History UsefulNotes / Glasgow

When it comes to film and television production, Glasgow attracts a lot of on-location filming. CaliforniaDoubling is common: The city centre, with its unique-for-Europe street grid and plentiful modern classical architecture, has likely spent more time on film posing as a North American downtown than it has as Glasgow. When it does appear as itself, it is normally either portrayed one of two ways:

Glasgow is normally either portrayed one of two ways:

** A WretchedHive of scum and villainy. A PlaceWorseThanDeath. A place where you wouldn't want to be on a Friday night, populated by neds, hard bastards, fighters, FootballHooligans, and IRA fanatics. Poverty and alcoholism and crime are turned UpToEleven. The city's culture and architecture are stuck in TheSeventies. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking And it's always raining.]] Basically, the worst of the classic American "wretched cities" like Detroit, Cleveland, and {{Joisey}} but with a Scots flavor, this takes the "ViolentGlaswegian" trope and applys it to the whole city. Often found in media not written by people from Glasgow, or by Glaswegians themselves using SelfDeprecation, with a little bit of "[[MotherRussiaMakesYouStrong Maw Glesgae mak's ye a hard bastard.]]"

** A vibrant, bohemian, new city, rising phoenix like from the ashes of the old manufacturing industries. There are friendly locals, classy boutiques, posh European shopping chains the Buchanan Galleries. Futuristic, rich, and definitely better than Edinburgh. Glasgow is full of bright students, young artists, rich businessmen, amateur performers and mutliculturalism. This is a sometimes called "BBC Glasgow", because of that channel's tendency to view Glasgow through rosy-tinted eyes.

The history of Glasgow is also the history of the river that runs through it, the Clyde. Glasgow is situated at what was, historically, the furthest downstream fording point. It is no surprise then, that in more ancient times the city was already a hub of fishing and trade (and occasional raids by the Lords of the Isles and the Irish). After its "official" founding as St. Mungo, it became a cathedral city and a powerful bishopric in the incipient Kingdom of Scotland. Sometime in the twelfth century, the city was given permission to host a fair, which persists to this day as the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasgow_Fair Glasgow Fair.]]

Glasgow grew over the following centuries, the first bridge over the River Clyde at Glasgow was recorded from around 1285, giving its name to the Briggait area of the city, forming the main North-South route over the river via Glasgow Cross. The founding of the University of Glasgow in 1451 and elevation of the bishopric to become the Archdiocese of Glasgow in 1492 served to increase the town's religious and educational status, and landed wealth.

However, it was with the Act of Union in 1707 that the city really took off. This gave Glaswegian traders access to the vast markets of UsefulNotes/TheBritishEmpire. By the mid-18th century, Glasgow was the center of world tobacco trading. With industrialization in the 19th century, Glasgow became the world focus for shipbuilding. In 1900, Glasgow alone built more ships than the United States, Germany and Russia combined. It became known as "the workshop of the world" and the "second city of the Empire." Much of this industrial boom was fueled by Irish Catholic immigration, and sectarian divisions and tensions were established then which continue to this day. Radical socialism too became a hallmark of Glaswegian politics - rent strikes and protests during UsefulNotes/WorldWarI saw the advent of the "Red Clydeside" movement, which marked the only time tanks have ever been deployed on the UK mainland. The awful slums most workers lived in, and the prevalence of crime within them, probably led to the birth of the ViolentGlaswegian trope in British culture.

The history of Glasgow is also the history of the river that runs through it, the Clyde. Glasgow is situated at what was, historically, the furthest downstream fording point. It is no surprise then, that in more ancient times the city was already a hub of fishing and trade (and occasional raids by the Lords of the Isles and the Irish). After its "official" founding a St Mungo, it became a cathedral city, and a powerful bishopric in the incipient Kingdom of Scotland. Some time in the twelfth century, the city was given permission to host a fair, which persists to this day as the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasgow_Fair Glasgow Fair.]]

