Govanhill ( gd, Cnoc a' Ghobhainn) is an area of
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
, Scotland, situated south of the
River Clyde
The River Clyde ( gd, Abhainn Chluaidh, , sco, Clyde Watter, or ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. It is the ninth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third-longest in Scotland. It runs through the major cit ...
between
Pollokshields
Pollokshields ( gd, Buthan Phollaig, Scots: ''Powkshiels'') is an area in the Southside of Glasgow, Scotland. Its modern boundaries are largely man-made, being formed by the M77 motorway to the west and northwest with the open land of Pollok C ...
, the
Gorbals
The Gorbals is an area in the city of Glasgow, Scotland, on the south bank of the River Clyde. By the late 19th century, it had become densely populated; rural migrants and immigrants were attracted by the new industries and employment opportun ...
,
Strathbungo
Strathbungo is a mainly residential area of southern Glasgow, Scotland, bordered by the neighbourhoods of Crossmyloof to the south, Govanhill to the east and Pollokshields to the north and west. The settlement grew up as a small isolated villag ...
,
Crosshill Cross Hill or Crosshill may refer to:
Places
* Cross Hill, Cornwall, England
*Cross Hill, Derbyshire, England
* Cross Hill, Gloucestershire, England
* Cross Hill, South Carolina, USA
* Crosshill, East Ayrshire, Scotland
*Crosshill, Fife, Scotland
* ...
,
Polmadie
Polmadie (; gd, Poll Mac Dè, lit=Son of God pool) is a primarily industrial area of Glasgow in Scotland. Situated south of the River Clyde, Polmadie is close to residential neighbourhoods including Govanhill (to the west) and Toryglen (south-e ...
and
Queen's Park.
Historically
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
part of
Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire () ( sco, Renfrewshire; gd, Siorrachd Rinn Friù) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland.
Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Renfr ...
, Govanhill had the status of a
police burgh
A police burgh was a Scottish burgh which had adopted a "police system" for governing the town. They existed from 1833 to 1975.
The 1833 act
The first police burghs were created under the Burgh Police (Scotland) Act 1833 (3 & 4 Wm IV c.46). This ...
between 1877 and 1891 before becoming part of the City of Glasgow. Since 2007, it has fallen under the
Southside Central ward of
Glasgow City Council
Glasgow City Council is the local government authority for the City of Glasgow, Scotland. It was created in 1996 under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, largely with the boundaries of the post-1975 City of Glasgow district of the S ...
. A previous (1999 to 2007) smaller ward named Govanhill had boundaries of Dixon Avenue and Dixon Road to the south, Victoria Road to the west, Butterbiggins Road to the north and Aikenhead Road to the east.
[Electoral Arrangements for Local Government Areas in Scotland: Glasgow City Council Area]
3rd Reviews of Electoral Arrangements Maps, Wards 1999 - 2007 : Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland
History
The history of the area is linked to the Dixon family. A prominent ironmaster, William Dixon opened blast furnaces to the north of Govanhill which became known as ''Dixon's Blazes''.
A company village called
Fireworks Village
Fireworks village, also known as Govan Colliery Houses, was a company village in Scotland belonging to the Dixon family who ran the Govan Iron Works and Govan Colliery. The inhabitants were chiefly coal miners and their families who worked in the ...
was situated on the site of the later Burgh of Govanhill. The village was built by Dixon for his workers, who worked in his Little Govan Colliery.
[ The area itself was formed in 1877 and the main avenue that runs the length of it is called Dixon Avenue. Some of the local streets were named after the daughters of William Dixon Jnr: Daisy Street, and Annette Street.][Villages of Glasgow, Aileen Smart, p. 105] Allison Street is thought to be named after Sir Archibald Allison, Sheriff Principal of Lanarkshire.[
Govanhill gained the status of an independent ]police burgh
A police burgh was a Scottish burgh which had adopted a "police system" for governing the town. They existed from 1833 to 1975.
The 1833 act
The first police burghs were created under the Burgh Police (Scotland) Act 1833 (3 & 4 Wm IV c.46). This ...
in 1877;[ on achieving this status a police office was set up off Belleisle Street. Cells for prisoners, tenements for constables, and stables were added.][ Govanhill shared a burgh hall with its neighbour, ]Crosshill Cross Hill or Crosshill may refer to:
Places
* Cross Hill, Cornwall, England
*Cross Hill, Derbyshire, England
* Cross Hill, Gloucestershire, England
* Cross Hill, South Carolina, USA
* Crosshill, East Ayrshire, Scotland
*Crosshill, Fife, Scotland
* ...
