Exhibitions- The Burrell Collection, Glasgow

Star rating - 10/10

It's amazing that just a short bus ride out of Glasgow city centre is one if the most wonderful art collections set amongst the serene and peaceful woodlands of Pollock Country Park.

The Burrell Collection was the life's work and passion of successful businessman and art lover Sir William Burrell (1861-1958). It is a wonderful eclectic mix of treasures, set in one of the lightest and beautiful settings for a gallery I have ever been to.

And really there is something here for everyone. Burrell was a keen collector of the sculptor Auguste Rodin; of the painter Edgar Degas, and many more giants of the art world.

But there are also delicate stained glass windows, treasures from ancient Greece and Egypt, and wonderful medieval tapestries. Ming vases are just around the corner from intricate porcelain baskets.

Burrell was always keen for his collection to be shared and shown during his lifetime, and this marvellous collection is as lasting and priceless a legacy as anyone could leave.

And the fact that its setting is so lush and tranquil is another bonus. This is a real gem which it was a privilege to visit.

Films- The Women on the 6th Floor - directed by Phillippe Le Guay

Star rating - 6/10

This is a pleasant enough film about the fortunes of a group of Spanish maids working for wealthy French families.

Natalia Verbeke plays Maria, the domestic hired help who wins over her employer Jean-Louis, played by Fabrice Luchini. He comes to long for the love of life displayed by these women, in contrast to the rigid boredom espoused by his wife and her friends.

The plot is a bit unbelievable, and the characters are somewhat stereotyped, but it's diverting enough. This is something of a missed opportunity though, as it gives the impression of a very funny and delightful film just waiting to get out but never quite managing to.

Exhibitions - The Essence of Beauty: 500 Years of Italian Art-Kelvingrove Art Gallery, Glasgow

Star rating - 7/10

This is a nice little exhibition of Glasgow's Kelvingrove Art Gallery's finer Italian pieces, and a few more besides.

The exhibits are organised through the centuries from the Renaissance through to the nineteenth century. My favourites were The Annunciation by Botticelli, with its amazing perspectives; and a beautiful porcelain dish traditionally given to Italian women after they had given birth. The detail on it is really ornate and the colours vibrant.

And while you are there don't forget to sample some of the other delights of the museum, like Salvador Dali's controversial Surrealist masterpiece Christ of St John of the Cross. And the little section in the Cultural Survival room on the haunting and fascinating history of the former inhabitants of the remote island of St Kilda is another gem.

All in all a great way to spend a rainy summer Glasgow afternoon :)

Exhibitions - Glasgow School of Art

Star rating 10/10

If you have ever wondered what a brilliant, beautiful yet totally functional building feels like then take a trip to Charles Rennie Macintosh's Glasgow School of Art.

It was completed in two parts due to lack of funding, the first half in 1899 and the second in 1909. But it looks as modern and inspirational today as it must have done then. It's amazing that Mackintosh was only 28 when he designed it, and as a former student of the institution he knew exactly what Glasgow's budding artists needed to work in and be inspired by.

You can go on a tour of the building, guided by a current student. I was shown around by recent graduate Alice, whose knowledge was extensive.
You see the stairwells inspired by Japanese art, and the strong lines and beautiful floral details at every turn.

By far the most staggeringly impressive room I saw was the library. It is dark panelled with light flooding in. Mackintosh paid attention to every detail here and throughout the school, and would never scrimp on the finer touches.

And best of all this is no museum. It is a fully functional art school still inspiring future stars. Which is more than can be said for the much more recently built 1950s design school across the road which was considered no longer fit for purpose and recently demolished...

Books – Richer Than God – Manchester City, Modern Football and Growing Up by David Conn

Star rating – 9/10

I admit that I am a proud Manchester City supporter, still relishing the taste of being Premier League Champions at long last, but with many more battle scars from the years of disappointment and failure. And so I was always bound to love this account of my club’s history by Guardian journalist David Conn. But this book is much more than a supporter’s handbook – it is a serious look at the politics and, perhaps more to the point, the economics behind our beloved beautiful game.

