AS STAFF lock the doors of empty bedrooms in James Duncan House in Glasgow's east End for the final time, there's relief - and also sadness - in the air.
The city's last all-male, council-run homeless hostel closed for good , after 30 years providing a roof over the heads of the city's homeless men.
It's certainly the end of an era - two similar hostels have already shut - and those who work there admit they won't be missed by the local community.
However, they also say it marks a new beginning for some of Glasgow's most vulnerable citizens.
For many of the men at the 250-place hostel in Bell Street in calton, basic though it undoubtedly was, it was the place they called home.
A large number had mental health problems or learning difficulties, many more were addicted to alcohol or drugs.
Over the last few weeks and months places have been found for all the residents in smaller, community-based resettlement projects across the city and in private lets.
Some of the staff are moving along with the clients, others are taking redundancy.
The facilities in the new accommodation are far better, and the staff are specially trained to deal with the complex problems surrounding homelessness.
But that doesn't mean there isn't sadness that John Duncan House has closed.
A visit to the hostel on its final day of operation finds mixed feelings among the few residents and staff members left.
Raymond, 53, has been homeless on and off for more than 20 years.
He's been coming to this hostel, which one member of staff describes as a 'mini-town' for three years and says he'll miss the place.
"This has been a good place to stay," he says as he tucks into a hearty subsidised lunch of chilli and roast potatoes in the canteen.
"I've got pals in here and I know the staff well.
"I'm going to a new place in Bridgeton - I've not seen it yet but everyone says it's much better.
"Some of my pals are going too, and some of the staff, so at least I'll know people.
"It's a shame this place is closing, but I suppose it had to happen."
Robert, 56, has been a resident at the hostel for four years, on and off, after he found it too difficult to cope on his own.
He;s also moving to the new £4.2million homeless project in Fordneuk Street, Bridgeton, where he'll have his own room with en-suite facilities, and 24hr support from trained staff.
The change worries him, but he says it's for the best.
The ex-soldier, who served in Germany and Northern Ireland, says: "I hope the new place will be a new start for me.
"I'll miss this place but I know I need help.
"I've been happy here, the staff are really good, like pals.
"I'm glad some of them will be there, at least there will be friendly faces.
"I've been on a visit to the new place and it's lovely.
"Life in the outside world is too hard, I just can't do it any more."
Back in 2003 the council decided to close its large-scale hostels and look to smaller, more modern accommodation where residents would get more specialised help to deal with their problems.
Since then they've spent £15million on the transition, much of the money coming from the Scottish Executive.
Alan Chalmers, who has managed the hostel for the last 16 years, admits he's sad to see James Duncan House close, but says the future will be brighter for the residents elsewhere.
Mr Chalmers, who is retiring, said: "I have many happy memories of my time here.
"Obviously when you've been here as long as I have you build up relationships with the clients, and I'll certainly miss some of them, as well as the staff who are extremely committed.
"But moving the clients to smaller, specialised, better equipped units is the way forward.
"Some of the long-term clients, especially the older men, were initially resistant to moving on - after all this was their home.
"But once we took them to see the new place they were really chuffed.
"For them it's like going to a five-star hotel.
"Times change, policies change and the scale of this place is no longer manageable.
"I think most of the men will do well, though some will find the change hard, depending on the problems they have, and the length of time they've been here."
According to him the job got harder over the years as the type of resident changed.
"When I started it was mainly older guys who drank and found it hard to hold down a job and a house," he said.
"But over the years the client group changed, and we saw more younger men with drug problems and very chaotic, challenging lifestyles.
"We used to run social activities such as dances and parties, and take the men on trips to the Tattoo and Blackpool, which was great.
"But we had to stop those group activities as the client group became too challenging.
"Sometimes there was trouble between the older men and the younger men, who hated each other and had nothing in common."
In the meantime, as Raymond finishes up his lunch, he ponders his new life in Bridgeton.
"I've got a bit of a temper, especially when I've had a drink," he says.
"I was brought up in Bridgeton so I'm a bit nervous about going back.
"But I'm sure I'll be fine - thereâ's nothing else for it."

Glasgow's homeless problem

THE latest statistics from Glasgow Homelessness Network reveal there were more than 1300 referrals to hostels last year - down from 2000 in 2003.
Around 330 people sleep rough on the city's streets every night - 100 less than in 2003.
James Duncan House is the last of Glasgow City Council's large-scale, all-male hostels to close.
Neil Robertson House, in Bridgeton, closed in early 2005, Peter McCann House, in Townhead, shut in July 2006.
Collectively they provided 700 beds.
Smaller hostels such as Norman Street, Dalmarnock, and Laidlaw House, Anderston, have also closed in recent years, as well as privately run hostels like the Belgrove Hotel and Great Eastern Hotel.
Glasgow's only hostel for women, Inglefield House, is also due to shut.
The city council continues to send emergency cases to privately-run B&B accommodation such as the St Enoch Hotel, which is run by Alistair McKever, owner of the controversial Parkview Hotel in the South Side.
A total of 610 new places have been created in small, community-based projects, with trained staff on hand to deal with the issues surrounding homelessness, such as alcohol and drug addiction, mental health problems, learning difficulties and family breakdowns.
The accommodation includes:
- seven small-scale projects with six to 10 beds that allow independent living while providing round the clock support
- specialist places for older people and those with learning difficulties
- residential rehababilitation and moving on places for drug addicts
- a support project for people with alcohol-related brain damage
The council has also secured an agreement with social landlords in the city to provide 1600 temporary furnished flats for the homeless.
The total cost of the closure programme and the introduction of new services is£15million.
Most of the money has been spent on new buildings, training and staff costs.
The Scottish Government has promised to abolish homelessness by 2012.