; this building is now known as Dixon Halls
Dixon Halls, formerly Crosshill and Govanhill Burgh Hall, is a municipal structure in Cathcart Road, Glasgow, Scotland. The structure, which is used as a day care centre for elderly people, is a Category B listed building.
History
Following sig ...
. Both burghs were absorbed by the expanding city of Glasgow in 1891. As the construction expanded to the west of Victoria Road during that period, Govanhill became joined with its older neighbour Strathbungo
Strathbungo is a mainly residential area of southern Glasgow, Scotland, bordered by the neighbourhoods of Crossmyloof to the south, Govanhill to the east and Pollokshields to the north and west. The settlement grew up as a small isolated villag ...
. A secondary school, fire station[V04 Polmadie]
The History of Scottish Fire Brigades and police station were constructed in that sector to serve the growing population, integrated into the same sandstone tenement style as surrounding dwellings. The buildings have been converted and still stand today - the school is now for younger age groups as St Brides Primary, the others are apartments; The nearest fire station is still fairly close at Polmadie
Polmadie (; gd, Poll Mac Dè, lit=Son of God pool) is a primarily industrial area of Glasgow in Scotland. Situated south of the River Clyde, Polmadie is close to residential neighbourhoods including Govanhill (to the west) and Toryglen (south-e ...
,[ a short distance to the north of the modern police office at Aikenhead Road.
]
Architecture
Escaping the wrecking ball
Govanhill was one of the few areas to avoid Glasgow Corporation
The politics of Glasgow, Scotland's largest city by population, are expressed in the deliberations and decisions of Glasgow City Council, in elections to the council, the Scottish Parliament and the UK Parliament.
Local government
As one of ...
's programme of ' Comprehensive Development Areas' in the 1960s. This program saw 29 inner city areas demolished and replaced with new buildings, typically high rise
A tower block, high-rise, apartment tower, residential tower, apartment block, block of flats, or office tower is a tall building, as opposed to a low-rise building and is defined differently in terms of height depending on the jurisdictio ...
or deck access and non-traditional, with existing communities dispersed to new estates at the edge of Glasgow such as Pollok
Pollok ( gd, Pollag, lit=a pool, sco, Powk) is a large housing estate on the south-western side of the city of Glasgow, Scotland. The estate was built either side of World War II to house families from the overcrowded inner city. Housing 30,0 ...
and Castlemilk
Castlemilk ( gd, Caisteal Mheilc) is a district of Glasgow, Scotland. It lies to the far south of the city centre, adjacent to the Croftfoot and Simshill residential areas within the city to the north-west, the town of Rutherglen - neighbourhoo ...
, or to Scotland's new towns – e.g. East Kilbride
East Kilbride (; gd, Cille Bhrìghde an Ear ) is the largest town in South Lanarkshire in Scotland and the country's sixth-largest locality by population. It was also designated Scotland's first new town on 6 May 1947. The area lies on a rais ...
and Cumbernauld
Cumbernauld (; gd, Comar nan Allt, meeting of the streams) is a large town in the historic county of Dunbartonshire and council area of North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is the tenth most-populous locality in Scotland and the most populated t ...
.
Govanhill resisted this redevelopment programme and, based on early experience in Govan
Govan ( ; Cumbric?: ''Gwovan'?''; Scots: ''Gouan''; Scottish Gaelic: ''Baile a' Ghobhainn'') is a district, parish, and former burgh now part of south-west City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the south ba ...
, a community based Housing Association was established in 1974, run by the residents living in the area. Instead of mass demolition, a steady process of improving the quality of the flats and installing modern amenities was undertaken. This was complemented by sensitive new building in gap sites. The community action at that time allowed Govanhill to retain their period housing stock and public buildings, the majority of which was built between 1890 and 1912, including examples from famous Scottish architects such as Alexander "Greek" Thomson
Alexander "Greek" Thomson (9 April 1817 – 22 March 1875) was an eminent Scottish architect and architectural theorist who was a pioneer in sustainable building. Although his work was published in the architectural press of his day, it was ...
and James Robert Rhind
James Robert Rhind, architect, was born in Inverness, Scotland in 1854 and trained as an architect in his father's local practice.
He was successful in the architectural competition for new libraries to be constructed in Glasgow following Andrew C ...
.