Only Manchester City fans can tell tales quite like this - of the ups and downs we have had in the past couple of decades supporting our glorious club, and Conn, a true blue since boyhood, is very good on the detail, told with humour and heart. The promotions, successive relegations, sell outs, buy outs, stars and flops are all here. Only my club with our famous Joe Royle coined disease, Cityitis, could have made such hard work of things. Conn is very good, for example, on the massive let down that was Franny Lee, who came back like a knight in shining armour as a star of our past, only to sell ‘our best players to pay for restaurants.’ And as someone who was part of the Kippax sit-in to get rid of the hated former Chairman Peter Swales, that particular piece of disloyalty and greed still cuts deep with me.

But Conn is also very concerned with the overtaking of the whole national game, not just Manchester City, by money men who can buy and sell clubs, can load them with debt to finance personal fortunes, and who are collectively raising ticket prices and ruining its soul, for this author at any rate.  It is very well written and well argued. And with the tragedy of Rangers unbelievably unravelling not so far away over the border, it could not be timelier.

Conn is one of those City supporters who lost their way and stopped believing religiously in their club, as these changes in the game occurred. This is perhaps understandable for a journalist who has to cultivate an altogether more dispassionate viewpoint. I wish all our clubs could be collectively and communally owned like in Germany or the mighty Barcelona, but they are not and I cannot see that happening any time soon. So I am not sorry that my club has been bought by a rich sheik - and I defy football fan of other clubs in our position to spurn the riches, and yes the success, which we enjoy now (although of course many say they would).

And although I have never stopped believing, and still get the same buzz out of the roar of the crowd at the Etihad as I did when I first went to Maine Road over twenty years ago, this is still a book to really appreciate. Obviously it will appeal to City fans, but I do hope that other people concerned about the future of football, and its place in the fabric of our society, will read it too. Now roll on the start of the season...

Films - Nostalgia for the Light - directed by Patricio Guzmán

Star rating – 9/10

This is a spectacular, moving, and totally original documentary from Patricio Guzmán that really is worth seeking out. The concept sounds a bit unlikely, as it covers two seemingly totally unrelated subjects.

The astronomers of Chile study the starry skies above the Atacama Desert, the driest place on Earth, for the mysteries of space. And desperate relatives search amongst the same territory, only this time below the parched earth for the Disappeared - those people who were murdered for their political views under the military dictatorship of General Pinochet that came to power in 1973, after the overthrow of the elected left wing Government and murder of its President Salvador Allende. For the same desert was the site of many of the notorious concentration camps, brilliantly sketched by one architect who was held prisoner there, and kept every detail in his head.

This film contains simply stunning cinematography, with some of the most beautiful and barren places on the globe, and contains images of the solar system that match the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci for sheer glory, and majesty.

And the quest for answers, either in the solar system and far flung galaxies; or for what happened to brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters all those years ago is mesmerising and moving. This is a wonderful film that is awe inspiring and heartbreaking, but ultimately carries a message of hope for humanity.

DVD - Red Dog - directed by Kriv Stenders

Star rating – 7/10

If you are looking for a light hearted film to take away the gloom of this dismal summer weather, then Red Dog, directed by Kriv Stenders might be just what you need.

It’s a big hearted story of a red dog (uncannily enough) set against the beautiful sunsets and arid deserts of Western Australia. Red Dog is everyone's dig and no one’s dog, as he has those magical doggie qualities that help to bring people together in the small mining community of Dampier.

So it’s a bit Skippy the bush kangaroo, and a bit Carry On – but in a good and generous way. Our canine hero settles on one master, and as that master is easy on the eye American John, played by Josh Lucas, frankly, who can blame him? He is also adopted by the group of miners in the small town. And it is small town in attitude as well as size.

This is a funny and unashamed romantic tearjerker of a film, based on a true story. Great dog, hunks and amazing scenery. What's not to like?