Today could not go past without mentioning the end of a Glasgow institution; the Queen Mother Maternity Hospital in Yorkhill. It closed its doors after 46 years of bringing Glasgow's weans into the world. It was a rather ungainly concrete building perched on a hill just above the West End and you had to throw a double six to get a parking space, but it was an old friendly warm place that had the buzz of competence and the air of friendly conspiracy that you get amongst women waiting to give birth. Two of my friends were treated there; one of them had cancer as a complication and they were superb with her. I am truly sorry to see this place shut and the inevitable break up of the specialist teams that will go with that. I wonder with the constant political interference that goes on, if Glasgow will ever be able to build up a place of such standing again. Truly you don't know what you have until you've lost it..
