Urban Clansman

GalGael CD latest

2012-02-08T04:14:00.000-08:00

The new GalGael "Birlinn" is now available to buy online at the link below.

http://galgael.bandcamp.com/

Into 2012

2012-02-06T05:24:00.000-08:00

Some of the 2011 participants receiving their tookits.

Into 2012.

As 2011 went out with storms, high winds and tides skelping Govan, we ended 2011 with our own indoor hoolie in the shape of ever popular Christmas Karaoke in the workshop which was well attended and great fun. After the New Year we were straight back into a new intake of Navigate life participants.

The workshop remains as busy as ever and the demand to join up for the course stays high.

We, like most community and third sector groups are not immune from the swingeing cuts to funding and this could be a very difficult year for us. We will keep you posted as the next few months progress.

Burn's Night.

As usual, we ended January by celebrating the life of Rabbie, oor bard.

Almost a hundred folk attended to enjoy songs, poems, reflections and good craic with lashings of haggis, tatties and neeps to fill our bellies. Again, we proved we can still have a great party without alcohol in the house. Thursday evening socials are as busy as ever too (but there's always room for a few more if you want to attend- and feel free to bring the we'ans.)

Wood Kiln.

Our wood kiln is now operational and drying about a ton of wood as I write. Our volunteers did an amazing job of lining the container with insulation and boards as well as fitting the extraction and dehumidification kit and a wee rail track to wheel in the bogey.

Boats.

The construction of the St Ayle's Skiff is nearing completion now with volunteers involved in finishing off the great work done by the pupils of Govan High and lourdes Secondary who did the main body of the work earlier in the year. Ben and Johnny are also restoring a couple of rowing boats and doing a fine job too. Orcuan survived the storms and is still berthed over the river at the Transport Museum.

Metalwork.

The metalwork area has been busy over the past couple of weeks fabricating a steel gate for the Dalmarnock 2014 legacy Garden. This wee community garden will provide an oasis for local folk as much of the community as they know it gets cleared for the Commonwealth Games venues.

Friday Excursions.

Our regular Friday excursions are busier than ever with groups of fifteen or so filling the mini-bus. These are aways great fun, especially when Sunny Govan Radio play a request for as as we are on the road. We will be asking participants to give us some input into the blog by sharing their thoughts and experiences on the trips.

Govan Together.

If you have a free Tuesday evening over the next coupe of months why not nip down to the Pearce Institute for one of the Govan Together Conversation events. There's a great series of inspiring events to get involved in. Check the link below.

http://www.govanfolkuniversity.org/Activities.html

In Recognition of GalGael's Work

2011-11-21T03:19:00.000-08:00

GalGael have been favourably mentioned in a variety of publications recently including articles from The World Health Organisation, Glasgow Centre for Population Health, Scottish Natural Heritage, Oxfam, British Journal of General Practice and Fiery Spirits- Community of Practice.
Its great to know that our pioneering work is being recognised by diverse organisations who have identified that our approach makes a real and positive impact on not only to peoples health and well being but on the local and wider community. Our work extends to improving the landscape itself like tree planting in Argyll, involvement in the local community garden and helping build tidal defences in South Uist
GalGael have long recognised the inter- connectivity between poor health, addiction and crime as a product of the break down of community life. We also recognise that giving people something meaningful to do in an environment where everyone is respected and valued goes a long way to rebuilding lives and good citizenship. Our day to day work shows how the cost to the State can be reduced by helping people to reduce medication, treatment and contact with the criminal justice system by getting to the heart of the problem and not just by sticking a plaster over it.

To find out more have a look at the links below.

http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/89/10/11-021011.pdf

http://www.gcph.co.uk/assets/0000/2627/GCPH_Briefing_Paper_CS9web.pdf

http://www.snh.gov.uk/docs/C305095.pdf

http://www.oxfam.org.uk/applications/blogs/scotland/2011/09/glaswegians_sail_to_south_uist.html

http://www.scdc.org.uk/news/article/community-resilience-handbook-based-global-experie/

2011-10-10T03:38:00.000-07:00

GalGael AGMThursday 27 October 5.30 til 9 p.m.GalGael Workshops 15 Fairley StreetThe past year has been a bit of a bumpy ride - as it has for many! But we're still here, still picking up hammers + chisels and making a difference where we can. Our AGM celebrates our journey through the year and the journey made by our participants. We do this through photos and collective remembering of the years events. We'll also be sharing food and music.Hope you can join us!

