Glasgow was a very different city back in the 70s - today we’re looking 50 years into the past through 8 old pictures to see just how much the city has changed.
The very landscape of the city was fresh - right off the back of the slum clearances as Glaswegians began to move out of delipated tenements and into tower blocks that had shot up all over Glasgow in the 50s and 60s. Making the city a whole lot more vertical.
Glaswegians were beginning to see the city from a very different perspective, and not just from their windows in the high flats, heavy industry was beginning to decline and newer industries began to rise, slowly taking their place..
Billy Connolly rose to prominence, showing the world just how great the Glaswegian patter was - legendary bands like T Rex, Queen, Johnny Cash, Wings, The Rolling Stones and ABBA were playing old school venues like The Apollo.
1974 in particular was important for Glasgow. It marks Billy Connolly’s first variety show at the Pavillion, which would propel his career massively, the MV Captayannis capsized in the Firth of Clyde causing a brief sugar shortage in the city, a full electric service was introduced on British Rail’s West Coast Main Line through to Glasgow Central Station, and Brian Limond (Limmy) was born.
Take a look below as we take a look at Glasgow as it was in 1974.
1. Argyle Street
Pedestrians - and a traffic warden - cross against the lights in Argyle Street Glasgow - August 1974. Photo: Allan Milligan
2. Queen
During their Queen II tour, Freddie Mercury and the band appeared at Glasgow's Queen Margaret Union in March 1974. | Getty Images
3. Llamas
Mary Chipperfield with a performing llamas act in Chipperfield's circus at the Kelvin Hall Glasgow in December 1974. | TSPL
4. Billy Connolly outside his show at the Pavillion
The Big Yin standing outside the Pavilion Theatre where his show ‘The Billy Connolly Show’ was playing in March 1974 | TSPL