Plug plug plug
(Stair street: Glasgow, Scotland)
Over the past weeks (despite my being away from Glasgow a few times in the interim) I have been involved in the organisation of an Oxfam charity night scheduled for this coming Friday. On my way to the penultimate volunteer meeting last night, I walked along not so scary Maryhill. It has a reputation for being a rough area of town, but I can’t say I’ve ever felt particularly threatened there, nor are there any more shards of broken glass on tarmac there than any other area. That’s not to say that Glasgow is visibly littered with criminal activity, just that I’m not convinced Maryhill deserves its infamous status.
The other volunteers hosting the meeting live on a hill between Maryhill and a neighbouring area, rather isolated, like an urban clifftop. I found my way to a clumsy staircase linking them with civilization and noticed the street name; Stair Street. I thought it was quite peculiar to name a street after such a mundane, but striking element of its existence. It’s also endearing in a way that the only name that could be thought up for this strange little cut between houses was that. Then I briefly thought about Hill Street and Park Road and I suppose they’re not so different, except stairs are quite an odd choice to define a byway. I have never heard of Gravel Lane or River Road, Tarmac Crescent, or Tree Street. Glasgow’s turbulent topography is peppered with sets of staircases like these, connecting the steepness of the many slopes to a more manageable ground level. One set of steps leading off the street where I live has crumbled in the recent bad weather and I now avoid it for fear of tripping without crampons, a pick and a safety harness.
Anyway, this is a terrible plug, but if you’d like to see what we’re up to on Friday, have a look here. Five days after world meets rosie’s ‘quincentenary’ (alright, not really), it will be the centenary of International Women’s Day, oh, and incidentally also my birthday on March 8th. In aid of Women’s Day, the event has therefore been imaginively titled OxFem (get it? It’s puntastic) as a nod to the charity. Since I’ve gone this far, I might as well chance it and see if you might consider donating or coming along to our celebration, marking it with a variety of performers; dancers, singers, cabaret acts, magic and mayhem…* I’ll be there, singing in the choir and causing much general mischief. I’m both looking forward to the event itself, and urging it to be over – it has been such a lot of work and I’ll be glad when the panic and stress of such a small group organising such a big event will be done. I’m sure I’ll be updating you on the night’s progress on Saturday when I have recovered from what could be a very long and uproarious evening. Apologies if you’re not around to join in, or if you feel a bit pressured but if you’re not aware of it, you can’t join in. I’m just doing my job as a volunteer!
*All proceeds go to Oxfam’s work, with a focus on women’s education and expanding women’s rights.
– Today Rosie is visiting friends, frantically organising last minute items for OxFem and staying over in Edinburgh, Scotland –
