Mar 31, 2016
Everyone leaving the park once the sun disappears.
seen from Germany
seen from United States
seen from Japan
seen from United States
seen from Czechia
seen from Germany
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Indonesia
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from Canada
seen from United States
seen from Japan
seen from Argentina
seen from Indonesia
seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from United States
Everyone leaving the park once the sun disappears.
Interview 3
When the hailstones came on I went to the pub to meet my friend and then once it cleared up we went back to the park so I could get my last interview. There was a woman sitting on a bench throwing a ball back and forward for her dog, so I went over and spoke to her.
M: So… How often do you come to botanics?
3: Eh I walk Rhona (her dogs name) about… 4 times a week, my husband takes her the rest, so yeah around 3-4 times a week.
M: Do you come here just to walk her or do you ever visit for anything else?
3: Well, em, before we got Rhona we used to just walk through every so often in the summer, I like to just sit and read a book or watch the world go by. Sometimes we take the grandkids to the park just up the top there when we babysit for my son.
M: Aw that’s nice, so what…
3: Oh, and I meet some of the girls in the wee coffee shop over there when we are all free.
M: I’ve never been inside is it nice?
3: Oh yes… it’s lovely inside, and they have a courtyard out the back you can sit there in the summer, oh but sorry dear, what were you going to ask?
M: Oh yeah, em, is there anything you think the park is lacking, like eh, something that would improve it for you, and make you wanna visit more?
3: Hmm, I don’t really know what else a park needs apart from a playground and grass *laughs*, let me think…
M: Yeah just anything really, like the last guy I spoke to said a big wall for kids and stuff to draw on.
3: I’m not sure how that would really fit in a place like this, i’m probably a bit too out of touch for that *haha*…
M: *Laughs* Of course not…
3: Ah!… you know what would be good? Something to make people clean up after themselves, leaving dogs muck after them and cigarettes all over the ground. That would be really useful… no matter how many bins are around people are still too lazy to use them…
M: Yeah I um see that all the time, its like one of my pet hates, but to be honest I don’t really think there are enough bins around here.
3: Just carry it until you find one, anyway i’m rambling on *haha*.
M: Umm, so are there any other similar places you visit, or do you just prefer, like, coming here?
3: Eh, well, I’m getting on a bit now so I try to stay nearish home if I can, but when my husbands got the car we’ll go to Kelvingrove or Glasgow Green, do you know it? It’s got the peoples palace which looks pretty similar to here actually…
M: No! I’ve actually never been, I never really venture to that side of Glasgow…
3: Ohh… You should really try make a point of going, its a nice wee day out
M: Sure, uh yeah, I am definitely going to make a point of going this summer. So is there anything there that makes it better than here?
3: Well really it’s just bigger, and further away from the roads so I always feel a bit safer letting her run around wild *calls to her dog*, yeah…
M: Sadly I don’t have a dog to take with me…
3: Well its fun for humans too *laughs*
M: Um… Yeah I think that’s me… Well yeah uh thanks for your time.
3: Oh okay, you’re very welcome, I best be getting her off home, it’s getting awfully chilly.
My Last Visit
Wednesday 30th March
3:15pm - I just got here and there is a bride and groom having photos taken on the grass, they most likely came across from the Oran Mor. They are very lucky that it’s such a sunny day.
It’s really warm so I’m able to take off my jacket and cardigan and put my sunglasses on, but I seem to be the only one wearing them.
3:23 - There are loads of couples out for a romantic stroll.
3:32 - Two cars have just parked directly in front of me, which is very helpful…
3:46 - The clouds have just come out and covered up the sun and everyone has quickly dispersed.
3:55 - There are lots of budding photographers taking photos of flowers, the sky, etc. I should ask them for tips as I just tried to take photos and my settings made the pictures just come out as a blank white screen.
4:02- Lots of people stopping on benches for a scenic cigarette, some just sitting staring at their phone screens. Haven’t seen them glance up even once.
