Completed in July 2014, the eye-catching artwork is the result of a collaboration between the Association and third year pupils at Eastbank Academy, who worked with arts company Art Pistol to develop a theme for the mural.

The brief was to come up with an idea that would make the best use of the space available, with consideration given to its height – four storey Victorian tenement height – and its prominence at the ‘entrance’ to Shettleston. To the pupils the answer was obvious and ‘You’re having a giraffe!’ was completed over the Glasgow Fair Weekend.

The mural features a very tall giraffe grazing on vegetation growing out of the tenement brickwork. The title is a nod to Glasgow humour and we expect it be the reaction of most people who come across the mural for the first time!

For many years the section of Shettleston Road where the mural is located - known locally as ‘the gushet’ - was dominated by a former municipal lamp-lighting depot that had fallen into decay and become a local eyesore. The building’s prominence at the entrance to Shettleston gave locals and visitors alike a very bad first impression of the neighbourhood. Last year Shettleston Housing Association was able to purchase the building. Demolition and redevelopment was always the likely way ahead but after looking at keeping the building in the short term the Association decided against trying to maintain it and made the decision to demolish it last year.

With the lighting depot gone, the gable end at 577 became the new landmark for people entering Shettleston from the west. The Association decided to do something creative that would put the area on the map in 2014 and give residents and visitors something to smile about.

The Association’s maintenance team would like to point out that its cyclical maintenance programme keeps well on top of all savannah type vegetation that might take root in its properties and has no plans to employ any giraffes!