14 October 2014
It is in the nature of edgelands to evolve, sometimes suddenly and dramatically. Fences appear, gates get locked. Earth-moving equipment alters the shape of the land and building works completely change its nature. One of my favourite spots, the wasteground above the Clyde Tunnel at Linthouse is undergoing these sorts of changes. One end of its western half has become a riverside heliport, the other end a building site. The several access points to the more interesting eastern half, beside the Govern ship-yard, have been padlocked off.
Today was one of those “I can’t believe sky can be so blue” days which are too brilliant to miss. As I arrived at the site, the clump of Grey Poplars which landmark this area were shedding sheets of gold leaf, glittering in the breeze. Autumn colour is probably at its peak now, and I feel a certain urgency to capture a chunk of it before it all blows away to winter grey. I couldn’t get beyond the gates to record what the season is doing to the stands of Sallow and Birch. Moving round to the new heliport, the play of light on the pattern of perimeter fence made the morning worth-while.