AS a one-time apprentice engineer on the Red Road multi-storey flats, David Hayman might claim a concrete connection to Glasgow's architecture past and present, but never, of course, a lofty view.

The actor, director and presenter is in full flow as he describes how he believes the city has missed out by not properly promoting the work of Alexander "Greek" Thomson, the architect who created some of the most imposing and iconic structures in Glasgow, such the City Free Church in St Vincent Street, the magisterial Great Western Terrace, and Moray Place on the south side where Thomson lived and died in the first house in the row in1875.

Despite the sobriquet Thomson never left British shores, let alone visited Greece. It was attached to him late on in his career because his work then interpreted the Ionic style, rather than the then fashionable Medievalism.

His work, at least in public perception, has been over-shadowed by the much less prolific but hugely more well-known and feted Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who succeeded him and who actually won a commemorative architecture scholarship set up by Thomson's friends after his death.

Hayman is talking about Thomson ahead of a documentary he is presenting tonight. He notes that while having a huge influence on architects around the world and particularly in the US such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Thomson does not yet attract the same popular interest as Rennie Mackintosh.

Hayman, whose most famous role was in the acclaimed television detective series Trial and Retribution, said: "For a start the extent of his work is extraordinary, he created tenements, factories, villas, churches, public buildings. He could turn his hand to anything and had a very distinctive style.

"What I find intriguing about him is that he came from a family of 20. Born in Balfron, he lost both his parents in his early teens and then later on in life he lost five of his 12 children to a cholera epidemic.

"He managed to rise above that tragedy to create some amazing works of art which do take your breath away. I think he’s up there on a par with Charles Rennie Mackintosh," Hayman adds.

"Mackintosh gets more glory than "Greek" Thomson does but hopefully that will be about to change."

Hayman believes Thomson's social conscience was a key part of his work. Thomson was a devout Christian, influence by philosophical ideas and in the Old Testament catastrophes depicted by the painter John Martin.

"Politically and morally he felt beautiful buildings and homes should be available to all," Hayman said. "One of my favourites has to be Caledonia Road Church, it’s like that welcoming iconic sentinel at the southern gates of the city."

Hayman continued: "I was an apprentice engineer before I started out as an actor, and I worked on the Red Road flats. I helped build the damn things. At the time they were the highest dwellings in Europe. They were 32 storeys high and at the top you could sway seven foot one way and seven foot the other.

"We should use and preserve what is left of the past and if we are careful with development we can keep the best of the past and best of the modern and futuristic and blend them together. Glasgow has a reputation for its architecture and it is a breathtaking city."

He believes Thomson's work has been largely ignored and should be better promoted.

"People come from all over the world to see Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s work, why can’t they come to see Alexander "Greek" Thomson’s work? There is enough of it there to get people interested.

"I think they’ve neglected him at their peril."

Hayman been doing a countrywide tour with his one-man show The Cause of Thunder written by Chris Dolan and directed by Hayman's son, David Jnr, and raising money for his real love, the charity he founded, Spirit Aid, along the way.

His home and the office where he runs the charity as operations director are in Glasgow but much of the work is done in Malawi, in a group of African communities he has helped for nearly a decade.

The enterprise, with the blessing of 10 village chiefs, has helped double the number of children in school to 500 and he’s preparing to take a team out in June to build an extension at the facility and help make a “centre of excellence in the middle of the African bush”.

The Bridgeton-born 69-year-old summed it up: "It makes your heart sing. When I’m doing my acting stuff and on telly and things I’m making a living. But this is a labour of love, you just know you are making a difference."

Greek Thomson - Glasgow's Master Builder. BBC2 on Sunday night at 10pm.