Worth a Try
By Fred
Well my name is Fred. I am a 54 year-old from Greenock. I am a self confessed murderer. Now, the Glasgow Project came as Wullie, George, and myself were chatting in the Art room wan day and we noticed we had a lot on common wi each other, (for bye bein in for similar charges). Even though they were from Glasgow and me fae Greenock. As a matter of fact most of my family was fae Glesga – Maryhill, Drumchapel, Possil, Govan etc. My brother stays in Maryhill.
Anyway, we wir yappin aboot oor drawings etc, aboot copying stuff etc and how good it wid be if we dun things that we knew aboot. We started talking aboot when we were weans, how it was when we got up fir school – if it was rainin fir instance – ‘Och we’ll stick oor Toppers on’, (wellies). So ye stuck yer wellies on, nipped doon tae school; yer ma wid gay ye 3d and ye wid buy a poke o’ broken biscuits, Whopper, a Dainty, an’ a penny caramel. Then at playtime – jump in and oot o puddles an if ye had a hole in yer wellies ye wid stop and stuck your sock back in the hole of yer Toppboot. Mams took them aff as sure as Bob’s yer uncle ye had a rid ring room yer leg and it stung like blazes.
Anyway, that’s how it started oot, talking aboot hings that happened ages ago: how good that neiboors wir, (if wan made a pot o’soup every wan in the close got sum), how yi didnae need to shut yer door when ye went oot etc, everybody looked oot fir each other and how when yi left school how yi got the first job goin coz your Granda or yi Da knew a gaffer or somebody in the know – witther it’s wae the milk or tattie howking or in the yards. (an the yards were wan o the best jobs goin, know? So everybody wanted wan there or else it was the Baroo. So if you wanted the best o tackle to wear, you wanted a good job so you could to the dancing or boozers – ocht jist to live and get by.
So we thought we wid try and show what like it wiz taw live in Glesga in they days and how much life has changed since we can rember too, noo – nae mair pawn shops, nae pictures or flicks, harley any mair dancing an the Barras are gone. Is it fer the better or whit?
Anyway, therel’s a lot mair tae be said for the way of life then an the wae o life noo. A lot to tell and say an show. So it’s worth a try anyway….