Author Chris McQueer’s favourite Glasgow hangouts

Castle Street, East End

‘You’ll get some of the best views of Glasgow from up here in this Victorian cemetery. You might even get a wee glimpse of a goth photoshoot, which is always a good laugh. There’s a few conspiracy theories involving the Freemasons and the Necropolis as well as gruesome tales of grave-robbing and it all adds to the really weird atmosphere around the place, especially on a cold and frosty morning. There’s around 50,000 people buried here, every single one with a unique story to tell. All the records, for every single person, are stored in the Mitchell Library.’

Sauchiehall Street, City Centre

‘Soon as you mention to anyone in Glasgow that you’re going to the Sav for a night out you’ll immediately be told to watch out for its famed sticky carpet. Something about going up in that lift just gets me absolutely buzzing – it’s like you’re going up into a different world, up into a spaceship or something. Once you’re in you’ll be treated to old-school dance tunes, thumping bass and high-pitched nasal vocals; it’s truly class. Back in the day, this was the favourite haunt of Glasgow’s glitterati – footballers, TV presenters and the like – and you’ll still find a few old guys still kicking about the bar, reminiscing about their glory days.’

East End

‘I grew up a bus journey away from Parkhead; it’s probably my favourite area of the city. I’d go with my granny on a Saturday morning to The Forge shopping centre to get her messages in. A trip to McDonald’s if I was good was always hinted at but rarely materialised. Listening to my granny stop and talk to every other person we walked by was amazing – the patter that flew about has stuck with me ever since and I’ve used a lot of it in my books. There’s the Pigeon & Pet Supplies shop on Westmuir Street and rumour has it Mike Tyson spent an afternoon in there once. Parkhead’s also home of my football team, Celtic. My maw and my auntie both used to work at Celtic Park so I was always hanging about here as a wee boy.’

Gallowgate, City Centre

‘The pub I go to before and after Celtic away games. Just a cracking atmosphere, tellies showing the fitbaw, old guys slagging my clothing choices, cheap pints, what more could you want from a pub? Class location as well: train station just up the hill, Juicy Lucy’s just across the road for food and walking distance from just about any nightclub in Glasgow really.’

Ruchazie, North East Glasgow

‘Probably my favourite place in the world. I go here a few times a week with my dog, Timmy. I’ve got a lot of mad memories from when I was a kid about this place. I went fishing once and caught, much to my horror, an actual leech. A horrible big black shiny thing. Scarred for life, man. There’s so many characters walk round it every day. I’ve found myself in conversation with Christian preachers, ex-political activists, actors and all that. It’s magic.’

Osborne Street, Dixon Street and Gallowgate, East End

‘I grew up watching videos of The Big Yin constantly, so much so that I actually wore out a couple of them. He’s been a massive presence in my life, my full family are fans – so much so he almost feels like an uncle or something. He’s been a massive influence on my writing. When these three 50-foot-high murals were painted by Jack Vettriano, John Byrne and Rachel Maclean for his seventy-fifth birthday, I thought it was one of the best things I’d ever seen. It’s well worth going for a wee wander and seeing them in all their glory. Just stand there and take them in, they’re absolutely brilliant.’

Renfield Street, City Centre

‘I’ve been frequenting this establishment for many years through all of its many guises. It used to be called Play when I first started going out in the ’toon. A gangly, awkward, spotty 18-year-old Chris McQueer cut many a shape in there. Watching fights break out under the strobe lights made it look it they were happening in stopmotion. A wee while later it shut down for a bit before opening up again as, wait for it, Re-Play. Genius. It’s now called Club Tropicana but it is still extremely class. Split right down the middle into ’80s and ’90s-themed rooms.’

Hope St, City Centre

‘The best post-night-out munch, in my opinion. Chicken tikka kebab, hunners of salad and sauce and a can of Irn Bru. I was introduced to this place after a night out with my pal, Paul. I wanted a chippy but he was adamant this place was superior to any other takeaway place in Glasgow. I relented and I’m so glad I did. We stood on Hope Street, using the top of a bin as a table, and just kept saying to each other, “this is class”. And it really was. We looked a mess, kebab sauce all over our faces, clothing and hands, standing at a bin, but we were dining like kings.’