minutes from the 2018 2019 Old Glasgow Club Session

Attendance: 67 attendees.

Chair: President, Mr Brian D. Henderson

Welcome: President Henderson opened the meeting by saying, “as your new President, may I welcome you all to the opening meeting and enrolment night of the Old Glasgow Club, for our new session.

Ladies and Gentlemen, a particularly warm welcome to those of you who are joining us for the first time. And, we do hope that any of you who are visiting, for the first time, will decide to join us. Thank you all very much indeed.”

Safety: If you hear the fire alarm, there are fire exits at each side of the room. Please make your way quickly and calmly to the nearest fire exit, and meet at the assembly points, so that you can be accounted for.

Mobile phones: Please check to make sure that your phone is switched off, or in silent mode.

Apologies: There were apologies from Maureen McRobb, Anna Forrest, Freda Graham, Jane Collie, Glen Collie, Dorothy Blair, Artie Trezise, Cathy Wallach, Margaret Thom.

Minutes: The minutes of the last ordinary meeting, held on the 12th April, were approved and proposed by Margaret Walker and seconded by Iain Henderson. There were no amendments or matters arising.

“We are trying to cut down of paper copies of the minutes, ladies and gentlemen. To ensure that we have your email address, if appropriate, please see Niall, our Membership Secretary. Thank you.”

President’s Report: President Henderson told us - “As you will be aware, this year marks the centenary of the end of the FIrst World War. I recently attended a session at the Mitchell Library, about the Belgian refugees who came to Glasgow during the Great War.

Glasgow Corporation played a major role in the relief of some 20,000 people. The City was then one of the largest in the UK, with a population of over 1 million, following the 1912 Boundaries Extn Act.

A collaborative project has taken place between The City Archives Office and Stirling University, as part of a UK wide initiative based in Leeds. They are trying to trace the refugees lives, using records held by The City Archives Office. A detailed hand list now exists.

Should any of you have an interest in the subject, please contact The City Archives Office - either online, or by visiting their office: fifth floor at the Mitchell Library.

Moving forward again, I would like to call upon Joyce, our Club Secretary, to present her report. Joyce, thank you.”

Secretary’s Report: Club Secretary, Joyce McNae told us about events and exhibitions in and around Glasgow. Quiz - have you taken part in tonight’s quiz - Where would you find this building?

Summer Outing to Scone Palace was an enjoyable and successful trip. We were shown photographs of our new President, Brian at Scone Palace, and the unseasonal hailstones on the way to Bridge of Allan.

Old Glasgow Club ordinary meeting talks 2018/2019 -

11th October 2018 - ‘Glasgow’s Singing Traditions’ with Adam McNaughtan

8th November 2018 - ‘Reconstructing Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s Glasgow School of Art’ with Liz Davidson

13th December 2018 - ‘Glasgow’s First World War through the City Archives’ with Irene O’Brien

10th January 2019 - ‘When Sundays brought The Post’ with Jill Scott and Bill Hicks

14th February 2019 - ‘An Evening for Members and Friends’

14th March 2019 - ‘The Maid of the Loch’ with John Beveridge

12th April 2019 - ‘What’s Past is Prologue - a musical history of Glasgow from the archives and collections of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’

A reminder that Old Glasgow Club merchandise is available at our pop-up shop and information desk. The pricing for the OGC items - tea towels £3.50, notebooks £1.50, bags £4.00, OGC badges £3.00, OGC pens £1.00.

Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival 2018 - 116 open buildings, guided walks and events that runs until 16th September.

‘Royal Windows’. The Royal Infirmary is going to be home to a suite of stained glass windows. Joyce invited Past President, Alison Sannachan to the stage to tell us more about them, being that she works there.

Alison told us that they had been informed that there is going to be stained glass windows commemorating the city’s 14 traditional trades, incorporated into the Trades House of Glasgow for over 400 years. The windows are in the link corridor between the old and the new building. This part of the building overlooks the Necropolis, which means it gets a lot of sun.

The first of the windows has just been unveiled.

Joyce thanked Alison and continued :

There is a new exhibition opening on 21st September at Kelvingrove called ‘Brushes with War’. It is a powerful and emotive insight into the experience of soldiers from World War I through the drawing and paintings they created. It features original artwork from German, Austrian, French, Belgian, British, American, Canadian, Australian and Russian soldier-artists, providing an uncensored account to the experience of ordinary soldiers.

A truly impactful exhibition that marks the 100th anniversary of the end of WWI which runs from 21st September until the 6th January 2019. More information and bookings can be found at glasgowlife.org.uk

The new Clutha Distillery - a planning application has been submitted by Glasgow company Douglas Laing & Co to build the distillery at Pacific Quay. It is expected to open in Autumn 2019.

Staying on the subject of Clydeside, we were told that the Directors had been speaking about the Clyde and the petition to stop developers building on the A-listed Govan Graving Docks. Glasgow City Council have now formally rejected the planning permission that had been sought by New City Vision to build 700 flats, a museum, restaurant, shops, office space and hotel on the sight. The proposed development was thought to have failed in preserving the historic interest of the listed docks.

Joyce invited Niall to the stage to speak to us.

Club Membership Secretary, Niall Houser, thanked everyone that had already filled in their enrolment forms for Session 2018/19. He reminded members that still had to complete their forms about the new Gift Aid option, and the Contact Box, which has to be ticked if you would like the minutes sent electronically to you, and allow us to contact you.

Talk: Our President introduced tonight’s speaker, “It now gives me very great pleasure to introduce Mr Jim Mearns, our guest speaker, who will be taking us to the Antonine Wall, on a journey through time tonight.

Jim is Editor of The Scottish Archaeological Journal, former adviser to the Lord Provost, has a Master in Urban and Regional Planning, Past President of the Glasgow Archaeological Society, and of The Nomad Club, which is very intriguing. And last, but by no means least, a self-employed thinker!

I love the self-employed thinker, no doubt Jim will enlighten us. Please give him a very warm OGC welcome.”

Jim thanked Brian for his flattering introduction and congratulated Brian on becoming President of the OGC this year.

When Jim looked up the OGC on internet, a fact popped up from 5th September 1818, the day that gas arrived in Glasgow. Jim is going to go further back than this, back to the second century, when the Romans were in Scotland.

The Romans had started as a small city state that expanded around the Mediterranean Sea to become what we call The Roman Empire. The Romans first came to Britain under the rule of Julius Caesar around 55 BC.

We know that the Romans were in Scotland 3 times. “When Antoninus Pius became emperor in A.D. 138, the northern frontier of Roman Britain lay on a line between the Tyne and the Solway, along which Hadiran’s Wall had recently been constructed. We cannot be certain why the Romans advanced into Southern Scotland at this time.

Local unrest may have prompted their northwards march. Alternatively, it may have been, in part, a political decision taken in Rome, designed to achieve an early foreign policy success for and unwarlike emperor”, who was more of a philosopher than a soldier.

Unlike Hadrian’s Wall, which is a specific structure, built completely of stone, with a road, ditch, forts, fortlets and small castles, the Antonine Wall is a turf wall with stone foundations.

The Antonine Wall ran from Old Kilpatrick on the west coast to near Bo’ness in the east, and was around 37 miles long.

It is known that the Romans had a treaty with the people of Fife, and it may be that the forts that were built north of the Antonine Wall, as far as Perth, were shielding the population of Fife against raiders from the north and west.

There have been remains of forts discovered at seventeen sites on the Antonine Wall: Old Kilpatrick, Duntocher, Castlehill, Bearsden, Balmuildy, Cadder, Kirkintilloch, Auchendavy, Bar Hill, Croy Hill, Westerwood, Castlecary, Rough Castle, Falkirk, Mumrills, Inveravon and Carriden.

The forts were placed at approximately every 2.2 miles or so. There could, as yet, still be more forts waiting to be discovered. All the excavated forts consisted of principal buildings that included a headquarters, the commanding officer’s house, granaries, barracks and at least one suite of bath-houses,

There were also fortlets, resembling mile castles (lookout towers) found along the Antonine Wall, the most recent ones found at Seabegs Wood, Croy Hill, Kinneil and Cleddans, east of Duntocher.

