Glasgow Walk of Fame set to mark city's big names

Published on Tuesday 10 November 2009 21:31

IT WILL be a celebration of the great and the gallus.

Scotland's biggest city is to introduce its own version of the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame to recognise some of its best-known citizens.

The scheme, known as Glasgow's Greats, will see plaques installed on pavements in the city to celebrate the lives of high achievers past and present.

Those expected to be among the first to be honoured include comedian Billy Connolly and Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Figures from the city's past will also be commemorated, with the likes of Charles Rennie Mackintosh tipped for a plaque.

Also under consideration are lesser-known figures, such as actor Donald Meek, who died in 1946 having starred in more than 100 films during the golden age of Hollywood.

The project, which will be announced on Friday by Glasgow City Council, will see the 6,000 plaques located in Glasgow Green and along the walkway of the River Clyde towards the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre.

There will be about 20 people chosen in the first wave. The council will produce an accompanying leaflet to promote the trail, giving a brief biography of each person.

The decision over who will be selected will be made by a panel of experts drawn from a "wide cross-section of Scottish life".

The ten-strong body will include representatives from the worlds of sport and entertainment, literature, art, engineering, science, business and education, as well as two councillors. It is understood that the public will be asked for their input, along with arts organisations.

The panel may even devote plaques to fictional characters, emulating the Hollywood tourist attraction in full. The local authority has previously claimed the likes of Donald Duck's Glaswegian uncle, Scrooge McDuck, and Groundskeeper Willie from The Simpsons as their own.

A council spokesman said that the 120,000 initiative, which will showcase those individuals who made a "positive and historic impact on the global stage," will help to promote the achievements of some of the city's most esteemed sons and daughters.

A spokesman said: "Glasgow's Greats will provide the opportunity to mark excellence and achievement, and combine this with pieces of commissioned artwork."

Glasgow would not be the first city to create its own version of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, created in 1958.

Hong Kong has a version, and four years ago the Avenue of Stars was unveiled in London's Covent Garden. It features silver plaques embedded in the pavement honouring legendary British and Commonwealth performers of the past century.