A fascinating portrait of the area, full of detail and colour and. The poverty, squalor and terrible overcrowding of this great industrial city led to a harsh indifferent attitude to life and selfpreservation. Street gangs, crime and policing in glasgow during the. The book itself is broken up by topics with a vague nod toward chronology. Tongland is a local nickname for the area of calton, glasgow controlled in the 1960s by a violent scottish teenage gang called the real calton tongs. It features dozens of gangs, ranging from the well known billy boys and norman conks to the more obscure romeo boys of the garngad and the savoy arcadians. Scottish hoods kicked out of the us in the 1930s brought chicagostyle rackets back with them, a new book reveals. No book is more associated with the city of glasgow than no mean city. The notorious razor gangs who ruled glasgows streets in the 1920s and 1930s are to feature in the next series of peaky blinders series creator steven knight reveals the hardmen will appear. Billy boys and conks, but although the police quelled that outbreak by fair means and foul, the legacy of gang fighting remains to blight the city even today. These two gangs would fight any time and anywhere they could.
Weapons included golf clubs, metal poles, razors and knives. Razor gangs ruled the streets but even in the violence of pre. Razor gangs ruled the streets but even in the violence of prewar. Glasgow and the rise of the british gangster by andrew davies from waterstones today. They had their own rules, dress code and even collected fees for a shared fund to pay police and court fines hence their name. A glasgow gang observed by james patrick read online on bookmate. Includes a map on the inside cover and first end paper of glasgow gang area from 1966 to 1967. I gave this 2 stars out of the respect i have for being perhaps the first of its kind to show an inside view of the glasgow gang. Internally a neat previous owners inscription inside front cover. The following list of gangs was published in the glasgow evening times in february 2006 as identified by strathclyde police with the accompanying map the city was divided into north glasgow, south glasgow and east glasgow. Jan 08, 2003 these early sectarian gangs waged war in the earliest examples of the razor gangs culture which haunted glasgow for the rest of the 20th century. Their enemy was the catholic tim malloys slang for bhoys. Kingsley long s novel no mean city 1935 contains a fictionalised account of these gangs.
A glasgow gang observed by james patrick read online on. Despite billions spent over decades in relaunching glasgow as a modern and sophisticated city of opportunity and leisure, it has never quite managed to shrug off its legacy of 1930s razor gangs. This book became the first published observation of a glasgow gang and as such has stood the. I have been gone from glasgow for over 20 years and this book brought back many treasured memories. Glasgows notorious razor gangs to feature in peaky blinders. October 1998 street gangs in i930s glasgow 253 a number of the citys street gangs mutate into organized criminal gangs, operating protection rackets and forming networks of thieves. To all intents i have finished this book with only perhaps 10% more to read. But its tale of the bloody rise of johnnie stark, and his crowning as razor king of a gorbals gang, was straight from the streets. Notorious daniel gang could quit glasgow after string of brutal attacks, death threats and internal squabbles plunges crime family into crisis.
Nov 12, 2018 in the 30s the name had evolved to san toi with another calton razor gang the calton entry also appearing on the scene. The first world war saw a reduction in influence of these outfits but the much bigger players emerged in the twenties and thirties, when the razor gangs were at their height. But rikki who has worked for bbc shows including chewin the fat and. The glasgow gangs were crazy then and just about everyone i have known who was into the gang thing in the 60s and early 70s have the scars to prove it. The gangs of the 1920s fought each other, protestant and catholic, first with bayonets and then with razors in thousand strong battles that rocked the city. Often referred to as the razor gangs, they fight with knives and razors almost exclusively on religious grounds. Smaller groups from other parts of the city identified themselves as the anderston young team, drumoyne young team. In the 1920s and 30s, glasgow was undoubtedly the murder capital of europe. Two in particular were the most known the bridgeton billy boys and the norman conks. In the 30s the name had evolved to san toi with another calton razor gang the calton entry also appearing on the scene. In the 1960s a 26yearold schoolmaster at a scottish reformatory list d school, under the alias of james patrick, went undercover with the help of one of his pupils to study the often violent behaviour of the teenagers in a gang in glasgow. However by the 1960s both gangs from the relatively small area were. There was a judge in glasgow in the 50s that brought control to the use of the razor by the gangs. A glasgow gang observed by james patrick overdrive.
Aug 18, 20 scottish hoods kicked out of the us in the 1930s brought chicagostyle rackets back with them, a new book reveals. These factors gave rise to the formation of glasgows infamous razor gangs. The gangs of glasgow s past and present are not your al capone organised gangsters, and nor are they your crips and bloods violent murderers. The image at the start is from around 1970 and the guy being slashed was a member of the cid. The gangs ruled glasgows streets with razors and coshes but one man terrorised them for a simple reason the fiend of the gorbals, patrick carraher, was. Gangs and gang culture city of gangs is a history of glasgows gangs, but also a study of britains gang culture. Daily record razor gangs ruled the streets but even in the violence of prewar years, one man stood out oct 19 2007 by reg mckay the gangs ruled glasgows streets with razors and coshes but one man terrorised them for a simple reason the fiend of the gorbals, patrick carraher, was in love with violence for its own sake. The glasgow razor gangs were violent gangs that existed in the east end and south side of. Oct 19, 2012 gangs have been synonymous with glasgow since the 1800s. Oct 19, 2007 the gangs ruled glasgow s streets with razors and coshes but one man terrorised them for a simple reason the fiend of the gorbals, patrick carraher, was in love with violence for its own sake. When no mean city, a novel about johnnie stark, the razor king, was published in north america, the new york times critic declared.
