Glasgow, when will you learn? If a building like St Andrews in the Square existed anywhere else in…read moreEurope, it would feature on postcards, be highlighted on guided tours and sign-posted from across the city. Tourists would flock and photograph it from every angle, creating albums on Facebook entitled "Me at St Andrews in the Square" to a sea of thumbs ups from friends who like it. Instead, this lovingly-restored 18th century church is inconspicuously located in among modern east end flats and virtually impossible to stumble across unless you are specifically looking for it. And what a pity, because when it's lit at night, it provides one of the most spectacular photo opportunities in the city. Those who do know this building, know it's one of the greatest classical churches in Europe with a truly sumptuous interior. Now used as a performing arts centre, St Andrews in the Square can also be hired as a spectacular setting for ceilidhs, concerts, weddings and receptions. Just go. I promise you will not be disappointed.

Despite living in Glasgow my entire life, I had no idea this place existed until a few weeks ago…read more This is incredible considering it is one of the most stunning buildings in the city. It seems to live in a sort of parallel universe, stuck in the middle of blocks of flats. I visited the cafe a few Sunday ago and, despite the sophisticated art deco style interior and impressive menu, the place was dead. I think this is because most people don't realise it's there.

I love the Barras Art and Design Centre (often abbreviated to Ba-Ad)…read more As a venue, it puts me in mind of a smaller version of The Briggait. It's basically a glass roofed courtyard - made up of shops, but on fair days, it's also lined with stalls. You'll find a lot of custom made jewellery, home furnishings, and reclaimed/reupholstered furniture. Also common are the vintage stalls, and general bric-a-brac. There's a good sized cafe which does some pretty good coffee. This time, we came away with a cool wee picture for home. The stallholders were all super friendly and chatty, but not remotely pushy. Next time you see a fair on here, make sure you get along.

I've been here quite a few times now for different events and overall, I think it's a great space…read more It's a little hard to describe - it's probably most like a courtyard with a covered roof and it's pretty gorgeous to look at! I've visited for a street festival-type event (with mostly food vendors), and also been here when the space is empty for a practice skating session. The floor isn't really ideal for roller skating as it's a little uneven but it's not promoted as a skating venue so that's not their fault! For the food festival, it was a great space although because it's glass-covered it got really, really warm - like a glasshouse. The area around BAaD is accessible by car Monday - Friday (no car access on the weekend due to the Barras Market) so keep that in mind if you're a vendor who's setting up for an event. If you're visiting an event as a guest, it's a little bit of a walk from the nearest train station (either High Street Station or Argyle Street Station).

This place was a total surprise to me, the relatively innocuous exterior hides a real gem of a…read moreRobert Adam-designed 18th C. interior. According to their website, it is the oldest building in Glasgow apart from the Cathedral that is still used for its original purpose. Huh. The wood-panelled entrance hall with benches down one side leads straight through to a typically Adam-esque staircase that splits into two half-way up. Straight on leads to a further very plain stair that goes up a couple of flights to the small breakout rooms on the top floor, whilst the split stairs turn back past some grandiose stained glass windows carrying the crests of the Craft guilds, to the main first floor hall and a side corridor that leads off to the secondary hall. The ceilings and panelling in the main hall are pretty amazing, with a central dome carrying badges of the 14 Crafts and a marquetry frieze depicting the various Crafts along the top of the walls. Much of this was lost on me at the time, as I was more interested in the various stalls and displays of the 'mind, body and wallet' fair that was on at the time. They seem to hire out the halls for lots of events like this, with weddings and conferences also popular. I'd love to go back for a proper tour when they didn't have an event on, so that I could appreciate the interior design more; this is definitely one of Glasgow's hidden gems that is worth exploring.

Although I have not been to the RAFA club for a few years now, it was one of Glasgow's more…read moreexciting spaces. Originally a social club for RAF veterans, it picked up a hip audience through the occasional DJ night. The incongruity of the venue- working man's club, good range of beers at a cheap price, long bar space that doubled as a dance floor- added to the charm, and it quickly become a centre for the more off-centre event: I saw a Kate Bush tribute night here, surrounded by fans who had dressed up specially as Bush, or in a fancy dress interpretation of Bush's songs. It isn't one for a casual visit: most of the time, the veterans are using it, but anything that happens here in the way of clubs is worth a visit.

As the name suggests, it's an old factory building that is basically an empty shell waiting for a…read moredeveloper to come along and demolish the whole thing. Until that happens, they host various arty events and exhibitions, and it's quite an interesting place to explore, But bear in mind that there's nothing apart from the most rudimentary facilities - not even proper heating. Wrap up warm!

