Greetings, and welcome to my website. My name is John Watson, a Glaswegian born and bred more years ago than I care to remember in the Townhead district of the city. It’s all gone now of course, the old Townhead, but I like to think that I managed to save some of it for future generations: saved it in print, that is.

Many years ago I submitted an article to the Glasgow Evening Times describing the public execution of four Irish housebreakers in the Saltmarket. The article struck a chord with the great Glasgow public and so began my career as an untrained and untutored local historian.

Some years later, having exhausted my research in Old Glasgow, the fruits of my labours attracted the interest of Neil Wilson Publishing in consequence of which “Once Upon A Time In Glasgow” appeared on the shelves of booksellers in paperback form. The book, an immediate success, made it to the Glasgow Herald top ten best sellers list and an in-depth review of the book was broadcast on Radio Clyde.

A number of years ago I submitted a Christmas story to the Glasgow Evening Times. The Times published the story, the readers liked it and so a John Watson Christmas story made an annual appearance in this popular newspaper  for almost twenty years. I have had the stories printed under the collective title of “The Naked Santa” which I am hoping to have published. Where is a publisher when you need one?

From time to time I have written for BBC Schools radio and as a diversion to writing, found time, in conjunction with friend and colleague Joe McDonagh to found the Southside Drama Group, taking comedy and drama to the far flung reaches of our fair city.

I have written twelve one-act plays and two full length plays. I have also written, in conjunction with the aforementioned Joe McDonagh, a further two one-act plays, one of which “Blow the Bugle” was premiered at the Edinburgh International Festival.  This website contain synopses of all those plays. I hope you will find something of interest.