Glasgow’s fires, not finishing Dracula and Humble Yums™

Hi everyone, Calum here! They've let me loose with a writer's edition which will tide me over until I can meet as many of you as possible at an exciting event we're going to announce in the next few weeks. In the interim, here's a little bit about me, so you know who's reporting your stories.

Where I’m from: I’ve always answered this question very tactically, emphasising parts of my heritage that might fit in with or be accepted by whoever’s asking. It's been something I’ve been thinking about a lot, the question of where I’m from and to which communities I belong. People who’ve moved around a lot have the privilege of being from many places, but the curse of not really being from any one of them. As I’ve grown older I’ve understood this better and come to terms with the pros and cons, but searching for a feeling of belonging will probably follow me throughout life. To give you something to go on, I’m probably part Aberdeenshire, part Fifer, with London, Down-Under, and Edinburgh seasonings and a significant serving of Midwest US of A (yes my mum can make cornbread and yes it’s banging). Yet, the only constant places I’ve spent time in from birth until now are the family seats in Glasgow and the Isle of Bute — but I can’t say I’m from these places. For now, and for my work, I’m happy to be vague.

What I’m reading: It’s probably not very cool to be a writer and admit that I’ve got that awful condition where I usually read 90% of a book and then get bored. I see it as a strength that I won’t finish something just to have said I’ve finished it — others see it as psychopathy. Maybe that means I’m still ‘reading’ about 20 books.

This most recently happened with Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami, and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Murakami’s novel was interesting and I liked the scene-setting and laidback pace, I just wasn’t bothered about the characters. Dracula I considered putting down after the first third, although I lasted right up until the middle of their hunt for him in London. Jonathan Harker’s dispatches from within the Count’s castle were easily my favourite part of the book and when that was over, what’s the point? I’m exaggerating, because I did enjoy the transformation of Lucy Westenra from poorly wife to blood-thirsty vampire. But it all felt like a decrescendo from the darkness and terror of the castle in Transylvania. It’s similar to Robert Eggers’ recent film adaptation of Nosferatu (a remake of a film based on Dracula). When you see too much of the monster, it’s less scary (and boy do you see everything in Nosferatu). The book and the film work better in the castle when Dracula is the shadow coming round the corner, but when you can look him in the eye, what’s to fear anymore? There’s a lesson in that about facing up to your fears. 

Anyway, I’ve just started Sunset Song by Lewis Grassic Gibbon as I’m ready to have my heart broken — I’d been putting it off. It’s a bit of a throwback for me, as I was reared mainly in the Mearns, and my Mum even used to work with the Lewis Grassic Gibbon centre there. I’ll let you know which page I end on in the next edition.

What I’m watching: I’ve been really enjoying The Rehearsal on HBO. It’s written, directed by, and stars Nathan Fielder, who’s an expert in that North American style of humour where awkward, annoyingly smart men just be themselves on screen. I’m a bit sceptical of that style, as I think it’s now unoriginal and can feel a bit conceited (see How To with John Wilson which Fielder executive produced). But in The Rehearsal, there’s a delicious uncanny element where the viewer is never sure what has been rehearsed, what is real life, what is post-hoc writing, and what is planned. It’s also just very funny while raising some nice thoughts like how coworkers might feel comfortable speaking up during socially-threatening situations.

You can also bet your bottom dollar I’ll be watching Adam Curtis’s new series Shifty on the BBC when it comes out in June. His documentaries, while being more or less one man’s opinion, are a brilliant way to understand how political, social, and academic events knitted together to form our present. I think Hypernormalisation accurately diagnosed why liberals couldn’t predict or explain Brexit or Trump 1.0 and are still light on answers for Trump 2.0 and Reform UK’s rise. His series The Trap in 2007 (I watched it a few years later) got me interested in psychology, philosophy, and politics — so it’s pretty much the reason I’m now a journalist. 

