Thursday 16th, Friday 17th and Saturday 18th April 2026 – Glasgow Barrowland
The Barrowlands, or The Barrowland Ballroom was originally built as a dance hall. It was designed with excellent acoustics for the unamplified orchestras which formerly graced its stage, and a sprung dance floor. It has survived to become renowned as a world famous concert venue.
Thursday 16th April 2026
This weekend we’re playing all our shows in Glasgow…
As we were heading north, our meeting place was a coffee shop in Maghull…
Keith was there first having left home early this morning on foot…
I got dropped off soon after but in the meantime, news had come in that we would be travelling on the smaller silver bus, which has only eight seats!
Just to clarify, the gold bus has…?
The others arrived soon enough so we left Starbucks and went over to board the bus…
Sardines…
We were looking to stop off for lunch in the village of Armathwaite near Carlisle…
Armathwaite is a tranquil Cumbrian village on the River Eden, known for its scenic walks, salmon fishing, and historic 15th-century castle. It is also home to the renowned Armathwaite Hall Hotel & Spa (located near Bassenthwaite Lake), offering a luxury countryside retreat and wildlife park.
We drove through the Eden Valley…
The Eden Valley in Cumbria, Northwest England, is a lush, rural corridor stretching from the North Pennines to the edge of the Lake District. Famous for the River Eden, sandstone villages, and the scenic Settle to Carlisle Railway, it offers a peaceful escape from busy tourist hubs.
Soon enough we arrived in Armathwaite…
Everyone out…
Our pub of choice was ‘The Fox & Pheasant’…
The Fox and Pheasant Inn is a friendly residential village inn situated in a beautiful river setting in the midst of the renowned Eden Valley on the edge of the Lake District.
Inside it didn’t disappoint…
We had a good choice of beers…
Refreshing Golden Ale 4.4% – a well hopped golden ale brewed with UK First Gold and American Cascade hops. Dizzy Blonde uses Amarillo and Cascade hops from the USA combined with Tipple malt to make a refreshing and light straw coloured ale. This light refreshing beer has a clean zesty hop dominated palate complemented by a crisp dry finish. 3.8% ABV
And a good menu…
All very tasty…
Nice chips
And good beer…
We had a great view of the river…
The River Eden is an 80-mile-long river in Cumbria, England, famous for being one of the few large rivers in the country that flows northward. Rising on the high limestone fells near Kirkby Stephen, it weaves through the Eden Valley and Carlisle before emptying into the Solway Firth.
Sadly it was time to go…
Scotland here we come…
“Fàilte gu Alba”
Eventually we reached Glasgow…
After World War I, Maggie McIver and her husband James bought land in the East End and started renting handcarts to local street hawkers and traders. This formalized the open-air market, which was enclosed by 1926. As the market grew, McIver wanted to host a Christmas party for her hard-working stallholders. When she couldn’t find a suitable venue, she decided to build her own, opening the famous Barrowland Ballroom on Christmas Eve in 1934.The ballroom was built on stilts directly above the market space. To honor the street traders who built the market’s success, the original building featured a statue of a wheelbarrow on the roof. Today, only the surviving wheelbarrow cartwheel remains, mounted atop the ballroom’s main foyer.
We parked the bus…
Inside was amazing…
We didn’t have far to travel for our pre gig drinks…
‘The Gate’ is one of the best cocktail and whisky bars in Glasgow. Located across from the Barrowlands Ballroom it’s the perfect place to unwind before enjoying a stroll through the Barras, heading to a gig or getting cosy at the bar. A modern Scottish pub, The Gate is an East End neighbourhood bar dedicated to showcasing everything great about Scotland, from the incredible produce to our famous hospitality.
We were soon made welcome…
The beers…
Unmistakably GUINNESS, from the first velvet sip to the last, lingering drop. And every deep-dark satisfying mouthful in between. Pure beauty. Pure GUINNESS.
