Hundreds of onlookers gathered in the Gorbals to watch the two Caledonia Road high-rise blocks of flats be demolished.

Some of them arrived hours earlier to secure a good view of the explosion, and crowds filled the closed streets around the exclusion zone.

There was a tension in the air as anticipation rose for the controlled explosion, and an emotional atmosphere as many locals shared stories about the high-rise flats.

Tales are being exchanged, including stories of people growing fruit on their verandas.

The Glasgow Times was among the crowds, and we spoke with a few locals, some of whom still lived nearby or had moved away.

The flats were levelled today, June 29 (Image: Julie Howden)

READ MORE: Caledonia Road high rise flats in Glasgow’s Gorbals have been demolished

William Semple, 32, had lived in the flats with his mum. He said: “It’s emotional. Very emotional.

“I spent the best part of like two to three years in my life in the flats with my mum, and then I got my own house.

“But coming back here and seeing them come down, yeah, it’s a really emotional experience.

“You could see them towering over everything, and it’s going to be weird not seeing it anymore, honestly.

“Bring on the new, I say, though, and it’s all going to be social housing, I think, so it’s all going to be for a good cause as well.”

Glasgow reacts to Caledonia Road flats demolition in Gorbals (Image: Newsquest)

READ MORE: Major road outside Scottish city closed as emergency services race to scene

Terry Porter grew up in the maisonettes on Caledonia Road next to the blocks but has since moved to Linwood.

Terry, 56, was there with his wife Annemarie, 55. He said: “I watched the other two blocks come down with my kids 10/12 years ago.

“The skyline of the Gorbals is now utterly changed with these coming down.

“But they were put up for a reason, and a lot of people say it’s a lot nicer coming down, and people get a chance at decent houses with gardens, etc.

“It’s hard to see the last fingerprint of the Gorbals highrises coming down.

“It was important to come here, I felt like I had to underline things just to see them coming down.”

Terry spoke about the Queen Elizabeth Square towers being blown up in a controlled explosion in September 1993.

A family friend, Helen Tinney, was part of a large crowd watching the demolition of the 22-storey flats when a piece of flying debris struck her.

Mrs Tinney, 61, died in the Victoria Infirmary after collapsing at the scene of the blast.

Demolition of High Rise Flats in Queen Elizabeth Square, 1993 (Image: Newsquest)

READ MORE: 9 high rise demolitions that reshaped Glasgow’s skyline as Caledonia Road next

Scott Maclean, 30, stays at the edge of Richmond Park and could see the flats from his window.

Scott said: “I think it’ll be quite historic. It’s in our skyline, from the windows, that we can see it from the house.

“It’s very interesting to see it change. They were very prominent.

“They’ve been empty for a couple of years.

“So, it’ll be nice to see the area used for something. Don’t know what that is, but I’m sure it’ll be better than two empty highrises.”

Gary Mason, 53, also lives nearby and agreed that the demolition was the right thing to do.

He said: “I think it’s actually probably good to go. Some people that probably have lived here for a long time, it’s a landmark, isn’t it?

“But then I think to see them go there, it’s like clearing away trees and all that. It’s new growth.

“It allows new people to come in and get the benefit from the new places.

“It is the end of an era, but I think it’s better, it’s nice to maybe see that they could have something a little bit different than that.”