Photo Diary Part IX

When the boys here at SUB decided that 2005 should not pass without us doing at least one subcrawl, a problem arose. Such is the hecticness (? - Ed.) of our lives (you know the usual things, raising families, working, lying in pools of our own piss and vomit) that finding a date which was suitable to all proved well-nigh impossible. Eventually we settled on Saturday 1 October; however this was far from ideal as it clashed with a Rangers home game, and although we managed a full circuit under similar circumstances on Rocky's stag do (see Photo Diary III), that was eight years ago and sadly we are not (even) the men we were then.

So a compromise was reached: we would do 10 of the 15 stops, starting as normal but missing out the stops from Shields Road to Govan, which we would otherwise have hit between the critical hours of 2.00pm and 5.30pm.

As it turned out the missing stops (or 'links' - see where the name comes from, eh?) were no great loss (or is that heresy?). We decided to compensate by finding as many 'new' pubs as possible and managed a commendable 6, which ranged from the sublime to the pish. And there was the womenfolk, and the strange woman who wanted her photo taken. Ah, and the pie and peas . . .

Anyway, that's more than enough waffle. Let the photos commence!

At the start of the day we came to St Enochs to find a protest rally against the deportation of asylum seekers. One of the protesters was none other than celebrated actor/director Peter Mullan, and we have a picture of the back of his head to prove it

Rocky and Norman in Times Square

By the time we got to The Laurieston, Tom was already hungry, and ordered the pub speciality, pie and peas. The verdict - "kill to get this meal" (or something like that).

Still in The Laurieston.

At West Street, we decided to boldly go where few subcrawlers had gone before and headed down the long road to Eglinton Street, where Google Maps informed us we would come across the Kiloran Bar, which seemed to have a reasonable claim to being the mythical "nearest pub". Except, when we got there, we found this. (SUB note - there IS a Kiloran Bar on Eglinton Street, but about a quarter mile from where Google Maps placed it)

Confused, but otherwise undeterred, we chose a random direction (right, as it happened) and started walking. After a few minutes we spied in the distance what appeared to be an unknown pub. Imagine our delight when we got closer to find a) that it was called The Castle Bar and b) it had closed down.

By this stage we were beginning to resemble the cast of that film where the plane crashes in the desert (Editor's note - I think the film is called "Plane Crash in the Desert"), crawling on our hands and knees, moving by willpower alone,searching for an oasis. And then - we saw it: the legendary Star Bar. Could it really be? Were the three course lunches really only £2? Was it still one of Glasgow's great pubs? The answer to the questions: Yes (the lunches) and a big, big No (the pub) . . .

Back on the train, a sad moment in history arrived. Because we were missing out five stops and going straight to Partick, when one of our number inquired as standard "Is this our stop?", the answer was "Err - no?". Getting near kick off time, the train was literally deserted. With no one about to talk to, Tom and Rocky amused themselves with stuff the fans had left behind.

Meanwhile, Norman wonders if it was something we said.

Later, at Kelvinbridge, we were taking a photo of the Three Judges for the site when we were accosted by Demanding Woman. First she demanded to know if we were taking a photograph. Then she demanded that she be in it. The rest is history . . .

Inside The Three Judges.

Still inside The Three Judges: "Has she gone yet?"

In Jinty McGinty's we were joined by the women (assorted wives and sisters) who had been in town for a day's shopping, but had ended up crashing a promo party for a fancy new perfume, where pomegranate champagne was being downed like water, and as a result they were probably more pissed than us.

Coming from Kelvinbridge station, heading for Hubbard's.