Beavertown Neck Oil…
“It takes artistic expression and total dedication to be a musician or a brewer. When I was homebrewing, I became obsessed with buying brewing books and dabbling with different infusions and ingredients. That’s the same with music: you’re inspired by many different musical forms, instruments or people. After that, you go out there and you talk about your beer at events and it’s like being on a stage. I’m just the frontman of a brewery now.” Logan Plant (son of Led Zep’s Robert Plant) talking about the Beavertown Brewery.
Time to head back to the venue…
Keith looking gym fit…
Fresh from his spinning class…
Walk this way to the stage…
Photographs by James Edmond Photography
What a crowd!!!
We watched the Monday’s from the side of the stage…
After the show, we got on the bus and headed for a kebab shop…
Winner of the Best Kebab House in Scotland award, for Five years in a row, 2022 to 2026
Kebab society…
Luckily we’d brought our rider with us🍻
Doom Bar is inspired by its namesake, the treacherous sandbank at the mouth of the Camel Estuary near Sharps’ home at Rock. An enticing aroma of resinous hop, sweet malt and delicate roasted notes. The mouth feel is a balanced, complex blend of succulent dried fruit, lightly roasted malt and a subtle yet assertive bitterness. The finish is dry and refreshing.
What a great day we had but it was time to head off to our hotel…
Friday 17th April 2026
Good morning sinners…
Our hotel was situated in the Tradeston district in Glasgow adjacent to the city centre on the south bank of the River Clyde. The name reflects its role as a primarily dockland area with a large number of warehouses and wharves along the riverside where vessels would be unloaded. It merges to the south and west with Kingston, and the two districts are often considered one and the same.
Breakfast was in a box…
Breakfast to THROW!
We decided to find somewhere that provided a proper breakfast…
The River Clyde is a 170 km waterway in Glasgow. Rising in the Lowther Hills, it flows northwest through South Lanarkshire and directly through central Glasgow. The river expands into the Firth of Clyde, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean.The historic former Cooperative Wholesale Society headquarters building on Morrison Street. It was a pioneering British federal co-operative established in 1863 to collectively purchase goods and manufacture products for independent retail co-ops. Today, it is known as The Co-operative Group, the UK’s largest consumer-owned business operating in food retail, insurance, funerals, and legal services.
After 20 minutes we gave up looking…
Taxi!!!
We tried here…
There…
And everywhere…
This landmark is the Equestrian Statue of the Duke of Wellington, located in Glasgow, directly in front of the Gallery of Modern Art. The statue is famously known for having traffic cones placed on the heads of both the Duke and his horse, a tradition that has lasted for decades.
Then at last after a 90 minute search for food…
Welcome to The Singl-end where we serve hearty home-cooked breakfast, brunch and cakes, all made in-house.
While we were getting soaked trying to find the subway station…
Mind the gap…
Soon enough we were back in Tradeston…
We went back to the hotel to dry off, the plan being that everyone would meet up at 3.45 in the hotel car park…
We had two sittings at the Gate scheduled…
4.15 – 5.00
With a break in between for the soundcheck…
A quick look at the merch stall…
Happy punters!
Time for our second sitting…
6.00 – 7.00
Great spec…
We’d arranged to meet our guests here…
Martin Dunbar, original singer in our old band ‘The Excitements’ and former Tube presenter the lovely Muriel Gray.
After a couple of pints of the black stuff it was time to go…
Back stage our guest was Brian Dunne, our roadie from back in the day…he knew an Irish bar in most major cities in the world!
Time for us to go on…
All Together Now
Once more a great crowd…
More celebrations backstage…
Then outside the venue for this great photo…
We watched the Mondays set…
They were fantastic!!!
Finally, we’d been invited to a bar in the Merchant City area so we set off into the night having now officially clocked off…
The Tolbooth Steeple in Glasgow, located at Glasgow Cross, is one of the city’s oldest surviving structures, dating back to 1626. It once formed part of the Tolbooth, which served as the city’s council chambers, court, and jail. The steeple is all that remains of the original building, which was demolished in the 1920s. Standing at around 126 feet tall, it has long been a prominent landmark at the historic heart of Glasgow. Its clock and distinctive weathervane make it a striking feature, symbolizing the city’s civic and mercantile past. Today, it marks a key junction in the Merchant City.
