No Mean Company

Paras Over The Barras

Written by James Barclay

25 & 26 October 2002

HILARIOUS AND HEARTWARMING

James Barclay's marvellous story set in Glasgow's East End tenements during the war.

There's a war on and for glasgow, like the rest of Britain, that means air, raids, black-outs, food rationing, barrage balloons and the pain of parting as husbands and fathers go off to fight.

For the Mc Sorleys and their neighbours in the East End tnements it is a case of making the best of what life has to offer. This is their laugh-a-line story capturing all the wit and spirit of city life during the dark days of the forties when the grit and humour of Glaswegians overcame all adversities.

James Barclay has created a marvellous range of characters:

Wullie McSorley, a waspish whinger full of biting wit;

His long suffering sister Annie whose man 'Big Sammy' is away fighting;

Her daughter Rita a no-nonsense clippie on the tram caurs;

Her fiance, Rasputin Plunkett, a genius-cum-idiot;

Ina McLatchie, East End spinster, whose advances on Wullie are continually spurned;

Auld McPhee the grocer who becomes a groper when food coupons are in short supply;

Fingers McGeaghie, the local wide boy who does a nice line in rings - engagement rings, masonic rings, even gas rings.

His arch enemy Erchie McPherson. Erchie is a plumber by day but dictator by night when he puts on his tin hat and becomes a special constable patrolling the beat without fear or favour.

Curdey McVey, the apprentice undertaker, who has a lot to learn about life

Madame Wee Nellie, coiffeuse el brilliant, who is not all that she seems

And a motley crew of others including of course the ubiquitous drunk.

The characters are fictitious but the names of shops, streets, tram routes and other locations are just as they were in the forties, evoking a wonderful nostalgic picture of the Glasgow we used to know.

Doon The Close

“As children, we were often afraid to enter the dungeon like close when it started to get dark outside.”

“I also remember that Alcoholics would steal the full bottles of milk and connect a rubber hose to the Gas Lights in the close and gas up the milk,then drink it!”

Entertainment

“Boy did we have fun, the boys use to tie door handles across the close then knock at the door and run away. We girls played peevie, beds, ball and with wee celluloid dolls in OXO boxes with clothes made out of halfpenny balls of wool.”

“I recall as kids tying thread from the top landing to the washhouse, then attached a home made airplane by staples when released it would descend at a rapid pace right through the washhouse window terrifying the women in the washhouse.”

“…as kids we would regularly nab a hudgie (when translated means hanging on the back of a lorry) and go for several miles, or until our arms got sore.”

Raking the Middens

“One day we found a pot coated with tablet ( fudge ) and three of us scraped it clean and ate the contents. No wonder we always came down with all kinds of diseases.”

“I really enjoyed my childhood. Rakin the middens, jumping the dykes, stealing the beer bottles from the pub and then taking them back to get the money back on the bottles.”