Shown in cross section, the wall had a Military Way/ Road to get supplies through (around 5 metres wide), there was a gap of 10 metres, then the wall, which was around 4 metres wide and 3 metres high, with a stone base and turf Rampart. There was then a 3 metre wide Berm (of flat space), a 12 metre wide x 4 metre deep ditch, which had an ankle breaker of a trough at the bottom, and an outer mound.

It is not known how long it took to build the wall, we can only guess. What is known, is that the Romans were only in Scotland at this period for around 20 years.

Jim showed us fascinating photographs and drawings of the wall, Peel Park, Kirkintilloch, plan drawing of Balmuildy, plan of the fortlet and enclosures at Wilderness Plantation, Cadder Fort (the canal builders were gentlemen and built around the fort), photographs of bath-houses, aerial views of Rough Castle, Westerwood fort and the distance slabs, to name a few.

When the forts were abandoned, the Romans buried possessions that they did not want to take with them, this has helped the preservation and survival of the artefacts, which are in the Hunterian Museum. Along with tools, household items, shoes, jewellery, statuettes and altars, there are the unique distance slabs.

There are at least 18 inscribed distance slabs, celebrating the work of the legions which constructed the Antonine Wall. “Each slab records that the work was undertaken for the emperor Antoninus Pius, then names the legion responsible, and the exact distance completed, in paces or feet.” The slabs, which are made of local sandstone were set into stone frames along the length of the wall, and probably faced south into the Empire. These distance slabs can be seen at The Hunterian Museum, Glasgow.

Jim finished his talk by telling us that the Romans were not defeated, they chose to leave Scotland.

More information on the wall can be found at www.antoninewall.org www.antonineguard.org.uk www.glasarchsoc.org.uk

President Henderson thanked Jim for his fabulous talk, and invited the audience to ask him questions, requesting that the questions were brief and relevant.

Q I was just wondering if Bar Hill is set back from the wall because it is like Vindolanda near Hadrian’s Wall.

A No, because Vindolanda was an auxiliary fort and Bar Hill was definitely a fort. Bar Hill and Croy Hill forts are both at the highest point of the wall.

Q That was a very interesting talk. What year was the Antonine Wall built?

A It was built about 139 AD. Not sure about the building time though.

Q You gave the impression that the natives above the Antonine Wall were friendly, were the Romans aware of places like John O’Groats?

A As far as the Romans were concerned, they circumnavigated Scotland, built forts around Scotland and took marching camps all round Scotland, including the North of the country and felt Scotland was under control.

They always had a purpose, whether it be in trading people/ slaves, gold. They were trading across the

Channel, so they would have had a good grasp of the geography of the area, and know that Britain was an island.

Q You mentioned that soldiers weren't allowed to to marry?

A Yes, that’s correct, they signed up for 20 years and weren’t supposed to take wives. Tablets found at Vindolanda have the Governor’s wife’s requests on them, so, if was one rule for the soldiers, and one rule for those in charge.

Q What would they have written on, would it have been slate?

A No, it would have been wax tablets.

Q I have to plead my ignorance. When you said 140, was that after Christ’s time?

A Yes, 140 A.D.

Vote of Thanks: President Henderson called upon former club Director and fellow member, Mr Bill Crawford to give the vote of thanks on behalf of the club.

Mr Crawford said, “Well Ladies and Gentlemen, I found that a very interesting evening, and I am sure that everyone else here did too. Yes, its been a very interesting evening, especially since it is on our doorstep. We have probably all at some time been on the wall, or the ditch, and not been aware.

Jim, I would like to thank you most sincerely on behalf of the club, for coming here tonight, and making us a bit wiser than when we left home this evening.” Bill asked us to join him in showing our thanks to Jim for his great talk.

AOCB: Past President, Stuart Little informed us that tonight’s Quiz had been disastrous. We got named streets near the street shown in the Quiz but not the actual name of the street in the photograph. Because of this, Stuart picked the person who named the nearest street to the correct answer of Derby Street. The winner with the closest street, was Club Secretary, Joyce.

Next Directors Meeting - Thursday 4th October, 6.15pm start at Hutchesons’ Grammar School, 21 Beaton Road.

Next Ordinary Meeting - Thursday 11th October, 7.30pm start at Adelaides, 209 Bath Street, Glasgow.

Close: President Henderson thanked everyone for their attendance and participation tonight, and informed us of the next

Directors and Ordinary meeting dates. “Our next Ordinary Meeting is “Glasgow Singing Traditions” with Adam McNaughtan. He spoke to the club about 30 years ago, so you could say this is a repeat talk!” Brian wished all safe home.

Shona Crozer - Recording Secretary

Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club
11th October 2018

held at Adelaide's, 209 Bath Street, Glasgow

Attendance: 78 attendees.

Chair: President, Mr Brian D. Henderson.

Welcome: President Henderson welcomed everyone to the second meeting of the session, with a particularly warm welcome to anyone who was here for a first time tonight.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, it is now my sad duty to advise that Mr Gordon Gilmour, who was a member in the 1980s and 1990s, died on 11th September. Gordon was a regular contributor and attender before his health declined. I am sure that our thoughts are with his family at this sad time. Thank you”.

Safety - “If you hear the fire alarm, there are fire exits at each side of the room. Please make your way quickly and calmly to the nearest fire exit, and assemble at assembly points so that you can be accounted for. Mobile phones: Please check to make sure that your phone is switched off, or in silent mode”.

Apologies: Cilla Fisher, Arlie Trezise, Jean Wylie, Jane Collie, Glen Collie, Margaret McCormick and Iain Henderson.

Minutes: The minutes of the last ordinary meeting, held on the 13th September, were approved and proposed by Anna Forest and seconded by Crawford Cassidy. There were no amendments or matters arising.

Since we are actively trying to cut down on paper copies of the minutes, could we please ensure that we have your email address if appropriate. Please see Niall, our Membership Secretary. Thank you.

President’s Report: Ladies and Gentlemen, I present my report as President this evening, with a very strong sense of “Living History”. You may remember that in talking at our last meeting of the Great War Belgian refugees, I mentioned that the city’s population had exceeded 1 million due to the 1912 Boundaries’ Extension Act.

It therefore seemed quite uncanny to me, to discover courtesy of the club transactions for session 1918-19, that the speaker’s subject on 30th October 1918 - one hundred years ago this month, Ladies and Gentlemen - was entitled “The Extension of the Municipal Boundaries of Glasgow 1800-1912”.

A gent named W. Boyd Anderson addressed the club that evening. Very briefly, our speaker informed us that the Burghs of Govan, Patrick and Pollokshaws, the districts of Tollcross and Shettleston in the east, Temple, Knightswood and Scoutston in the West and Shieldhall and Cathcart in the south had all been annexed in 1912.

This added 6208 acres and a population of 226,335. The city now extended to 19,183 acres, with a population rise from 784,496 to 1,010,831 people.

To conclude my report Ladies and Gentlemen, the club meeting was in The Trades Hall, Glassford Street on the third Thursday of each month from October to April. The chair was taken at 8pm.

Now there’s a thing Ladies and Gentlemen, the chair was taken at 8pm. And dare I say, with no disrespect intended to our ghostly fellow members from 1918, that I hope they got it back again!

Forgive me please Ladies and Gentlemen, I am afraid the humour gets no better than this, just begins to deteriorate, more than a little.

Moving forward again, while I hope I am still ahead, and not out the door, I would like to call upon Joyce, our Secretary to present her report”.

Secretary’s Report: Joyce apologised for the lack of microphones this evening since we are experiencing a technical glitch with Adelaides sound equipment. We know we are in trouble when Gavin, our club technical wizard can’t get to the cause of the problem.

Joyce proceed to tell us dates of events and happenings in and around Glasgow for the month of October and beyond.

There are copies of the amended OGC constitution, as voted for at the May AGM, available. Copies can be picked up from Niall, our Membership Secretary.

Quiz - ‘What’s the odd one out on this bookshelf’.