21st Century
The refurbishment of Govanhill's tenement housing was not completed due to changes in policy and funding in the early 2000s. By that time, 13 housing blocks in the south-west of the district remained 'unimproved'.[ It is in this area that the most significant housing problems in Govanhill appeared – poor-quality housing stock, over 2,000 private landlords, low levels of owner occupation, low levels of factoring/property management and overcrowding.][ In combination with housing issues, the district has been known at times as a place where levels of recorded crime and violence are higher than the national average, owing to its history as a destination for migrants of low means and high population density.
Under Section 28 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2014 and in order to tackle problems in the private rented sector, four tenement blocks within South West Govanhill were designated an Enhanced Enforcement Area (EEA) in September 2015.] In 2017, this was expanded to include a further 14 blocks. As a result, some of the housing in the area has been improved, with Glasgow City Council seizing property that failed to achieve the required standard and removing rogue landlords (many of whom had allowed their properties to be occupied by dangerously high numbers of poor, newly arrived immigrants with few other housing options, the flats often lacking basic utilities such as running water) from the Scottish Landlord Register. This ongoing programme is scheduled to be continue for several years until the properties in the sector are brought up to required modern standards and occupied in a responsible manner.
Buildings of note
Govanhill is home to one of Glasgow's original Carnegie libraries, designed in the Edwardian Baroque
Edwardian architecture is a Neo-Baroque architectural style that was popular in the British Empire during the Edwardian era (1901–1910). Architecture up to the year 1914 may also be included in this style.
Description
Edwardian architecture is ...
style by James Robert Rhind
James Robert Rhind, architect, was born in Inverness, Scotland in 1854 and trained as an architect in his father's local practice.
He was successful in the architectural competition for new libraries to be constructed in Glasgow following Andrew C ...
.
The area has a number of residential buildings by architect Alexander "Greek" Thomson (known for notable Glasgow buildings including The Egyptian Halls and Holmwood House
Holmwood House is the finest and most elaborate residential villa designed by the Scottish architect Alexander "Greek" Thomson. It is also rare in retaining much of its original interior decor, and being open to the public. A Category A listed ...
), such as 19-23 Garturk Street, 265-289 Allison Street and 34 Daisy Street all of which remain private residences.
Govanhill Picture House is an Egyptian-themed cinema built in 1926, designed by architect
An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
Eric A. Sutherland. The building is currently considered 'at risk', and as of 2019, local community group Glasgow Artists' Moving Image Studios (GAMIS) has been working to bring the cinema into use for the local vibrant art scene.
Govanhill Baths
Govanhill Baths is a Category B listed Edwardian public bathhouse at 99 Calder Street, Govanhill, Glasgow, Scotland, designed by the architect A.B. McDonald and opened between 1912 and 1917. External refurbishment was completed in 2023. The ...
, which currently provide a home for communities groups, and health and wellbeing programmes - from swimming classes to art and ceramics groups - was designed by A. B. McDonald
Alexander Beith McDonald (12 August 1847 - 31 October 1915) was a Scottish architect, who served as City Engineer and Surveyor in Glasgow Corporation's Office of Public Works between 1890 and 1914.
Early life
Born in Stirling in 1847, McDonald w ...
and opened in 1917 after the architect's death. It closed as a swimming venue in 2001, but moves to demolish the building were resisted by community groups.
Community
Immigration and diversity
From the first days of the neighbourhood's formation, Govanhill has always been a popular settlement area for people coming to Glasgow and Scotland.[ The population has regularly changed and diversified as migrants have chosen to live in the area. Migration started with people from the ]Highlands
Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau.
Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to:
Places Albania
* Dukagjin Highlands
Armenia
* Armenian Highlands
Australia
*Sou ...
and Lowlands of Scotland; from England (workers from Shropshire
Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to th ...
to carry new techniques at the iron works); from Ireland (particularly County Donegal
County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconne ...
); Italians
, flag =
, flag_caption = The national flag of Italy
, population =
, regions = Italy 55,551,000
, region1 = Brazil
, pop1 = 25–33 million
, ref1 =
, region2 ...
; Jews
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
fleeing persecution in Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russ ...
;[Pupils at Queen's Park Secondary 1936 (Scottish Jewish Archives Centre)]
The Glasgow Story people from the Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
and other parts of the Indian sub-continent
The Indian subcontinent is a physiographical region in Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian Ocean from the Himalayas. Geopolitically, it includes the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India ...
