Walking through the blackout, you’ll uncover the fear, silence and hidden stories of Glasgow’s darkened wartime streets

Starting at the Beresford Hotel on Sauchiehall Street, on the very night the blackout ended, this 90‑minute walking tour winds through the City Centre to Argyll Street, uncovering how the blackout reshaped Glasgow’s streets, habits and nightlife.

We’ll explore how the enforced darkness transformed the cityscape — from everyday routines to unexpected dangers and surprising delights. Along the way, you’ll discover:

· Crime in the blackout — from opportunistic pickpockets to more serious offences hidden by darkness

· Accidents and road safety — including the creation of Road Safety Month

· Blackout shopping — how department stores sold items for “darkening the house,” described as the task of the times

· Romance in the dark — and the novelty dance inspired by the “blackout blues”

· Theatres, cinemas and dancehalls — how entertainment adapted to a city without light

· The night sky — and how urban darkness revealed a pre‑industrial canopy of stars

· Postal secrets — including why the full moon was the best time to empty post boxes

What was it really like to walk through Glasgow at night in near‑total darkness, relying more on sound than sight? You’ll hear how citizens learned to navigate the city by counting fifteen before stepping off a kerb, adjusting their eyes when leaving buildings, and waiting for buses and trams to come to a complete stop before daring to disembark.

Join us and step back into a time when the city was plunged into darkness — and Glaswegians had to adapt, improvise and move carefully through a world without light.

Description supplied by the event organiser.