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Glasgow
Green ......open
air Gymnasium
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Old gymnasium bars and rings at the Glasgow Green next to the
sonnie
ponn.
I remember these "instruments of torture" there were metal rungs like a ladder which
you jumped up
and grasped then tried to get to the other end ...one hand
at a time and parallel
bars and big metal rings on chains.
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Well I could think of no better time than a cold, wet, dreich Glesga
day to take this photograph.........sadly
this is all that remains of our open air gymnasium.
( see coloured photo below )
Note : houses in the background are Greenhead Street tenements.
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Extract
from messageboard Jan 2004, Ronnie,
London
Although I dont remember anyone actually referring to it as the
'gymnasium,' I do seem to remember a notice board beside it stated that it
was such. Also I dont remember referring to them as the 'swings', because
for some reason I knew they were not swings.
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Extract from messageboard Jan 2004, Wilma, Canada
Aye ah remember the gymnasium in the Glesca Green. A remember the big
boys used tae swing oan the rings and them hing heid doon and legs up in
the air. They must have always been broke tho' as they never drapped any
money oot o' there pockets. We used tae play there often.
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Extract from messageboard Jan
2004, Memaw, Canada
I, too, remember seeing young men strutting their
stuff on the hoops and bars ( not booze bars!) in Glasgow Green. Longed to
have a go myself, (not at the men, I was too young) but my ma would have
belted me. What a healthy outlet for the juvenile aggression, (the bars,
that is, not the belting!) Mind you, many of the healthy young bodies went
for cannon fodder, anyway, sad to say! Or used their raging hormones
running in gangs, unfortunately! War, one way or another.
I suppose that insurance liability has a
lot to do with the disappearance of this equipment.
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Greenhead Street with 'Templetons' in the
background.
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Extract from messageboard Jan 2004, johnmcla, USA
......that's wherr a spent maist o ma childhood days, learnin the
"tricks" oaf the aulder fellas that wiz wullin tae teach them
tae onybuddy that wantit tae learn thim. Ah goat as far as the Giant Swing
- ye dae a handstand oan the high bar, then let yersel fa' gaun
back, haudin oan, so ye went aroon the bar, up tae handstand again.
Bit thur wiz a variation, wher ye'd chinge hauns goin roon and roon, at
the tap o yur swing, which wid send ye in the ither direction. Rerr feelin,
wanst ye goat the hang o it. Gaun yersel!
Except wan eftirnin, a loast ma grip, went flyin away oot ther, an' landed
oan ma knees oan the gravel away the hell oot, near the edge o the path,
skint masel real good. Geez, ma knees widnae work right fur months!
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