Jason Byrne is a good reason to go west for fun - Fiona Duff

Sometimes friends from down south will ask if I can check something out “the next time I am in Glasgow”.

Jason Byrne is at Glasgow Comedy Festival

I know that it’s not that far away, indeed less time on the train than many of their commute journeys, but the fact is that I rarely go through to Scotland’s largest city.

And the fact that I have written that is another thing they ask – why do we talk about going ‘through’ to Glasgow? The answer is that I simply have no idea whatsoever.

Anyway, for the first time this year I shall indeed be hopping on a ScotRail train and heading west. It is the beginning of birthday celebrations for a friend’s big number that is on the horizon very soon. We thought it would be good to actually go somewhere; what with it being the Glasgow Comedy Festival and us gals liking a bit of laugh we are off to see Jason Byrne. I hope somebody warns him before he goes on stage.

Jason Byrne is at the Glasgow Comedy Festival

It will be my first time at this festival even though it has been going for some time. It was always said that Glasgow could be a graveyard for certain comedians. Big, popular names would travel up from that London town with a show that has gone down a storm there to be met with stoney faces and hardly a giggle.

I imagine the problem is that Glasgwegians have such a cracking sense of humour that most members of the audience would be sitting beside someone that they found funnier than the person on stage. To be honest that might well be the truth, although I think that Mr Byrne should be fairly safe as he usually manages to sell out a massive venue for the whole of the Edinburgh Fringe.

Of course, the main problem about going to see a show in Glasgow is getting the train home. It isn’t as though they leave too early, just that virtually everyone else on board has been out on the town as well. I suppose I can always take a pair of earplugs.