1949: Hot chestnuts doing a roaring trade at the Barras

RUSSELL LEADBETTER

“FULL of good characters and old treasures,” someone writes on Tripadvisor on the subject of The Barras. “Or is that old characters & good treasures? Still worth a wee wander, even for old times’ sake (if you grew up in Glasgow from the 60s till the 90s that is).”

It’s fair to say that not every contributor to this particular thread is full of unqualified praise for the celebrated market, with some remarking that it isn’t the same as it used to be. Others, though, admire the Glasgow banter that thrives there; others still talk about the galvanising influence of BAAD - the Barras Art and Design venue. (Baad says of itself that it has “quickly become one of the best places in the city to enjoy a wide variety of events”.)

The Barras has a long and colourful history. In the early part of the 20th century, hawkers sold from handcarts (or barras). “This subsequently became more formalised in the 1920s and 30s with the building of the Mciver’s sheds, and the Barrowland Ballroom,” says the Barras website. “Today the Barras Market is thriving, and known throughout the world.” The picture shows hot chesnuts being sold in December 1949.

Nuala Naughton, author of Glasgow’s East End: From Bishops to Barraboys, writes that the Barras is “as much a part of [Glasgow’s] heritage as Kelvingrove Museum, the Necropolis, Saturday football and jeely pieces for tea, with a history of which the stalwarts of the area are justifiably proud”.