Thirty years ago, the one and only Glasgow Garden Festival opened its doors to the public.

Starting on April 26, 1988, and running until September 26 that year, it was one of five national garden festivals to be held across the UK, and the only to reach Scotland.

Over the four months it was held, the festival drew 4.3 million visitors - including Princes Charles and Princess Diana and then-British prime minister Margaret Thatcher.

The event is credited by some as a turning point in Glasgow's fortunes, bringing in investment and paving the way for the city achieving European City of Culture status in 1990, and even its hosting of the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

For the late Mrs Thatcher, who visited in May 1988 at the height of her poll tax-inspired unpopularity, she faced questions from reporters about her attendance at the Scottish Cup Final later in the day.

Asked if she was worried about the reception from fans, her husband Denis Thatcher butted in: "Oh come on, get the hell out of it." But at Hampden she was greeted by a chorus of "you can stick your poll tax up your a**e".

For thousands of Scottish families, the Glasgow Garden Festival is one of the most memorable cultural events in recent history, with its bonsai garden, swooping Coca-Cola rollercoaster, the 240ft Clydesdale Bank Tower and its closing fireworks.