La Belle Place

Last week I blipped about I book I had bought, called "111 Places In Glasgow That You Shouldn't Miss". On Thursday I used the opportunity of a trip into the city to get a bus over to Charing Cross to have a look at the first entry in the book - No.1 La Belle Place, not far from the eastern entrance to Kelvingrove Park.

The fact that Glasgow has a street called La Belle Place is amazing enough in itself, but No.1 - which has housed various occupants since its construction in 1857 and is now a Hindu Mandir - has a really elaborate frieze running along the sides. It was commissioned by a Glasgow merchant called David Bell, the architect was Charles Wilson and the frieze (part of which is the main photo above) was designed by John Mossman, described in the book as "the godfather of Glasgow monumental sculpture".

I've added a picture of the front of the building as an extra.

I don't plan to Blip every entry in the book, but the fact that I've already posted the first two means that others may indeed follow!