What I’ve been eating: I wind down after busy days best by cooking or eating. It’s amazing. Recently, it has mainly been beans because I’m trying to save money. Baked, butter, and black. But I’d like to draw everyone’s attention to a concept I want to proliferate and maybe ultimately evolve into a pooled database of eateries: Humble Yum™. Coined by my partner, the term describes an institution that produces delicious food, and only that. Money isn’t wasted on bum-friendly seating, service, or over-saturated instagram photos — the environment may even be actively hostile. Instead, it’s just about making authentic, delicious food for an affordable price. It’s what I think Anthony Bourdain was looking for in Parts Unknown but kept getting distracted by things like ‘culture’, ‘history’, and his irresistible desire to be a film producer-cum-philospher. 

Top Humble Yum™ shout outs go to Madhras Dosa on Old Dumbarton Road, the bun cha at Banh Mi & Tea, Karma takeaway in Paisley (I don’t know what it is but their filled rolls and empire biscuits just hit different), and Nowita ice cream in Partick. That list is far from exhaustive, so PLEASE tell me if you know of a place that is Humble Yum™ and I WILL go there. 

What I listen to: You might not care what I listen to, but any attempt to get to know me has to include musical exchanges. Feel free to send me any recommendations. I don’t like to describe what genres I like, as I think a good song is a good song. But I do go through some pretty intense phases. How can I forget my 2010s phase of what I call ‘cheesy reggae’ (known as ‘lovers rock’ to more scholarly reggae fans)? Or the prog years, or naughties tropicalia, or, of course, the heavy metal of my youth? More recently, it’s been the cutesy emo vibes of bands like Sweet Pill, Dirt Buyer, and Indoor Foxes (who are a great Glasgow outfit seemingly always playing at King Tuts); and the hyperpop and electro sounds of SOPHIE and Hudson Mohawk. I’ve recently been told that the late SOPHIE wasn’t actually born in Glasgow, although I thought she was, otherwise I would have said they’re BOTH pioneering Glaswegian producers. But these people and genres are all a prelude to the main event: trashy German electro-pop, self-proclaimed Fotzen-Rap (you can Google it if you really want to know), from artists such as Ikkimel and Baby B3ns. I absolutely love it and have listened to those two artists over 400 times in the last three months. I don’t know what’s gotten into me, it must be the hysteria of living in 2025. 

A story I’m working on: I’m working on a couple of projects that I think our dear readers will care very much about: fires in listed or abandoned buildings, the absolute state of the M8 roadworks on the Woodside Viaduct, as well as other longer term things that are juicier and in the balance. These first two stories will be quite analytical, simply compiling data and sharing it while having a look at what stands out. 

It’s not always the sexiest journalism, but in terms of helping myself and our readers understand the world in which they live, I think it’s really valuable and people can actually use that knowledge for something, whether it’s informing how you vote or one-upping your mates in the pub with your superior recall of the 2009 fire in The Coliseum. If you have any perspectives on either of these issues, I’d really love to hear them. Remember you can email me directly at calum@glasgowbell.co.uk. 

And a story I want to return to: I’m a bit superstitious about announcing projects I’m doing until I’m confident they can go to print. But if anyone has any experience with the Plymouth Brethren I’d really like to hear from you. I’ve put a lot of work into this in the past and I feel a duty to see it through, to those who’ve left and spoken to me, and to those who remain inside the church and wish to leave. 

Something I could use your help with: Well, you know how I mentioned the fires piece… My big idea is to build a database of fires that have occurred in listed or abandoned buildings in Glasgow since 2000. The reasons are two-fold: to establish whether Glasgow really is made of tinder; and to identify patterns or particularly suspicious events that warrant further investigation. To this end, please get in touch if there are any fires you remember that struck you as suspicious and you’d like looked into a bit more, or, of course, if you have information on any. 

I don’t fully know why but I find this topic incredibly engaging. It’s heartbreaking any time a part of our built heritage is lost forever. But to me, it’s also heartbreaking when that heritage is left undeveloped, sometimes for decades on end. So these fires… dangerous, yes; tragic, yes; but are they the only way to overcome the inertia that prevents so much of Glasgow from moving forward? I feel dirty even writing that.