GalGael in the Papers

2011-09-22T05:51:00.000-07:00

GalGael are once again in the newspapers.
Journalist Deborah Anderson has a half page in the Evening Times on the new GalGael CD "Birlinn".
We held a well attended launch event on the 15th Sept. with around 100 people in the building. Songs from the CD were performed live to a very appreciative audience and we managed to sell some copies of the CD on the night.
Thanks to all who came along in support and it was good to see a few well ken't faces.
(Click on images to enlarge)

An intreped cohort of stalwart eco-warrior poet GalGael volunteers are in South Uist, braving gales and rollers blasting in from the Atlantic to erect coastal defences against rising sea levels. Or maybe they are in the hotel.
This is the second posse we have sent up as part of an Oxfam project where various community groups work on initiatives to share skills and empower each other. Read more in Gordon Blackstock's article in the recent Sunday Post.

GalGael Album Launch

2011-08-30T02:30:00.001-07:00

The new GalGael album "Birlinn" is now on sale.

The whole project was initiated and brought to completion by some of our volunteers who also contributed their musical talents to a piece of work we are all very proud of.

Also included are songs and poems from staff and friends of GalGael and also includes some words from Colin.

We will be holding a launch (not a boat this time)event for the album on the evening of Thursday 15th September and all are welcome. Food and live music will be available.

If you would like to purchase the album online go to;

GalGael/Indiegogo

Thanks to all involved.

Interesting perspective on GalGael's work

2011-08-10T13:22:00.000-07:00

Dr. Sandra Carlisle of the Afternow Project shared these thoughts on GalGael's work.

"One of the strengths of the GalGael Trust lies in the clear and obvious benefits it brings to participants, such as teaching various kinds of practical skills that foster their sense of social worth, and social skills that enable them to participate in and contribute more fully to their community - and, potentially, perhaps gain employment in future. It also, crucially, provides a culture of belonging for those who have often been shunned or dismissed by others. These are strengths the Trust shares with other exceptional community development organisations which deliver both intrinsic and instrumental benefits.

Where it differs from virtually all other such organisations – making it probably unique – is in providing a different kind of ‘story’ by which to live and with which to think, and thus a different kind of purpose and meaning in life. This strength should not be underestimated, even if it might not be readily understood by outsiders to the project. The meanings and values that GalGael participants bring to their work differ sharply from those found in mainstream society, where the dominant social and cultural values appear to be economism, individualism, consumerism and materialism. These dominant values impinge hardest on the lives of those living at the margins of mainstream society – unemployed people; people living in disadvantaged areas; people living on a low income, and so on – because they are associated with a particular way of life and a particular set of assumptions, from which disadvantaged people are effectively excluded. A key point to make here is that these mainstream values and assumptions have been found, by some of the most expert social commentators, to be damaging to both individual and social wellbeing. The conclusion many have drawn is that what makes for the good life, the life worth living - and in a sustainable form of society - is in urgent need of re-thinking.

The GalGael Trust actively resists the damaging socio-cultural trends referred to above in its day to day work and seeks to cultivate a deeper sense of what might be a life worth living. It arguably does this by re-integrating key dimensions of human life that are often separated by modernity, i.e. by forging new links between ‘the individual’ and ‘the collective’ (community, society etc) and between the social world and the natural world. An important point to make here is that, for any of to thrive in the face of the daunting problems now facing humanity world-wide, these separations urgently need to be addressed. The work of the GalGael Trust thus provides an extremely useful example of how this can be achieved, and one from which many others could learn. Given that most of the people with whom it works have experienced the most profound forms of disadvantage and exclusion, the Trust demonstrates the enduring human capacity for achieving transformational change and the ‘art of the possible’."

GalGael at Portsoy Traditional Boat Festival

2011-07-12T11:56:00.000-07:00

Blessed with some blue sky, a work team of twenty occupied GalGael's now customary site in the Old Harbour at the Portsoy Traditional Boat Festival. Over the course of the weekend, the festival was reported to have 16,000 visitors and a fair whack of them will have come through our marquee, taking in carving, spinning and oar making. Our workshop back in Govan looked like we'd moved out as GalGael went on tour and set out their barra on the Moray Coast. It's always heart warming to interact with the general public and we got some tremendous feedback.