Old Glasgow Club Ordinary Meetings remaining in the 2018/19 session:

November 8th. - ‘Reconstructing Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s Glasgow School of Art’ speaker Liz Davidson

December 13th - ‘Glasgow’s First World War through the City Archives’ speaker Irene O’Brien

January 10th - ‘When Sundays brought The Post’ speakers Jill Scott and Bill Hicks

February 14th - ‘An Evening for Members and Friends’

March 14th. - ‘The Maid of the Loch’ speaker John Beveridge

April 12th - ‘What’s Past is Prologue’ speaker Dr Stuart A. Harris - Logan

New Glasgow Society - ‘Inside/Out (the material of Mackintosh)’, the first solo exhibition from artist Allan Whyte, exams our relationship to the built environment through the prism for Mackintosh’s use of materials and light. This sculptural installation, at New Glasgow Society from 18-27 October, gives the public a unique opportunity to see art work created from materials salvaged from Glasgow School of Art’s Mackintosh building. More information can be found on newglasgowsociety.org

Books at the Botanics - book fair is on the Saturday 13th October and Sunday 14th October, 10am - 5.00pm.

Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery - Christine Borland’s new work, ‘I Say Nothing: A World War 1 centenary art commission’ will be on display on the south balcony from 12th October. This thought provoking artwork is intended to stimulate critical reflection on World War I, as well as on museum collecting and care.

‘Brushes with War’ is a powerful and emotive insight into the experience of soldiers from World War 1 through the drawings and paintings they created. Featuring original artworks by German, Austrian, French, Belgian, British,

American, Canadian, Australian and Russian soldier-artists, the exhibition provides an authentic, uncensored account of the experience of ordinary soldiers. It offers clear glimpses into World War I through the eyes of the men who actually fought. The exhibition runs from 21st September - 6th January 2019. Tickets cost £7.

More information can be found on glasgowlife.org.uk

Black History Month - October is Black History Month, has been co-ordinated since 2001, and has encompassed the history of African, Caribbean and Asian people in this country; people who often have a direct link with Scotland through slavery, colonialism and migration. There are talks, exhibitions and theatre events taking place at various venues over the month. More information can be found on blackhistorymonth.org.uk by searching Glasgow on listings.

Talk: Our President introduced tonight’s speaker. “It now gives me very great pleasure to introduce Mr Adam

McNaughtan, our guest speaker, who will be taking us on a musical trip through Glasgow’s singing traditions. I hope Adam will take it as a compliment if I call him almost an “old Glasgow worthy”!

A founder member of Glasgow University Folk Club, I understand he taught English for twenty years before cataloguing the poet’s box at the Mitchell, I think. Intriguing to say the least! He went on to run an antiquarian book shop in Parnie Street near Glasgow Cross for many years. I believe he also sang “The Jeely Piece Song” with his guitar at Bannerman High, Garrowhill in 1973!!! Quite a day that one must have been I am sure!

And, unless I am very much mistaken Ladies and Gentlemen, Adam did talk to the Club in one of our earlier lives at the

Girl Guides Hall in Elmbank Street in the mists of time, or certainly the early 1980s. But I might very well be wrong Ladies and Gentlemen! No doubt Adam will correct me if I am.

Please give him a very warm Old Glasgow Club welcome. Adam, over to you. Thank you.

Adam opened up his talk by singing ‘Three Craws’ and telling us that this was the version he knew when he was a child. There are different versions of this and he just demonstrated that not every Glaswegian know the same tunes.

Glasgow singers did not necessarily sing Glasgow songs as prior to 1800 Glasgow was a market town that shared traditions with the south of Scotland. There were ballads set in Glasgow, as collected by John Ord but other songs were collected by pedlars when they were roaming the countryside. Pedlars who carried song sheets were encouraged to listen out for new songs and bring them back with them.

The songs, with love always the main theme, were crudely and cheaply printed on broadsides and ballad sheets, which were single sheets, or chapbooks (which were folded into pamphlets). They were sold by street criers, travelling pedlars and ‘baladeers’ at markets and fairs. These were what we called street literature and appeared all over the UK.

Adam told us that he spent around a year in the Mitchell Library looking at broadsides and ballad sheets and catalogued what is know as ‘The Poet’s Box’. This is a box that contains a collection of some 3,000 of them that date from around 1850 to 1912, later than most people think they went on. ‘The Poet’s Box’ was the name of particular shops which produced and sold song sheets, sending them all over the place. The Glasgow one was listed in a directory until the early 1960s.

Apart from oral folk song and printed broadside, where did people actually sing. It is known that there were about 30 convivial clubs that were active in Glasgow in the mid 1800s. These clubs were mainly frequented by the middle and professional classes. Over time this became a bit more democratic and it became the practice for there to be one professional singer at the club, who also acted as a compare. The acts became more varied than just singers, with gymnasts, clog dancers etc being added to the foray.

The time obviously came for purpose built music halls, like the Britannia which opened in 1857 but some of the singing clubs still survived.

In the 19th century venture comedian meant comic singer, they would sing 2 to 4 songs, most of them parodies. One such singer who specialised in parodies and children’s tradition was James Curran who had written some 1000 songs by the time he took to the stage in 1890s.

Lots of his songs are still to be collected from the oral tradition.

Adam entertained us with James Curran’s version of ‘My Grandfather’s Socks’

“My Grandfather’s socks were too big for his boots and his boots were too wee for his feet He’d a big hairy pimple on the end of his nose that could light every lamp in the street

But he got upon the booze till it bit him in the blues and from this wicked world he did aslide But they’ll buried out of sight still the pimple shinning bright Since the auld man died

And the people come in thousands

to that grave so simple They come to light their pipes at my Grandfather’s pimple The bobbies on the beat often stop to warm their feet at the pimple on my Grandfather’s grave”

The youth organisations, which included the Brownies, Scouts, Sunday School and Seaside Mission were also very important in the learning of traditional songs. People still remember the songs that they first heard at them, its amazing how these songs cling to you.

Things of course change with the appearance of new, larger theatres, like the Pavilion Theatre and the Coliseum Theatre, which opened in 1905. It took a different type of singer to sing at these venues. Singers like Tommy Lorne, a man with a big deep voice who entertained Glasgow crowds with their patter and catchphrases.

Adam entertained us over the course of the evening with renditions of songs from broadsheets, like ‘Three Craws’, ‘Bonnie Glasgow Green’, ‘The Shepherd’s Lament’ and ‘My Grandfather’s Socks’. Members joined in with some of the lyrics that they recognised and laughed at the cheek and bawdiness of some of the lines in the parodies not known to them.

Adam finished his talk by telling us about the advent of Polaris and the anti-nuclear protestors, one of which was the song writer, Morris Blythman who wrote a protest song after a throw away comment from an American Captain called Lanin, supposedly likening the protestors in their kayaks to “Eskimos”. The song is titled ‘The Glasgow Eskimos’ and is set to the American Civil War tune ‘Marching Through Georgia’.

The Glasgow Eskimos

Chorus:

Hullo! Hullo! We are the Eskimos

Hullo! Hullo! The Glesca Eskimos

We’ll gaff that nyaff ca’d Lanin

And we’ll spear him whaur he blows For we are the Glesca Eskimos

Questions and Answers: there was no time left to ask Adam questions.

Vote of Thanks: Brian called upon fellow member and former club Director, Mr Bill Crawford to give the vote of thanks on behalf of the club.

Bill said, “Ladies and Gentlemen (thought I should remember to say that), it has been great having Adam along this evening. I can hardly believe that I remember Adam from 60 years ago, and, when I heard he was coming along tonight I asked to give the vote of thanks. What a great talk, and to be able to sing like that at the ripe old age of both of us! He sings the Glasgow tradition even with our lack of working microphone. As the show went on tonight we all showed our enjoyment as we clapped along, would you like to join with me in giving him the traditional Old Glasgow Club vote of thanks”.

AOCB: Past President, Stuart Little told us that the Quiz question tonight of ‘spot the odd book out on the bookshelf’ was a photograph taken of Edinburgh themed books in an Edinburgh book shop. While Edinburgh does indeed have a Tollcross, the book with this title was actually about Tollcross, Glasgow, meaning this was the odd book out. The winner tonight was Rosemary Sanachan.

Next Directors Meeting - Thursday 1st November, 6.15pm start at Hutchesons’ Grammar School, 21 Beaton Road. Next Ordinary Meeting - Thursday 8th November, 7pm for 7.30pm start at Adelaides, 209 Bath Street, Glasgow.

