Sooo I'm a raver baby... So why don't you kill me. Remember that song?…read more My first time at a techno festival and riverside was a good one. Cool place to have a festival. Tour busses going by as the ravers are Queuing. A real mix of people and a real mix of age groups. Great big space to have an event in, at first I couldn't imagine how it was going to pan out! Drinks tokens made the bar Q go quick. Main stage had multiple acts including 2 Many DJ's and Vitallic. This all kicked off at 4.30. Act after act and this kept going till well after 11! Unfortunately my before festival eats I was to full to have anything from the Smoke Van or breaking bread but I'm sure I will get round to them eventually. All bars were well stocked until they ran out of cider. This sounds gross but men and female port a loo's is the way to go!! No massive Q's and still a bit Minging but not as bad as I e seen!

First time to the Riverside festival for me and there was none of the issues I had heard had…read moreoccurred at previous events. The token system worked well and meant minimum queuing for booze which is always a bonus when you don't want to miss to much of the acts on stage. The crowd was a real mix and the majority seemed to be up for enjoying a great day out. The age range seemed to vary between 17 and 59 which made for a good atmosphere. I loved that it was all cans so no need for plastic cups from the bar and though the range was limited, I was happy enough with the options on offer. Music wise I loved vitalic and felix the housecoat most of all. Sadly I did not try the food on offer as instead I went for pre and post meals with fellow yelpers. Great day out, in a cool location and with an awesome backing track. My boiler suit, dust mask and glow sticks also blended me in perfect with the crowd. Why 4 stars and not 5? A can of strongbow costing 4 quid a pop was just a bit pricey for me!

I really like the idea of Let's Eat Glasgow: it offers a sampler from restaurants that I wanted to…read moretry for long, and there is even a good cause behind the event, so it was no question that I will be there. Some information stands (such as one about vegan food) and a small marketplace offering delicates from cheese to coffee could be found outside the fair, but we didn't spend much time browsing these, as we were pretty hungry by the time we arrived. We chose Ubiquitous Chip's meat plate containing air dried, cured, smoked and salted meats with sour dough bread The Gannet's rabbit croquettes for starters, which were both really tasty. The massive queue at Mother India's stand made us curious, and luckily, the food was worth waiting for: we paid three tokens for a generous plate of their wonderful lamb biryani which was enough for two of us. We finished the culinary experiment with Café Gandolfi's caramel shortcakes. Unfortunately, we arrived at the end of a nightmarishly busy day at about five o'clock, and it was too late to enjoy any of the cooking demonstrations, but just in time to listen to a bit of live music - the singers were really good. We also missed some of the foods already, for instance, Crabshakk ran out of all the food by the time we arrived and El Perro Negro of confit Korean fried chicken by then. Hopefully, I'll get to taste these some time in the near future. If there is one thing I need to criticise, it is the fact that there was a bit of confusion about exact opening times. The official home page of the event and the Facebook page seemed to be a bit contradictory. An article in The Scotsman, only linked to the FB page, proved most informative about the event plan, and I am not absolutely sure I would have found it if I had been on the go, trying to find out more about the event.

A fantastic event for the organisers to showcase Glasgow's finest restaurants and Scotland's best…read moreproduce did not disappoint. The weather was fantastic, the buzz/vibe was spot on and the food sublime. Between my partner I we had 4 small dishes and each was superb. We went to Ox and Finch, Guys, Stravaigan and Cail Bruich. We could have had at least one more each but they had sold out of tokens. Plenty of opportunities to sample some of Scotland's finest produce including whisky, Cheese, meat, seafood, Gin, Fruit and Veg and quirky things like Handmade pop corn, Honey, spends and dips. I really hope all the businesses did well not only on the day but the after event sales too. I hope you return for next year.

I fear this review sees me walking a dangerous path; for there will be many opinions about Vegfest;…read morethe running of Vegfest, the stallholders at Vegfest, the setup of Vegfest etc etc etc..... Vegfest Scotland was my first Vegan festival. I was a little worried that the Vegan Police (TM) would be out in force, thankfully if they were present they were probably too busy eating Sheeze, watching talks or stuck in the queue at World Foods. Enough with the sarcasm! On with the show! For a debut event, it was really quite impressive in terms of size and attendance. Figures quotes in the news put the number of visitors at 7500 for the first day (which was a shock, I thought there were only 7 of us). The talks were arranged around the outside of the hall, with stalls and catering filling the central spaces. To see the number of businesses selling Vegan products was pretty affirming, Vegans aren't some subversive cult & there are plenty of products out there (take a hint supermarkets). I spent most of the weekend listening to talks (9 hours worth) about ethics, health and even Roller Derby. What that meant was that I didn't have a huge amount of time to eat & shop. To be honest I was more interested in the talks than the food, although I do regret missing out on Chiaralascura's awesome Houmous T-shirt! Let me just mention the food.. So there's that question that always pops up "but what do you eat?!". Weeelll.. On sale at Vegfest were Vegan friendly; baklava, burritos, chocolate, hotdogs, Kimchi, pies, pizza, popcorn & wraps (so aye quite a lot!) There was also a raw food caterer should you be so macrobiotically inclined. Although this was a national event, it was great to see Glasgow's Vegan credentials upheld by a good number of local businesses; from the ever popular Mono and Stereo to Green City/Harvest Co-op & QVH. Judging by the number of bulging carrier bags, happy faces & the multitude of food pics on social media, I think it's safe to say that Vegfest was a hit with the Scottish crowds. There were a few small issues that were largely unavoidable for an event of this size, sadly though they did cause a number of grumbles over the interwebs. I think the organisers did pretty well to put on an event which provided something for the spectrum of Vegans out there (Yes there's more than 1 kind of Vegan!). I hope that next year will be even bigger & better so that I can leave with an empty wallet & no regrets!

