Glasgow comes to Thurso to make it blooming marvellous
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After receiving over £1000 in donations, a green-fingered local continues in his quest to bring vibrant colours to the centre of Thurso.
Alexander Glasgow is a well-kent figure in the town as he tends to roses and hanging baskets in his gnome-inspired scarlet overalls and hat. Now, the community activist and self-confessed gnome lover has not only benefited from a sizeable cash injection to his campaign but has had flowers, bulbs and a nice heap of horse dung donated to him.
"I have been extremely fortunate to have received over £1000 of private donations and offers of more," said Mr Glasgow. "I also have been donated flowers and bulbs, as well as horse dung from Mount Pleasant."
He says the flower displays help enhance residents' and visitors' experiences of the town and that he has now adopted the barrel train planters at the railway station.
"Flowers effect a subconscious change to the way passers-by perceive urban settings. I follow various In Bloom/Colour groups on social media, and see the pleasure volunteers can help bring.
"Everything is entering full bloom now. The hanging baskets are on the Narnia lampposts in the precinct, and the scent of the Beach Road roses further puts me in mind of Edmund Pevensie's temptation."
WD Ross and Caithness Livestock Breeders got together, and secured a knapsack for him to water the hanging baskets without climbing a ladder – a local plumber adapted it for height too. As well as his little gnome friends, a number of humans – including Bank of Scotland staff – have lent a hand as well, he says.
"Children young and old are delighted by the gnome patrol meets Lewis Carroll meets Beatrix Potter amongst the roses. I have been asked if I was 'Greenpeace guy' and if I was related to the Geordie folk singer, Alex Glasgow.
"And, I even had my house keys found by young people who saw me desperately looking for something."
Mr Glasgow thinks it will be highly advantageous to start a constituted group to take matters forward in the next season. "I could continue to operate as now, but one would provide strong governance as well as guarantee of access to funding streams rather than the wing and a prayer of asking existing groups to ringfence on my behalf."
The funds he raised allowed him to place hanging baskets around the town centre and he hopes to find assisted sponsorship for this in the future.
"As the roses go back to sleep in the autumn, my next hope is to populate Sir John Square with amenity trees. Bareroots can be purchased from the end of summer. The current sycamores are wholly unsuited for an urban environment. They inflict massive leaf drops, disrupt fixtures with their roots, and offer load-bearing branches for birds which foul the pavement.
"They were scheduled for staggered removal from 2012. This seems to have been kicked into the long grass. I'm in touch with the community council who tell me the tree officer is unable to attend because of Corona – this only can be used as a foil for so long." Mr Glasgow feels that Japanese blossom trees would be more appropriate for the town square.
"I am reaching out to local community groups. If any feel able to take me under their aegises for further improvements to Thurso, please get in touch.
"I am open to fund-raising suggestions prior to any group being established."
Alexander Glasgow can be contacted through the Facebook page www.facebook.com/caithness.manifesto
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