One of the best and most interesting places I have visited in years. Paul Lyons, our tour guide for the day was just magic. Magnificent even. His wealth of experience and Glasgow patter made the experience one of the highlights of my trip.

He started off by saying that there were 48,000 panes of glass in the roof, which by the way need to be kept clean. Not a job I would want to do.

In this old platform above, they will hopefully relay the track and put in a steam train, they already have the train so they are just waiting for the track to be laid.

Almost all of the original station from the Victorian times is there. The huge hollow girders that you can actually climb into, not by the tourist of course, but by those who inspect and look after this masterpiece. Paul told us that the rivets were perfectly formed even although they are not on view. This is the pride and workmanship that the Victorians had that we had sadly lost.

We explored the lower levels where you can see more of this brilliant design. When we were told some of the stats about the weight above us and how nothing has changed then it just shows you the genius of the Victorians. At every turn and room, the stories and anecdotes were coming thick and fast and the laughter was infectious.

He also told us that anything built after 1960 seems to be where issues arise from, the older build is just the same as the day it was built. This is a very common thing within the UK as a whole. Blocks of flats built in Glasgow in the 60’s have been and gone, built and then raised to the ground in seconds only to be replaced. Pride in workmanship just does not seem to exist due to the levels of greed and corruption which is not only a Uk thing but worldwide.

One of the more solemn parts of the tour, where we entered the small museum which is a work in progress. Paul is very passionate about his role as historian and is stories and personality are what makes this tour all the better. But as we stood in front of this video being projected behind Paul showing the names and addresses of all the Glaswegians that were killed in World War One, he was moved to tears…..it was a very poignant moment.

Was the sacrifice of these men in vain? The world seems to be on a knife’s edge once more as the fascist and dictators return globally.

The Motto on the Caledonian Railway Company is “Nemo me impune lacessit”, which translates to “No one attacks me unpunished“

It also happens to be the motto of Scotland 🙂

I should have also mentioned that a year ago Paul fell and broke his back and spent nearly 8 months in recovery. He is on pain medication still and at the end of the tour he was obviously in pain and the only reason I know this was that as we were just about to leave I saw him looking as if he was in pain. I asked him if he was ok? and he said that he will be after he takes a couple of wee tablets. Every day he does this tour he is a force of nature and you would never know that this gentle giant had suffered so much over the past year. I’m not easily impressed by folk, however Paul Lyons is one man that is at the top of my list.

If you wish to book your tour then go to the website below and have an experience that you’ll never forget…

https://www.glasgowcentraltours.co.uk/