A great day out, though be sure to bring your pennies, I mean pounds, with you as there is LOTS to…read morespend them on. I love getting to talk to all the producers in the producers village and most are keen for you to sample their goods before you buy. There is a huge range of food and drink on sale and also kitchen tools and appliances. Today we booked seats at the Supertheatre to see a cookery demo from Michel Roux Jr. So glad we did, as he was excellent and comes across as a sincerely lovely person. Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood regularly demo at the Good Food Show and always draw a big crowd, though not a Hollywood fan myself! I would definitely recommend getting there earlier as it gets busier and busier as the day goes on! Also bring shopping bags with you as it is impossible to go home empty handed with so much on offer!

Meet all chefs. Wines. Books. Equipment. foods Master chef. Scottish cook schools…read more Amazing show

I was really looking forward to going to a gig at the bandstand, I walk past it nearly everyday and…read morelove the look of this refurbished arena. I'd heard stories from friends who went last year about long queues for the bar and toilets so I wasn't sure how good it was going to be. But the set up for Glasvegas for brilliant. There are a number of different entrances to the bandstand along Kelvinway, preventing big queues. Staff were friendly and carried out a quick but thorough bag / person search before letting us in. There were toilets at both sides of the venue with only 3 or 4 people in the queue when I walked past. The bar queue was also well organised, staff sold you tickets (£2 for a ticket and it's 1 ticket for a soft drink or 2 tickets for an alcoholic drink) in the queue so that when you got to the bar you just ordered your drink and handed the tickets over. I loved the atmosphere in the bandstand, everyone seemed chilled out and happy despite a little bit of rain! Magners provided blue ponchos for free around the venue, I nice touch! Their were fairy lights and it was nice sitting watching the bands with the park as a backdrop. Looking forward to next year's line up already!

I've been lucky enough to have tickets for a couple of gigs at the 2nd Magner's Summer Nights…read morefestival. The Kelvingrove Bandstand is an awesome venue which I'll review seperately. First up was King Creosote - truly an awesome gig. The music was super - not your standard gig; they were playing the soundtrack to a documentary on Scottish history. Echo & The Bunnymen is this week's gig - can't wait! Unfortunately I'm not impressed with the way in which Magners organised this event. There was one way in and out - if you had a bag it was fully searched. Now tickets state no glass bottles/alcohol - however people weren't even allowed to bring in plastic bottles of water. Once you get in, expect to be told where you can / cannot walk (yep seriously!). The bar is tokened - the equivalent of £2 for a soft drink; £4 for an alcoholic drink - and you can only get 4 alcoholic drinks at a time. They had run out of Gladeye IPA by halfway through the gig so we basically had to pay the same for a bottle of beer that was half the size. It's completelly non-smoking within the open air venue (not that you'd know as there are no signs anywhere to tell you). The queue for the gents loo was huge and there were obviously much less facilities for dudes than the ladies. All in all, I think the Summer Nights is a great idea, but I dislike being part such a captive cash-in for Magners.

This is a pretty area down a hidden alley with lovely colourful studios but honestly that's about…read moreit, I was expecting a lot more but there really wasn't anything to offer. I was expecting little boutique gifts shops but all I found was the hidden lane tearoom which to be fair looked cute, upholstery shop, yoga studios and not much else so I was disappointed, I wouldn't go out your way to visit.

