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Series 1: 3. Glasgow to Ayr

Frankie heads south, travelling from his hometown of Glasgow to his stand-up show in the west-coast seaside town of Ayr. Along the way, he explores what it feels to 'belong' to a certain community and how those groups define modern Scotland. The last time Frankie himself felt like he belonged in a certain group was when he joined a martial arts club in the east end of Glasgow. Frankie returns to his old club for a training session with his old sensei, Tommy Carruthers. Tommy is an expert in jeet kune do, a martial art created by Bruce Lee. Tommy’s unique technique and popularity have led to some describing him as the man who turned being Glaswegian into a martial art. Frankie gets a workout to find out whether he has retained some of the fighting skills that Tommy taught him.\n\nWhilst in Glasgow, Frankie travels to the ruins of Crookston Castle in the south of the city. It was in Crookston Castle that Mary, Queen of Scots, is thought to have married her second husband. In the ruins of the castle, Frankie meets Scottish historian Fiona Watson to find out why Mary, Queen of Scots, was always considered an outsider by both her parliament and her subjects. He learns that while Mary may have been taught the finer skills of becoming a monarch when she grew up in the French court, those skills were of little help in a Scotland that was gripped with religious division and revolt.\n\nGlasgow is no stranger to riots and protests and Frankie meets one high-profile female campaigner who became famous in Scotland as one of the Glasgow Girls. Amal Azzudin was born in Somalia but grew up in Glasgow. She hit the headlines when she was just 15 when she and four other schoolmates campaigned against the treatment of asylum seekers. Frankie chats over a coffee with Amal and finds out why she protested and what she loves about modern Scotland. \n\nOne community that Frankie has always wanted to find out more about is the people that run Scotland’s fairgrounds, the showmen. Frankie pops into the coastal town of Troon to meet some members of the Codona family, one of the most famous showmen families in Scotland. Whilst there, Frankie goes behind the scenes at the hotdog stall and gets to do battle on the dodgems.\n\nFrankie nears his journey end as he arrives in Ayr. He is playing in the famous Gaiety Theatre, which is an art deco venue run by the local community and volunteers. Before his show, Frankie meets Scottish comedy legend Elaine C Smith to discuss performing onstage and their different styles of comedy. Frankie then hits the stage to entertain the people of Ayrshire.

Source: BBC 2