Gorbals

The Gorbals is a predominantly working-class area on the south bank of the river Clyde in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. The area was traditionally home to large numbers of Catholic immigrants from Ireland, as well as at one stage housing the vast majority of Scotland's Jewish population (although both groups have subsequently abandoned the area). The name comes from the Scottish Gaelic, Gort a' Bhaile.

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The renowned Scottish socialist political figure John Maclean stood for election in the area in the 1918 general election.

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The Gorbals has long had a reputation as a gritty, rough area, and attempts to clear the slum tenements (originally attempted by The City Improvement Trust in 1866) by Glasgow Corporation and replace them with new high-rise housing in the 1960s did little to improve this reputation. The poor design and low-quality construction of the concrete 20-storey flats led to innumerable social and health problems in the area. The most infamous of these schemes, the Queen Elizabeth Square flats designed by Sir Basil Spence, were demolished in 1993 to make way for a new generation of housing development. Tragically one local resident was struck on the chest by debris during their demolition and killed.

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In 2004, Glasgow City Council announced plans to demolish yet more of the unloved high-rise blocks. This process of gentrification follows on from the earlier demolition attempts. Crime rates have plummeted as property values have soared. The well known Citizens Theatre is based in the area. The local newspaper for The Gorbals is the "Local News for Southsiders".

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Working-class: The working class is a social class found mainly in industrialised capitalist societies or in urban centres. While some writers dispute the existence of a working class, many sociologists, historians and political theorists make use of the concept in their academic writing....

River Clyde: The River Clyde (Cluaidh in Scottish Gaelic) is a major river in Scotland. At 106 miles (176 km) long, it is the tenth longest river in the UK, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was arguably the most important river for shipbuilding and trade in the Bri...

Glasgow: :For other uses, see Glasgow (disambiguation)...