Athena Cultural Crusader Glasgow's magnificent temple to the Arts

 A THENA recently had the good fortune to travel through Glasgow on her way to the Highlands. The city was bustling with life and bathed in sunshine. It was also overwhelmed with rubbish, a consequence of the bin strike, with great ziggurats of boxes, cups and bags stacked up on every street corner.

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 One shop assistant lamented the mess, but loyally asserted that it had been much worse in Edinburgh. Whatever the case, the dispute is now happily resolved, but it was a salutary reminder of how our cities depend on hidden hands to preserve their dignity.

The journey to Glasgow made possible a trip to Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. Between visits, it’s possible to forget how full-blooded and astonishing this temple to the Arts actually is. The sheer scale and exuberance of the building, which opened in 1901, even down to the magnificent brass lampshades that hang in the main halls, breathes a confidence that is simultaneously intoxicating and slightly overwhelming.