; Glasgow's new communities of former asylum seekers
An asylum seeker is a person who leaves their country of residence, enters another country and applies for asylum (i.e., international protection) in that other country. An asylum seeker is an immigrant who has been forcibly displaced and mi ...
and refugees
A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution. and – most recently – migrants benefiting from Enlargement of the European Union
The European Union (EU) has expanded a number of times throughout its history by way of the accession of new member states to the Union. To join the EU, a state needs to fulfil economic and political conditions called the Copenhagen criteria ...
originating from Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic (2004) and Romania and Bulgaria (2007). The area has long been Scotland's most culturally diverse neighbourhood. Of the 15,000 people living in the neighbourhood, approximately 33% are from ethnic minority communities (2012), with Roma people
The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sign ...
from Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russ ...
making up 3,000–3,500 of the local population. This diversity is reflected in the local shops, the languages spoken in the street and in the people found locally. A social survey carried out by Govanhill Housing Association identified 52 nationalities and 32 languages spoken within just 13 tenement blocks within the area.[
]
Racial tension
Concerns over issues such as violent sexual crime, child exploitation
Child sexual abuse (CSA), also called child molestation, is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include engaging in sexual activities with a child (whet ...
and human trafficking
Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. This may encompass providing a spouse in the context of forced marriage, or the extrac ...
became more prevalent since increased migration of the Roma community into Govanhill from Eastern Europe, with numerous reports of women and children being prostituted and arrests made by the police in the area for related offences on multiple occasions. However, when specialist officers from Police Scotland
Police Scotland ( gd, Poileas Alba), officially the Police Service of Scotland (), is the national police force of Scotland. It was formed in 2013, through the merging of eight regional police forces in Scotland, as well as the specialist service ...
's National Child Abuse Investigation Unit investigated these reports in 2018, they were proved to either be unsupported by evidence, to be exaggerated or not to involve the local Roma community.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland
The COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland is part of the COVID-19 pandemic of coronavirus disease-2019, caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2. The first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Scotland on 1 March 2020. Community transmission was first reported on ...
in 2020, false reports of Govanhill's Roma community flouting lockdown rules led to a reported 50% of the Roma population fleeing the area in fear of being targeted by racist violence. At the end of that year, social media
Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...
videos alleging widespread and ongoing child abuse by the Roma community in Govanhill which were viewed by thousands prompted denials from the police, local groups and Nicola Sturgeon. Footage of squalor and accumulation of dangerous waste in back courts and common closes, itself by no means a new problem in the area, was more readily identifiable in the videos, though it was apparent that this was exacerbated to an extent by the pandemic which had disrupted regular and by-request refuse collection services, and indeed in that same week community groups staged a protest at the rubbish problem by collecting black bags and leaving them at the front gates of Queen's Park.
LGBTQ+ community
The neighbourhood is considered to be queer
''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires or relationships in the late 19th century. Beginning in the lat ...
and queer-friendly, and is home to several queer businesses and organisations such as Category Is Books, Pink Peacock, and Small Trans Library.
Deprivation
Owing to housing density, increases in population through migration, overcrowding and high levels of occupancy, the south west of Govanhill is one of the most densely populated areas in Scotland. This places strain on local infrastructure and adds to community tensions, environmental problems and other social issues. Despite this focus on the south west of the district the highest levels of multiple deprivations exist within North Govanhill, particularly in the predominantly social housing area to the east of Cathcart Road. As of December 2020 the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) and other sources indicates that:
* 7 of the 12 data zones making up Govanhill are within the bottom 15% of data zones in Scotland. One of these data zones occupies the bottom 5% of data zones in Scotland;[Map Chooser](_blank)
Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2020
* 20% of the population do not have any qualifications compared to 13% across the whole of Scotland;
* 1176 (17%) of the population is (officially) unemployed
* Since 2013, Govanhill has seen an extraordinary drop in crimes. Total crime figures for the year ending 2019 were 762, a drop of 75% since 2013-2014 (3165 total crimes).
Govanhill has long been recognised as one of Scotland's deprived communities and this continues to be borne out in SIMD 2020. All but 1 of the area's 12 datazones fall into the bottom 30% of all Scottish datazones. Of these 11 datazones, 7 fall into the bottom 15% of Scottish datazones, with 6 datazones in the bottom 10%. This indicates particularly acute deprivation in much of the neighbourhood. Govanhill's most deprived datazones are typically found in the Govanhill East and Aikenhead part of the district. Three of the five lowest ranked datazones in Govanhill can be found in this area.
In addition to the above, all but four of Govanhill's SIMD datazones occupy the bottom 15% of datazones in Scotland in terms of income.