Ask any of glasgows older residents to name a book about their hometown and. Jan 27, 2009 documentary by glaswegian rapper poet activist loki about the gang culture problem in the city of glasgow. A glasgow gang observed by patrick james goodreads. The youthful mackay has the command of a writer twice his age, and he has delivered a conclusion to his trilogy that is just as cohesive and forceful as his previous two books. Comedy writer rikki brown grew up during the violent gang wars in glasgows rough easterhouse estate during the 60s. The penny mob came out of the east end of the city. Feb 24, 2017 documentary filmed in 1968 about glasgow s infamous razor gangs subscribe for more documentaries you wont find anywhere else. Notorious daniel gang could quit glasgow after string of. Scottish gangsters kicked out of the us in the 1930s took. The districts with the overall greatest number of gangs were greater pollok with 11, govan with 10 and drumchapel with 9. Pages in category gangs in scotland the following 14 pages are in this category, out of 14 total. Growing up with gang wars during the 1960s the sun. The gangs ruled glasgows streets with razors and coshes but one man terrorised them for a simple reason the fiend of the gorbals, patrick. So much so, that one of the worlds top entertainers of the time, frankie vaughan, tried to help.
City of gangs is a history of glasgows gangs, but also a study of britains gang culture. In 1982, the bbc documentary department went on safari in glasgow, reporting on the citys gangs. Glasgows dark legacy returns as gangland feuds erupt in. Glasgow gangs now only deal with massive amounts of drugs or pornography. Razor gangs ruled the streets but even in the violence of. Teams like the blackhill toi, drummy, cumbie and tongs had hundreds of members all tooled up and ready for warfare on any trivial reason. Term originally used by the east end razor gangs of interwar glasgow. The infamous razor gangs ruled the streets of glasgow. The tongs financed themselves using a protection racket, levying money on shops within their territory, and they marked that territory out in graffiti with their slogan tongs ya bass. Billy boys chant in the 1920s and 30s, glasgow was undoubtedly the murder capital of europe. For example, jeffrey discusses law enforcement efforts against the gangs medieval1930s in one chapter and 1940s1970s in another. The image of glasgows infamous razor gangs could be set to change for ever thanks to the shocking revelations made in a new book. The city was divided into north glasgow, south glasgow and east glasgow.
Oct 01, 2002 the book itself is broken up by topics with a vague nod toward chronology. These early sectarian gangs waged war in the earliest examples of the razor gangs culture which haunted glasgow for the rest of the 20th century. Members of glasgows notorious razor gangs were recruited by. Factions based on religion and territory flourished, reaching their apex in the late 1920s with razor gangs such as the brigton billy boys. Rapists or molesters who get the jail will be left alone so long as they have drugs or drug connections. City of gangs success lies in its compelling detail. Glasgow fights no mean city tag, 75 years on reuters. Kingsley longs novel no mean city 1935 contains a fictionalised account of these gangs. This approach seemed to nip it in the bud teeheehee.
The study on urban decay and life was split in four parts. Read a glasgow gang observed, by james patrick online on bookmate in the 1960s a 26yearold schoolmaster at a scottish reformatory list d school, under the alias of james patrick, went underco. Gangs have been synonymous with glasgow since the 1800s. Documentary filmed in 1968 about glasgows infamous razor gangs subscribe for more documentaries you wont find anywhere else. The razor gangs were running amok once again, and filth, violence, crime, rats, poverty and drunkenness abounded, just like. He handed out jail sentences of 10 years for use of a razor and 7 years for carrying one. The show focused on the barrowfield in an area of east glasgow, close to celtic park, home of celtic football club. A glasgow gang observed by james patrick overdrive rakuten. East glasgow had the most identified gangs with 41 followed by south glasgow with 38 and north glasgow with 31. The gangs of glasgows past and present are not your al capone organised gangsters, and nor are they your crips and bloods violent murderers. Members of glasgows notorious razor gangs were recruited by chicago crime. More information about this seller contact this seller 5. Jan 22, 2014 intresting book of 1960s glasgow and the peoples lives, how all the areas of glasgow had their all gangs, it tells of the history of over a hundred years of how gangs were part of glasgows life, its a great insight into glasgow life and life in general in inner cities through out britain.
Street gangs, crime and policing in glasgow during the 1930s. Documentary by glaswegian rapper poet activist loki about the gang culture problem in the city of glasgow. Their grip was broken in the thirties by the legendary gangbuster, sir percy sillitoe. He managed to conceal his identity and motives and during the course of a fourmonth assignation in 1966 he observed closely the gang members and. The glasgow razor gangs were violent gangs that existed in the east end and south side of glasgow, scotland in the late1920s and 1930s and were named for their weapon of choice.
Jul 22, 2017 despite billions spent over decades in relaunching glasgow as a modern and sophisticated city of opportunity and leisure, it has never quite managed to shrug off its legacy of 1930s razor gangs. Half is set in glasgow, half in the glaswegian hell of. Jun 08, 2015 alasdair grays most famous novel is a postmodern rendering of the divine comedy and a curious mix of social realism and dark fantasy. At soccer matches, in the streets and at train stations. Sectarian and fiercely territorial, groups from different areas would engage in everything from casual oneupmanship to open street warfare. Recommended reading for every destination on earth. Intresting book of 1960s glasgow and the peoples lives, how all the areas of glasgow had their all gangs, it tells of the history of over a hundred years of how gangs were part of glasgows life, its a great insight into glasgow life and life in general in inner cities through out britain. Its become greedy and twisted theres literally zero loyalty like what is shown in this video. May 22, 2018 the notorious razor gangs who ruled glasgow s streets in the 1920s and 1930s are to feature in the next series of peaky blinders series creator steven knight reveals the hardmen will appear. Til the gang name toi goes back at least 200 years. The sudden arrival of violence is the conclusion to mackays acclaimed glasgow trilogy.
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