However, it was with the Act of Union in 1707 that the city really took off. This gave Glaswegian traders access to the vast markets of UsefulNotes/TheBritishEmpire. By the mid-18th century, Glasgow was the centre of world tobacco trading. With industrialization in the 19th century, Glasgow became the world focus for shipbuilding. In 1900, Glasgow alone built more ships than the United States, Germany and Russia combined. It became known as "the workshop of the world" and the "second city of the Empire." Much of this industrial boom was fueled by Irish Catholic immigration, and sectarian divisions and tensions were established then which continue to this day. Radical socialism too became a hallmark of Glaswegian politics - rent strikes and protests during UsefulNotes/WorldWarI saw the advent of the "Red Clydeside" movement, which marked the only time tanks have ever been deployed on the UK mainland. The awful slums most workers lived in, and the prevalence of crime within them, probably led to the birth of the ViolentGlaswegian trope in British culture.

When two football teams in the same city have a bitter rivalry, the two of them are sometimes referred to as a "firm". The two teams in Glasgow have one of the oldest and most bitter rivalries in sport, and are thus called "the Old Firm." The two main Glasgow teams are '''Celtic''' and '''Rangers'''. Celtic represents the Irish-Catholic "immigrant" population, whilst Rangers represents the "native" Scottish (and occasionally Ulster) Protestant population. Due to tensions dating back to the 19th century, the two teams don't like each other much. Indeed, Strathclyde Police, not to mention Accident and Emergency departments all over Glasgow dread their meetings, which usually lead to a huge number people coming in with knife wounds, bad beatings, or glass injuries. UsefulNotes/TheTroubles in Ireland made the problem much worse. "What team do you support?" is thus a loaded question in Glasgow, which normally can be translated as "Are you a Protestant or a Catholic"[[note]]There is an old joke about an atheist who goes to Glasgow, and is asked "Yes, but is it the Protestant or the Catholic God you don't believe in?"[[/note]] The best response is either a hasty retreat or to reply with either "Queen's Park" (whose stadium, being the national ground, may instill enough patriotism in your tormentor to allow escape) or "Partick Thistle", Glasgow's "third" team (who are memetically awful, and [[EvenEvilHasStandards even a casual won't lamp a madman,]] which you clearly are if you support the Jags).. Note that neither of these responses will satisfy a drunk fan whose team has just lost, nor will they be acceptable if you live slap-bang in the middle of either team's supporting areas.

->''"The great thing about Glasgow is that if there's a nuclear attack it'll look exactly the same afterwards."''
-->--'''Creator/BillyConnolly'''

->''"A few years ago, if you had told me I'd be moving back to Glasgow I'd have said, 'No way'. But it's changed. It's much more vibrant, bohemian. But I'm 35 and I've become a bit of a homebody, I don't really go out much. Same in New York. My home could be anywhere but I love Glasgow."''
-->--'''[=Kelly MacDonald=]'''

* Glasgow Prestwick International Airport (PIK): On the coast, near Ayr and the seat of many a no-frills airline. Linked to the City Centre by the train station across the road. Also used as an air base, this time by USAF during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. Prestwick is widely considered to be the only place in the United Kingdom visited by ElvisPresley, as his plane briefly stopped over to refuel there in 1960.

** A WretchedHive of scum and villainy. A PlaceWorseThanDeath. A place where you wouldn't want to be on a Friday night, populated by neds, hard bastards, fighters, FootballHooligans, and IRA fanatics. Poverty and alcoholism and crime are turned UpToEleven. The cities culture and architecture are stuck in TheSeventies. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking And it's always raining.]] Basically, the worst of the classic American "wretched cities" like Detroit, Cleveland, and {{Joisey}} but with a Scots flavor, this takes the "ViolentGlaswegian" trope and applys it to the whole city. Often found in media not written by people from Glasgow, or by Glaswegians themselves using SelfDeprecation, with a little bit of "[[MotherRussiaMakesYouStrong Maw Glesgae mak's ye a hard bastard.]]"