Close: President Henderson thanked everyone for their attendance and participation tonight, and informed us of the next Directors and Ordinary meeting dates.

Our next Ordinary Meeting is ‘Reconstructing Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s Glasgow School of Art’ by Liz Davidson. “A very sad but topical subject at the moment, as you know, Ladies and Gentlemen”. Brian wished all a safe home.

Shona Crozer

Recording Secretary

Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club
8th November 2018

held at Adelaide's, 209 Bath Street, Glasgow

Attendance: 68 attendees.

Chair: President, Mr Brian D. Henderson.

Welcome: President Henderson opened the meeting by welcoming and thanking everyone for turning out on such a dreich night, with a particularly warm welcome extended to those that were joining us for the first time this evening.

President Henderson invited members to stand for a one minute silence to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War this coming Sunday.

Housekeeping: Fire drill procedures and housekeeping rules were explained, and all mobile phones were requested to be turned off or silenced.

President Henderson advised that if we were experiencing adverse weather conditions on the date of an Old Glasgow Club Ordinary Meeting to check on the club website or Facebook page for updates. Should the Directors decide to stand down a meeting, the information will be available there.

Apologies: There were apologies from Anne White, Janette Know, Cilla Fisher, Arti Trezise, Jane Collie, Glen Collie, Alison Sannachan and Jane Sheridan.

Minutes: The minutes of the last ordinary meeting, held on 11th October were approved and proposed by Margaret Thom and seconded by Stuart Little. There were no amendments.

Matters Arising - it was pointed out that some members haven’t been receiving their digital copies of the OGC minutes. Members were assured that they had been sent out to them but that the Recording Secretary would look into it and any queries were to be directed to her.

President’s Report: “Ladies and Gentlemen, in presenting my President’s Report last month, I talked of a very strong sense of “Living History” with the extension of “The Municipal Boundaries” address to the club by Mr W Boyd Anderson on 30th October 1918.

Mr Boyd Anderson, who was in fact a life member of the club, detailed that the districts of Tollcross and Shettleston in the East were among the 1912 annexations.

I would now like to continue my “Living History” theme, given that on 21st November 1918, the Rev J.F. Mitchell addressed our members on “Old Shettleston”.

The first known mention, he said, came with a Papal Bull in 1170 to the Bishop of Glasgow, by which Pope Alexander III took the “Settlement of Sadin” under his protection. Thus “Sadin’s Town” or Shettleston.

By charter in 1226, King Alexander II, authorised the Provost and Officers of Rutherglen to collect their legal dues, being toll or custom, “At The Cross of Schendenestun”, but not in the town of Glasgow.

Pre-reformation Shettleston was apparently divided into certain districts such as Easter Shettleston, Westerton of Shettleston and Middlequarther; these, in time, evolved into three distinctive names:

A Tollcross - the largest holding; Little Tollcross - including B

C Tollcross Park’ and Little Hill of Tollcross - including the

E Camlachie neighbourhood, and Janefield.

Mr James Corbet feued land in 1751; and the Grays of Carntyne also feature....apparently, several fortunes were made and lost in the early 18th century by working the coal in the lands of Camlachie and Tollcross.

The Reform Act of 1832 extended Glasgow’s Parliamentary Boundary to Old Edinburgh Road at Shettleston, the City Boundary was extended to the same point in 1846. This remained the position until 1912.

The Rev Mr Miller concluded by submitting that Shettleston had come into its own in the Parliamentary division of the city recently carried out: The new Shettleston ward was coming as far west as Camlachie - the probable boundary of Shettleston and Glasgow in the 12th century.

There we must leave our fellow members of the mists of time, and 21st November 1918.

Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you”.

Secretary’s Report: Joyce M.M. McNae, Club Secretary.

Joyce advised us that the Directors now know the theme that February’s meeting, “An Evening for Members and Friends” will take. It is going to be a Quiz Night of a North/South divide, with the River Clyde being the deciding factor of which team you will be in.

Helping with the Old Glasgow Club - Joyce asked members to consider becoming a Director of the OGC as the club is a couple of Directors short. She emphasised that it is not nearly as formal or as daunting as it sounds and the role is really about helping make decisions regarding the running of the club over a cup of coffee and a biscuit. The Directors have a separate meeting once a month September to April (not December) to discuss all things club and the tenure is normally three years. If anyone is interested then please express this to the President, Vice-President, Joyce, or indeed any of the club Directors.

Also, please help spread news of the OGC and talks with your neighbours, friends and work colleagues by distributing the information leaflets/ membership forms, available from the sign in desk.

Constitution - a reminder that a copy of the Constitution as amended at the 2018 AGM is available to pick up at the membership or signing in desk.

Old Glasgow Club Ordinary Meetings remaining in the 2018/19 session:

December 13th - ‘Glasgow’s First World War through the City Archives’ speaker Irene O’Brien

January 10th - ‘When Sundays brought The Post’ speakers Jill Scott and Bill Hicks

February 14th - ‘An Evening for Members and Friends’ Quiz Night with a North/South divide

March 14th - ‘The Maid of the Loch’ speaker John Beveridge

April 12th - ‘What’s Past is Prologue’ speaker Dr Stuart A. Harris-Logan

Events and happenings in and around Glasgow in the month of November:

‘William Hunter and the Anatomy of the Modern Museum’ - running from 28th September until 6th January 2019 at the Hunterian Art Gallery. Admission is free.

‘Brushes with War’ - a powerful and emotive insight into the experience of soldiers from World War I through the drawings and paintings they created. Featuring original artworks by German, Austrian, French, Belgian, British,

American, Canadian, Australian and Russian soldier-artists, the exhibition provides an authentic, uncensored account of the experience of ordinary soldiers. The exhibition runs from the 21st September - 6th January 2019. Tickets cost £7. More information can be found on glasgowlife.org.uk

Books at the Botanics - Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th November. Open from 10am until 4.30pm.

Glasgow Christmas Markets - The traditional Christmas Markets return to George Square and St Enoch Square soon.

St Enoch Square from Friday 9th November until Sunday 23rd December and George Square from Sunday 25th November until Monday 31st December (closed Christmas Day).

Oklahoma @ Kings Theatre - the 75th anniversary version of Oklahoma performed by the Glasgow Light Opera Club takes place at the Kings Theatre from 13th November to 17th November.

Glasgow Charities Christmas Fayre - The annual Glasgow Charities Christmas Fayre at Glasgow City Chambers takes place on Tuesday 13th November. Open from 10am - 3.30pm. Entry is free.

Country Living Christmas Fayre - takes place at Glasgow SEC from the 15th until 18th November. More information can be found on countryliving.com

World Book Week - Glasgow Libraries celebrate all things books and reading with Book Week Scotland from 19th - 24th November. This years theme is Rebel! The full programme of events can be found on glasgowlife.org.uk

Speaker: Our President introduced tonight’s speaker. “However, to introduce Dr Robyne Calvert, who will address us on Mackintosh, Symbolism and The Glasgow School of Art.

I understand that Dr Calvert, or Robyne, if I may, was previously a lecturer in History and Theory at The School of Art, writes and lectures in Art and Design History at The University of Glasgow, received a PHD bursary for her thesis”Fashioning The Artist - Artistic Dress in Victorian Britain 1848-1900” - published 2012, focused her masters research on collaborative work between Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret McDonald Mackintosh, is now a researcher in the History of Architecture and Design at The Mackintosh School of Architecture, at The School of Art. No doubt Robyne will clarify and elaborate for us”.

Robyne thanks Brian for his very nice introduction and clarifies that she is actually the Mackintosh Research Fellow at the Glasgow School of Art, charged with fostering innovative research projects arising from the reconstruction of the Mackintosh Building. She is very proud to say this but notices that she is now met with furrowed brows when she does.

Originally from Miami, Florida, she mentions that she was not born here but is a Glaswegian, and was told that if you live in Glasgow then you are one! She came here for Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald, well partly for his floppy bow tie since her PhD thesis was on ‘Fashioning the Artist’.

Robyne told us that although the wooden front door of the GSA is gone, the sculpture is good and the brass plates are good. This is a really important symbol, what is left, and she is here to talk about symbolism.

