The Real Gorbals Story

Author : Colin MacFarlane
Publisher : Random House
Page : 181 pages
File Size : 54,8 Mb
Release : 2011-07-22
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781780571683

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The Real Gorbals Story by Colin MacFarlane Pdf

Colin MacFarlane was born in the Gorbals in the 1950s, 20 years after the publication of No Mean City, the classic novel about pre-war life in what was once Glasgow's most deprived district. He lived in the same street as its fictional 'razor king', Johnnie Stark, and subsequently realised that a lot of the old characters represented in the book were still around as late as the 1960s. Men still wore bunnets and played pitch and toss; women still treated the steamie as their social club. The razor gangs were running amok once again, and filth, violence, crime, rats, poverty and drunkenness abounded, just like they did in No Mean City. MacFarlane witnessed the last days of the old Gorbals as a major regeneration programme, begun in 1961, was implemented, and, as a street boy, he had a unique insight into a once great community in rapid decline. In this engrossing book, MacFarlane reveals what it was really like to live in the old Gorbals.

Author : Colin MacFarlane
Publisher : Random House
Page : 221 pages
File Size : 55,9 Mb
Release : 2011-03-11
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 9781845969745

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No Mean Glasgow by Colin MacFarlane Pdf

In his last book, The Real Gorbals Story, Colin MacFarlane detailed how he witnessed a once great area, home to wonderful characters and grand old buildings, disappear before his eyes. By the time MacFarlane's tenement was knocked down in the early 1970s, he had left school and been rehoused in another part of the city. In an attempt to extricate himself from his Gorbals gang days, he took a job as an apprentice chef at one of Glasgow's top restaurants, where he soon discovered that his colleagues were just as insane as those he had mixed with on the city streets. Meanwhile, MacFarlane struggled to integrate into the more affluent area that his family had been moved to and soon found himself returning to his old haunts and back in trouble again. In No Mean Glasgow, MacFarlane charts his eventful, fun-packed passage from Gorbals street boy to grown man on the brink of a new beginning. He describes his adventures with a mixture of humour, sadness and delight. It is a book for those people living all over the world who remember the old Glasgow - a city teeming with warmth, passion, patter and characters who could brighten up even the darkest of days.

Author : Robert McLeish
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 49,8 Mb
Release : 1985
Category : Glasgow (Scotland)
ISBN : UOM:39015018632565

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The Gorbals Story by Robert McLeish Pdf

The author was born in the Gorbals in Glasgow, the son of a shipyard labourer. The play takes an angry look at the housing shortage as it explores the everyday life experiences of a crowded tenement.

Author : Colin MacFarlane
Publisher : Random House
Page : 200 pages
File Size : 43,6 Mb
Release : 2011-03-25
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 9781845968434

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Gorbals Diehards by Colin MacFarlane Pdf

Enid Blyton wrote about the Famous Five - wholesome kids who were always up to some adventure or other - but during the 1960s Glasgow boy Colin MacFarlane had his own gang: the Incredible Gorbals Diehards. These were young boys trying to survive in one of the world's toughest areas, the infamous slums of Glasgow. During the gang's daily adventures, they came across a plethora of undesirable characters, including foul-mouthed drunks, thieves, razor-flicking gang members, con men, fly men and street brawlers. Through it all, MacFarlane and his band of brothers retained their sense of humour while roaming the filthy, stench-ridden Gorbals backstreets. In the third volume of his acclaimed memoirs, bestselling author Colin MacFarlane reveals what it was like to grow up on the streets of the Gorbals during this period. Be prepared to be shocked and entertained at the adventures of the gang that called themselves the Incredible Gorbals Diehards.

Author : Piers Dudgeon
Publisher : Headline
Page : 384 pages
File Size : 53,5 Mb
Release : 2012-10-25
Category : History
ISBN : 9780755364466

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Our Glasgow by Piers Dudgeon Pdf

This ebook edition contains the full text version as per the book. Doesn't include original photographic and illustrated material. This oral history of Glasgow spans most of the last century - a time of economic downturn and eventual renewal, in which the many communities making up the city experienced upheavals that tore some apart and brought others closer together. It tells of the beating heart of no mean city in the words of the people who made it what it is. Piers Dudgeon has listened to dozens of people who remember the city as it was, and who have lived through its many changes. They talk of childhood and education, of work and entertainment, of family, community values, health, politics, religion and music. Their stories will make you laugh and cry. It is people's own memories that make history real and this engrossing book captures them vividly.

