I was born in Garngad and move to the Springburn area, where I lived the largest slice of my life and it is still my part of the world. In my many years I have seen some very dramatic changes to our city and to my patch, Springburn.
Springburn Road at Balgrayhil, around 1940/50s
Springburn, once a busy industrial centre, known as a railway town in its own right. A mass of different industries supplying the massive steam locomotive industry in its area, the expansive St Rollox railway repair yard, Tennant’s Chemical factory on Sighthill, once the largest chemical plant in Europe, with its tall chimney belching out its noxious fumes over the area, it even had the killing hand of a Cape Asbestos factory. Its main street, Springburn Road was a busy highway of trams buses and shops. Springburn Park was a shining jewel in the dirt and grim of this densely populated industrial area, the park boasted a magnificent winter gardens, once the largest glasshouse in Scotland at 842 sq. m.
Today Springburn is a shadow of its former self, dominated by a very busy dual carriageway that split the community asunder, that magnificent glass structure in the park now resembles the skeletal structure of some bygone dinosaur. Its industries gone, its houses demolished and most of its people dispersed to other parts.
Today Springburn is a shadow of its former self, dominated by a very busy dual carriageway that split the community asunder, that magnificent glass structure in the park now resembles the skeletal structure of some bygone dinosaur. Its industries gone, its houses demolished and most of its people dispersed to other parts.
Springburn Park winter gardens today, photo by Stevie Douglas.
So what now? Here are some statistics for the area. Though a few years old, I doubt if they have improved that much, if at all, due to the ensuing years of austerity, benefit cuts and social services ravished.
Life expectancy for both males and females has risen in recent years in Springburn but has remained below the Glasgow average. In the most recent period shown (2008-12), life expectancy was notably lower than the Scottish average, particularly for men.
Adults in income deprivation, 3,610 – 29.9% 2012.
Working age in employment deprivation, 2.120 – 27.8% 2012
Children in poverty, 1,100 – 46.4% 2011
Springburn ranks in the most financially distressed 10% of constituencies in Glasgow. 2016.
That’s how capitalism works, it milks you for all it is worth and then when it deems fit, moves on and abandons you to poverty and deprivation. Surely we can do better than this!
Life expectancy for both males and females has risen in recent years in Springburn but has remained below the Glasgow average. In the most recent period shown (2008-12), life expectancy was notably lower than the Scottish average, particularly for men.
Adults in income deprivation, 3,610 – 29.9% 2012.
Working age in employment deprivation, 2.120 – 27.8% 2012
Children in poverty, 1,100 – 46.4% 2011
Springburn ranks in the most financially distressed 10% of constituencies in Glasgow. 2016.
That’s how capitalism works, it milks you for all it is worth and then when it deems fit, moves on and abandons you to poverty and deprivation. Surely we can do better than this!
Springburn Road today.