Some stragglers in school uniforms walking through, I think schools in the west end finish at 3 as hundreds of them run at me as I got off the subway.
Kids chasing pigeons, grandparents walking with prams, dog walkers and cyclists - but no joggers today…
4:12 - Getting some raindrops on my notepad so I packed up my stuff, just as I’m walking out hailstones start, and I don’t have a hood. Bloody Glasgow. I hope the newlyweds managed to get out of there before me.
A Drunken Friday Night
Friday 25th March
As the nights are now longer and brighter I’m hoping to see more people using the park and walking through. The park will probably be open until around 9-ish tonight, that’s around when the sun is meant to set.
It is 6:55 and still a nice bright evening, botanics are just off of Byers Road which has lots of bars and restaurants, including the Oran Mor which is always packed on a Friday evening with people coming in after work.
7:05 - Surely enough there are lots of couples and groups all dressed up walking through the park, all towards the main entrance/exit so I can only assume they are going out for the night.
7:16 - There are a few people sitting on benches nearby me, having a few sly sips out of some bottles, and some walking past not even trying to conceal their bottles of Budweiser and Buckfast.
7:21 - Most of the people sitting near me were just waiting for their friends to come and meet them so I’m one of very few still sitting alone with a notepad. A drunk group of guys walked past me shouting something unintelligible, it’s amazing how early some people get drunk just cause it’s the easter weekend.
7:35 - An older woman and a young guy ran through the park, he was quite obviously a personal trainer as he was very in shape and egging the woman on. Quite an oxymoron for the stuff going on around about them.
7:46 - There is a large group of smartly dressed older guys that are pretty rowdy obviously desperate to get to the pub to celebrate their bank holiday. I can overhear them talking about their work and their wives.
7:57 - Lots of dog walkers out tonight, but for some reason I never really see dogs being let off the leash, very few anyway. I don’t really understand why because the big open space park is right in front of me.
8:05 - It’s as though there’s a full moon every time there’s a bank holiday, there’s always one guy trying to carry his drunk girlfriend/wife home when he can barely stand up himself. The west end does attract some interesting sights…
8:21 - There are still lots of people passing by, though by this time more are clearly going back home or elsewhere from Byers Road, I imagine people have been drinking since lunchtime cause it looks that way.
Sunday 20th March
It is 10am and it was meant to be really warm today, unfortunately it is pretty freezing a the moment and raining. I’m trying to keep hold of an umbrella and type at the same time - I can’t write in my notebook cause its too wet and windy.
10:10 - The glasshouses and tearooms have not long been open so people are just beginning to venture their way in. They are the only place to really get any shelter so I assume they’ll be getting pretty busy.
10:24 - Lots of people with umbrellas up walking past, no doubt thinking i’m a weirdo for sitting here alone in the rain. Everyone is walking pretty quickly to get shelter from the rain, and the people without umbrellas sprinting ahead.
10:45 - The rain has finally stopped and it seems as though it might actually clear up a little and be an okay day. Maybe I should give apple weather more of a chance. The benches are all still soaked though so no one taking a seat yet.
10:53 - More families are coming through now, as well as some dog walkers and couples out for a stroll.
11:08 - I was hoping to see lots of people in the park today but the weather hasn’t been too kind and maybe it is just too early, everyone wants a long lie on a Sunday.
A Sunny Day in Glasgow!
Monday 14th March
Hallelujah! the sun is finally out, so I’m hoping to see a much busier park and lots more activities.
It was difficult to get my bench today cause it was so packed with people trying to get in a few hours of sunshine for the first time this year, it is actually t-shirt weather! Well maybe for about twenty minutes and then the wind comes and it’s a bit bitter.
12:34 - There are lots of picnic blankets and jackets laid out over the grass for people to lie on, every other person has their sunglasses on and everyone seems in a much better mood. It’s even making me feel much better which I never thought would happen today.
