#princes square

August 2007

The sibling owners of a Bearsden café have been overwhelmed by the success of an innovative scone delivery business enterprise.

A Princely Sum

The next time you're standing in Princes Square, take a long look around you. Disregard the shoppers and diners, ignore the escalators and the elaborate shop fronts, and don't be distracted by those glass lifts (although they are pretty cool).

Are you inside? Of course you are, silly question. But take away that glass roof and strip away the interior floor and where are you?

You see, before there was a shopping centre, there was another Prince's Square; one which took the part of a stable block and courtyard to the rear of the Prince of Wales Buildings.

The sandstone building which faces onto Buchanan Street today (the one with the big ol' peacock on it) is the original façade of those building and was completed in 1841.

The owner at the time, James Campbell (flatteringly pictured above), who later went on to become Lord Provost of Glasgow and unsuccessfully ran for parliament twice as a Conservative, named his merchant buildings and square after the newborn Prince of Wales who later became Edward VII and was subsequently knighted by Queen Victoria in 1843.

So there's a wee hint for all of you out there. If any of you are looking for a knighthood, you probably want to make sure your Merchant Buildings are finished in time for the next Royal sprog being born.

In 1986, Hugh Martin Partnership reconfigured the site and dropped the apostrophe from the square's name and creating a unique shopping centre into the bargain.

The cobbled square and cellars of the Prince of Wales buildings were punched through and made into the courtyard in the heart of the centre, while the warehouses and other buildings were connected up to make the "shopping experience" entirely indoors.

The next time you're in window shopping and considering a second mortgage, take a look around and try to imagine it in the 19th Century. If it helps, take a horse with you. I'm sure they won't mind.

Image Sources (Row-by-row L-R):

[1] The Princes Square Peacock, designed by Alan Dawson. (Source: Saqui on Panoramio) [2] Princes Square as it appears today. (Source: Google Imagery) [3] Princes Square as it appeared on the Ordnance Survey (1892) (Source: National Library of Scotland) [4]  Sir James Campbell in caricature. (Source: The Glasgow Story) [5]  Edward VII, formerly Prince of Wales. Portrait by Sir Luke Fildes (Source: National Portrait Gallery) [6] Princes Square in 1988 as pictured in the Glasgow City Council newspaper, the Bulletin. (Source: Glasgow City Council, Libraries Information and Learning/The Glasgow Story) [7] Princes Square in 2004. (Source: Scruss) [8] Princes Square today. (Source: 360 Architecture) [9] The escalators and roof of the square. (Source: Creative Commons)

Today I popped into (get it) the Scottish fashion pop up in Princes Square. When I heard my favourite Rebecca Torres had some sale and sample pieces on offer I couldn’t resist, despite my skintness after the yucky dentist trip. Not only are there Torres on sale but a range of other fabulous Scottish designers.

I was very close to buying the gorgeous Iona Joanne McGillivraydress, with 70% off…