Doon the Savoy
(Savoy Centre Escalator: Glasgow, Scotland)
You are seeing one of the unsung, unseen sights of Glasgow. The Savoy centre is a stronghold of market style stall shopping mixed with established small businesses under one roof. I was in there buying fish medicine, though I occasionally stop at the butchers or hardware store there if I need something specific. There are two floors, joined by this escalator and also an entirely brown, sculpted two storey ramp made from what appears to be gloss painted fiberglass or swirling, shiny droppings. I shall have to photograph that one anon – watch this space. I tell people about it all the time and they never believe me. Until my Gran needed to take the ramp in favour of stairs or escalator, I never even knew it existed.
The reason she had to take the stairs is what you see before you. The escalators, both traveling up and down are decorated on all sides by mirrors; seemingly hundreds of them judging from their innumerable reflections. They are disconcerting to a shopping novice, or to very ancient old ladies who have knee problems. I think if I had any slight sight impairment, I would avoid these at all costs – one distracted moment and it would be a long fall to the bottom. I often wish that the escalators were longer as at least they are diverting, if in completely bizarre taste. I have no idea how long they have been mirrored like an elongated disco ball or a tubular ballet studio wall. It is another baffling Glaswegian idiosyncrasy.
In an attempt to explain this image, I shall start from the top. It is half real and half reflections. You may be able to discern my lower torso and upper leg area in the top section of mirrors; once in the centre and a secondary reflection on the left. I am merely a silhouette with elbows holding a camera just out of shot. Next down is the ceiling with the reflections of a red headed lady’s crown repeated three times. Next is what the camera picked up without the mirrors – a back view of a man on the escalator, though he too is flanked by more of himself on either side. As you can see, for some people, the infinite view of mirrors is irresistible, as displayed by the red headed woman that we are only aware of through reflections. I did not see her at all when I took this photo, only in the mirrors. Why they have chosen this is a viable interior decor solution, we may never know.
Fish update: The two remaining specimens (Barra-cuda and Rabbie Jean) are alive but still decidedly morose and sickly. They are lurching about in a fog of medication. Literally. The water is foggy with it. Poor blighters. Aside from feeding them, there isn’t much else I can do. They perk up around feeding time, but Barra-cuda, the smaller of the two is much more badly infected than the other.
– Today Rosie is working and attending her second fitness class after being positively crippled by the first one yesterday in Glasgow, Scotland –