12:42 - I’ve just realised that my camera is out of battery so that’s a bit of a bummer. The park is thriving, school kids are sitting on the grass eating their lunch, the glasshouses are getting lots of visitors. It must be sweltering inside, everyone is coming outside looking like a buckaroo holding all their layers.
12:56 - I’ve noticed lots of people reading, sketching, painting as well as taking photographs, it seems the sun inspires people to get creative. I even tried a few sketches myself but I won’t embarrass myself by posting them…
1:18 - I’m getting a few questionable looks every time I light a cigarette, normally from older women and mothers with young kids; apparently this isn’t a public place.
1:29 - My brother and his girlfriend have just come along with her parents border collie Milo to come take him for a walk, and pick me up to take me with them to the beach. I have a wee play with the dog which gets me talking to other dog owners, then they go a walk around the park to let me finish up my notes.
1:41 - It has gotten quieter now, I think people are just starting to release that it is not quite yet summer. Some brave people are still there with trouser legs rolled up and sleeves down trying to catch some early year rays.
1:46 - My brother has come back to get me and we’re taking the dog to Balmaha so I can get some fun in the sun as well, it would be just my luck for it to disappear now.
Friday 4th of March
It is 9:45 and I’m back again for the first time in March, unfortunately my hopes for the weather to pick up haven’t quite come to fruition yet, but I’m definitely not going to be finding my fingers too numb to hold my pen this time.
The glasshouses and tearooms open at 10am so there are a lot of staff coming in to unlock and set up, as well as park staff unlocking the glasshouses for visitors arriving.
10:03 - I am quite surprised at the amount of people who have come to see the glasshouses already, I think a few of them had maybe come earlier and realised they weren’t open for another wee while.
10:12 - There is a group of young mums with prams walking towards the tearooms, I presume they’re going for a coffee morning which is apparently a necessity for young mums these days.
10:33 - I can see a big group of men and women in fluorescent clothes running towards me, I think it must be one of those organised group activity jogging things. I’m partially deafened as the group of around 20 jog past chatting laughing and panting, I think they may be retirees from the snippets of conversation I could onto.
10:47 - There are a few brief splits in the clouds where the sun is shining through, a few older couples have been walking through and going into the tearooms. Haven’t seen anyone emerge from there yet. There are lots of people walking their dogs, a few letting them off the lead to play fetch, one man seems exhausted after running about after his mischievous labrador.
Inspiration and Ideas So Far
As I’ve hit the halfway mark in my observations I thought I would have a bit of a brainstorm and explain some of ideas and throught processes so far.
One of the first ideas that srpung to mind was the mobile app “Zombies, Run!”, it is an app that encourages joggers to run faster and for longer periods of time. It does this by asking the user to put earphones in and the app plays a simulated story about the user being in a zombie epidemic, in order to increase their fitness.
It is a fun and unique idea to get people fit as well as being part of a story, and this gave me the idea for a form of interactive game or competition for joggers who run in the park to be a part of.
In the meadows in Edinburgh there is a strip that lies along the bicycle lane and counts how many cyclists have used it in that present day and over the current year. This is an interesting installation, however, it does not provide much interactivity of motivation to get more people cycling.
I was thinking that I could use this premise to develop a similar installation that would include a screen with records of joggers. Joggers could pick up a fob or enter a unique code, and it would record how long it takes them to run around a specific track in the park, (this would require GPS). This could be turned into a game, people could have avatars that they create at home and compete with other joggers throughout the day. It could also make people be more inclined to chat to one another, and offer to race eachother etc.
Graffiti walls and art murals are always a great addition into any community, as it encourages people to create art legally and mix with others to create something beautiful. I could develop on this or maybe even incorporate this into the jogging system. For example, the wall has a projector that shows the joggers avatars running around the park, and people could stick things onto their paths, and draw around the scenery. This definitely needs more thought but it could create something very fun and unique.