When Batgirl came to town, in 2021, there was lots of talk about money and jobs and profile for Glasgow, but some local businesses said shutting down the streets for filming hit them hard; footfall fell and takings tanked. One of the stars of the movie, Brendan Fraser, also paid the city a backhanded compliment when he said it was a perfect stand-in for Gotham because it is “decaying and gorgeous”. He has a point. I walk the streets of this city and my heart sinks and my heart soars; decaying and gorgeous is just about right.

The really sad thing about Batgirl though was the fact that the actors and the crew spent weeks in Glasgow making the thing only for the film company to scrap it, either because, depending on who you believe, the film wasn’t good enough or they could save some money on tax by writing the whole thing off. Either way, it means Batgirl will never be seen, which is a pity because it could have been another opportunity to promote Glasgow as a backdrop for zombies and fast cars and superheroes and the decaying and gorgeous architecture of the Merchant City where it was filmed.

There is one bit of architecture I’m thinking of in particular: the old Glasgow Savings Bank on Ingram Street. Built in the 1890s, it was the work of the architect JJ Burnet (Charing Cross Mansions was another one of his) but I passed it the other day and it’s not looking good. Under the statue of the patron saint of Glasgow – who’s been slacking off a bit lately if you ask me – the entranceway has become a second home for pigeons and beer cans. There are also mouldy green scars all the way down the front which means water is out of control somewhere and water is the great enemy of conservation. Other than the time Batgirl used it, the building has now been empty for six years, with no immediate solution in sight; gorgeous and decaying.

Except that there is now,........

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