A good example being the photograph we are shown of a pendant in the library. “When we started the restoration in 2014, we came across this photograph of a pendant that hung around the balustrade in the library. The library was lost in the first fire and there were 20 of these hand carved pendants which we thought were all different. We thought we didn’t have photographs of all the pendants for about a month. We’ll come back to this later”.

We were shown photographs of “the four”, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Margaret Macdonald, Frances Macdonald and Herbert McNair, who met when the sisters were day students and the two men were night students, possibly at some sketching club.

The photographs show a relaxed group of students, including Janet Aitken, Agnes Rayburn and taken by Jessie Keppie ca1893, who called themselves “The Immortals”. Agnes Rayburn was the editor from “The Magazine” 1894-96, it was she who collected photographs of them. The Immortals shared and learned from each other.

Robyne wanted to debunk a common myth relating to Mackintosh being engaged to Jessie Keppie, jilting her, marrying Macdonald and ultimately ruining his career. There is no factual evidence to support any of this. It doesn’t make sense since he made partner in Honeyman & Keppie a few years after the supposed jilting took place. It was men wrote these books, making up imagined cat fight drama.

Another myth was that Mackintosh was into the occult. Robyne wants this to be true but there is absolutely no evidence to support this. What he was into was Symbolism. Symbolist Art was influenced by all sorts of esoteric end of century philosophies and ideas including Theosophy, which explored religions and spiritual practices of all kinds. “Spiritualism and interesting in the metaphysical were all part of the ‘cultural soup’ in this period, and these notions go hand-in-hand with the interest in Celtic/Nordic mythology, and a romanticised vision of Scotland’s past, which is evident across Glasgow Style art & design”.

How does Symbolism manifest itself in CRM interiors and architecture. In the first commission for Miss Cranston, CRM apparently did this magical drawing of Margaret called ‘Part Seen Part Imagined’, where the top part of the painting you can see her and the bottom part you have to imagine. Miss Cranston loves his work so he and Margaret both work on the Ingram Street Tearoom, creating two gesso panels called ‘The Wassail’ (Mackintosh’s only gesso panel), representing Winter and ‘The May Queen’ (Macdonald), representing Spring. They both enjoyed creating this type of narrative. Symbolism was crucial to Mackintosh and Macdonald’s work.

Mackintosh showed his work in Vienna and other International Exhibitions to great success, they were really important for his work. Although his work had its roots in British design, he drew a lot of influence from the continent.

Back to the 20 pendants, which are being made in Edinburgh just now. What do they mean? Through the process of collecting data, Robyne came across lots of photographs and images and it was only when she started drawing them that she realised that there were in fact only three different designs, not 20 as previously thought. Pattern A is shorter and Pattern B and C longer.

What this is about, what do the patterns mean? “With people asking the same questions repeatedly, I realised there is no secret code, it is what it means to you. It gets you thinking, wondering and asking what it is, it makes your brain and imagination go into overdrive and how it should be. We are in a library, it is what you interpret and think it is”.

Robyne ends the talk by telling us that so much was learned about the Mackintosh building from the 2014 fire. “That an admin room was actually built to be a masters room, a tea room, we learned things we had previously overlooked. We learned that the light that we thought was black was actually bronze! Someone, probably in the 1940s, possibly painted it black”.

“We have a 3-D scan of the building, which is very important regarding this years fire, see the gable on the right-hand side, we knew it wasn’t going to move as it hadn’t moved! This means we have scan data made into a building information model with everything itemised”.

“I hope we get the chance to rebuild, on behalf of Liz and all my other colleagues. In 2014 we stood on the corner after the fire and wondered if it was possible to rebuild. Now we know exactly what the whole building is all about and I really hope we are able to get on with it”.

Brian thanked Robyne very much for her talk and invited the audience to ask her any relevant questions:

Q Have they established if the fires were arson?

A The first one was started by a digital projector, unfortunately at the time of the sprinkler system going in.

As for the second fire, we only got into the building last week, so they are only just going in to start the investigation. There is a chance that we might never know as there is a high level of destruction. I personally don’t think it was arson.

Q The main contractors doing the work, is their insurance liability going to cover the cost?

A There’s been a lot of speculation about many things, the insurance being one of them. Of course the contractor is insured.

Q How far on was the restoration work from 2014?

A It was pretty far on and we were set to re-open in 2019. Some of the things that were in there was the art work and light fittings. Original features of the building lost were the doors that were in the basement, the plaster casts which were too large to move, though weirdly we can 3D print the original casts.

Q Will the original artists that were recreating for 2014 fire be doing the work the second time?

A We are dealing with a bigger re-build, as well as interiors, it is going to be a much bigger job. So, I have no idea as it will be a bigger team. My hope is that Page Park is involved again, I can’t imagine if they weren’t a part of it.

Some of the original makers are probably the only ones able to do it.

Q I suppose the elephant in the room is money! Is there any plan to do fundraisers in the city etc?

A My understanding is that the insurance covers it, it is complicated, it is definitely much more complicated this time. There’s things that will go along with the re-build that will take some fundraising. We have a bigger campus plan, there is an estate plan! How they’ll manage that, I have no idea. There’s a lot of uncertainty, though in terms of rebuilding, it will be insurance for the building.

Vote of thanks: Brian called upon OGC Vice-President, Crawford Cassidy to give the vote of thanks on behalf of the club.

Crawford thanked Robyne for answering all those difficult questions that were thrown at her tonight. He thanked her for her enthusiasm which has been conveyed to all, and how obviously well received the talk had been. We were asked to join him in giving Robyne the traditional Old Glasgow Club vote of thanks.

Quiz: Tonight’s Quiz question was a photograph with the question, “Which Iconic Glasgow Building Am I In”? We had 21 entries with 4 correct answers. The correct answer was Trades Hall, Niall picked out the winning entry from Betty Robertson.

AOCB: President Henderson informed us that he and Vice-President, Crawford Cassidy, will be representing the Old Glasgow Club at the Saint Andrew’s Day services at Glasgow Cathedral.

We were also informed that Past Presidents, Bob Dunlop, Murray Blair and Liz Smith were not keeping good health and the Club sends our best wishes to them.

Next Directors Meeting - Thursday 17th January, 6.15pm start at Hutchensons’ Grammar School, 21 Beaton Road.

Next Ordinary Meeting - Thursday 13th December, 7pm for 7.30pm start at Adelaides, 209 Bath Street, Glasgow.

Close: President Henderson thanked everyone for coming along tonight and wished all a safe home.

Shona Crozer

Recording Secretary

Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club
13th December 2018

held at Adelaide's, 209 Bath Street, Glasgow

Attendees: 57 attendees.

Chair: President, Mr Brian D. Henderson

Welcome: was given by Mr Henderson. “Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to welcome you all to this, our fourth meeting of the session. A particularly warm welcome to any of you who might be joining for the first time tonight. And we do hope that any of you who are visiting tonight, will decide to join us. Thank you all very much indeed.”

Mr Henderson advised that if we were experiencing adverse weather conditions on the date of an Old Glasgow Club ordinary meeting to check on the club website or Facebook page. Should the Directors decide to stand down a meeting there will be a notification there.

Housekeeping: If you hear the fire alarm, the fire exits are at each side of the room. Please make your way quickly and calmly to the nearest fire exit and assemble at the assembly points so that you can be accounted for.

Please also make sure that your mobile phones are silenced, or switched off. Thank you.

Apologies: There were apologies from Janette Knox, Isabel Haddow, Jane Collie, Glen Collie, Artie Trezise, Jane Sheridan, Alison Sannachan and Maureen McRobb.

Minutes: The minutes of the last ordinary meeting, held on the 8th November were approved and proposed by Ruaraidh Clark and seconded by Joan Wylie.

There was one amendment relating to the issue of the Directors vacancies. Brian stated that he had mentioned it in his President’s Report, as well as Joyce mentioning it in her Secretary’s Report. There were no matters arising.

We are trying to cut down on paper copies of the minutes, Ladies and Gentlemen. To ensure that we have your email address, if appropriate, please see Niall, our Membership Secretary. Thank you.

