A gentle reminder that residents and visitors are requested not to park in Marywood Square between Moray Place and the first set of back lanes from about 10.30 pm tonight.

And there will be no access into Marywood Square from Moray Place from about 11.30pm to 1.30am.

This is no ‘official’ closure, but rather a social contract between Strathbungo residents. Residents can get in to Marywood Square by cutting through the back lanes from Queen Square or Vennard Gardens. And there is always plenty of parking on Darnley Road over the railway.

If you have visitors please do remind them about the voluntary restrictions.

With the Bungo at the Bells (the street celebration of Hogmany in Strathbungo) only a few days away we thought to remind everyone of it. It’s a hoot and goes on into the small hours – weather dependent so wrap up well and bring your own refreshments!

The procession begins as usual at 11:30pm on Nithsdale Road and in Vennard Gardens before winding its way to the venue (this year, as last year, it’s on the corner of Marywood Square and Moray Place). Bring your pots and pans with which to bang a tune and a wee bottle of something in your pocket to keep you merry. We missed our piper last year so if anyone has a set of pipes and wants to play us into the new year do bring them along.

We’ll have a blog post about the parking closer the time but be warned that we w ill ask those who park on the corner of Marywood and Moray Place to find an alternative spot for the night.

The full story, “Man with Knife Robs Popular Cafe” is on the BBC website.

It happened on Thursday, December 22nd (yesterday) at 8:55 p.m.

The thief is described as white, in his 20s, 5ft 8in tall and of medium build, with black clothing. He headed off in the direction of Shields Road after the robbery. The police would like anyone who might have seen him to contact them. Fortunately, nobody was injured.

A reminder to those interested in joining us for carols around Strathbungo that we plan to kick off at the Bungo Restaurant at six o’clock (pm that is not am) on Friday and spend the next couple of hours entertaining the gentlefolk of Strathbungo with a selection of carols.

The weather has perked up a little from last week but come prepared for rain and cold if not snow. If you have torches, lanterns, santa hats, reindeer antlers etc do bring them along. We have managed to secure the services of a clarinetist (you’re a star Dee) to lead the carols but anyone with a B flat instrument or who can transpose please do bring it along.

We need singers as well as folk who can knock on doors to collect for Shelter, who we will be collecting for this year. The more the merrier so do bring along the kids (Santa only brings presents to children who have sung carols!), the elderly parents (same argument, but with sherry) and neighbours you come across on the way.

A few of us are meeting at my place this evening at eight o’clock for a practice session so if you are interested in joining us for that do drop me an e mail and I will send you my address in Strathbungo.

Please note that, due to the festive working arrangements, some days that bins are due to be emptied will change over the Christmas and New Year holiday period.

Bin Colour          Date Shown On Calendar        New Day & Date
Blue or Green    Sunday 25 December              Tuesday 27 December
Blue or Green    Monday 26 December              Wednesday 28 December
Blue or Green    Sunday 1 January 2012           Tuesday 3 January 2012
Blue or Green    Monday 2 January 2012           Wednesday 4 January 2012
Purple                Monday 26 December              Saturday 24 December
Purple                Monday 2 January 2012           Saturday 31 December

Visit www.glasgow.gov.uk/recycling or Phone 0141 287 9700 for more information.

We’re also in touch with the council to get Nithsdale Road litter bins emptied and fly-tipping picked up.

Southside Film Festival is back to celebrate Christmas with the Muppets! Don’t miss The Muppets Christmas Carol this coming Sunday 18 December at 5.30pm in The Shed, fun for kids and grown up kids alike.

After the success of Southside’s first ever zombie walk, we were going to have a muppet walk but decided there were enough people in fancy dress at this time of year. So dressing as a muppet to the screening is encouraged but optional!

Get your tickets now from Youngs’ Interesting Books, Skirving St, Shawlands or online at Tickets Scotland for some good old fashioned Muppet Christmas fun

The Muppet Christmas Carol (U), 1992, 85 mins

The Shed

Sunday 18 December, 5:30pm

Doors will open at 4.45pm with the screening at 5.30pm.

Ticket Prices:

• For kids (under 16s): £3
• For grown up kids (over 16s): £5

Glasgow City Council last year carried out a major public consultation asking people who use Shawlands Town Centre for their thoughts on how the area could be improved. The findings of this consultation, which generated 1240 responses, are published in the report below.

***STOP PRESS***

I hope you’ve spotted all the work going on at the old Fothers, well, we’re very nearly there. Hoping to open on Monday which is quite daunting as it should be one of the busiest weeks of the year!

It is looking great inside, gorgeous big windows letting in loads of lovely light. All the old chairs re upholstered, old bar top sanded and re instated, old tables with new tops. We’ve been very busy recycling and reworking.

We were delighted to find a site in Strathbungo and we’re really pleased with the way it has turned out. I hope you like what we’ve done and come and check us out soon.

Check out our Facebook page or give us a call if you have any questions,

all the best

Catherine

0141 423 0023- we’ll be answering from Monday!

A few of us thought that carol singing up and down the Squares in Strathbungo this Christmas would be a good community event – as well as raise a few bob for charity.

So on Friday the 23rd December we propose that everyone who is interested in joining us (we are hoping for upwards of 30 people) congregate outside the new Bungo restaurant at six o’clock and we will take it from there wandering up Nisthdale, down Regent Park Square, up Queen Square, down Marywood Square and then back along Moray Place. We’d stop every couple of lamp posts for a carol before moving on. We’d need both singers as well as volunteers to knock on doors collecting money for Shelter Scotland who are looking after people who find themselves homeless. I imagine that it would take a couple of hours and those interested could stop for a drink at The Bungo (or wherever) afterwards to recover.

If you have an instrument do bring it along and you can lead the singers. (Though please no bagpipes – not so good for accompanying singers!)

Don’t worry if you can’t sing – come join us anyway. Six O’clock outside The Bungo on Friday 23rd December. We’ll provide carol sheets will post the names of the carols on line a day or two before so you can remind yourselves what they should sound like (Youtube is great for that!). Bring warm clothes and a candle or two (you’ll need them to both see the carol sheets and to keep warm!)