Mark on oar making

Rosie & Dougie rustle up custom on the raffle

Our boat (red, centre) nestles in with the rest of the skiffs

ps. if you entered the raffle, it was drawn on the stage in the harbour at 4 p.m. Sunday. 1st prize Flory, Portsoy; 2nd prize Romanik, Portsoy, 3rd prize Morag, Portsoy Thanks to all who entered!

Community against Coastal Erosion

2011-07-11T06:11:00.000-07:00

Seumas and Tam reperesented GalGael along with staff and volunteers from Sunny Govan Radio, Tea in the Pot, Govanhill Baths and Karibou on a trip to South Uist to share experiences with locals and to see where we can help each other set up some new community initiatives. The trip was organised with Oxfam as part of their domestic strategy to deal with issues around poverty in the UK.

The group visited a fish farm, a hatchery, a seaweed processing facility and helped put up some fences as part of a coastal barrier to prevent the sea encroaching on precious farmland and machair. You can see pics at the link below.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/65054665@N05/

We're All Winners

2011-06-18T05:15:00.000-07:00

A bunch of us piled in to a minibus and hit the M8 through to Edinburgh on Thursday night. We were short-listed for the Community Action category of the Scottish Charity Awards &..... we won! I like to think that it's an award for every nail that was hammered in off kilter, every saw cut that was off the mark and all those people who overcame these set backs to produce something beautiful and useful. And for all our beautiful and useful staff, board members, volunteers and participants! g x
READ MORE ABOUT THE AWARDS HERE...
and HERE

Some pics from April 2011

2011-06-14T03:31:00.000-07:00

new Govan

2011-06-14T02:39:00.000-07:00

We were down at the Govan Cross Opening Ceremony on 1 June and the unveiling of the newly restored Aitken Memorial Fountain. It's all looking smart as paint. But I have to share this picture - one to strike fear in to the heart of any official! g

St Ayles Skiff

2011-05-31T02:49:00.000-07:00

The St Ayles Skiff built by pupils from Smithycroft and St Mungo's high schools hit the water at Anstruther this weekend for her sea trial. The last coats of paint and varnish were put on last week before the GalGael team towed her up to the East Neuk of FiFe. The building of the boat has been taking place in the GalGael workshop over the last year as part of the Sense over Sectarianism project. Another skiff is well underway and is being collaboratively built by Lourdes Secondary and Govan High School. Find out more about the event at;

http://scottishcoastalrowing.org/2011/05/30/skiff-19-galgael-join-the-fleet/

GalGael in the Gallery

2011-04-19T02:47:00.000-07:00

Some of our staff and volunteers have been assisting in setting up a large sculptural work in Kelvingrove Gallery and Museum with artist Trish Cain.

A letter of thanks from Trish is shown below.

See the link within the text for youtube video:

Hi Martin

Anne and I just wanted to say a really huge thank you to everyone for the help you gave us to construct the installation for the Kelvingrove Exhibition.

Without the considerable skill and expertise of everyone at GalGael, it just wouldn’t have been possible at all and a huge part of the exhibition would have been left unfulfilled, so thank you for taking that phone call and then getting roped into it all!

We’ve had fantastic feedback about the structure and a lot of interest in the process of construction. As you know, a film was made about how the exhibition came together by Isla Pedrana and Solveig Seuss. Here’s the link to the uploaded video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq8JQg1l_kM

I’d like to say thank you to you, Norrie, Ben, Dave, Omair, Kevin, Stuart, Michael, Robert, Cameron and anyone else I’ve missed and also to say a special thank you to John Campbell for coming up so often to the gallery to help us.

Please keep me in mind for any assistance I might give you in return, particularly in relation to drawing projects, as I owe you.

All the best and see you soon no doubt.

Trish Cain

Glasgow's Trees

2011-04-13T14:50:00.000-07:00

Hope some of you make it down... there'll be crafts demonstrations and other activities on the day!

For a map showing how to find us - click here!

Govan Folk University

2011-04-06T07:20:00.000-07:00

GalGael along with some other local groups and local folk are in the process setting up of the Govan Folk University.

We are asking, what kinds of knowledge and ways of learning do we need to empower our community and the people who live there. We believe that many of the answers lie in the people and with the spirit of the community itself.

You can find out more about who is involved and what we are hoping to do by clicking on the link below.

http://www.govanfolkuniversity.org/

Boats on the go.