President’s Report: “Ladies and Gentlemen, continuing my “Living History” theme again tonight, Dr Irene O’Brien, our

City Archivist, could scarcely be addressing us on a more appropriate evening.

100 years ago, on 19th December 1918, the club listened to Councillor Andrew McBride as he explained “Civic Evolution in Glasgow”.

From the first town council in around 1450, when the Archbishop invited Stewart of Minto to act as Provost; to the appoint of the Magistrates in 1522; the Councillor detailed that the Industrial Development of the city had gone on to begin in the 17th century with export of salmon, handloom weaving, and the import of tobacco, and other employments, which attracted a large population.

The first Police Act in 1800 led to a general desire for better parliamentary and local representation; and 1833 saw the advent of the Burgh Reform Act.

At this point the city’s population had increased to 200,000. The council was composed of 33 ward members; as the voting qualification was a £10 rental, the constitution of the first town council was decided, apparently by only 7,000 inhabitants. Councillor McBride observed that the civic conscious was slowly awakening.

The Dean of Guild Court, in existence since 1605, began to compel the repair and demolition of houses injurious to health in 1848, this action stimulated by the recent cholera outbreak.

The Councillor mentioned that Dr W.T. Gairdner, first medical officer of health, was appointed in 1864; the first hospital, in Kennedy Street, built in the same year.

The city boundaries were enlarged, and the town council invested with still great administrative powers. The Improvement Trust Act of 1866, saw the old central areas cleared; however Councillor McBride emphasised that the evils which this action was intended to abolish, were created in other parts of the city due to lack of provision.

Gas supply control came in 1869; and the private tramway system of 1872, was municipalised in 1894. Seven years later, saw the advent of electric traction, in 1901.

The Councillor suggested that there were few cities with such exceptional opportunities for development; and no other city with such a large population housed in such a limited area.

Councillor McBride concluded by expressing the hope that we should town plan large areas, widen our boundaries, and extend and develop our system of transit.

And all of this, Ladies and Gentlemen, presented to the club on 19th December 1918 - almost exactly 100 years ago.

In conclusion of my report, Ladies and Gentlemen, Vice-President Crawford and myself were given a very warm welcome at the Cathedral, on Sunday 25th November, when we gave our respective readings. I returned, on Friday 30th November to represent the club at the St Andrews Day Communion.

Thank You.”

Secretary’s Report: Club Secretary, Joyce McNae advised us of events and happenings at the Club and Glasgow area.

Helping with the Old Glasgow Club - members were asked to consider becoming a Director of the OGC since the club is a couple of Directors short. It was emphasised that it is not nearly as formal or daunting as the title suggests, and the role is really about helping make decisions regarding the running of the club over a cup of coffee and a biscuit. The Directors have a separate meeting once a month September to April (not December) to discuss all things club and the tenure is normally three years. If anyone is interested then please express this to the President, Vice-President, Joyce, or indeed and of the club Directors.

The OGC merchandise, along with Glasgow map brooches are for sale at the pop-up shop and information desk at the back of the hall. The pricing for the merchandise is - tea towels £3.50, notebooks £1.50, bags £4.00, OGC badges £3.00, OGC pens £1.00 and map brooches £6.00.

Old Glasgow Club Ordinary Meetings remaining in the 208/19 session:

January 10th - ‘When Sundays brought the Post’ speakers Jill Scott and Bill Hicks.

February 14th - ‘An Evening for Members and Friends’ Quiz Night with a North/South divide.

March 14th - ‘The Maid of the Loch’ speaker John Beveridge.

April 12th - ‘What’s Past is Prologue’ speaker Dr Stuart A. Harris-Logan.

Events and happenings in and around Glasgow in the month of December:

A bronze statue of Charles Ronnie Mackintosh by sculptor Andy Scott was unveiled in Glasgow this week, on the 90th anniversary of his death. The statues weighs three tons, is 2.8m tall and sits on a 2.2m high plinth. It shows Mackintosh sitting on one of the famous ladder-back chairs he designed for Glasgow’s Argyle Street Tea Rooms.

‘William Hunter and the Anatomy of the Modern Museum’ - running until 6th January 1919 at the Hunterian Art Gallery.

Admission is free.

‘Brushes with War’ - a powerful and emotive insight into the experience of soldiers from World War 1 through the drawings and paintings they created. Featuring original artworks by German, Austrian, French, Belgian, British,

American, Canadian, Australian and Russian soldier-artists, the exhibition provides an authentic, uncensored account of the experience of ordinary soldiers. The exhibition runs until the 6th January 2019. Tickets cost £7. More information can be found on glasgowlife.org.uk

Books at the Botanics - Saturday 15th December and Sunday 16th December. Open from 10am until 4.30pm.

Glasgow Christmas Markets - St Enoch marker runs until Sunday 23rd December and George Square market until Monday 31st December (closed Christmas Day).

Speaker: tonight’s speaker was introduced by our President, Mr Brian D. Henderson.

“It now gives me very great pleasure to introduce our guest speaker, Dr Irene O’Brien, our City Archivist, who will I am sure bring her very topical subject of “Glasgow’s First World War Through The City Archives”, very much to life for us this evening.

In introducing Dr O’Brien, or Irene, if I may. I hope she won’t mind if I quote from a Herald feature in 2014, in which she talks of some 3 or 4 million documents for which she has overall responsibility, and which, as the article explains, contain a phenomenal part of the city’s history.

Irene has, I think, been City Archivist for quite a number of years now; in fact her past has possibly well and truly caught up with her - in the nicest possible way, of course. She did mention to the Herald that it was back in the City Chambers, where the City Archives were originally housed in the John Street basement, I believe under the stewardship of the late Richard F. Dell, our first City Archivist, where, as a schoolgirl she found herself mesmerised by the sight of so many documents, and decided that she wanted to become an Archivist.

And a very enthusiastic one too, if I may say. Irene, over to you. Thank you!’

Irene told us that she was delighted to be here tonight, exploring the impact of WW1 through the city’s archives. She also informed us that this was here second visit to the OGC, although she can’t remember what she was here for before.

At the outbreak of war in 1914, Glasgow had municipal ambition, the people known to be loyal to the King, was the second city of the British Empire, and for a period, Glasgow was the biggest council in the UK, with greater Glasgow having a population of one million plus. As well as being a cultural city, hosting International Exhibitions, it was home to a lot of heavy industries like shipbuilding and steel works, the downside of this being huge congestion and disease.

When war was declared on 4th August 1914, Earl Grey was actually supposed to have been in Glasgow that day.

There was a huge, immediate response from Glasgow with the people thinking that the war was going to be short lived. Some 22,000 people from communities all over the city enlisted in the first week alone.

Some of these enlistments made up the Highland Light Infantry units - 15th Tramways, 16th Boys Brigade, 17th Chamber of Commerce, 18th Bantam Unit (almost wiped out at the Somme).

With the war not being as short lived as first thought, it became obvious that it wasn’t possible to rely on voluntary recruits alone. Lord Kitchener’s campaign, promoted by his famous “Your Country Needs You” poster had encouraged over one million countrywide to enlist by January 1915. This was not enough to keep pace with casualties, so now begins the propaganda battle.

There was a call to arms which saw the government increasing the number of recruitments by implementing conscription - compulsory active service. The Military Service Act was passed in January 2016, imposing conscription on all single men aged between 18 and 41, exempting the medically unfit, teachers, clergymen and certain classes of industrial workers.

A second act passed in May 2016 to extend conscription to married men and in 2018 the Military Service No 2 Act raised the age limit to 51. Conscription changed the relationship between Glasgow and Government, when it became compulsory and not optional. The war had a huge impact on the changing politics in Glasgow.

With so many of the men having been enlisted or conscripted, women (who had always worked) now took on the jobs of the men. In the Tramways there were 1180 conductresses and 25 tram drivers in 1916. There were also somewhere in the region of 26,000 working in munitions and shipbuilding. Most employers were very happy with women workers and had completely changed their mindset regarding working with women en masse, realising that their initial misgivings were wrong.

It is also important to remember the Conscientious Objectors and others who campaigned against the conflict with a peace demonstration taking place at Glasgow Green a matter of days after war had been declared. This was attended by around 5,000 people. Meetings like this were held throughout the war.

