THE lights shining on the tarmacadam glistening from a recent rain shower gives this scene in Glasgow’s city centre in November, 1963, almost a glamorous sheen. Certainly the cars look a bit more gangsterish in the dark.
The bus though, will never look glamorous – an old Glasgow Corporation double-decker with open platform at the back trundling south towards Carnwadric.
Beer enthusiasts should note that it has an advertisement for Tennent’s Stout which has been eclipsed over the years by the more popular Tennent’s Lager.
Not sure if the rain in fact has actually gone off as there are no pedestrians at all in the street.
What is different from today is that this scene of Renfield Street, looking north, has Christmas lights strung above it. Alas this picture does not really do them justice as in colour the string of lights alternated white and gold as they went up the street.
Back then, the city council put up Christmas lights on a number of the streets in the centre, and it was the done thing to drive around to see them all. It is hard to explain how magical they seemed then for young children, possibly because the streets looked so grey during the day.
Whether it was to save money, or to reduce congestion, the council cut back, and now the lights are only put up in George Square.
This year in fact a new set was purchased with about 250,000 individual lights in the display which includes 10 giant gold and silver Christmas trees.
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