Travel & Holidays in later life

Glasgow – Where to Stay – City Inn

Glasgow is one of the most popular cities in the UK for mid week and weekend breaks. This may be because of its Victorian Architecture, the rejuvenated banks of the River Clyde, its culture, history, vibrant nightlife and splendid dining. Or it may have something to do with the fact that it is the number two shopping experience in the UK after London.

Whatever the reason visitors arrive in droves and all of them are looking for somewhere decent to stay.

Hugh Taylor and Moira McCrossan checked out The City Inn.

City Inn Glasgow with Finieston Crane and Armadillo

City Inns are a relatively new chain of hotels that could be described overall as a notch or two up the food chain from the budget Travel Inns and Lodges. You can expect clean, comfortable rooms at a reasonable price plus a few nice wee luxuries like a stocked mini bar, wide screen TV with a DVD player, a CD and radio and free wi fi. You can also borrow from a decent selection of  CD’s and DVD’s at the front desk.

Standard bedroom in the City Inn Glasgow

One thing that separates City Inns from their cheaper and more expensive competitors however is their patronage of the arts. All City Inn’s have a rolling programme of paintings, prints and photographs on display in their bars and restaurants.  Mostly it will be the work of local artists but occasionally it could be something of international importance like The Beatles Summer of '68 Mad Day Out That opened on the night we arrived in Glasgow.

The Mad Day in question was Sunday July 28th 1968 when the Sunday Times Colour Supplement photographer, Tom Murray, was asked to help a friend with the photo shoot of a rock band. The friend was celebrated war photographer Don McCullin but Tom had no idea who the band was.

‘Don asked me to help him out because he’d never done a shoot with a band before. I never asked who it was and he didn’t say. I turned up at the location and there was Paul McCartney playing the piano.’

Tom didn’t know it then but this was to be the last official publicity shoot before the band broke up.  

With just one camera and two rolls of film Tom spent the day travelling round London with The Fab Four, photographing them in a variety of posed and candid shots before ending up in the evening at Paul McCartney’s house.

                                   No 13 The Docks © Tom Murray

Tom kept just 23 of his photographs and for years kept them in an envelope in a drawer. Then he had them valued, discovered they were worth a couple of million and promptly moved them into a bank vault.

Over the years he has raised a lot of money for charity by selling the odd Beatles print. Last year he was presented with the opportunity to issue a series of limited edition prints that would be affordable for Beatles fans. When we arrived in Glasgow we had the chance to talk to Tom about his work and see the exhibition of the second folio which goes on sale in May. Tom’s Beatles Photographs will be on display in the City Inn, Glasgow until the end of June.

No 7 Scene from The Thames © Tom Murray

The hotel also has an excellent restaurant overlooking the Clyde and in the summer you can sit out on the terrace. The food is first class and the wine list is fairly impressive.

When we stay in a city we look for accommodation that is central, close to rail and bus stations and, if we have driven there, a car park.

The City Inn, Glasgow, is a short taxi ride from Central Station and the Bus terminus. It was sunny day when we got off the train so we walked down to the Clyde and strolled along the pedestrian walkway. It took fifteen minutes to reach the hotel. And yes it has a car park. More to the point it is just a couple of minutes walk from the Scottish Exhibition Centre, The Armadillo and the Glasgow Science Centre and Imax Theatre.

It sits beside the Finnieston Crane and the newest bridge to be built over the river. The official name is The Clyde Arc but, as is the way in Glasgow, the citizens named it long before the official unveiling. Ask directions by its proper name and you’ll likely get a blank stare. Ask for The Squinty Bridge and you will have no problems.

Check out these other destinations in Scotland

EDINBURGH - Look ahead for the big dates

HEBRIDES - Hopscotch to the Western Isles

SCOTLAND - Explore the wild Highlands

SCOTLAND-NORTH - coach tour from Dornoch

The Glasgow Pub Companion  by Rudolph Kenna - Compile your own version of 'Saturday night belongs to be' with guidance from this works which describes 200 varieties of Glasgow's choice of pubs and coffeebars.

"Time Out" Edinburgh, Glasgow, Lothian and Fife - A round-up of what the two great cities have to offer,  with additional guidance to distillery tours etc.

50 Walks in Glasgow and South West Scotland - by Automobile Association - a useful guide for both the serious and the casual walker, mapping out routes for Glasgow itself and selected regional routes. Written by Laterlife Travel Editor Hugh Taylor and Moira McCrossan

Glasgow Insight Compact Guide - gives reliable descriptions of what to see and do during a brief visit. Latest update written by Laterlife Travel Editor Hugh Taylor and Moira McCrossan