In 1975, Glasgow turned 800 so in May of that year it threw itself a birthday party to celebrate.

There was a groovily designed poster with the four emblems of the city – fish, bell, bird and tree – picked out in orange and green, and the same image featured on a mug given free to all Glasgow school-children.

A grand cavalcade of floats was held, processing from Kelvin Way to Glasgow Green where an ox was roasted. There was also a Highland Gathering at Scotstoun, a ball in the City Chambers, and a regatta on the Clyde. Elsewhere military bands played, concerts were held, exhibitions were mounted.

There was football too. On May 10 a crowd of 70,000 turned out in torrential rain to watch the Old Firm draw two each in the Glasgow Cup Final. A replay was mooted but never played. Three days later at the same venue, erstwhile rivals Sandy Jardine and Danny McGrain were members of a Scotland team facing Portugal in a friendly. Two notable facts about that game: Scotland won, and the half-time entertainment was The Wombles. They were booed off.

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Glasgow today is a very different place. It has seen change, regeneration and renewal. Like other post-industrial cities with a bit of nous and a lot of riparian real estate, it has developed its riverfront. It has redeveloped its galleries and theatres. It is a UNESCO City of Music (only the third in the world when that title was bestowed in 2008) and it has swapped heavy industry for something called ‘the night-time economy’.........

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