Author : Ralph Glasser
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 42,8 Mb
Release : 2001
Category : Gorbals (Glasgow, Scotland)
ISBN : 0755109996

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Growing Up in the Gorbals by Ralph Glasser Pdf

Author : Ankur Konar
Publisher : Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Page : 113 pages
File Size : 53,7 Mb
Release : 2024-03-26
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781036400941

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Contextualizing Urban Narratives through the Socio-Spatial Dialectic by Ankur Konar Pdf

This book examines how urban narratives explore the complexities of city life, including the diversity of its inhabitants, the challenges of urbanization, and the impact of social and economic disparities. They may delve into such topics as crime, poverty, gentrification, and the struggle for identity and belonging in different bustling metropolis settings like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Benaras, Edinburgh and Glasgow. This monograph provides a lens through which authors and storytellers examine and reflect upon the complexities, challenges, and opportunities of urban life. It seeks to reiterate how the discourse of urban narratives refers to the specific language, themes, and ideas that are commonly found in stories set in urban environments, and encompasses the ways in which urban spaces are portrayed, the issues and conflicts that arise within these settings, and the social, cultural, and political commentary that is often embedded in these narratives.

Author : Manuela D'Amore
Publisher : Springer Nature
Page : 321 pages
File Size : 43,8 Mb
Release : 2023-10-29
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9783031354380

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Literary Voices of the Italian Diaspora in Britain by Manuela D'Amore Pdf

This volume studies the literary voices of the Italian diaspora in Britain, including 21 authors and 34 pieces of prose, verse, and drama. This book shows how authors both recount the history of the migrant community in the period 1880-1980 while creatively experimenting with hybrid forms of expression and blending words with visuals. Literary Voices of the Italian Diaspora in Britain discusses topical issues like migration and social integration, cultures and foods in transition, as well as plurilingualism. The book pays special attention to discussions of the horrors of the Second World War – especially on the tragedy of the Arandora Star (2nd July 1940) – to show this literary community’s political commitments. More importantly, it will begin to fill the void left by a critical tradition which has only appreciated the northern American and Australian branches of Italian writing.

Author : Colin MACFARLANE
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 512 pages
File Size : 53,8 Mb
Release : 2019-10-24
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 1700679287

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The Incredible Rise of a Gorbals Gangster by Colin MACFARLANE Pdf

Johnny McGrath, 21, was the leader of the notorious Glasgow razor gang The Gorbals Cumbie. He feared no-one, but was feared by many. This book follows his trials and tribulations as he led his gang into open warfare against other Glasgow gangs like the Tongs. Apart from fighting, he was not only recognised to be a bit of a street icon but a sex symbol with the young ladies. We follow his incredible rise from a wild street boy to a top notch gangster. This novel is based on a conglomeration of Gorbals characters, many of whom are no longer with us, but some are. The gang's battle cry was "Cumbie ya bass!" and struck terror into the hearts of many of those who heard it. This is a true life novel with violence, sex, Glaswegian humour, and madness on every page. It is probably the best novel about Glasgow gangs ever written.

Author : Jimmy Boyle
Publisher : Random House
Page : 320 pages
File Size : 52,5 Mb
Release : 2016-04-07
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 9781473529229

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A Sense of Freedom by Jimmy Boyle Pdf

Foreword by Irvine Welsh 'My life sentence had actually started the day I left my mother's womb...' Jimmy Boyle grew up in Glasgow’s Gorbals. All around him the world was drinking, fighting and thieving. To survive, he too had to fight and steal... Kids’ gangs led to trouble with the police. Approved schools led to Borstal, and Jimmy was on his way to a career in crime. By his twenties he was a hardened villain, sleeping with prostitutes, running shebeens and money-lending rackets. Then they nailed him for murder. The sentence was life – the brutal, degrading eternity of a broken spirit in the prisons of Peterhead and Inverness. Thankfully, Jimmy was able to turn his life around inside the prison walls and eventually released on parole. A Sense of Freedom is a searing indictment of a society that uses prison bars and brutality to destroy a man's humanity and at the same time an outstanding testament to one man's ability to survive, to find a new life, a new creativity, and a new alternative.

