The world famous Toryglen tower block seen in the Sony Bravia tv advert being covered in paint, is now a pile of gray rubble.

It took just under 10 seconds and less than 70 kilos of explosives to blow-down the 40 year old multi-storey on Sunday January 21.

Janis Hughes, MSP who, from the age of nine, called one of the 132 flats at No 24 Crossbank Road home for 11 years, said, ‘I’ve mixed feelings emotionally. This was an excellent place to grow up in. It was a happy move from a tenement in Gorbals where we shared an outside toilet, to a flat with central heating, big bathroom and a room of my own. But people understand this building had to be pulled down to make a better future for everyone in the area. It was good for its time. Now there are other ways people choose to live so we are building other types of houses of a better quality, to suit those needs.’

She was among the local VIPs who watched the demolition on tv in the Toryglen Community Hall. Others  included Michael Lennon, retiring Director of Glasgow Housing Association.

For safety’s sake, around 650 local residents had to move out of their homes in the surrounding area for the day. Glasgow Housing Association Ltd and Orchard Grove Housing Association accommodated them in Toryglen’s Geoff Shaw Community Centre.

Said Councillor James Scanlan, when he went to the site after the demolition, ‘I’m glad it’s done. These high flats served their purpose. Now we can get on with the new build.’

Said Margaret Brittain, Community Housing Manager of Orchard Grove Housing Association Ltd, ‘This is a positive step forward for North Toryglen. It marks the beginning of a new era, not only for our tenants but for the wider community. It is a very exciting time for us. We have a vision for this estate. In the next five (years) there could be up to 1000 houses if the plans submitted to GHA are approved.’

These include extensive community facilities such as a creche, nursery, meeting rooms and work space for essential services such as The Base. This is run by The Initiative to enable people to gain the skills and confidence to get back into the paid working world.

Preparation for the blowdown took eight months and was in the expert hands of 25 of Safedem Ltd’s senior people and five of their explosives team. Standing at the edge of the demolition site, the company’s managing director, William Sinclair, told the LOCAL NEWS, ‘As explosive engineers, we’ve been delighted to be involved. The plan worked exactly with the debris landing where we expected. Everything has broken up nicely.’

It will take ten weeks for the 12,000 tonnes of rubble to be cleared. Once processed, the material is likely to return to the area as site drainage.

‘The regeneration of this area will have a positive impact on the lives of our tenants,’ said Danny Bradley, Glasgow Housing Association’s Assistant Director of Investment and Regeneration. ‘We have been working with local tenants and independent consultants to see what they want for the area.’

Added Orchard Grove LHO Chairperson, Patricia Dooley, ‘This is a new beginning and the start of regeneration for North Toryglen.’

GHA’s Director of Investment and Regeneration, David Hastings, wasn’t at the blowdown because he got married the previous day.