“You’ve got to look backwards in order to move forward.” It’s a statement that resonates again and again The Herald on Sundays sits to discuss the current state of decay in Glasgow with Niall Murphy, director of Glasgow City Heritage Trust. Murphy and the team of eight staff at the heritage trust run the independent charity and grant funder.
Alongside a voluntary board of trustees, they give out almost £1 million in funding each year to help people in Glasgow protect, repair and promote the city’s historic buildings and places. Murphy self-proclaims himself as someone who is passionate about cities, architecture, heritage and urbanism, but that doesn’t go far enough. The zeal that emanates from him could power redevelopment plans purely from his energy.
Pictured: 'Heritage hero' Niall Murphy (Image: Supplied) As Murphy talked through recent projects the trust has been involved in at 97-101 Trongate and 202 Hunter Street, there's a feeling of newfound optimism for Glasgow's future. It is vital, however, to look backwards before taking the next step forward - especially in a city with a story like Glasgow’s. He explained: “To understand where we are now and what’s happening with our heritage now, you have to understand the history of Glasgow and what happened here in the Victorian era, and on from the second half of the 20th century.
“There was rapid expansion and rapid city growth, and then you’ve got the downside to that, which is that Glasgow ultimatel.