Author : Alexander McArthur,H. Kingsley Long
Publisher : Random House
Page : 323 pages
File Size : 42,6 Mb
Release : 1984
Category : Gangs
ISBN : 9780552075831

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No Mean City by Alexander McArthur,H. Kingsley Long Pdf

No book is more associated with the city of Glasgow than No Mean City. First published in 1935, it is the story of Johnnie Stark, son of a violent father and a downtrodden mother, the 'Razor King' of Glasgow's pre-war slum underworld, the Gorbals. The savage, near-truth descriptions, the raw character portrayals, bring to life a story that is fascinating, authentic and convincing.

Author : Jean Faley
Publisher : White Cockade Publishing
Page : 176 pages
File Size : 52,6 Mb
Release : 1990
Category : Architecture and society
ISBN : 0951312456

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Up Oor Close by Jean Faley Pdf

If Glasgow tenements summon up images of slums and destitution, this book gives a new and fascinating perspective on life in the cramped one and two room houses inhabited by the majority of Glasgow families before World War II. Though the lives recorded here were in today's materialistic terms severly deprived, the memories are warm and rich. The communal close or hallway and stairwell, was a focus for the neighbourliness which softened harsh conditions.

Author : J. Lyons
Publisher : Springer
Page : 266 pages
File Size : 41,6 Mb
Release : 2013-12-18
Category : History
ISBN : 9781137376800

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America in the British Imagination by J. Lyons Pdf

How was American culture disseminated into Britain? Why did many British citizens embrace American customs? And what picture did they form of American society and politics? This engaging and wide-ranging history explores these and other questions about the U.S.'s cultural and political influence on British society in the post-World War II period.

Author : Colin MacFarlane
Publisher : CreateSpace
Page : 258 pages
File Size : 50,7 Mb
Release : 2015-01-31
Category : Performing Arts
ISBN : 1507803079

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Paolo Nutini by Colin MacFarlane Pdf

Singing sensation and songwriting superstar Paolo Nutini was born in Paisley, Scotland. His father, Alfredo, is of Italian descent, from Barga, Tuscany, and his mother, Linda (Harkins), is Scottish. Nutini was expecting to follow his father into the family fish and chip shop business. He was first encouraged to sing by his music-loving grandfather, Jackie, and a teacher at his school, St Andrews Academy, who recognised his talent. Nutini left school to work as a roadie and to sell t-shirts for rock band Speedway. He spent three years learning the music business and performing live. He also worked as a studio hand and gofer at Glasgow's Park Lane Studio. His big chance came when he attended a concert staged by 102.5 Radio Clyde 1 for David Sneddon's return to his home town of Paisley at the beginning of 2003. Sneddon was delayed, and as the winner of an impromptu pop quiz, schoolboy Nutini was given the chance to perform a couple of songs on stage during the wait. The favourable reaction of the crowd impressed another member of the audience, Brendan Moon, who offered to become his manager. Brendan and his business partner, Mike Bawden, continue to manage Nutini. Paolo aged 17, moved to London and performed regularly at The Bedford pub in Balham and other small venues in order to be spotted by music executives. Other radio and live appearances followed, including acoustic spots on Radio London, The Hard Rock Cafe, and support slots for rock legends The Rolling Stones, Amy Winehouse and KT Tunstall. Nutini became known for singing with his eyes closed during his entire performances. Colin MacFarlane is the best selling author of Tom Jones' first biography The Boy From Nowhere (WH Allen, St Martin's Press, New York 1988) and The Real Gorbals Story trilogy (Mainstream Publishing 2007-2010)

Author : John Buchan
Publisher : BoD – Books on Demand
Page : 191 pages
File Size : 42,5 Mb
Release : 2019-04-26
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9783732255740

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Huntingtower by John Buchan Pdf

The girl came into the room with a darting movement like a swallow, looked round her with the same birdlike quickness, and then ran across the polished floor to where a young man sat on a sofa with one leg laid along it. "I have saved you this dance, Quentin," she said, pronouncing the name with a pretty staccato. "You must be lonely not dancing, so I will sit with you. What shall we talk about?" The young man did not answer at once, for his gaze was held by her face. He had never dreamed that the gawky and rather plain little girl whom he had romped with long ago in Paris would grow into such a being. The clean delicate lines of her figure, the exquisite pure colouring of hair and skin, the charming young arrogance of the eyes-this was beauty, he reflected, a miracle, a revelation. Her virginal fineness and her dress, which was the tint of pale fire, gave her the air of a creature of ice and flame.