We found the bar but sadly we’d just missed last orders…
Global craft beers, live bands, a large screen for TV sport and a pool table in a boisterous pub.
Oh well…you can guess what’s coming next😆
We had another brilliant day and what a fabulous gig!!!
Saturday 18th April 2026
Breakfast in a box was again a no no…
So to save our legs after yesterday, we walked over to the nearby burger bar…
We needed to eat early as Peter had organised a day out!!
Balloch can be found on the southern shores of Loch Lomond and easily accessible from Glasgow and Scotland’s central belt. Balloch comes from the Gaelic word bal, which means village or hamlet, so Balloch translates as “village on the loch”.
We drove over the Erskine bridge…
The Erskine Bridge spanning the River Clyde in west central Scotland. It connects West Dunbartonshire with Renfrewshire and can be used by all types of motor vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians.
Not long after, we arrived in Balloch…
It’s a beautiful part of the world…
Loch Lomond is a freshwater Scottish loch that spans the Highland Boundary Fault, often considered the boundary between the Lowlands and Highlands of Scotland. Traditionally forming part of the boundary between the counties of Stirlingshire and Dunbartonshire, it is today split between the council areas of Stirling, Argyll and Bute and West Dunbartonshire.
Finally our hunger got the better of us…
Our lunchtime venue was The Tullie Inn…
The Tullie Inn is located right next to Loch Lomond with the beautiful Scottish countryside on our doorstep. The locality offers a whole host of things to do nearby including cruises, boat hire, countryside walks, shopping, crazy golf and access to Balloch Country Park and Castle.
The beer…
Jarl is the epitome of a modern classic – an easy-drinking, beautifully balanced session ale bursting with flavour. Fyne Ales was one of the first UK breweries to use Citra hops when we created Jarl in 2010 and our flagship ale has been winning awards and the hearts of drinkers ever since.
Lunch is served…
Steak & Malbec Pie £17.50 With Barber’s Cheddar pastry, served with smoky buttery chive mashed potato, cabbage & peas, roasted carrots and a rich beef gravy. Sausages & Mash £16.00 Award-winning! Today’s award-winning sausage flavour, served with buttery chive mashed potato, braised red cabbage, beef gravy and caramelised red onion chutney.Scampi & Chips Served with tartare sauce and creamy minted peas. 1Hand-Battered Fish & Chips £17.00 Served with tartare sauce and your choice of green peas, mushy peas or creamy minted peas.
Another pint…
Then part two of our day out…
Luss is a picturesque conservation village on the western shores of Loch Lomond in Scotland, famous for its quaint 19th-century slate-worker cottages, stunning lochside views, and vibrant flower displays. Located within Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, it is a highly popular destination for day-trippers.
We headed north looking across the loch towards the Trossachs National Park…
The Trossachs National Park is a national park in Scotland centred on Loch Lomond and the hills and glens of the Trossachs, along with several other ranges of hills.
Not long after we arrived at our destination…
Roy was at a Luss for words…
Carl always sends a postcard from wherever he travels to our former drummer Andy McVann’s mum & dad – sadly Andy died in 1986 aged just 21…🙏
As it was Bez’s birthday, we went inside the shop to look for something to buy him…
Time to head back…
We took the high road…
As we neared the venue, we passed the famous Tennent’s Brewery…
Tennent’s has proudly served Scotland’s favourite lager since 1885. Brewed with simple, quality ingredients, Tennent’s Lager is made with fresh highland water from Loch Katrine, exceptional Scottish malted barley, hops, and a unique historic strain of yeast. The perfectly balanced, crisp, refreshing taste that this produces is loved in bars, restaurants, and homes in every corner of Scotland and in over 60 countries worldwide. It’s no wonder that Tennent’s is the nation’s favourite drink!
Back in Gallowgate it was time for our last trip to ‘The Gate’…
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