In my Quixotic pursuit of Harry Bell’s Glasgow’s Secret Geometry, I’m searching for the end of a line, in this case a line that leads from the Necropolis, through Ross Hall to Stanely (aka Stanlie) Castle. But according to the rules laid down by Alfred Watkins, he of The Old Straight Track, this line’s not even a true leyline, i.e. passing through at least four sites. In fact, I’m unsure of why I’m even making this trip, since Harry…

In rare winter sunlight I seize my chance to shoot pickups. Trouble is, the patron saint of Paisley, St. Mirin, is stranded on a traffic island at the intersection of Incle Street, Gauze Street and the Glasgow Road. Standing a camera in the centre of five lanes of brisk traffic in search of a viable angle means risking my neck.

The statue, unveiled in 2007, looks deceptively old, as does the sandstone plinth it stands on, inscribed with…