Entertaining Govan Audio Walking Tour

We’ve created an hour-long audio walking tour to celebrate Govan’s rich entertainment history!

The Entertaining Govan Walking Tour features interviews with 11 Govanites sharing hilarious memories of dancin’ the night away, going to ‘the pictures’ at the grand Lyceum or the ‘Flea Pit’, and attending the annual Govan Fair. Our local experts walk you through Govan, highlighting Fairfield Shipyard, George Wyllie’s ‘Launch’ sculpture in Elder Park, and Govan’s own radio station – Sunny Govan.

The tour takes about an hour (or longer if you spend time at the different stops). We begin at the award-winning Riverside Museum of Transport and Travel, and conclude just across the River Clyde – visiting the ancient Govan Stones in Govan Old Church, and the new Fairfield Heritage centre.

We’ve created a downloadable route map to help you find your way, and there is also a Google map with information.

Download the Entertaining Govan Audio Walking Tour and maps below…

Lend your ear to the
Entertaining Govan Audio Walking Tour

The walk takes about an hour. You may want to plan for additional time at Govan Old Church to see the Govan Stones, or the displays on shipbuilding at Fairfield Heritage.

Audio:

–> You can stream the audio above, or direct via Soundcloud here

–> You can download the mp3 audio file here

Route Map:

Download this map which shows the walk from The Riverside Museum, crossing the River Clyde (in summer by ferry, or using Glasgow’s Subway) to Govan’s Elder Park.

–> You can download the A4 map here (for mobiles) or here (to print)

Download this map and take it with you as listen! It shows the route for the walking tour, and has additional information. It is A4, double-sided.

Google map of the ‘Entertaining Govan Audio Walking Tour’

–> You can also view the route using Google maps here

So what’s with the whole ‘Entertaining Govan’ thing? Good question…

Both this audio tour and a related set of postcards were developed after a year of looking at Govan’s original ‘heritage trail’. An amazing team of Govanites and Glasgow Museums staff researched Govan’s hidden histories (including entertainment, but also shipbuilding, ancient Govan, and famous folk (or ‘Characters of Govan’). The team proposed a series of themed walks, talks and games – which have continued to bear fruit. You can read more about the team and chart their process through these posts here.

For more on the Greetings fae Govan postcards, see this dedicated page.

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Audio credits

Interviews and sound design by Monica Brown. Mixed at the Greenroom Recording Studio by Stewart Robertson. Narration script by Allan Miller, with Chani Bond. Narrated by John Cavanagh. Lead Artist, tara s Beall. Project Lead, Chani Bond
Featuring music from the Unity Creates Work LP produced by John McLean, and the Govan Allsorts Choir.

Thanks

To the Govan Reminiscence Group, Brian Thom McQuade, Gordon MacKay, Jack Sweeney, Jimmy Stringfelow, Margaret MacLean, Maria Leahy, Phil Anderson, Steg G, Sunny Govan, and all who shared their memories. Thanks also to Zeynep Arman for beautiful design, to Jim McLean and the Allsorts Choir for music, and to our partners and funders.