** A WretchedHive of scum and villainy. A PlaceWorseThanDeath. A place where you wouldn't want to be on a Friday night, populated by neds, hard bastards, fighters, FootballHooligans, and IRA fanatics. Poverty and alcoholism and crime are turned UpToEleven. The cities culture and architecture are stuck in TheSeventies. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking And its always raining.]] Basically, the worst of the classic American "wretched cities" like Detroit, Cleveland, and {{Joisey}} but with a Scots flavor, this takes the "ViolentGlaswegian" trope and applys it to the whole city. Often found in media not written by people from Glasgow, or by Glaswegians themselves using SelfDeprecation, with a little bit of "[[MotherRussiaMakesYouStrong Maw Glesgae mak's ye a hard bastard.]]"

** A WretchedHive of scum and villainy. A PlaceWorseThanDeath. A place where you wouldn't want to be on a Friday night, populated by neds, hard bastards, fighters, football thugs and I.R.A psychos. Poverty and alcoholism and crime are turned UpToEleven. The cities culture and architecture are stuck in TheSeventies. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking And its always raining.]] Basically, the worst of the classic American "wretched cities" like Detroit, Cleveland, and {{Joisey}} but with a Scots flavor, this takes the "ViolentGlaswegian" trope and applys it to the whole city. Often found in media not written by people from Glasgow, or by Glaswegians themselves using SelfDeprecation, with a little bit of "[[MotherRussiaMakesYouStrong Maw Glesgae mak's ye a hard bastard.]]"

Founded in the sixth century by St. Mungo (also called Kentigern), Glasgow (''Glesgae'' to its inhabitants) is UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}}'s largest city, with a population of just over half a million living in the Glasgow City Council Area and just under 1.2 million in the surrounding area. It is the third largest city in the British Isles. [[UsefulNotes/GreaterGlasgow The city has been growing lately.]] It has been known as "The Dear Green Place" since its inception, a name that's been retained over the years thanks to the high concentration of parkland. Given [[UsefulNotes/BritishWeather the weather]], however, it's more grey than it is green most days. In fact, Glasgow is the rainiest city in the United Kingdom. The actual name "Glasgow" comes from the Cumbric ''glas cau'', meaning "Green Hollow".

However, it was with the Act of Union in 1707 that the city really took off. This gave Glaswegian traders access to the vast markets of UsefulNotes/TheBritishEmpire. By the mid-18th century, Glasgow was the centre of world tobacco trading. With industrialization in the 19th century, Glasgow became the world focus for shipbuilding. In 1900, Glasgow alone built more ships than the United States, Germany and Russia combined. It became known as "the workshop of the world" and the "second city of the Empire." Much of this industrial boom was fueled by Irish Catholic immigration, and sectarian divisions and tensions were established then which continue to this day. Radical socialism too became a hallmark of Glaswegian politics - rent strikes and protests during UsefulNotes/WorldWarOne saw the advent of the "Red Clydeside" movement, which marked the only time tanks have ever been deployed on the UK mainland. The awful slums most workers lived in, and the prevalence of crime within them, probably led to the birth of the ViolentGlaswegian trope in British culture.

For those travelling by train, Glasgow Central station is the terminus of the West Coast Main Line and provides regular services to London. In quite possibly the most surprising use of the location ever, it featured in the Season 6 opener of ''ParksAndRecreation''.

However, it was with the Act of Union in 1707 that the city really took off. This gave Glaswegian traders access to the vast markets of TheBritishEmpire. By the mid-18th century, Glasgow was the centre of world tobacco trading. With industrialization in the 19th century, Glasgow became the world focus for shipbuilding. In 1900, Glasgow alone built more ships than the United States, Germany and Russia combined. It became known as "the workshop of the world" and the "second city of the Empire." Much of this industrial boom was fueled by Irish Catholic immigration, and sectarian divisions and tensions were established then which continue to this day. Radical socialism too became a hallmark of Glaswegian politics - rent strikes and protests during UsefulNotes/WorldWarOne saw the advent of the "Red Clydeside" movement, which marked the only time tanks have ever been deployed on the UK mainland. The awful slums most workers lived in, and the prevalence of crime within them, probably led to the birth of the ViolentGlaswegian trope in British culture.

