Gallus Glasgow K: The Kelvin

April 13, 2015 36 Comments

Kelvin Bridge

Glasgow’s most famous river is the Clyde, but its second most important is the Kelvin which flows through the north-west of the city to its confluence with the Clyde at Yorkhill. Many areas of the city are called after it – Kelvinbridge, Kelvindale, Kelvingrove, Kelvinhall and Kelvinside, so you see the name all over.

Kelvingrove signs

Kelvin Hall sign

Kelvinbridge Subway

Kelvinside Academy

Kelvindale Post Office

The scientific unit of temperature, the Kelvin scale, takes its name from physicist William Thomson (1824–1907) who was named Lord Kelvin after the river which flowed past his university. His statue sits in Kelvingrove park at the foot of Glasgow University.

Lord Kelvin

Kelvingrove Park And Glasgow University

There’s a joke about the Kelvinside accent – that a crèche is a collision between two automobiles and sex is what the coal comes in. Want to hear an example? Head back to the 1980s with thespians Victor and Barry, the Kelvinside Men. And yes, that is a young Alan Cumming hamming it up. Pure gallus, wasn’t he?

Tomorrow, in L, I’ll tell you about Glasgow’s motto.

A to Z Challenge 2015, Scotland, UK Alan Cumming, Glasgow, Kelvingrove Park, River Kelvin