Attractions
Govanhill is home to a thriving creative arts community, including Dance Factory Dance Studios in Calder Street, Twisty-Headed Man Company on Butterbiggins Road and a variety of arts activities taking place in Govanhill Baths. The Chalet in Dixon Avenue and Southside Studios in Westmoreland Street are both home to successful visual artists and other creatives. Since 2009, the area has had its own arts festival - Streetland, which usually takes place in early summer in streets and venues across the area. Govanhill Housing Association also organises an annual Fun Day for local residents.
There is a vibrant voluntary sector in the local community with dozens of organisations active in the area. Considerable activity exists to improve the environment, engage young and old, promote integration, tackle addictions, develop the arts, provide education and develop opportunities locally. There are many opportunities to volunteer locally. At the local neighbourhood centre there is a considerable array of leisure and other activities which people can get involved in.
Govanhill is also famous for its shops, which in themselves reflect the huge diversity of the area. There are a number of businesses supporting international connections – money transfer businesses, cargo services, travel agencies – as well as clothing and food stores for all nationalities. The area is also home to a number of traditional shops – cobblers, school uniform suppliers, cafes etc. Planning approval was granted for a mixed leisure and retail development at the demolished Larkfield bus depot near Eglinton Toll
St Andrew's Cross, also known as Eglinton Toll, is a road junction in the south side of the city of Glasgow, Scotland.
Description
The junction includes two roads running roughly north-south which meet, but do not intersect for vehicular traffi ...
(latterly occupied by First Glasgow
First Glasgow is the largest bus company serving the Greater Glasgow area in Scotland. It is a subsidiary of FirstGroup. The company operates within the area covered by the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, a public body responsible for h ...
), but this eventually became one of several residential projects in the north of the district constructed in the late 2010s. A retail park
A retail park is a type of shopping centre found on the fringes of most large towns and cities in the United Kingdom and other European countries. They form a key aspect of European retail geographies, alongside indoor shopping centres, standalo ...
did open nearby in the same period at Crown Street on the southern edge of the neighbouring Gorbals district, adjacent to the replacement First Bus headquarters on Caledonia Road – filling much of the expanse of derelict land which had created something of a physical 'buffer' between the two inner-city areas for several decades. The local Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland.
The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...
parish, Govanhill Trinity Church on Daisy Street, closed in 2015 after the congregation united with Queen's Park Church in Queen's Drive, becoming Queen's Park Govanhill Parish Church.
Govanhill International Festival and Carnival
Govanhill International Festival and Carnival is a yearly event that began in 2017. It is a cultural programme featuring live music and historical, culinary, and educational events culminating in a carnival parade. The festival is organised by Govanhill Baths Community Trust.
Elected representatives
*Member of Parliament: Alison Thewliss
Alison Emily Thewliss (born 13 September 1982) is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician. She has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Glasgow Central since the May 2015 general election.
Before being elected to Westminster, Thewliss wa ...
( Glasgow Central)
*Member of Scottish Parliament: Nicola Sturgeon
Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon (born 19 July 1970) is a Scottish politician serving as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) since 2014. She is the first woman to hold either position. She has been a member of ...
( Glasgow Southside)
*Members of Scottish Parliament ( Glasgow region list): Patrick Harvie
Patrick Harvie (born 18 March 1973) is a Scottish politician who has served as Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights since 2021. He has served as one of two co-leaders of the Scottish Greens since 2008, and is on ...
, Pam Duncan-Glancy
Pam Duncan-Glancy (born 2 November 1981) is a Scottish Labour politician who has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Glasgow region since May 2021. She is the first permanent wheelchair user elected to the Scottish Parlia ...
, Pauline McNeill
Pauline Mary McNeill (born 12 September 1962) is a Scottish Labour politician serving as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Glasgow (Scottish Parliament electoral region), Glasgow region. She previously represented the Glasgow K ...
, Anas Sarwar
Anas Sarwar (born 14 March 1983) is a Scottish politician who has served as Leader of the Scottish Labour Party since 2021. He has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Glasgow region since 2016, having been Member of Parliame ...
, Sandesh Gulhane, Annie Wells
Annie Wells (born March 24, 1954) is an American photographer, winner of a Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography.
Life
She graduated from University of California, Santa Cruz with a B.A. in 1981, and studied photojournalism at San Francisco St ...