The Hidden Lane has much to offer. Unfortunately, it's also a bit too hidden, so lots of people…read moremiss it, which means that the turnover of the retail businesses is fairly high, as they often don't get sufficient foot fall to sustain their business. The landlord really needs to get his act together, and get some proper signage and lighting. The entrance to it could be really cool - I'm thinking maybe some sort of art installation of neon lights in the lane entrance, or big neon arrows, or something along those lines. When you get into the lane itself, signage would really help with finding the businesses too, as it is a bit of a rabbit warren, and it's hard to work out where things are, even when you know they are definitely there. Signs with numbers would be a great help. Particularly in the winter months, when it gets dark so early, it can be a bit intimidating stumbling about a lane in the dark. Also, cars are allowed to park right in front of the doors pretty much, so even if there is a small sign that the business has put up, it's often easy to miss. Seriously landlord dude, get it sorted. The businesses that are there though, are typically worth seeking out. There is the AWESOME Hidden Lane Tearoom, a vintage style cafe, with beautiful cakes and teas. Currently, the lanes are also home to Paul Tasker Music - cool guitar teacher, A Shore Thing - a guy who makes great things from driftwood - top tip - you'll see a lot of his stuff in some of the pricier west end boutiques at much more expensive prices than if you buy from him directly.There's also the newly opened Sweetheart Creations selling up-cycled items, Dragonfly Boutique selling beautiful jewellery, art, and home-ware items (well worth a visit - they have some gorgeous stuff including items made from beach combed glass), Monday's Child, selling textile home-ware, and Emily Rose vintage. Aside from the retail units, there are also all sorts of people doing really cool things. Sew Confident offer sewing courses, which I really like the sound of, there's Shona Jewellery, who mostly sells online but works from a studio here, Bobbin & Fleck who do furniture restoration and upholstery, and lots more including a picture framer, a laser cutting and engraving place, a landscape architects' studio, and the New Hellfire Club, which is a not for profit record and book shop. Plus there's a recording studio! La Chunky Studios are right at the back left hand corner of the lane, and it's a fantastic place, offering high-end recording facilities for musicians, film-makers and voice over artists. I was lucky enough to have a look about recently, and hidden at the back of their studio there's a massive sunken room for hanging out in - it's so cool. So, The Hidden Lane is a quirky place, fully of brilliant people who deserve a better landlord - one who has the vision to turn this into a thriving hub of creativity and successful businesses. The Hidden Lane is cool already, but it could be utterly amazing.

The West End Festival is one of my favourite events of the year in Glasgow. The parade is a mix of…read morecolour and music as the people in it dance down the streets of the West End. Mouths won't go hungry as local businesses set up stalls and seats outside. Burgers, pizza, chips, cakes and pastries: there's lots to fill you up whilst you're entertained by the parade. Outside Hillhead Bookclub is the over 18s area which is a good escape from the pushy prams. You just need to make sure you get a good spot or you might not get to see a lot!

Did anyone make their way to Glasgow Mela last weekend? Cause I thought it was FAB! Lucky enough…read morethat the weather was on our side last weekend too. The festival had so many things and I'm glad that it was free too seeing as it was in Kelvingrove Park! The atmosphere of family, children and friends of different cultures (many Indian folk, locals and a bunch of other random nationalities including myself :D) came by to chill out at the park. Whether it was to play with outdoor installations or at the fun fair, or listen to music with a pint under the sun, or watch silly performances by street artists (and magicians) or even dance along with the amazing traditional performers (and also Irish line dancers) the day was just great! My partner and I explored everything! We were down at the smaller stage listening to Indian music with toddlers dancing everywhere. And then we watched as a parade of what seemed to be circus performers walked by. We slept on the grass while having Pimm's cocktails and listening to some dj sets. And then watched the amazing performers by so many tradition local clubs! If you haven't been before, you should really consider going in the next years to come :) Update: also, went to Chop Pop's exhibition of her Love Letters to Glasgow in the Hillhead Library and it was wonderful! Her artwork is amazing and meticulous! She's also a friendly wee lady and I love her. Check out her facebook if you didn't manage to catch her!

I spent a few hours here on Monday night with some friends, being taught how to play a couple of…read morecarsd games. The CCA is somewhere that i periodically hear people talking about, but I've never quite made it there myself. But I'm glad I have now. In many respects it reminds me of The Arches (RIP) - there's a reception / box office thing as you go in, then the actual bar is all exposed brickwork. The CCA is basically the space inbetween 2 buildings. So you have the original external sandstone walls becoming the internal walls of the CCA - i love this kind of use of space. The roof is one giant skylight, which makes this place really light and airy. We couldn't eat as the kitchen was closed for work to be done on it - but it has a reputation of doing really good food, so we'll be trying it out soon. It's fairly moderate/bordering on expensively priced - the beer we had was £4.50 a pint. They also do a table service when it's quiet. Overall I enjoyed our evening here and would like to go back on the weekend or for one of their events.

Ah, the CCA. Often forgotten but perhaps that makes it one of Glasgow's better-kept secrets. It's…read morean interesting space as it's difficult to put a stamp on. They run a number of different events and activities, making it difficult to recommend unless you have something specific to tell people to visit. The space itself is brilliant, very modern in the front with a bar and café/restaurant, and an additional bar upstairs that very much fits the art scene feel. In the middle is one of those exterior interiors, with outdoor walls and bannisters. If you enjoy any type of arts and culture from literature, art, and performance art, to music, give their website a glance over and see what interests you. They have so many projects and exhibitions it's difficult to keep up, but you can usually find something really wonderful. Last time I was there I saw some interesting work in digital media and photography. Even if you just fancy a coffee and a nibble, it's a great change from your typical coffee shop or gastropub. Give it a shot, you won't be disappointed.