Bungo In The Back Lanes FAQs

When is this year’s Bungo In The Back Lanes?

It’s always best to check on our calendar of upcoming events for details of dates of all our events.

Bungo in the Back Lanes returns to the lanes of Strathbungo on Saturday 22nd June 2024, 1-5pm.

Can I help?

Absolutely. The event is run by a small team of volunteers, and we are grateful for all the help we can get, especially on the day. Please think about giving up a little of your time.

Contact bitbl@strathbungo.co.uk if you want to help out, putting up, taking down, stewarding, manning stalls, delivering newsletters or generally want to get involved with the work of the Strathbungo Society.

Tables and stalls

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 aim to put it on the Bungo Map and flyers. Email bitbl@strathbungo.co.uk.

For those who don’t live on the lanes in use, in the past we have tried to help them find a spot for a stall. Unfortunately this year we just don’t have the resources to do that. Ultimately the Society does not control access to gardens; it’s entirely down to the residents if they want to host someone.

A hint: because Lane 4 (between Marywood & Vennard) is newer to the BitBL festivities, it can have vacant spots, so you could try asking residents along there for a spot.

How much does it cost to set up a stall?

It doesn’t cost anything. However, BitBL takes lots of organisation by volunteers (you may have been involved!) and incurs a range of costs. We are very grateful for core grant support from Glasgow City Council to meet costs like insurance without which the event could not run. There are other costs though we need to meet and we also aim to raise some money to enable the Strathbungo Society to keep going and run other events during the year.

We therefore ask stallholders, except for children or charities, to contribute 10% of their earnings on the day as a donation to the Strathbungo Society. Stewards will issue an envelope for donations to all stallholders which they will collect at the end of the afternoon, or they can be returned to the Strathbungo Society – receipts will be issued on request. The Strathbungo Society is a registered charity: SCO38276.

If you are setting up a stall this year, please email us at bitbl@strathbungo.co.uk so we can update the map for the event.

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.  Failing that, come out at around 11.30am 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 lanes with the most available space are Nithsdale Street/Regent Park Square (Lane 1) and Marywood Square/Vennard Gardens (Lane 4).

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 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. We’ll provide contact details before the event, or email bitbl@strathbungo.co.uk.

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.

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. We do not ask for a donation from stalls in aid of other charities.

What are my responsibilities?

Stallholders & owners: The back lanes are privately owned and it is the responsibility of individual owners and stall holders to ensure they meet legal requirements.

Volunteers: Generally the volunteers who help organise BitBL do not have specific Health and Safety duties (HSE Advice for Volunteers) but need to take care of your own health and safety, for example, if moving equipment. Volunteers are covered by the Strathbungo Society’s Public Liability insurance.

Visitors: BitBL is a major community event which welcomes people from outwith Strathbungo. If you have not visited before, the Strathbungo back lanes are mainly cobbled, with generally uneven surfaces and contain many potholes. While people walk along them the whole time, there are many potential hazards in terms of tripping and stumbling, so you need to have suitable footwear and look where you put your feet. In order to reduce risks to visitors, the Strathbungo Society organises a community clear up the weekend before the event and also checks for other hazards on the morning of BitBL, while the Council does a street clean, but at the end of the day, visitors come at their own risk and should be aware that it is stallholders who are responsible for ensuring that any products they sell meet Health and Safety requirements.

Alcohol, Food and BBQs

Alcohol
The Society organises one or two bars with the aid of local businesses (e.g. The Bungo Bar). These are fully licensed, with strict rules – no alcohol may be taken outside the bars, and there are security staff present to ensure rules are followed.

You MUST NOT sell alcohol from your own stall if you do not have a licence. It is illegal, and could land the event in trouble too. If we spot you, we will ask you to stop.

You must also not drink alcohol in the lanes. If you are drinking or serving to friends, please keep it confined to your garden.

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

Any stall providing food needs to be aware of the requirements of Glasgow City Council for food handling and preparation. The food safety department of Glasgow City Council has provided up-to-date guidance for stalls selling food, which you MUST read and follow if you plan to offer food at the event. You will find it here. If you want to contact them yourself about any aspect of this, please email them at foodsafety@glasgow.gov.uk.

Can I set up a BBQ in our garden?

In a previous year, the the local fire brigade stated they would 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, other than for lockdowns.! Barring a hurricane (which might cause a spot of bother with the gazebos), the event goes ahead in all weathers. It’s always nicer in the sunshine but even on damp days we tend to get a decent turnout of local folk.

2 Comments

  1. Ronnie Heeps

    is it possible for a person who does not live in the area to set up a table?

    • Heather Alexander

      The answer is Yes, and you are very welcome to take part, but the trick is finding a space!

      The way it generally works is that residents use their own garden or the space outside their garden to have a stall or host one for friends. As a result, we don’t normally know where there will be a space.

      In a change this year, we’ve been soliciting spaces from householders in one of our less busy lanes (between Vennard Gardens and Marywood Square) but we had very few responses and the new spaces we did get have already been allocated.

      We are asking again on social media for more spaces as there is still a waiting list.

      The alternative is to turn up on the day to see if you can find a spot (asking the householder for permission of course!). The best bet is probably in the Vennard/Marywood lane, which is Lane 4 on our maps. You’ll find some more guidance here: https://bungoblog.com/society-events/bungo-in-the-lanes/bungo-in-the-back-lanes-faqs/.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.