgraduate programmes, many of which are available for part-time study.

 

Glasgow



 
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