One conscientious objector wrote, “Accepting these precepts, I cannot under any circumstances assume the responsibility of taking human life. I consider human life to be sacred. These conceding beliefs I have held throughout all my like and am prepared to suffer any penalties rather than surrender the principles I believe in.”

Some of the key members in the Glasgow anti-war movement were ILP founder Keir Hardie, Women's Peace Crusade, John McLean and James Maxton, some of whom were jailed for sedition. It is important to note that there were many standing up for their political convictions, seen with the Rent Strikes that rallied the support of some 22,000 women. Soldiers at the front were dependant on the workers at home. Glasgow and Scotland were pre-eminent here, with around 250,000 or so engaged in ordinance manufacture. The Clyde played such a vital part, with it supplying some 43% of tonnage of warships between 1914-19 and 90% of the armour plate for tanks and vehicles.

Whilst industry was booming there was a lack of raw materials, dilution of labour and working relations were very poor, the Munitions of War Act 1915 helping the government control union activities. Strikes were deemed illegal and disputes were to be settled by munitions tribunals. This of course didn’t stop a strike by 426 shipwrights, resulting in 17 men being convicted.

The civilians of Glasgow were greatly affected by the war, with no one being prepared for the long haul. There was a shortage of food, milk, sugar, with attempts to grow more food in Scotland not being very successful. One poster at the time was captioned, “The Kitchen is Victory, Eat Less”. Price control with rationing for tea and butter came into effect in 1917 but meatless days (Wednesday and Friday in Scotland) and food rationing did not come into operation until 1918.

Although there were restrictions caused by war, the civilian population showed great interest in cinema and theatres. A popular social activity was flag collecting. Not flags as we know them but small flags on pins, sold to raise money for various causes. Children and adults made the flags from paper, cardboard and material. There was a lot of social and community activity around this.

Irene told us of a really interesting book called “Tommy’s War - A First World War Diary” by Thomas Livingstone. It was a diary kept by Glasgow book keeper, recording each days events, starting in 1913. It records a priceless record of what ordinary people at home during the war thought about the day to day effect the war had on the city.

Irene tells us that although she has been talking about the city she would like to finish at the front and highlight what other information is contained in the archives. The private archive collections contain letters, diaries, photographs between loved ones, including the history of the HLI’s war experience. Their stories, in their own words, often the mundane and the everyday experiences but they give a more complete picture of the impact that WW1 had on soldiers at the front and civilians alike.

Glasgow’s War - a city that created an army of 200,000 soldiers, through voluntary and compulsory enlistment, saw a government take control of food and essential industries, developed an economy totally geared to the demands of war, the changed role of women and the political landscape.

“Changed politics, hence the rise of the Labour Party and the impact of the changed role of women, the women who didn’t want to be put back in their boxes. It really changed the lives of people that went to war, and when people came back........they were of course changed when they came back.....”

Glasgow City Archives are on level 5 at the Mitchell Library, 201 North Street. They are opened Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 9am-5pm. Contact number telephone number is 0141 226 8452. Website address is glasgowlife.org.uk under Glasgow City Archives.

Brian thanked Irene very much and invited members and visitors to ask Irene any relevant questions, requesting that they be brief and to the point.

Q Where are the City Archives, and can anyone get access to see them?

A Yes, anyone can see them. They are in the Mitchell Library on level 5.

Q Yes Irene, that was a very interesting talk. Could you please tell us what was the total loss of life from all walks across the three services?

A 18,000 lives were lost from the role of war.

Q Is there a cost if we come to level 5?

A No, there’s no cost to visit us on level 5.

Vote of Thanks: was given by club member, Ruaraidh Clark.

“Dr O’Brien, thank you very much for an illuminating and interesting talk. We have heard a lot about the battles at the front but the home front has been pretty much ignored. I think it has been lacking, so in this respect you have given us a glimpse of what was going on in the background on the home front, on the running of things and the lack of resources, and not being equipped for it. One of the reasons that the Forestry Commission was set up. It was a most interesting talk and on behalf of the club, I’d like to present you with this little bag of goodies. Many thanks.”

Quiz: Club Director, Colin McCormick told us the answer to tonight’s quiz, which asked “Where in Glasgow would you find this magnificent Lion”? The answer was the Cenotaph at George Square. There were 27 entries, with the winner being Stuart Little.

Raffle: Membership Secretary, Niall Houser, read out the raffle numbers and Club Director Colin McCormick distributed the prizes.

AOCB: Anne White, OGC member informed us that herself and a few other members are volunteers at Govan Old Parish Church, which dates back to the year 600. The unique collection of early medieval ‘Govan Stones’ are housed here, and, there is an urgent fundraising appeal currently taking place to convert some disused rooms in to commercially lettable office space. The lettable space would generate enough income to cover the basic running costs of ‘The Govan Stones’.

To raise awareness of The Govan Stones Project, 2 volunteers will be present at the Kelvingrove Museum with artefacts pertaining to the Viking age, along with some dinosaur bones on select dates. A wee taster of what you can see at Govan Old Parish Church whilst it is closed over the Winter months.

The dates are Saturday 5th Jan, Friday 11th Jan, Thursday 17th Jan, Saturday 26th Jan, Friday 1st Feb, Saturday 9th Feb and Thursday 14th Feb. More information can be found at thegovanstones.org.uk and social media.

Next Directors Meeting - Thursday 17th January, 6.15pm start at Hutchesons’ Grammar School, 21 Beaton Road.

Next Ordinary Meeting - Thursday 10th January, 7pm for 7.30pm start at Adelaides, 209 Bath Street.

Close: President Henderson concluded the evening by wishing everyone, on behalf of the office bearers, a safe home and a very Happy Christmas and New Year.

Shona Crozer

Recording Secretary

Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club
10th January 2019

held at Adelaide's, 209 Bath Street, Glasgow

Attendance: 66 attendees.

Chair: President, Mr Brian D. Henderson.

Welcome: President Henderson opened the meeting. “Good evening ladies and gentlemen, a very happy and peaceful new year to all of you on behalf of the office bearers and directors of the club.

May I welcome you all very warmly, to this, our opening meeting of 2019, with a particular welcome to any of you who might be joining for the first time tonight, and to anyone visiting this evening for the first time, we do hope that you will decide to join us.

Before finally leaving 2018 behind, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those who donated gifts for the December meeting Christmas raffle. Thank you”.

Housekeeping: Fire drill procedures and housekeeping rules were explained, all mobile phones were requested to be silenced or turned off.

Apologies: There were apologies from Colin McCormick, Janette Knox, Isabel Haddow, Glen Collie, Bill Crawford, Alistair Ross and Cath Wallace.

Minutes: The minutes of the last ordinary meeting, held on December 13th December 20118, were approved and proposed by Ken Benjamin and seconded by Niall Houser.

There was one amendment raised by an observant club member. The paragraph in the talk starting with “A second act passed in May 2016”, should read, “A second act passed in May 1916”.

There were no matters arising but since we are trying to cut down on paper copies could we please ask you, if appropriate, to make sure that our Membership Secretary, Niall, has your current email address.

President’s Report: “Ladies and Gentlemen, our ‘Living History’ journey continues now with the meeting of 20th February 1919, and Ex-Bailie Archibald Campbell’s address on the “Glasgow Water Supply”.

The Ex-Bailie indicated that pre-1804 the city relied on wells and springs: 30 public wells were in use, including sweet and pumped water as far back as 1736. Population was approximately eighty thousand in early 1800s.

An enterprising and public spirited citizen named William Harley, created a business of the first piped supply in 1804 from his lands at Willowbank to a reservoir at the junction of West Nile and Bath Streets.. He sold sweet, pure water at a ha’penny per stoup (water container), from four-wheeled carts, making an annual profit of four thousand pounds, and hot and cold baths from Bath Street, plus 300 milk cows. Enterprising indeed!

The Glasgow Water Works Company was formed by an Act of Parliament in 1806. Reservoirs at Dalmarnock serviced reservoirs near Sydney Street, at middle and new Gallowmuir for the city and suburbs. Initial capital was 100 thousand pounds, each steam engine to consume its own smoke. The Lord Provost became Company Chairman.

