A couple of day’s before 2011’s big Bungo Knees up, the blog thought it would be nice to give credit where it’s due and acknowledge all the regulars who’ve turned out for the last few years and helped to give Bungo In The Back Lanes its unique character. So look out for these familiar faces while you tour the lanes on Saturday:

Wee But N Ben Burgers – Locals John and Tricia, who run the popular Wee But N Ben Bistro in Callander, have been flipping burgers and spinning pizzas in a garden on Marywood Lane for the last six years.

Karen Cairns – a local artist who’s done some stunning paintings of the area – always has a great stall selling her artworks. She also helped to judge and awarded the prizes for this year’s Children’s Art Competition.

Southisde Happenings have held a stall for the last couple of years, introducing folk to their great website and displaying some fun, quirky prints to buy.

New Victoria Gardens have held a gorgeous plant stall for as long as the Back Lanes has been happening. Not only is it a great chance to buy some lovely, healthy plants but they’re a great source of advice to gardeners in a quandry.

Rosie’s Craft Mafia garden is having a year off but do look out for the local craftspeople dotted throughout the Back Lanes. It’s amazing what your neighbours can make!

And let’s not forget the local businesses who support the event. Shimla Pinks, Gusto and Relish and Mulberry St. Mulberry St are running both bars this year, Shimla Pinks will be selling their delicious pakora and Gusto and Relish their fantastic sausages and soft drinks. Candylicious are at Mela this weekend but, like many other local businesses who can’t hold a stall themselves, have donated prizes to the raffle. For raffle and tombola prizes we also have to thank Grianach, Lady Drawers, Community Careline and The Care Package Company, Heraghty’s, The Hair Garden, Zucchini and Rock N Rollers. There will be a full list of thanks in the next Strathbungo News.

As well as our stalwarts, we also have to thank in advance the new stallholders who come out every year. There’s always one stall which becomes a huge talking point. We’ve had snail races, seaside-style cut outs for people to pose in, hopi ear candling…which stall will be this year’s talking point – Veggie Cafe? Teddy tombola? Scalextric Grand Prix? Let us know your favourites, either on the blog or at the Society stall.

And finally, the Strathbungo Society’s stalls help to fund the event, so do support the tombola, bottle stall or raffle if you can. All the proceeds from the Marywood Lane Tea Garden and the Bungo Veggie Cafe also go to the Society and you can buy Bungo merchandise and speak to representatives of the Society at the Society Stall.

The rota for this year’s volunteer team has just been issued, so if you’ve volunteered, check your inbox!

If you’d like to help out but don’t know what to do, why not:

• Take unwanted gifts or bottles to donate for our raffle, tombola and bottle stall? Just drop them off at 16 Queen Square before Friday night.
• Help set up or pack up on the day. No special skills needed – just enthusiasm. Listen out for us in the back lanes from 10am and come out to help. Later in the day, just look out for the folk in hi-vis vests or Bungo T-shirts and they’ll happily put you to work.
• Donate home baking to the Bungo Tea garden at 20 Marywood Square. Please label your tin so we know what we’re selling and who the container belongs to! If you’ve used nuts, it’s also helpful for us to know.
• Drop by the Society stall and volunteer for future events (Brighter Bungo clean up on 3rd July), have a chat and post comments and suggestions in our feedback box.

It’s not great news. Looks like a damp day. Temperatures 15-17C but, on the bright side, while it may not be wall-to-wall sunshine, the showers should ease off between 1 and 4.

As a wise woman once said, there’s no such thing as bad weather – just the wrong clothes. Time to show off your best raincoat and wellies, Bungo-dwellers!

Hi

We are looking for recommendations for companies that people may have used to repair/draught proof sash and case windows.  We are on Pollokshaws Road facing road/park and the draught/noise/dust is getting worse. With a baby on the way it’s something we need to look at.

Looking for a reasonably priced company if poss…

cheers

k

Pollokshields Councillor David Meikle reported in his recent e newsletter that

Glasgow City Council invested an additional £8 million in carriageway resurfacing following pressure from opposition councillors, the media and the local community. The total budget for 2011/12 is £12 million. Land and Environmental Services has just published the first tranche of the Roads Investment Strategy 2011/12.

The following roads will be resurfaced in Pollokshields Ward:
Albert Drive (from Nithsdale Road to Terregles Avenue)
Dalziel Drive (from Sherbrooke Avenue to Albert Drive)
Bertram Street (full length)
Moray Place (full length)
Regent Park Square (full length)
Queen Square (full length)
Hector Road (full length)

Many thanks David for that information and any support you have offered to the initiative.

I am sure there will be lots of notices about shifting your cars during the work. Any bright ideas of where to leave them while the diggers and rollers are in action? I will try to keep you updated on the blog.

We’re on the hunt for tombola and bottle stall prizes for this year’s stalls at Bungo In The Back Lanes. Please, if you can, have a rummage through those cupboards for unopened bottles of just about anything, from ketchup to Kahlua, lemonade to limoncello and bubble bath to bubbly! And don’t forgot BOGOF deals at supermarkets – we’ll happily take the spares off your hands!

For the tombola we need good-quality gift-type items. So dig out those unwanted Christmas gifts gathering dust in the press and pack them off for a new home. Drop any prizes off at 16 Queen Square any time between now and the evening before the event.

Thank you!

Bungo In The Back Lanes will be dry no more! The Strathbungo Society got confirmation this week that we have had our licence for two beer gardens for Saturday 18th June approved.

The bars will be run by Mulberry St, our local bar and bistro. As ever, no alcohol can be consumed outside the licensed areas. Our ability to secure a licence in future will be jeopardised if we break the terms of the licence.

Thanks are due to Glasgow City Council and Mulberry St for all their help and advice. Cheers!