2011-03-09T04:42:00.000-08:00

Its great to see plenty of boat action going on in the GalGael workshop right now. The St. Ayles skiff project with St Mungo's Academy and Smithycroft Secondary is nearing completion and looking great. We now have two local schools, Govan High and Lourdes Secondary pupils working on a second skiff and have got off to a great start with the formers in place and the group busy sawing and planing.

If you would like to build one of these 22ft rowing skiffs with your school or centre then check out the link below.

http://scottishcoastalrowing.org/

Both projects are being supervised by Ben Duffin who is also working on repairing Orcuan, our 32ft Hebridean Galley. She is back in the workshop after incurring some damage in the summer. Ben has been very active over the past while juggling all these projects but is finding out more about GalGael and what we do as well as what Orcuan means to us.

"In 2000 the Gal Gael launched Orcuan, a 30 ft Birlinn or Highland Galley. She is a very traditional Scottish boat and a thing of rare beauty. She is also an integral part of Gal Gael’s operations and much more than that an emblem, a symbol of what the Trust stands for. With this in mind you can imagine the feeling of dismay that went around the workshop when people heard that she had gone down in a storm while moored in Millport. She was saved from breaking up by Martin and Norie, lifted out of the water and eventually brought to the workshop at Fairley Street to be repaired.

I started working on her a month ago and the work is going well. Looking at the damage it soon became clear that in addition to replacing the four broken planks much of the internal structure would need to be replaced. She will need totally new seats (known as thwarts on a boat) and much of the structure associated with them in addition to many new frames and sister frames. A group of volunteers and myself have removed the first two thwarts and cleaned up the damaged areas. We have put in new structure for the two forward seats and got the first seat finished. The mast stands on a piece of wood known as the fish which has had four new knees made to replace broken ones from before.

So far all the new timber used has been sourced in Scotland by Gal Gael’s Timber business, from a boat builders perspective it is a rare thing to know exactly where the wood you use comes from and who milled it to planks. This connection is part of why this is such a wonderful place to be working.There is a lot of work still to do, but with a growing team of very skilled and eager volunteers learning as they work the work will move quickly. There is a lot of interest in the project in the workshop, we often have to explain what we are doing and how or why. I am frequently reminded how much of an honour it is to get a chance to be involved in Gal Gael at all, let alone be repairing the vessels that has been described to me more than once as ‘the soul of Gal Gael’."

Ben

Ben and volunteer Davy with Orcuan.

Wool dyeing workshop.

2011-02-07T03:53:00.000-08:00

10th+17th of February from 5.30 pm
Heather, a member of
Galgael's woolcraft group offers a workshop in natural dyeing in GalGael.

Come, watch and get to know more about this ancient and still popular technique!

The Heart of Govan

2011-02-07T03:33:00.000-08:00

GalGael participants were resplendent in ancient costume as part of a special performance held in Govan Old Parish Church in late January. Dressed as , Picts, Britons, Scots and Vikings we represented the ancient peoples who settled at the junction of the Clyde and the Kelvin. The "Oratorio" celebrated the many peoples who have shaped the heart of Govan over the centuries.

Well done to Frank Miller and Alex Harvey for all their hard work and imagination in pulling it all together. More details on the link below.

http://www.localnewsglasgow.co.uk/index.php?s=New+heart+beating+in+Govan

NATURAL DYE WORKSHOP

2011-02-03T09:22:00.000-08:00

All the best for 2011

2011-01-05T03:16:00.000-08:00

We at GalGael would like to wish all our friends and associates all the very best for the New Year. 2010 was a testing year for us on a few fronts and though we are not out of the woods yet, we are dealing with things and are seeing signs of improvement. The workshop was a real hive of activity and we continue to make a real difference to the lives of those who come through our doors and have.

So all the best for 2011 and thanks for your support.

http://www.scvo.org.uk/policy/sots-case-studies/galgael-crafting-community-regeneration/

SECRET MILLIONAIRE RESCHEDULED!

2010-11-17T13:16:00.000-08:00

Just to let you know... Channel 4 have rescheduled the Secret Millionaire featuring GalGael to tomorrow - Thursday 18th November at 9 p.m.

A celebration of Colin's life.

2010-11-03T09:12:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who attended or contributed to our event to commemorate the life and achievements of our own Colin Macleod. Around a hundred people braved the terrible weather to turn out and we kicked off with haggis and neeps to warm us up for the rest of the evening and thanks to all the kitchen posse once again. We had songs, tunes, poems and reflections all relating to Colin who passed away five years ago on November the 2nd.

