The Real Gorbals Story: True Tales from Glasgow's Meanest Streets

by Colin Macfarlane

Colin MacFarlane was born in the Gorbals in the 1950s, 20 years after the publication of No Mean City, the classic novel about pre-war life in what was once Glasgow's most deprived district. He lived in the same street as its fictional 'razor king', Johnnie Stark, and subsequently realised that a lot of the old characters represented in the book were still around as late as the 1960s. Men still wore bunnets and played pitch and toss; women still treated the steamie as their social club. The razor gangs were running amok once again, and filth, violence, crime, rats, poverty and drunkenness abounded, just like they did in No Mean City.MacFarlane witnessed the last days of the old Gorbals as a major regeneration programme, begun in 1961, was implemented, and, as a street boy, he had a unique insight into a once great community in rapid decline. In this engrossing book, MacFarlane reveals what it was really like to live in the old Gorbals.

Genres: Nonfiction, Scotland, History

260 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 25, 2007

Reviews

[Marcus · Rating 4 out of 5]

My dad had an unclear perspective on who his father was, a loose answer had been given of a World War II American G.I. and he spent decades pursuing this route. The DNA age answered it all, as a series of McFarlanes popped up as close relatives on ancestry website. The soldier had been Scottish, from a line of Catholic, Celtic FC supporting shipbuilders and doormen. Their home was Rutherglen, which is near to The Gorbals, connected via the much mentioned Rutherglen Road. Given my new family name and region I checked out Life in the Gorbals: The Complete Bobby Muldoon Trilogy, took a Poverty Safari around Glasgow and given the author’s surname I put this one on my TBR list.

Much has been made of the level of poverty to be found in Glasgow, comparing the wretched life expectancy rates to those found in the third world, famously Rwanda. It is certainly a violent and often brutal environment to grow up in but the story is also told with great fondness for the strong sense of community. Now the area is gentrified after clearances and the community atomised. The author ends the story with his family moving to a new region.

[MR AP ROWDEN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Being from Scotland I can relate to far more than I would care to admit. So much hard truth and written in an easy-to-read way.
Cannot recommend highly enough, enjoyed every single page

[Erin (readbye) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Each of MacFarlane’s anecdotes within this memoir had such potential and yet each chapter fell flat, lacking in depth and interrogation of wider social themes. The stories are undoubtedly rose-tinted by nostalgia for his childhood and some of the writing already feels dated and, dare I say, misogynistic.

The snippets of dialogue included within would leave any native Glaswegian reader cringing. MacFarlane informs readers that many of the quotes have been fabricated to paint the picture of what was *probably* said at the time but this, for me, felt lacking in integrity and would’ve been better omitted.

Whilst I appreciate that this book was likely intended as an easy and relatable frolic through the author’s childhood, I felt it was no more than a glorification of the “good old days”. In allowing sentimentality to cloud the writing, McFarlane neglected to address, in any real depth, the sociopolitical context of an area that, still today, remains one of the most deprived and violent areas of Scotland.

I should’ve known when I first seen that Lorraine Kelly had written the foreword 👀😅 …

[Lana Kamennof-sine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have held onto this book for some time but after the trip to Glasgow sat down & began to read. Think it was a wise decision as references to locales etc were more meaningful. A well written book. Honest. The author doesn't whitewash his story but the spirit of Glasgow & of those I've met from the Gorbals shines through.

[Jonny Keen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating insight into Glasgow life in the 1960s. Heartwarming, but not overly sentimental with plenty of details about the muck, poverty and crime. An interesting read covering all aspects of Gorbals history and culture.

[Katy Galligan · Rating 4 out of 5]

each chapter highlights a different aspect of life in the gorbals. filled with anecdotes, both funny and serious the author captures thespirit of the gorbals people in this short read.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captures the magic of Glasgow. Laugh out loud and sadness, of the Gorbals that once was. Gone, but not forgotten when you read this. Thatsnaeborrataw.