Founded in the sixth century by St. Mungo (also called Kentigern), Glasgow (''Glesgae'' to its inhabitants) is UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}}'s largest city, with a population of just over half a million living in the Glasgow City Council Area and just under 1.2 million in the surrounding area. It is the third largest city in the British Isles. [[UsefulNotes/GreaterGlasgow The city has been growing lately.]] It has been known as "The Dear Green Place" since its inception, a name that's been retained over the years thanks to the high concentration of parkland. Given [[BritishWeather the weather]], however, it's more grey than it is green most days. In fact, Glasgow is the rainiest city in the United Kingdom. The actual name "Glasgow" comes from the Cumbric ''glas cau'', meaning "Green Hollow".

However, it was with the Act of Union in 1707 that the city really took off. This gave Glaswegian traders access to the vast markets of TheBritishEmpire. By the mid-18th century, Glasgow was the centre of world tobacco trading. With industrialization in the 19th century, Glasgow became the world focus for shipbuilding. In 1900, Glasgow alone built more ships than the United States, Germany and Russia combined. It became known as "the workshop of the world" and the "second city of the Empire." Much of this industrial boom was fueled by Irish Catholic immigration, and sectarian divisions and tensions were established then which continue to this day. Radical socialism too became a hallmark of Glaswegian politics - rent strikes and protests during WorldWarOne saw the advent of the "Red Clydeside" movement, which marked the only time tanks have ever been deployed on the UK mainland. The awful slums most workers lived in, and the prevalence of crime within them, probably led to the birth of the ViolentGlaswegian trope in British culture.

* Glasgow Prestwick International Airport (PIK): On the coast, near Ayr and the seat of many a no-frills airline. Linked to the City Centre by the train station across the road. Also used as an air base, this time by USAF during WorldWarII. Prestwick is widely considered to be the only place in the United Kingdom visited by ElvisPresley, as his plane briefly stopped over to refuel there in 1960.

When two football teams in the same city have a bitter rivalry, the two of them are sometimes referred to as a "firm". The two teams in Glasgow have one of the oldest and most bitter rivalries in sport, and are thus called "the Old Firm." The two main Glasgow teams are '''Celtic''' and '''Rangers'''. Celtic represents the Irish-Catholic "immigrant" population, whilst Rangers represents the "native" Scottish (and occasionally Ulster) Protestant population. Due to tensions dating back to the 19th century, the two teams don't like each other much. Indeed, Strathclyde Police, not to mention Accident and Emergency departments all over Glasgow dread their meetings, which usually lead to a huge number people coming in with knife wounds, bad beatings, or glass injuries. UsefulNotes/TheTroubles in Ireland made the problem much worse. "What team do you support?" is thus a loaded question in Glasgow, which normally can be translated as "Are you a Protestant or a Catholic"[[note]]There is an old joke about an atheist who goes to Glasgow, and is asked "Yes, but is it the Protestant or the Catholic God you don't believe in?"[[/note]] The best response is either a hasty retreat or to reply with either "Queen's Park" (whose stadium, being the national ground, may instill enough patriotism in your tormentor to allow escape) or "Partick Thistle", Glasgow's "third" team (who are memetically awful, and [[EvenEvilHasStandards even a casual won't lamp a madman,]] which you clearly are if you support the Jags).. Note that neither of these responses will satisfy a drunk fan whose team has just lost, nor will they be acceptable if you live slap-bang in the middle of either teams supporting areas.

