SOME FUN FACTS

A LITTLE TRIVIA

When traveling I like to find the little bits of trivia that make life interesting. Often times it just means listening to people. 

Big Bertha

            What kind of a vision did you conjure up? In Glasgow, Scotland Big Bertha, the huge crane, is now a monument to the vast and prosperous ship-building industry that made the city famous.

The last ship built on the Clyde was the QE2 in 1962. During W W II a warship a day rolled off the rails into the River Clyde. The 24-hour a day operation was incredible when 2000 ships hit the seas in a six year period! Before the war most of the ships built were passenger ships including all of the Cunard line ships. At one point the shipbuilding industry employed over 200,000 people. The ships were not only built here, but fully outfitted  as well. To say something was Clyde built meant that it was quality and built to last. Big Bertha is huge and rightfully named and honored.

One potato, two potato

With a 110,000 acres planted in potatoes, it is  PEI’s largest agricultural crop.  Prince Edward Island grows 30 varieties of potatoes in its rich  red soil, supplying spuds to most of Canada. The potatoes are grown for food, seed, and the huge french fry industry. Canadian Farms, a french fry processing plant, is the largest industry employer on the island. It takes 27 tractor loads of potatoes a day to run the plant at full capacity! By the way french fries were introduced to the world at the 1939 World’s Fair.

The tart with the cart

This is one of the affectionate nicknames for the Molly Malone statue, located at the end of Grafton Street opposite Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. The semi-historical-legendary figure, commemorated in the song Cockles and Mussels, always drew a crowd and often a fellow playing the bodhran drum sat near by. The fishmonger-working girl died in one of the cholera epidemics which regularly sweep through Dublin. Locals lovingly call the statue ‘Trollop with the scallops’ or the ‘Dish with the fish’. Of course a must see when in Dublin.

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND

                        A LOVELY CITY
Glasgow is known both as the Victorian City and the Merchant City. The literal translation from the Gaelic glas cu means dear green place and thus the name Glasgow. Natives of the city are called Glaswegians. The once industrial city that was covered with a layer of coal dust is no more. The lovely Victorian city now shimmers and sparkles. It is one of my favorite cities and if I had to choose between it and Edinburgh I’m afraid I’d chose the less popular Glasgow.

Museums are free and some cultural event takes place every day. Buildings are made of either red or yellow sandstone with slate or red tile roofs. New buildings will lack chimneys, as after the Clean Air Act passed in 1967, there is no deed for them.

The city grew twenty miles from the River Clyde in the 17th century engulfing several smaller medieval settlements. During the Industrial Revolution it was the fastest growing region in Britain. Although only 40 miles from Edinburgh, there is an amazing contrast between the two cities. Glasgow is Britain’s third largest city but Scotland’s largest. The city is also the commercial capital, and the birthplace of both Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth.

Big Bertha, a huge crane, is now a monument to the vast and prosperous ship-building industry that the city of Glasgow was famous for. The last ship built on the Clyde was the QE2 in 1962. During WW II a warship a day rolled off the rails into the River Clyde. The 24-hour a day operation was incredible when 2000 ships hit the seas in a six year period. Before the war most of the ships built were passenger liners including all of the Cunard Line ships. At one point the shipbuilding industry employed over 200,000 people. The ships were not only built here, but fully outfitted here as well. To say something is Clyde built means that it is quality and built to last. The River Clyde is but 78 miles long and can have a 20-foot tide in the city.

Both the ship building industry and the BBC headquarters accounted for the heavy bombing during WWII.

I’ll talk more about this wonderful city another day. Three weeks in the country has left me with lots of information plus an interest in the food and language.