It was great to see some faces from the past among the audience as well as folk who never met Colin but wanted to be involved.

It was celebratory event where we looked at Colin the guy who inspired us, made us laugh, and who let us see what is possible when we work together to build community with nature and with each other.

Recordings of the event should be broadcast soon on Sunny Govan Radio- we will keep you posted.

Thanks also to all those who attended our recent annual general meeting. Again, we were very happy with the turnout and Gehan, myself and all at Galgael would like to extend a very special thank you to Mhairi Hearle, Alan Edmonds, Penny Cousins, Wendy Reid, Ronnie Renton and our Alastair- our non staff board members. They have put in a huge shift recently when things got a bit difficult on a couple of fronts and we would like to express our gratitude for all the skills and hard work they bring to GalGael.

2010-10-28T08:17:00.001-07:00

NEXT WEEK:

The life of Colin Macleod
- 5 years on

Monday 1 November, 6 – 8.30 p.m.
GalGael Workshop 15 Fairley Street

As All Hallows Eve gives way to All Saints Day and on the eve of the 5th anniversary of Colin’s passing, we invite all who share a connection to come together for an evening of story, poems and music.

In our day-to-day work at GalGael, in reaching out to others, Colin’s life is as relevant now as it was then. With this in mind, we’d love your company for an evening to connect with what it was about Colin that inspires us rather than remember sadness.
Please bring inspiring memories, stirring poems and songs to share. Please leave behind heavy-hearts and booze.
Please help get the word out by passing this on.

We hope to see some familiar faces on the night but please don't feel bad if you can't be there - life has a habit of being busy, which is why we're a bit late getting the word out. So we understand & it's enough to know people are around.

Gehan

The Secret Millionaire

2010-10-28T08:03:00.000-07:00

Remember, we will be featured along with two other Govan projects on Channel 4's Secret Millionaire on the evening of November 21st. We are all dying to see it and hope we get positive feedback on the back of it. I'm not giving away any more information so you will just have to tune in and see what happened.

GalGael also have a five page feature in Novembers Scots Magazine which you can pick up for £1.99 in a good newsagent.

The Big Tidy

2010-10-28T07:43:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all participants, volunteers and staff who helped in the recent big clean up of all corners of the GalGael premises. We closed doors for a week and blitzed the workshop, the sailing loft and other areas to get rid of all the stuff that has been hanging about for years. We recycled and gave away some of it and the rest went in the skip. We still have a few outstanding tasks but we are feeling the benefits already of having things in a bit more order.

The clean up gets us another step closer to refurbishing the kitchen area as well as opening up the sail loft as a potential space for wool craft as well as meetings and events.

Our wood storage area near the shipyard is also undergoing a good muck out and Tim and his team are supplying our burner in the workshop with some winter fuel as they get our stock of timber sorted out and ready for drying.

Tidy house, tidy mind as they say.

Star Student

2010-10-28T07:33:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Patsy Anderson on receiving an award from Cardonald College on being their best outreach student. Patsy claimed her award in the theatre within National Stadium at Hampden in front of a full house with her nearest and dearest in attendance. She is a wonderful lady and totally deserves her award for all the spirit she has displayed and for inspiring those around her.

"If their were more places like GalGael then there would be less need for medication" says Patsy and I am sure many of our participants would agree.

(pic to follow)

Blaze scare next to the GalGael workshop

2010-09-06T14:12:00.000-07:00

Monday September 6th 2010

Sixty fire fighters managed to bring a blazing pile of burning tyres under control just a few yards away from the GalGael workshop. Emergency service vehicles filled the length of Fairley St and a cordon was set up around the area. Ibrox underground had to be closed as the blaze raged. GalGael staff evacuated the building. We were very lucky that the wind was carrying the flames away from our premises or it might have been a whole different story.Three exploding gas bottles were heard though do not seem to have caused any damage either.

The plume of smoke could be seen from Ayrshire but fire fighters brought it under control relatively quickly. Thanks go out to the Fire Service who saved the day, the GalGael women who arrived first and cleared away flammable containers and wood away from the danger area and to the Whitefield Centre for the tea and for accommodating us while we nervously waited as the firemen tackled the blaze.

As far as we know no one was injured. We will bring you more information as it comes.

