Bungo Blog

The Strathbungo Society is pleased to open the entries for this year’s Children’s Art Competition.

Now in its third year, the event is going from strength to strength with more than 200 entries in 2011. You can still view a slide show of all last year’s winning artwork here: Strathbungo Art Competition 2011.

The theme for 2012 is “Strathbungo From My Window” (literal or metaphorical!) and as well as great images of our local architecture we suspect there might be more than a few pictures of diggers this year!

The competition is open to all children from 0-16, split into four age groups. You can download an entry form below, or pick one up from the local venues who will be displaying the winning artworks for two weeks from 19th March.

As ever, the only place to see all entries displayed and all the winners together is at Strathbungo’s Spring Fling in Queens Park Parish Church Hall on Saturday 17th March.

You can download the rules and prize information here: prizes & rules info for art competition Spring Fling 2012

And the entry forms for each age group here: entry form 2012 Under 5 years

entry form 2012 5 – 8 years

entry form 2012 9 – 12 years

entry form 2012 13 – 16 years

Not quite feeling festive yet? Well, we can’t magic up snow or a Christmas tree to rival the local monkey puzzle, but why not head down to your local Christmas lights switch-on?

It takes place this Friday, 2^nd December on Abbot St outside the Co-op from 6pm. There’s festive music, mince pies and usually a special visit from a certain someone.

Why not combine it with an afternoon of local Christmas shopping and a meal out, all within easy reach of Strathbungo?

STOP PRESS. A little bird tells me this Saturday is Shawland’s Primary’s Christmas Fair. Not sure of timings but events like this are normally 10-2 at the school. Hopefully they’ll have signs out on the day, or if you’re a Shalwands parent, post a comment on this thread and let us know!

The New Victoria Gardens allotments open day is on Saturday the 20th of August, 2pm-5pm. Come and see the prize-winning fruit, veg and flowers on exhibit in the hall – most sold at bargain prices at the end of the day. Plenty of your Strathbungo neighbours have plots, so come along and say hello. Click here to see the location of the allotments.

• Massive plant stall with annuals, perennials, fresh produce & cut flowers– plus free advice from the gardeners who grew them

• Many other stalls including handicrafts, bric-a-brac, honey & jam, tombola
• A chance to peer into 64 individual gardens and chat with the plotholders
• The famous New Victoria Tea Room and home baking shop
• Gardens Cafe, this year with an Indian vegetarian twist
• Specially for kids – a bouncy castle and garden-themed games.

Admission £1 (accompanied children under 12 free).

Whose permission do I need to set up a table?

No-one’s, if it’s in or behind your back garden. If you’d like to advertise what your stall is doing, let us know and we’ll put it on the Bungo Map.

How much does it cost to set up a stall?

Nothing! All we ask is that stallholders donate around 10% of any takings to the Strathbungo Society. This enables us to pay for organising the event. The Strathbungo Society is a registered charity: SCO38276.

I don’t have a back garden on a lane, can I set up a table?

Yes. First of all ask anyone you know who has a space on the lanes and see if you can set up there. If not, come out at around 12.30 on the day and set up wherever you can squeeze in. It should be apparent by then if someone’s setting up or not. The lane with the most available space is Nithsdale/Regent.

Can I borrow a table from the Society?

Sorry, we can only afford to hire tables and chairs for the use of Society stalls, bars and tea gardens. You don’t necessarily need a table – people use all sorts of combinations of boxes and chairs to display their wares!

I’d like to sell home baking or food, what do I need to do?

You must contact the food safety department of Glasgow City Council who will examine the cooking premises being used prior to the event and spot-check on the day.  Phone 0845 2701558. Email: foodsafety@glasgow.gov.uk.

Can I set up a BBQ in our garden?

In order to get the go-ahead for the event his year we’ve been in contact with the local fire brigade. They’d prefer it if there were no BBQs other than the one on Marywood Lane which is arranged by the Society.

Will the event be cancelled or postponed if there’s bad weather?

It’s never been called off yet! Baring a hurricane (which might cause a spot of bother with the gazebos) the event has and will go ahead in all weathers. It’s always nicer in the sunshine but even on damp days we tend to get a decent turnout of locals. We’ll post a daily weather update on the Bungo Blog for the five days preceding the event.

