Last week 6 of us were given a private tour of the Trades Hall, one of the most important historic buildings in Glasgow.
Designed and built by Robert Adams, one of Scotland’s most famous architects, the Trades Hall was built in the 18th century to serve as a public hall and meeting place for the members of the city’s Trades House which comprised of the14 Incorporated Trades. We learnt that the organisation was established in 1605 and was housed in an Almshouse at that time. Nowadays Trades House is a registered Scottish Charity focussing on both Educational Initiatives and supporting people of all ages in need. Donations of more than £750,000 are given annually to serving causes and individuals. Strong relationships built with nurseries to universities are used to motivate and assist those in learning from pre-schools to apprentices. Members of Trades House still meet in the Trades Hall in Glassford Street. The original 14 Incorporated Trades are depicted throughout the building in carvings on wooden benches, in a tesselated design on the tiles in the entrance hall, on a silk banner high above the picture rail in the Great Hall, within stained glass windows and on an ornated carved Deacon Convenor’s chair.
We all thoroughly enjoyed our tour of yet another of Glasgow’s hidden gems before heading around the corner for a very nice lunch.