Star Wars at The Riverside Museum, Glasgow. Thursday 23rd January, 2024

A long time ago, in a memory far, far away, I was taken on a trip to the Transport Museum beside the Kelvin Hall. I didn't find it very exciting, given that I was a preteen and too young to appreciate the history on display. I got more excited about the Christmas Carnival next door, with its waltzers, carousels and novelty game stalls. Back then, it also had the Circus, complete with clowns, acrobats and performing animals. I still remember the stink from the elephant enclosure.

Link to Circus images from Glasgow World.

When the Transport Museum closed, the council constructed a new exhibition venue on the Clyde waterfront near the SECC. It opened in 2011, but I hadn't felt the pull to revisit... until now. Nearly fifty years later. Can you guess why? 

A Star Wars exhibition had arrived, running until April 6th. And it was free (except for the parking).

  

We arrived just after opening at 10.12 am and paid £5 (in coins) to park for 1-2hrs. The car park wasn't too busy, although there were more people inside the venue than I expected for a school day. I'm glad we went when we did, though, because it got a whole lot busier later.

The building is huge and packed with exhibits of all shapes and sizes. The layout is creative and makes good use of space. It also uses its height well. There is so much to read and interact with. 

The first area to grab my attention was a walk down a Glasgow street of yesteryear, with shops on both sides and old-time vehicles sitting on the cobbles. I felt a sense of wonder as I stepped through each shop door. The shop interiors had wooden counters and fittings, with display cases showing the type of products they would have sold. It genuinely felt like time travel. Sitting on the old Underground carriages was moving (even if we weren't). 

   

The view from inside the photographer's camera

After the wonder of the street, we turned a corner and found the Star Wars display. The Tie Fighter was impressive, but the rest of the display was somewhat lifeless, leaving me underwhelmed. It might have looked better if they'd obscured the building's pipework and roof, perhaps with a starscape curtain.

The variety and volume of other exhibits assuaged my disappointment. The two walls of motorcycles were imposing. 

Then, there were the public transport vehicles that filled the corridor and the bicycles suspended from the ceiling in a circuit.

We moved forward in time again to the next generation of Underground train, the other end of the carriage showing a reel of what it was like back then. The conversations were pure Glasgow and fascinating to listen to. I was surprised by the 'No Spitting' sign, but the explanation wasn't far away.

  

We moved on to explore more rooms, such as the Bicycle Shop...

The Goodies could have had an extra member (!)
with that four-seater

The Picture House...

and my fave, the Record Store!

 

As part of their "Dirty Deeds" European/Oz Tour in 1976.
Look at that ticket price!

There were toy vehicles, too.

And a Garage (check out the car prices). 

And then a variety of every type of vehicle you can think of.

 

As we strolled around the exhibits, it was easy to miss something behind us. It's worth taking your time to take everything in. There are so many surprises around every corner. 

Such as more Star Wars displays!

You'll find these in different locations across the hall, almost as if they are all on separate planets in a galaxy far, far away. 

We didn't buy anything from the shop, and the cafes were all busy, so we headed off elsewhere for a drink and a bite to eat. 

It was a wonderful trip. This time, I could enjoy and appreciate the history. I'd highly recommend it, even if you are not into Star Wars.

Sara Pascoe, Phil Wang, Rhys James, Jen Brister: Live At Christmas. O2 Academy, Glasgow. Monday 16th December, 2024

On paper, this looked like a fantastic night. Five top-notch comedians on one bill for a Live at the Apollo-style Christmas show. Unfortunately, the seats at the Glasgow O2 are neither plush nor comfortable, and Monday nights are rarely laugh fests, especially on a wet December evening. Though the place is packed, the energy is muted, especially from the front couple of rows, which are filled with people of an older generation.  

Host Jen Brister, an androgynous, menopausal lesbian comedian dressed like a fifteen-year-old boy, picks up on this vibe. She struggles to mine anything funny from her crowd work, confessing that this audience isn't her usual demographic. I feel she would have gone over better if she'd been given a slot because, as the host, she was poor.

First up was Phil Wang. His set was fine, although a little too reliant on material about his moustache. He was funny, but I don't remember much about it. Forgetful.

Then we had an interval, the first of two.

After the break, Steen delighted us with a trio of sketches, the first at a spelling bee, then the second, a film review sermon from a Greek Orthodox priest (with audience participation), finishing up with a song about a boy whose mum leaves him at the supermarket checkout. Sick! (sic)

Rhys James was a disappointment, mainly because I'd heard a lot of his material before. The crowd didn't warm to his angry young man persona. He made lots of references to the audience being older than his usual crowd. A shame because he is usually a great joke writer. 

After the second interval, host Jen introduced the headline act, Sara Pascoe. She did really well. Her set seemed properly constructed rather than thrown together to fill the allocated time. Some big laughs!

So, a great end to the night. I have to say I did pity poor George Zacharopoulos, the Greek comedian performing his show at Blackfriars tonight. I wonder if he attracted any audience while these guys were in town.

Ticket Price £26.00 x2 £52.00Per Item Fees total £9.70
Order Processing Fees Handling Fee £2.85
Total £64.55 from Ticketmaster.