Soaking up the sun in my old stomping ground

I think the last time I was in The Botanic Gardens in Glasgow was at the end of my first year at Uni when I was studying for my Chemistry re-sit in 1984! It was a lovely, sunny day in July and I can remember lying on the grass - kidding myself on that I was studying, when I was actually sunbathing - and cursing myself for not having worked harder to pass the exam first time around! I was totally skint, and I can actually remember swithering about whether I should buy a double nougat from the van, or be sensible and keep every penny I had for sensible things like bread and milk! The double nougat won. Shortly after that, I moved out of my student bedsit in Kelvinside and from then on did my sunba....studying in a different West End park.

So, it was lovely to spend a wee while today sitting on a bench in The Botanic Gardens soaking up the sun. (Yes, it is February and, yes, we are talking about Scotland!) I’ve had a busy time recently, what with one thing and another, and decided to treat myself to a bit of time out with a good friend. She’s recently moved to the Kelvinside area (the posh bit, not the studenty bit where I once lived) and, after a wee donner down Queen Margaret Drive, we spent a lazy couple of hours blethering on a park-bench in the Gardens. I’ve even got a bit of sunburn on my nose!! (Yes, it is February and, yes, we are talking about Scotland!) I had a nice day, and it brought back lots of happy memories of the time I’d spent living in the Dear Green Place.

Alex and I moved through to the Stirling area, after living in Glasgow for around six years, because I’d just started a new job (which meant I’d be working mostly in the Central Belt) and Alex had just been awarded his first ‘big’ contract since becoming self-employed (to carry out large-scale restoration works at The Church of the Holy Rude in Stirling). It was a wee bit like coming home, in some ways, for Alex as his three-year masonry apprenticeship had been served at Stirling Castle, but we loved living in Glasgow and we definitely intended moving back at some time in the not-too-distant-future.

Twenty two years later we’re still here in the Stirling area! And we’ve not once considered moving back to Glasgow since settling here. But, it’s always lovely to spend some time in our old stomping ground; especially on a sunny day with an old friend. ....and especially when I’m not fretting over re-sits or wondering if I’ve got enough pennies in my pocket to pay for some pan bread....