'''The Auld Firm'''

When two football teams in the same city have a bitter rivalry, the two of them are sometimes referred to as a "firm". The two teams in Glasgow have one of the oldest and most bitter rivalries in sport, and are thus called "the Auld [Old] Firm." The two main Glasgow teams are '''Glasgow Celtic''' and '''Glasgow Rangers'''. Celtic represents the Irish-Catholic "immigrant" population, whilst Rangers represents the "native" Scottish (and occasionally Ulster) Protestant population. Due to tensions dating back to the 19th century, the two teams don't like each other much. Indeed, Strathclyde Police, not to mention Accident and Emergency departments all over Glasgow dread their meetings, which usually lead to a huge number people coming in with knife wounds, bad beatings, or glass injuries. UsefulNotes/TheTroubles in Ireland made the problem much worse. "What team do you support?" is thus a loaded question in Glasgow, which normally can be translated as "Are you a Protestant or a Catholic"[[note]]There is an old joke about an atheist who goes to Glasgow, and is asked "Yes, but is it the Protestant or the Catholic God you don't believe in?"[[/note]] The best response is either a hasty retreat or to reply with either "Queen's Park" (whose stadium, being the national ground, may instill enough patriotism in your tormentor to allow escape) or "Partick Thistle", Glasgow's "third" team (who are memetically awful, and [[EvenEvilHasStandards even a casual won't lamp a madman,]] which you clearly are if you support the Jags).. Note that neither of these responses will satisfy a drunk fan whose team has just lost, nor will they be acceptable if you live slap-bang in the middle of either teams supporting areas.

When two football teams in the same city have a bitter rivalry, the two of them are sometimes referred to as a "firm". The two teams in Glasgow have one of the oldest and most bitter rivalries in sport, and are thus called "the Auld [Old] Firm." The two main Glasgow teams are '''Glasgow Celtic''' and '''Glasgow Rangers'''. Celtic represents the Irish-Catholic "immigrant" population, whilst Rangers represents the "native" Scottish (and occasionally Ulster) Protestant population. Due to tensions dating back to the 19th century, the two teams don't like each other much. Indeed, Strathclyde Police, not to mention Accident and Emergency departments all over Glasgow dread their meetings, which usually lead to a huge number people coming in with knife wounds, bad beatings, or glass injuries. TheTroubles in Ireland made the problem much worse. "What team do you support?" is thus a loaded question in Glasgow, which normally can be translated as "Are you a Protestant or a Catholic"[[note]]There is an old joke about an atheist who goes to Glasgow, and is asked "Yes, but is it the Protestant or the Catholic God you don't believe in?"[[/note]] The best response is either a hasty retreat or to reply with either "Queen's Park" (whose stadium, being the national ground, may instill enough patriotism in your tormentor to allow escape) or "Partick Thistle", Glasgow's "third" team (who are memetically awful, and [[EvenEvilHasStandards even a casual won't lamp a madman,]] which you clearly are if you support the Jags).. Note that neither of these responses will satisfy a drunk fan whose team has just lost, nor will they be acceptable if you live slap-bang in the middle of either teams supporting areas.

-->--'''BillyConnolly'''

Founded in the sixth century by St. Mungo, Glasgow (''Glesgae'' to its inhabitants) is UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}}'s largest city, with a population of just over half a million living in the Glasgow City Council Area and just under 1.2 million in the surrounding area. It is the third largest city in the British Isles. [[UsefulNotes/GreaterGlasgow The city has been growing lately.]] It has been known as "The Dear Green Place" since its inception, a name that's been retained over the years thanks to the high concentration of parkland. Given [[BritishWeather the weather]], however, it's more grey than it is green most days. In fact, Glasgow is the rainiest city in the United Kingdom. The actual name "Glasgow" comes from the Cumbric ''glas cau'', meaning "Green Hollow".

Founded in the sixth century by St. Mungo, Glasgow (''Glesgae'' to its inhabitants) is UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}}'s largest city, with a population of just over half a million living in the Glasgow City Council Area and just under 1.2 million in the surrounding area. It is the third largest city in the British Isles. [[LetGlasgowFlourishAndFlourishAndFlourish The city has been growing lately.]] It has been known as "The Dear Green Place" since its inception, a name that's been retained over the years thanks to the high concentration of parkland. Given [[BritishWeather the weather]], however, it's more grey than it is green most days. In fact, Glasgow is the rainiest city in the United Kingdom. The actual name "Glasgow" comes from the Cumbric ''glas cau'', meaning "Green Hollow".