The following are some snippets gleamed from “The magazine for the people of Glasgow.” distributed By the City Council, to keep Glaswegian’s informed and have a say (so long as it backs up council agenda of corporate takeover of our institutions or, is limited and narrow enough not to make any difference)
Flags and things p4.
“Under the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 20O2.successlul applicants for nationalisation will now have to attend a formal citizenship ceremony in the area they live. Previously, the procedures were administrative. The Glasgow ceremonies at Park Circus will be conducted by a Registrar, with the Lord Provost or nominated bailie present The backdrop will be The city’s armorial crest, with the Union Jack and Saltire flags.”
Wait’ this definitely reminds me of something else. there’s a speech going on in the background, bunting and stuff, a man talking about god and his country and allegiance to the .. no its fading I must be imagining something else.
Sectarian menace p8
“Glasgow Licensing Board is seeking the views of the public, the licensed trade, churches, football clubs and community groups on how to tackle sectarianism in city pubs and licensed premises. The board want to know what people think about pubs which display colours, images, designs, insignias, words or groups of words or have entertainment associated with sectarianism.” Insignias, words, flags, crests, ceremonies. Are you getting the drift.
New nurseries are the Safeway to do it? p4.
“Three brand new nurseries opened last month — at Mosspark
But we should be foolish to mistake the government’s purpose. The general privatisation of schooling in Britain has begun.” George Monbiot
Primary, Craigton Primary and Our Lady of the Rosary Primary in Cardonald. The bright spacious nurseries all have a capacity for 40 children, at both morning and afternoon sessions. They were built as a result of an agreement between the City Council and Safeway, the supermarket company. Safeway is also currently building a new Lourdes primary school on a site just off Berryknowes Road. Once the new school opens later this year, Safeway are to build a new store on the old primary’s Montrave Street site.”
Other Safeways workers benefits coming our way soon
Privatisation of Schools (Monbiot)
“What these changes mean, confusing as they are, is privatisation. It won’t happen all at once, as Labour is anxious to avoid the confrontations which have taken place between parents and private companies in the United States. But we should be foolish to mistake the government’s purpose. The general * privatisation of schooling in Britain has begun.” (*scroll to Education & Childhood)
George Monbiot
Social inclusion and new communities the city council way. On the new bridge planed to span the Clyde for the sake of the BBC, and. “particularly the new nightclub.”
Bridging the gap (River City p 16.)
“The bridge is part of a £40million council project that will include landscaping with linear parks on both banks and a stunning new events venue on the south bank.
‘The bridge won’t simply be a new crossing for the Clyde,” said
Councilor Gordon. “It will be a destination in its own right and a catalyst for regeneration.’
The bridge’s location was chosen deliberately to link up Broomielaw, where Glasgow’s new International Financial Services District is being established, and Tradeston where the council is spearheading moves to create a new community.”
What is this new community ?
Funny how this word community is being converted to mean acres of glass and metal structures, vast car parks that turn into deserts in the evening (As the community disappears in their cars, and the local (real) community are left with the desert).
The reason why the BBC will create “A new dynamic community” when they move to the south side is in order that they can ignore the local community. Yes they will have a few informative meetings with the community council. But only after the deal is signed and sealed else where. What can the local community do to stop a business steam roller? Get active before the steam roller gathers speed?
Community in this sense is a friendly term for corporate conglomerates, who see the real communities assets, only as potential real estate.
Who is helping to build and shape the new community? p16
” The bridge competition has increased interest in the redevelopment of sites at Tradeston, according to Richard Rogers.
Our bridge design is being developed as a complete response to the site and as a catalyst to foster new development in its vicinity.
It is specific to Glasgow, particularly Broomielaw and Tradeston. We structured the proposal to allow for subsequent ‘destination’ developments in Tradeston — particularly the new nightclub.”
Who is Lord Rogers of Riverside
Lord Rodgers the designer of the bridge who is “Chairman of the government’s Urban Task Force, whose principal tasks were to find means of reducing the pressure on greenfield land, and to ‘encourage social cohesion and participation’ in Britain’s cities”.
Lord Rodgers surprisingly is also “The Architect of Heathrow’s Terminal 5, the biggest greenfield development ever proposed in Britain.”
His social inclusion clients include. “Architect to the Montevetro Tower, London’s most exclusive building, whose flats are priced at up to £4.5m, with private sports facilities and secure grounds, from which the public are excluded.”(Monbiot Fat.Cats.Directory.)
Ay right
If you imagine The Finniston project is part of the new social inclusion that this new community will bring you probably think Safeway’s has our children’s education at mind. And you probably agree that its ok to ban the waving of flags and team colours in pubs and public places, but it is ok to use the same flags and symbols to inculcate new citizens towards nationalist tendencies. Tendencies that they were probably trying to escape from in the first place, Would the average Glaswegian put up with going through such a ceremony if asked?
Consensus
Again and again “we” are asked to celebrate these wonderful achievements and sometimes asked to help pick the colours. We, being the collective population of Glasgow whose money is used to promote hideous developments already here and in the pipeline.(you ain ‘t seen nothing yet). Glasgow planning department have become the equivalent of the nodding dog in the car back window. Come to glasgow and build anything you want. “We love it”. The only great plan involved in all of this is creating a consensus for the above, driven by media-hype to a collective “we” that doesn’t exist, apart from in the heads of Glasgow city council, property developers,and corporate architect firms.
There is another “we” that is not represented or is marginally represented that is the citizens of Glasgow who will not take up residence in the luxury apartments and penthouses, the night clubs, and tourist attractions The “we “Whose voices can’t be heard above the din of publicity that speaks for the colonisers of our estate.
It is this “we” who, rather than help pick the colours, help choosing which picture to hang in our art galleries, or being allowed to help select between the next half dozen awful corporate building schemes planned for the city. It is the same “we” who should be part of these decisions from the outset, not patronized with the trivia after the deal is done.
Get up and go Glasgow “we” could make it all meaningful.
New image for city p5.
“Glasgow will shortly have a brand new logo, as part of a £1.5 million marketing campaign to promote the city. The campaign is backed by Greater Glasgow and Clyde Valley Tourist Board, the City Council and the European Regional Development Fund.” I wonder which community will benefit most from the £1.5 Million?
I am tempted to ask for submissions for the new logo
(My italics)
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