What an interesting place…read more Currently used as an art space, this place has loads of history dating back to the late 1800's. We were here for the pop up of The Street Food Putter Club (separate review for this event on their page). We were a group of 12 and we all agree that this outing was by far the most random we've ever had, but definitely a fun one! Once inside, we were questioning whether to check our coats, but take note: you're going to need your coats as this place is only heated by floor heaters spread out in the building. The place is pretty huge and this particular event was spread out into 5 spaces- each one with areas to sit and relax, eat and drink. The toilets are bare, cold and dark and the sinks reminded me of old feeding throughs! One little warning should you find yourself at The Glue Factory: watch the white walls. Don't lean up against them or touch them really as they leave white dust marks over everything. Loads of us found out the hard way and had white stuff all over our clothes and bags. All in all, this is a great space. Super cold but if you come bundled up, it makes for a great space to hang.

As if I could give this gorgeous place anything other than 5 stars!…read moreAfter the amazing Yelp event we had, I was lucky enough to attend an AGM here for work, and the venue blew me away yet again! As soon as I arrived, I went and grabbed a cuppa and some fancy biscuits. The staff were great as per and OMG the tea. Never before have I had tea at a corporate event and thought about how good it was. But this was some darn good tea! It was also much needed as I'd just traipsed through the rain to get there, so it definitely made me feel a lot better. They also had a buffet on and even the other attendees were commenting on how great everything was - again, didn't expect much from a corporate event but it was just so good! They had things like chicken skewers and everything, even the sandwiches, was seriously tasty. Didn't think I'd ever have a favourite AGM, but this one is definitely winning so far! (I also snuck down to the library on my way out to gawp at it, because I am seriously in love with that room. Oft.) If I was throwing a fancy do or some other type of event where I wanted to impress, I would definitely look into booking Fifteen Ninety Nine and just hope I could afford it!

From the owner: Events. Weddings. Dining. Conferences. Film Location.read more

So I've just renewed my membership for this place and thought it was about time I fired up a wee…read moreupdate on the old review. The fact that I've just renewed the membership kind of shows that it works. That the service, product and value for money is still there and still top notch. This place still has the wow factor and continues to impress anyone who visits me while I'm working. The whole vibe of the place over the year that i've been a member, has been spot on, as have been the continuing member events and use of the inspirational space. It's bang on. Simple as that

Imagine a business colleague who is hard to please and coming to visit. You need a decent place for…read moremeetings, which is centrally located and has all of the amenities of large corporate venue with none of the "Scottish Dowdy" look that they hate. So, on the recommendations of the one who knows (Chrizzle of the Dizzle), I went to Society M. Easy to deal with. They coordinated the hotel rooms with the meeting room bookings. Got me quotes and re-quotes and further re-quotes, as my American Colleagues changed their minds. Sorted out lunch and a coffee machine. Lots of writing space in the room, I would move into one of these rooms for the chalk board walls alone. Cover them with equations like a scene from Num3ers. The room for the whole week just worked great. Amanda and Babs are friendly, gracious folks who kick ass at getting stuff sorted for you when the people you are trying to please are less than accommodating. Finally, the Society M membership is a great option for those of us who are employed with international companies and have no office of our own. Do I need it every day? No. But when I do need it - it is great that my comfy space is there. Need a meeting room? Phone these folks. If you don't - I do not want to hear your bitching - you were told.

Recently I attended the Scoop & Smoak Streetfood Cartel Event here, and had an absolutely amazing…read moretime trying various different street foods that the two different companies had to offer. It was a ticketed event and I managed to get a ticket at the last minute, so ventured on over as I was already in town. The event was held in a massive warehouse inside SWG3, and consisted of both Scoop and Smoak having massive New York-style street food trucks set up in the back of the room, cooking a beautiful smelling (and equally beautifully tasting) selection of foods from mac and cheese, pork belly and chicken sliders to lamb neck, smoked trout and a monkfish BLT. The food was exceptional, if a bit pricy, and I had a great time with Emma M and a selection of other food bloggers! The venue itself is wonderful and would lend itself nicely to any sort of event; be it a birthday party or a massive Yelp event with stalls and drinks and merryness. It can be a bit cold as it is a warehouse, and the toilets are located no where near the main room, but if you can look past all the negatives, including it's slightly dodgy looking location, then you would love this place for any sort of event.

