Day out with Ben

Last week I had the considerable pleasure of going with Ben and his dad Garry to see their team Partick Thistle FC play at Firhill Stadium in Glasgow. Thistle are one of the lesser teams in Scottish football but with a long, proud and fine history. I see from their website that their two major honours were to win the Scottish Cup in 1921, beating Glasgow Rangers at Parkhead, of all places, and then in 1971 they won the Scottish League Cup beating Celtic in the final.


I had a great time with Ben and Garry. Ben is a fine young boy, aged 7, almost 8, and it's a privelege to be in his company. Thank you Ben and Garry, too, of course. Who knows, in years to come, when I'm long gone Ben might read my blog and be reminded of the game. The result was a draw but Thistle were the better team and deserved to win, I thought.

Before the game we went for lunch to a fine cafe in Dumbarton Road, I forget the name, and then the boys took  me for a walk along Byres Road, where I spent many days, and even more nights, many moons ago, or in the seventies to be precise, having fun and games and getting into various scrapes with Ben's grand dad, who just happens to be my wee brother, though not so wee, now or then.


I notice that Byres Road has it's own entry in Wikipedia, so if you want to find out more about that glorious street, thats the place to go.


Some of the old bars and cafes are still there, such as the Aragon, where drinkers used to queue in the street on a Friday and Saturday night to get in; and the Curlers up the road  full of BBC staff from the studio in Queen Margaret Drive getting pissed;  and Tennents Bar, where I worked for one night. And no, I was not sacked after one night, it was only a one night contract.

The University Cafe is still there down near the bottom of the street, still, presumably making the best bacon butties in Glasgow. A bacon buttie, for those of you from abraod, is a Scottish sandwich with bacon. Great for the Saturday morning hangover, not that one has these anymore, but the memory is pleasing to my senses.

Thats all for now. Tonight I'm going to see the Bob Marley movie, so really looking forward to that. It's had a very short release here in Edinburgh, one week only.