IT started with a hello, hello, hello, and ended with a cheerio, cheerio, cheerio when Glasgow said goodbye yesterday to Julian Spalding, the city's outgoing director of museums.

Mr Spalding, an old master at the art of collecting controversy, invited all his former colleagues to a goodbye party at ''The Police Box, Buchanan Street - overspill, if necessary, at the Gallery of Modern Art''.

The wording of the invitation, which Mr Spalding penned himself, also promised that anyone with any sympathy was welcome ''to canapes, a welcome drink, a pay bar, and a few words (optional)''.