The Barras is a place that exists in Glasgow’s imagination as much as it is an actual market in the East End of the city. It occupies a particular part of the Glasgow psyche, invoking colourful images of traders and shoppers that conform to an idea of what Glaswegians are all about.
In reality, The Barras and the Calton are in a peculiar space on the periphery of the city centre that has sat behind invisible barriers. Some visit often, others not at all. Everyone knows it is there, but what part does the market really play in the life of the city?
This question is particularly relevant right now as the East End is awakening from decades of slumber and launching into a period of transformation.
The traditional and familiar market stalls hawking bric-a-brac and second hand items will be joined by more street food operators, musicians and artist collectives in the coming months. There will be major, stark and enduring changes. The Barras will be drawn into a new era, infused with a sense of purpose.
St. Luke’s Music and Arts Venue, which opened last year, was a clarion call to others who will invest and develop new businesses. It’s already starting. Barras Art and Design will soon open, featuring a food hub for the Calton, including a anchor restaurant, a’Challtainn, serving seafood sourced from the Fish Plaice in Saltmarket and other local suppliers.
There’s a £27 million package planned by the Council to encourage more visitors. New venues are planned to create an events quarter. Some question what this will mean for the existing traders when the plan is enacted.
Will the markets simply fade away? Or will the East End become a hive of activity after a relatively moribund period of quiet decline?
We visited recently to look at The Barras, full of kitsch stall collections, strong characters and odd sights.
The indoor and outdoor markets are the centrepiece of a part of Glasgow that is starting, slowly, to look outwards and draw in more people from beyond its confines.
It doesn’t feel very different yet, but that’s in the post.
Here’s a snapshot of The Barras right now. We look forward to documenting what it becomes in the future.
Photography by Glasgowist’s Paul Gallagher