, Paul Sweeney
Paul John Sweeney FIES ( gd, Pòl Eòin Mac Suibhne; born 16 January 1989) is a Scottish politician. A member of the Scottish Labour and Co-operative Party, he currently serves as Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Glasgow region ...
*Glasgow City Council Ward 8 - Southside Central: Councillor Alexander Belic, Councillor Mhairi Hunter, Baillie James Scanlon, Baillie Soryia Siddique
Notable people from Govanhill
Industry
*Charles Frank
Charles Reser Frank (born April 17, 1947) is an American actor noted for playing Bret Maverick's cousin Ben Maverick in the 1978 TV-movie ''The New Maverick'' with James Garner and Jack Kelly, and in the short-lived 1979 television series '' ...
(1865–1959), optical and scientific instrument maker, emigrated from Lithuania to Govanhill by 1910
* Sir Monty Finniston (1912–1991), industrialist
Politics
* Bashir Ahmad (1940–2009), first BAME
A number of different systems of classification of ethnicity in the United Kingdom exist. These schemata have been the subject of debate, including about the nature of ethnicity, how or whether it can be categorised, and the relationship betwe ...
person to be elected to the Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyro ...
, emigrated from Pakistan to Govanhill in 1961
*Rosie Kane
Rosemary "Rosie" Kane (née McGarvey) (born on 5 June 1961 in Glasgow) is a Scottish Socialist Party politician. She was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Glasgow Region from 2003 to 2007.
Political history
Introduction to pol ...
(1961–), politician
The Arts
* C. P. Taylor (1929–1981), playwright
*Hannah Frank
Hannah Frank (23 August 1908 – 18 December 2008) was an artist and sculptor from Glasgow, Scotland. She was known for her art nouveau monochrome drawings until she decided to concentrate on sculpture in 1952.
Background and education
Frank's ...
(1908–2008), artist and sculptor
*Jack Milroy
Jack Milroy, MBE (born James Cruden; 28 December 1915 – 1 February 2001), was a Scottish comedian. Born in Govanhill, Glasgow and educated at Shawlands Academy, Milroy is noted for his partnership with comedy actor Rikki Fulton as Francie ...
(1915–2001), comedian
* Mohammad Akhtar (MC-VA) (1986–), musician
*Robbie McCallum
Robbie McCallum (born 26 August 1967) is a Scottish screenwriter and novelist whose stories mix comedy, drama, social realism, and strong characters with a driving narrative. He has won numerous Awards for creative writing and was nominated for ...
(1967–), screenwriter
Sport
* Dan Drummond (1891–1949), footballer
* David Davidson (1934–), footballer
* Jim Blyth (1890–?), footballer
*Jimmy Speirs
James Hamilton Speirs MM (22 March 1886 – 20 August 1917) was a Scottish footballer who represented his country on one occasion, scored the winning goal in the 1911 FA Cup Final, and received the Military Medal during the First World War. ...
(1886–1917), footballer
* Jimmy Mallan (1927–1969), footballer
*John McGeady
John McGeady (born 17 April 1958) is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a winger in Scotland, England and the United States. He is the father of Republic of Ireland international player Aiden McGeady.
Early life
McGeady wa ...
(1958–), footballer
* Bobby Collins (1931–2014), footballer
Medicine
* Dame Katherine Christie Watt (1886–1963), British military nurse, nursing administrator and civil servant
*R. D. Laing
Ronald David Laing (7 October 1927 – 23 August 1989), usually cited as R. D. Laing, was a Scottish psychiatrist who wrote extensively on mental illnessin particular, the experience of psychosis. Laing's views on the causes and treatment o ...
(1927–1989), psychiatrist
Media and Journalism
*Rhiannon J. Davies, Founder/Editor, Greater Govanhill MagazineWho_We_Are_-_Greater_Govanhill_Magazine
__References_
__External_links_
*
{{authority_control
Govanhill_and_Crosshill.html" ;"title="ttp://crosshillandgovanhill.org.uk/ Crosshill and Govanhill Community Council">Who We Are - Greater Govanhill Magazine
References
External links
*
_">Crosshill_and_Govanhill_Community_Council
{{authority_control
Govanhill_and_Crosshill.html" ;"title="Govanhill and Crosshill"> ">Crosshill and Govanhill Community Council
{{authority control
_
Areas_of_Glasgow
Burghs
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Areas of Glasgow
Burghs
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Areas of Glasgow
Burghs
Irish diaspora in Scotland
Jews and Judaism in Scotland
Pakistani diaspora in the United Kingdom
Romani communities in the United Kingdom
Romani in Scotland