I went along to SWG3 at the weekend for 'BrewDog Presents' and I wasn't quite sure what to expect,…read moregiven its remote location and look of an old abandoned warehouse. Inside it basically is just a big warehouse and is quite cold as a result, so I'd recommend wrapping up if you're coming to an event here. There are a few different rooms with lots to look at, including an atmospheric red-lit lounge area with a stage and also a bar in the foyer with retro stools and an arty broken mirror on the wall. Some of Glasgow's Street Food Cartel were there, as they often are, and I had some amazing vegan pizza with butternut squash from the So La Ti Dough guys. Beer was the drink of the day, naturally, and there was plenty on offer from the various bars throughout the venue. Big, bare, airy and remote, SWG3 was a bit cold and soulless for my liking, but it's ideal for many of the art events and exhibitions it hosts.

How has no one reviewed this yet?! So I've been to Emirates a few time now and seen the basketball…read moretwice (Go Rocks) as well as cycling at the velodrome. I know there's more to Emirates than that, but I feel like I've properly experienced sporting events here and the arena. And wow, it is amazing. It's new, shiny, clean and pretty industrial looking but without an unpleasant cold feeling to it. The events I've been to here are well organised, there are always lots of staff around who are friendly and helpful. On our most recent visit we got a Clyde souvenir for my nephew back in Australia from the gift shop, the guy working there was really friendly and had good chat. I didn't even mind that they don't have card facilities here yet (it's been open at least 6 months) so you get your card put through the old-school manual machines. It made me laugh to be honest, I did feel sorry for him though as he seemed a bit embarrassed. The velodrome has great seating and is a brilliant place to watch cycling - a sport I previously had no interest in whatsoever, but we thought we'd head along to check it out. The basketball is also really good and has great facilities for disabled seating, you still get a really great view even though you're at the back on the top level. The food and drink is reasonably priced too, not like most other sporting events you go to. I can't wait for the Commonwealth Games and will be vying for tickets to as many events as possible, especially here at the Emirates. I noticed when we were leaving the cycling that they had buses to take people back into town. I have no idea if these are free, but they must be quite handy as Emirates could be difficult to get to otherwise (unless by car). Looking at the website, there is also a Glasgow Life gym here and a spa. It pretty much has everything ... apart from card facilities and a cash machine!

I go to the Emirates on a Monday to do a shabam class (dance fitness class) the arena is on the…read moreother side of the city from where I live but the teacher who takes the class is crazy and total keeps you going. The centre is big spacious and modern. Lots of changing rooms and plenty of access for disabled people. I was also lucky enough to get tickets to the velodrome during the commonwealth games (where we saw sir Chris Hoy, I couldn't take my eyes of his thighs ) I was warned before going about the extreme temperatures and wore light clothing and took a fan, which was much needed. It was an amazing experience, I didn't have a clue of the rules but it was exhilarating to watch and believe me the New Zealand team in lycra was an added treat.. Would highly recommend.

It took me an embarrassingly long time to actually visit The Lighthouse, and I'm even more…read moreembarrassed to admit that I *still* haven't been up the top to look at the view over Glasgow! Next time, I promise! The Lighthouse is tucked down Mitchell Lane and has a wonderful gift shop on the ground floor. I am a certified museum-gift-shop addict and this one is nearly as good as the one at GOMA. At the moment, they're selling some great stuff to accompany the "Hello My Name is Paul Smith" exhibition and I couldn't resist getting a couple of the pencils, an eraser as well as a nice card from the range. There's a lot of nice Scottish stuff if you're looking for a gift so it's worth a browse even if you're not planning on going to an exhibition. We were there to see the Paul Smith exhibition which is on the first floor and ticketed at £6 per adult. While I think the price is a little steep, it's a fab exhibition which was really interesting, stimulating and thought-provoking - I think we were only there for half an hour or so, but really enjoyed it. I'll definitely be back sooner rather than later for a visit to the viewing platform so I'll update accordingly! But for now, I'm already a massive fan so I can't expect the rating to change for this lovely gallery.

The Lighthouse is a lovely museum that you'd probably never find, and I genuinely didn't even know…read moreabout until about 6 months ago! It's a lovely hidden museum, with free entry, and has all your museum-y needs, from general Glasgow goodness to a lovely Mackintosh exhibition. There's a 6th floor viewing platform, but you can also go to the 3rd floor and climb to the top of the viewing tower - which gives you phenomenal views of all of Glasgow. It really is something you must see! There's a cafe, a bar and a gift shop all included, and I genuinely can't believe I hadn't discovered this sooner! Go see it if you haven't already!