Sail and Oar event Millport, Cumbrae

2010-08-25T07:31:00.000-07:00

Despite numerous hurdles, all our hard work paid off at the sail and oar festival at Millport on Cumbrae. It was our biggest ever event and it stretched us to the limit but our efforts fell into place and we were also blessed again with brilliant weather.

It was amazing to watch traditional boats moving about the bay under sail or being rowed as families watched from the beach. There was a myriad of activity on both land and sea for the two days, with our usual crafts displays as well as raft races, boat trips, a music marquee, tug of war, kids boat pool, ceilidh and much more.

The local community were delighted with the event with many of them being involved in the organising or just having fun with the activities.

It was fantastic to meet the Basques, Galicians, Portugese and the Irish crews as well as those from various parts of Scotland, they all helped to make it a wonderful, colourful occasion that many wish to repeat.

A special "well done" goes out to Gehan our Project Manager for her hard work and for doing such a mighty shift. She pulled out all the stops to make it happen and deserves much praise for the success of the event. Also, thanks to everyone who worked their buns off to make it the great weekend it was.

Try the link below for pics to get a flavour of the event.

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/gehanmacleod/SailAndOarFestivalOnCumbrae?feat=email

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdVrvjCqX1Y&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wyz0gQTtD5w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWUYMBTWP3Y

Lettuce give thanks

2010-07-20T04:14:00.000-07:00

This is no ordinary lettuce.....this is a Govan lettuce.

Yes, harvested from the market garden in Elderpark by GalGael volunteers and various other members of the community, and theres plenty more to come. Our stalwart gardeners have been involved in planting a wide array of fruit and vegetables which are now ready for harvesting for local community munches. Using recycled materials like tyres, railway sleepers, glass doors and so forth, the whole garden is a wonderful example of imagination and resourcefulness. You can visit the site on Govan Road on Saturdays between 11am and 4pm.

(No jokes about leaks in the Clyde Tunnel !)

Follow this link to see the glamorous Dougie Munroe model some fresh vegetables.

http://picasaweb.google.com/tam.mcgarvey0/ElderparkMarketGarden?authkey=Gv1sRgCJHRyNOvkeui2AE&feat=directlink

Walk for Nature

2010-07-20T03:58:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Gill Coombes who stopped in at GalGael on Thursday 15th July and held a workshop as part of her Walk for Nature. Gill is travelling around the UK, spreading the word on how we can all do our bit to be kinder to the planet our communities and ourselves by living a greener lifestyle. We were very inspired by her and will do our best to build on what we already do while looking at new ways to be better global citizens. Good luck for the rest of your journey Gill.

Portsoy Traditional Boat Festival

2010-07-08T06:40:00.000-07:00

We returned once more at the end of June up to the Moray coastline to the beautiful harbour of Portsoy for their annual festival, and we seem to be building up a respected reputation for our crafts and boat displays and for the work we do here in Govan. Once again we had a great time and the weather was fantastic. First Minister Alec Salmond was keen to visit us and we give him a tour of our crafts demonstrators and he was very happy to offer photo opportunities to those who asked. If you want a flavour of the event follow this link for pics;

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/gehanmacleod/Portsoy2010?feat=email#

Govan Fair 2010

2010-06-08T04:00:00.000-07:00

With the guys in sharp suits and the dames in glamorous evening wear the GalGael "Swing yir Kilt"Big Band hit the streets at this years Govan Fair. Tuxedos and tartan were the order of the day to get Govan swingin'. The band backed up vocals from the "Flat Pack" who crooned their way through streets lined with finger- clicking Govanites. Many thanks to Rhiannon Campbell who did sterling work in creating our artwork for the float and to Frank McKeown and everyone else who helped out.

Also big thanks to Recoil Breakdown Services for the use of their vehicle.

See more pics at;

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/gehanmacleod/GovanFairPix10?feat=email#

Lord High Commissioner visit.

2010-05-25T04:29:00.000-07:00

We were very pleased to welcome the Lord High Commissioner, his wife and their retinue (posse) on Saturday. They appeared to be very inspired by the GalGael workshop and the work we do here. It was also nice to catch up with our old friend Rev. Richard Frazer from Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh. Lord Wilson and his wife Natasha had a good blether with the guys at the workbenches who commented how friendly and approachable they were. It is an important element of what we do here, to engage with people from all faiths, cultures and backgrounds to break down preconceptions and to realise that behind it all- we are all just people.

