George Square

George Square (Scots Gaelic: Ceàrnag Sheòrais) is the main civic square in the middle o Glesga, Scotland. It is cried fur King George III. It's ane oot o sax squares in the ceetie centre. The idea ahint the square wis pit oot in 1781, bit didna become developit fur anither 20 year. George Square wis sorroondit bi important biggins. Tae the east is the Glesga Ceetie Chambers, kent as the Municipal Chaumers an aw, whase stane foondin wit pit in 1883, an tae the wast o't is the Merchants Hoose. Ben the square is an important collection o statues an monimets, sic as thae dedicatit tae Robert Burns, James Watt an Sir Walter Scott. History Plans fur George's Square, as it was kent at the stairt, wis laid oot in 1781 as pairt o a Georgian hypodamic plan thit stairtit aff raxin fae Stockwell Street tae Buchanan Street. This plan, thit wis later on raxed wast tae Blythswood Hill, wis maistlins the wirk bi architects James Barry, James Craig, an James Gillespie Graham. Hounaiver, durin the early years, it wisnae muckle mair nor a glaury aurie, fillt wi dirty watter an uised fur sacrificin horses. Atween 1787 an the 1820s, the square appent up an Georgie hooses an hotels war biggit on the east an wast sides. In 1842, Glesga Queen Street railwey station, the end o The Embro an Glesga railwey, wis appent on the north side. Bi 1850, the square haed turnt intae a hub fur merchant actívitie. In 1877, Merchands Hoose wis muived tae the square, an the square itsel, thit wis a private gairden fur the sorroondin hooses, wis turnt intae a public space efter a croud malafoustered the gates durin a riot. A statue o King George III wis tae occupt the centre o the square tae stairt wi but the stamash an anxiety caused bi the ceetie's tabacco traders bi the American War o Unthirldom in 1775 an the follaein Breetish defeat in 1783, alangsyd King George's frequent fumin fits, had caused mixed feelins fur the king, an as a result, it wis decided tae honor Sir Walter Scott insteid, wi a sculptur o John Greenshields pit abuinn a 24-metre heich Doric Column bi Alexander Handyside Ritchie. Baith wis complete atween 1834 an 1837. Biggins Thir days, maist o the east side consists o the Glesga Ceetie chambers, hame tae the Glesga Ceetie Cooncil, thit appent in 1888. On the sooth side ur twa three biggins, lik the umwhile Post Office, biggit in 1878 an turnt intae office space in 2007, a Chicago-style office biggin fae 1924, an the ceetie's main tourist office. The north side consists o Queen Street Station, the Millennium Hotel (umwhile the North British Railwey Hotel) fae the 1840s, an George Hoose, thit's an aulder Georgie biggin, biggit in 1979 tae gie mair space fur offices. Queen Street, thit rins alang the wast side o the square, haes the Merchands Hoose, thit hooses the Glesga Chaumer o Commerce, designed bi John Burnet an appent in 1874. In 1907, John James Burnet pit in 2 flairs, wi a domed touer on the tap, whilk haes the Hoose emblem, a shop on a Globe, engraved on it, tae mind fowk on the importance o maritime trade tae the propsperity tae Glesga. The wastren side haes the umwhile Bank o Scotland biggin an aw, bit nou conteens offices an a Weatherspoons pub. The east side o the square is flankit bi twa greens an conteens the ceetie Cenotapah an aw, thit tae stairt wi, wis designed bi John James Burnet an wis biggit in 1922 bi the Earl Haig Fund tae mynd the fowk fae Glesga thit lost thair lifes in the First Warld War. A 24 Metre heich Column, pit up in 1837, shaws the scriever Walter Scott. A feck o Glesga's public statues is fund aboot the square an amang thaim are the ainly kent equestrian statues o a yung Queen Victoria an her husband Prince Albert, the makars Robert Burns an Thomas Campbell, the inventor James Watt, the chemist Thomas Graham, the generals Sir John Moore, Lord Clyde, an the politícians William Ewart Gladstone, Robert Peel an James Oswald. Social Importance The square haes been muckle uised as a place fur public gaitherins, polítical gitthegithers, royets, protests, handselins, ceremonies, parauds an concerts. Ane o the maist weel kent wis the Black Friday Demonstrations in 1919, whan pairt-takers haudit a muckle demonstration fur tae see impruivement on wirkin condítions (For example, agin 56 oors o wirk ilka week in mony factories in the ceetie), wi mair nor 90,000 protestor in the square an the surroondin streets. The event turnt intae stramashs atween protestors an the polis, an the Riot Act bein rade. The radical reputation o the ceetie, an the haudin up o the red flag by some fowk thare, made the Líberal govrenment feart o a Bolshevik revolution wis aboot tae happen. The govrenment reponed bi cawin oot fully airmed troops an tanks in the square an streets in the ceetie. Syne, the square haes sert as a venue fur polítical campaigns an gitthegithers o a hale wheen o kynds, protests agin the Poll tax, an the Iraq War, annual Remembrance Day parauds an recent-like, haes turnt intae the place for stendit Hogmanay handselins in the ceetie. In the winter, thare is an ice rink in the square. In Februar 2005, the square wis closed tae gangers fur a twa-month sortin project, thit includit replacin the red pavement, an statuee an stane cleanin, espeicially Walter Scott's. The chyce tae tak oot the green areas an rent oot the square fur temporar firms wis controversial. In 2012, a campaign stairtit tae bring the square back tae it's oríginal wey. Juist efter Margaret Thatcher's deith in 2013, thare wis ettlins tae pit thegither street pairties tae handsel the event. As a repone tae dae it in George Square, Glesga Ceetie Cooncil pit oot a statement statin: "Regaridless aboot whether or no it's appropriate tae hiv a pairty tae hailsin somebody's deith, this event is bein pit thegither wioot the appruival fae the Glasgow City Cooncil, an we are concernt anent the sauftie o aw pairt-takers. Actual event organisers hiv tae git permíssion tae uise the square. Thay hiv tae shaw tae the ceetie cooncil thit thay will tak safuety measures sic as provide first-aid, eneuch public cludgies an guards, as weel as gittin a liability license an aw. We'r cawin fur fowk tae keep awa fae thir events." It's thocht thit mair nor 100 fowk arrived efter hauf an oor. Durin the 2014 Scots unthirldom referendum, George Square wis a weel kent settin fur polítical rallies, maistly amang the supporters fur unthrildom. Fremmit airtins 'The Evolution of George Square' tauk bi Niall Murphy (in Inglis) 'George Square Heritage Trail' bi Glesga City Cooncil Archived 2021-05-17 at the Wayback Machine (in Inglis) References