Whiteinch

GIC

WHITEINCH CROSS was not a name used in my day's of growing up in this west end area of Glasgow in the 1950's and 60's, although the name is to be found on maps printed around around 1900 (at which time Whiteinch was outwith the City of Glasgow). They had to spend millennium money on something - and this is it, the recreation of Whiteinch Cross. Not that it impresses my parents too much - another local government excuse to waste tax payers money!

No-one has actually explained it to me, but I think it's supposed to represent the days when this part of the city was dominated by shipyard, shipping and the Whiteinch ferries. With its white mast on the left - illuminated with a blue vertical stripe at night - it's rusty bulkhead (ship's side?) - part of which has a waterfall running down it (is the ship sinking?) - and it's raised pontoon - perhaps representing the old ferry landing stage. Ground level lights on the landscaped area on the opposite side of the side street also hint at the area's maritime past, with the lights showing red if you approach from one direction and green from the other.

Located just at the Clyde Tunnel's Whiteinch exit, the one connection I can make with a "cross" is that this is the exact location where the Policemen would stand each day when on school crossing duty (no lollypop men in those days), assisitng us across busy Dumbarton Road to and from Whiteinch Primary School.