COP26 Stephen McRobbie of The Pastels on Barrowland Park: Glasgow Music Walking Tours Blog

As you can’t have failed to notice, Glasgow is hosting COP26. This got us thinking about the role music can play in promoting sustainability, and about how music links in with environmental and wellbeing themes. A good local example of this is one of our favourite stops on the tour, Barrowland Park, currently designated a temporary space. The community group Fans of Barrowland Park, have been campaigning to have the park made permanent, and tell us that one of the joys of the park is how Jim Lambie’s Album Pathway is placed within an open, accessible green space, with wildflowers bringing extra colour in the summer. The park is a great place to go to reminisce about gigs, walk your dog, do some outdoor yoga or just sit and watch the world go by. All of which do wonders for your wellbeing, without costing the earth.

Many of the city’s musicians (see the recent blog from Bobby Gillespie)  stand alongside the group in wanting to see the park retained, and here, Stephen McRobbie of The Pastels — one of Glasgow’s most beloved and inspiring bands — shares his thoughts on the park and its importance.

“Sometimes it’s too easy to take for granted the small things that make life better. New projects can seem more eye catching, particularly so at a time when the world is looking at Glasgow for something hopeful. Barrowland Park is an important existing green space in a part of the city that can sometimes feel a little unloved. Its centrepiece pathway artwork by Jim Lambie is both a document and a celebration of so many great nights that have taken place in the Barrowland Ballroom just up the road. Glasgow is a world-class music city which Jim understands, being a music obsessive himself. It’s an important example of his style of work – accessible and casually brilliant. It’s a public artwork that the public actually love. At the moment the park and Jim’s pathway are looking a bit frayed around the edges – it would be great to see Glasgow City Council embrace it and show a little love with the relatively small investment it would take to fix it up and ensure its future. When better than now to make this commitment – an act of optimism at the time of Cop26.”

Thanks to Stephen, you can keep up with The Pastels here

To lend your support please follow https://www.facebook.com/BarrasParkFans/@BarrasParkFans