I don’t want to hold a stall myself but I’ve got some things I’d like to donate, where can I take them?

Unopened bottles and good-quality gifts can be donated to the Strathbungo Society’s tombola and bottle stalls by dropping them off at 16 Queen Square. If it’s jumble you’re wanting rid of, ask the neighbours if they’re doing a bric-a-brac stall and would sell your stuff, or keep an eye on the blog in case anyone’s setting up near you.

Can I set up a stall to raise money for another charity?

Of course, if you let us know in advance we can advertise it on the Bungo Map.

I live on Vennard Gardens, why don’t you have stalls in our lanes?

In the past there’s been a lack of demand. Our insurance only covers the back lanes we usually operate in. However, if there’s enough interest in future we’d happily extend the event over to the Gardens.

As part of its fundraising programme,  Shawlands Academy Parent Teacher Association is holding its first ever Car Boot Sale.  If you fancy trying out your selling skills then contact the PTC on 07747 371 430 or log on to the Shawlands Academy website for more details 

http://www.shawlandsacademy.glasgow.sch.uk/ 

Pre-booked tables cost £10 (£15 on the day) and you can set up from 9am.

And, it would be great to see some Young Bungo Entrepeneurs – so come on all you Young Apprentices!  

If you simply want to browse what’s on offer, grab a bargain and get a cup of tea and some home baking then head to Shawlands Academy on Saturday 21 May 2011.  Entry is £1.50 (children 50p).

If you’re interesting in getting involved in the first ever Southside Film Festival why don’t you go along to the meeting this Thursday 5 May, at 8.30pm in Beanscene, Battlefield?

The Festival is looking for volunteers to help with the staging of the Southside Film Festival which is happening over the weekend of 13-15 May.  So do come along if you want to help – and let other people know who might be interested.

For further information, please contact Karen O’Hare at southsidefilmfest@gmail.com>

Ramblers Scotland is launching new walk programmes in various locations Glasgow as part of the organisation’s aim to get more people in the city out walking.  Members of the public are invited to come along to public meetings and learn about these new programmes and the work of The Ramblers in Scotland.  One of the meetings will be held at:

Conference Hall, Queens Park Church, 170 Queens Drive

Thursday 12^th May 7.30 p.m.

Attendees will receive a free copy of new Programmes of Walks for people based in the South Side of Glasgow.  Walks will be on Saturdays or Sundays; some full day, others half day; some easy, others strenuous.  There will be a meeting point at Queen’s Park where it is planned that those with cars can give lifts to the start of the walk to those without cars.  Everyone is welcome.

Anyone interested, but unable to attend any of the meetings, should contact:

queenspark@glasgowramblers.org.uk

or write to Barry Pottle, c/o 15 Newton Terrace, Glasgow, G3 7PJ.

Each year at Hogmanay Strathbungo holds its own celebration, ‘Bungo at the Bells’.

The procession begins at 11:30pm on Nithsdale Road and in Vennard Gardens before winding its way to the venue (this year it’s on the corner of Marywood Square and Moray Place). There’s banging of pots, plenty of drinking and singing, the occasional jig, and lots of meat pies going round. And every year there’s a piper. But the thing is, no one knows who the piper is. Various people around Strathbungo organise one aspect or another of the event but no one organises for the piper to come. No one knows who he is and certainly no one pays him. Yet, every year he (or is it a different piper each year?) dutifully turns up in the middle of the night, bagpipe in hand and belts out the tunes at just the right moment.

If you know the piper, we’re not asking that you tell us. We just ask that you encourage him to come along again this year to Bungo at the Bells and give us a tune or two. And a big thank you in advance to the piper from us at the Blog. Hogmanay just isn’t hogmanay without a piper.

And the more pipers the better. So if you’re not the piper, but have a set, do bring them along and join in.

(Another post on Bungo at the Bells closer the time)

Lady Drawers on Nithsdale Road will be opening until 8:30pm on Thursday nights. It’s a great place to pick up last-minute Christmas gifts or a new outfit for yet another Christmas party and, as it’s so handy, you can venture there on foot in the worst of the weather

Have just completed a series of paintings of Strathbungo for a forthcoming exhibition to be held in a southside gallery. Should anyone wish an e mail image with a view to ordering a print, please e mail me at mgs63@live.co.uk.

Many thanks,

Graham