GalGael Bute Forest Benefit Gig 4th March

2010-03-24T06:27:00.000-07:00

As part of our ongoing open evenings on a Thursday night we held a benefit gig to support the community buyout of the Rhubodach forest on the isle of Bute. It was a cracking night and very well attended - over 80 people crammed into the workshop to hear about the buyout project and to immerse themselves in a night of music, poetry and rap. The entertainment proceeded once everyone was fed - no mean feat considering the turnout! Alastair McIntosh opened up the proceedings by explaining the nature of the buyout and the progress thus far. The music was kicked off by our very own in house bard Tam McGarvey who treated us to a 'bit of voodoo' and one of his own numbers 'Elvis for a day'. Next up was the wise woodlouse from the hearth of England, poet George Hardwick. George's poems struck a real resonance with the folk at GalGael - 'Whether you know it or not you shine like a star'- especially the poem that involved the gifting of a beautiful wooden staff to be completed by Rory, one of the youngsters in attendance that night. Then we were treated to some 'not so scary rap music' courtesy of little Jimmy Davis - who was making one of his first public appearances and performed admirably. Luke Concannon followed with a couple of his original compositions and the night culminated in a world exclusive. Luke and 'MC Ali Mac in the house' treated us to a rousing number entitled 'Homage to Young Men' - a poignant piece that got the crowd whipped up into a frenzy. By way of an encore and farewell, everyone, led by Luke all joined together in one final group singalong. Bits and bobs of this night were recorded and broadcast on Sunny Govan Radio 103.5FM.

This was merely ONE of our ongoing open nights down at the GalGael. Every Thursday from 5pm our doors are open to come and share our skills with yours and vice versa. Food and love guaranteed - hopefully see you there soon

http://www.buteforest.com/
http://www.sunnygovancommunitymedia.org/

31st March 2010: GOOD NEWS

The forest buyout has been approved by Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/minister-approves-land-buyout-on-bute-1.1017352

GalGael Hoolie Show on Sunny Govan Radio 103.5FM

2010-03-24T06:04:00.000-07:00

Sunny Govan Radio 103.5FM have asked us here at GalGael to produce a monthly HOOLIE show - a sort of audio diary of a month in the life of GalGael. We have produced two shows so far that went out at 7pm on Wednesday 1oth and 17th of March. These programs featured interviews with staff and trainees alike. Thanks to interviewees Omair, Norrie, Gloria, Tam, Marie, William, Gehan and Luis in particular - who provided us with a beautiful original song called 'The Activist'. It has been decided that a monthly show would have a greater variety, with less pressure than a weekly deadline so that the Hoolie show has a more effective impact. We intend to try and record for posterity everything that the GalGael is involved in from the 'Navigate Life' course to the Open nights on Thursday, not forgetting the Friday away trips and everything else that makes up the GalGael melting pot.

This is a great opportunity to get our voice, our message out there, so it is heard by more and more people. We will keep you updated on show scheduling times as they become apparent.

Finally a big thank you to everyone at Sunny Govan Radio for this exciting joint venture

http://www.sunnygovancommunitymedia.org/

GalGael now on Twitter

2010-02-09T07:34:00.000-08:00

You can now check out Twitter for GalGael up to the hour goings on.

Its easy to sign up at;

https://twitter.com/

Bliadhna Mhath Ur (Happy New Year)

2010-01-06T05:48:00.000-08:00

To everyone on the blog mailing list or those just having a browse- all the best for 2010 from all at GalGael.

We have another busy year ahead including getting started on a new fifty foot Birlinn and also organising our end of the Dorna project which will see traditional boats and visitors from various parts of France and Spain heading for the Firth of Clyde for an event organised by GalGael on the Isle of Cumbrae in the summer.

We finished 2009 with the Birlinn 400 conference at the Pearce Institute and many thanks to all those who made it possible. It was a fascinating event with wonderful presentations on different aspects of the history and design of the Birlinn as well as the culture surrounding it. If you would like to find out more about the Birlinn or contribute any information online then please visit-

www.galgael.org/birlinn

To catch up on closing news for 2009 follow the links below.

http://galgael2009.blogspot.com/

Latest on our course participants-

http://galgaeltraining.blogspot.com/

GalGael article in The Gaurdian-

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/dec/08/gaelic-longboat-healing-heritage-scotland

Dorna project

http://dornascotland.blogspot.com/