Their rival, Cranstonhill Water Works Company, set up at Stobcross in 1808, with supply from the Clyde with a capital of thirty thousand pounds. James Watt and Thomas Telford, the eminent engineers, assisted and advised the Glasgow company.

In 1819 river impurities prompted Cranstonhill Water Works Company’s removal to Dalmarnock, west of the Glasgow company’s works. Amalgamation came in 1838, to form Glasgow Water Works Company, featured Samson and Goliath, the large pumping engines.

By 1848, Gorbals Water Company, providing a superior supply on the south side from the Brock Burn, rising at Black Lock, Newton Mearns.

Gorbals, Anderson and Carlton also annexed to the city, in 1846.

December 1852, Mr John Frederic Bateman, civil or chief engineer of Manchester and London was commissioned to investigate all possible sources of supply with a view to municipalisation.

Ex-Bailie Campbell quoted as follows from Mr Bateman’s findings “ “Loch Katrine seems to stand alone in the field, no other source will meet the requirements of the case, I need not dwell on the purity of the water, nor on the simplicity of the works when executed. The City of Glasgow would be supplied more abundantly, more cheaply, and probably with more beautiful water than any city in the world; and I am convinced that the results would, in a pecuniary point of view,

as well as in the increased salubrity and prosperity of the city, prove in the highest degree satisfactory”. An accolade indeed!

Glasgow Water Works acquired by Corporation in 1855. Loch Katrine water introduced, and Gorbals acquired, per Mr Bateman’s advice, its excellent water still part of the supply in 1919.

In December 1854, following Lord Provost Robert Lindsay’s motion, the Corporation had voted 30-14 to apply for

Parliamentary power for the Loch Katrine scheme. Royal Assent came 2nd July 1855 following opposition: An eminent

Doctor said that lead contact would poison the water and HM Admiralty testified that the anchorage of ships at Queensferry would be affected. “Amusing reading”, said the Ex-Bailie.

Queen Victorian inaugurated the works on 11th October 1859 - 160 years ago this year, ladies and gentlemen.

A second tunnel in 1901; capacity of both tunnels from Loch Katrine to the city: 150 million gallons per day. Loch Arklet (to west of Katrine) augmented the supply by heightening this loch by 22 feet, and increasing its area by 2 and a half times its original, from 1914. An additional 14 million gallons per day provided.

1919 daily consumption: 83 million gallons - being 78 million Loch Katrine; 5 million, Gorbals.

Ex-Bailie Campbell detailed that demand was increasing by 1 and a half million gallons per day, each year.

Domestic purposes - 40 gallons used per head per day; manufacturing - 23 gallons per head, per day per meter. Total expenditure of 4 million 760 thousand pounds, of which 2 million already paid off by sinking fund.

Rates levied - 1d on £ on all city rentals; and 6d per £ domestic rate. Metered water was charged at 3 3/4d per 1,000 gallons.

The Ex-Bailie concluded by indicating that Loch Katrine was to be raised an additional 5 feet - with each inch providing an additional 1 million gallons per day.

And there we must leave Ex-Bailie Campbell, and our fellow member of 20th February 1919.”

* “Moving forward now, I am planning to represent the club at the St Mungo’s service at Glasgow Cathedral at 11am on

Sunday 13th January. This service is not noted on the syllabus, so please accept this intimation”.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you all for your very kind attention.”

Secretary’s Report: Club Secretary, Joyce McNae advised us of events and happening at the club and Glasgow area for the month of January.

Helping with the Old Glasgow Club - members were asked to consider becoming a Director of the OGC since the club is a couple of Directors short. Joyce emphasised that it is not nearly as formal or daunting as the title suggests, and the role is really about helping make decisions regarding the running of the club over a cup of coffee and a biscuit. The Directors have a separate meeting once a month September to April (not December) to discuss all things club. If anyone is interested then please let any of the Office Bearers or Directors know.

The Old Glasgow Club merchandise, along with Glasgow map brooches are for sale at the pop-up shop and information desk at the back of the hall. The pricing for the merchandise is - tea towels £3.50, notebooks £1.50, bags £4.00, OGC badges £3.00, OGC pens £1.00 and map brooches £6.00.

Old Glasgow Club Ordinary Meetings remaining in the 2018/19 session:-

February 14th - ‘An Evening for Members and Friends’ Quiz Night with a North/South divide.

March 14th - ‘The Maid of the Loch’ speaker Joh Beveridge.

April 12th - ‘What’s Past is Prologue’ speaker Dr Stuart A. Harris-Logan.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum - Dippy, the Natural History Museum’s iconic Diplodocus dinosaur skeleton will be on show at Kelvingrove from 22nd January - 6th May 2019. Free of charge.

Curator’s Talks take place every Tuesday, 2.00pm. These talks last around 10 minutes and are presented by one of the museum curators who specialise in the subject of the item on display. The next one, on the 15th January is called ‘Blue and Gold -the fine armour of an Italian Count’. Meet at the main information desk in the main hall. No ticket required.

St Mungo Festival - our patron saint of Glasgow is celebrated during this festival held annually in January, with events taking place city wide. A Feast of St Mungo: Ecumenical Festival Service is taking place at Glasgow Cathedral on Sunday 13th January @ 4.00pm A full list of events can be found at mediaevalglasgow.org

Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland - lecture on 17th January, ‘Turning a Negative into a Positive’ at The Renfield Centre, 260 Bath Street. Information on the Society and calendar of lectures can be found at ahss.org.uk

Pollokshields Heritage Lectures - hold a regular series of talks and lectures in The Fortheringay Centre throughout the year. The next one on Tuesday, 15th January is ‘Pollokshields - a personal perspective’. An illustrated talk by Gerald Blaikie. More information can be found at pollokshieldsheritage.co.uk

Speaker: President Henderson introduced January’s speakers:

“And now for something completely different, as someone somewhere once said, ladies and gentlemen, and in the nicest possible way of course. From Ex-Bailie Campbell’s talk vintage 1919 - journalism, with “When Sundays Brought the Post”...and our guest speakers for the evening. It gives me very great pleasure to introduce Jill Scott and Bill Hicks.

Jill and Bill, making, I think, their second long awaited visit to the club, and who may very well be about to regale us with stories of Oor Wullie, Fat Boab and Soapy Soutar. Not forgetting The Broons of Glebe Street, among other things - and all in their own inimitable way. Please give them a very warm Old Glasgow Club welcome! Jill and Bill, over to you, thank you!”

Jill thanks Brian and tells us that Bill and herself spoke to the OGC around three years ago (time flies, it was November 2013) on the history of the Central Hotel, which they had written a book about to coincide with its £20 million pound facelift.

We were told that the Sunday Post is as well known in Scotland as Irn Bru, Tunnocks, Lochs and the Loch Ness Monster. Between Jill and Bill they worked there for 75 years and events like Zeebrugge, Lockerbie, Princess Diana, Gulf War, Afghanistan, and the one that Jill will never forget as long as she lives, Dunblane.

Bill and Jill took turns at asking each other questions about their time working at the Sunday Post.

Jill asked Bill what his most memorable story was? He replied that since he had worked there for so long, he wouldn’t like to pick one, having met loads, perhaps thousands of interesting characters. He went on to say that it wasn’t always easy to interview celebrities, even well known ones and he knew within minutes how the interview was going to go.

Bill asked Jill how she got into journalism? She tells us that she loves words and had her very first words published when she was 8 years old, and then at 17 she wrote a piece for the local paper.

Having applied and been accepted for an apprenticeship with Scottish and Universal Newspapers, Jill was let down a few weeks before starting. She went on to work at Glasgow University Library. This gave her a good grounding on how to research and read encyclopaedias etc before applying for a junior journalist position at D.C. Thompson when it was advertised.

You had to be very self motivated, and for her first story Jill was handed a Yellow Pages and told to find one. Her first story was about a kilt maker who had sent a kilt to India, and instead of monetary payment, the customer sent chutney from India, and kept on sending it until he felt the bill had been paid.

When Jill first started at the Sunday Post, the editor (1968-90) was a fearsome man called Bill Anderson. At this time the paper was listed in The Guinness Book of Records as the best-read paper in the world and sold over 1.5 million copies a week. After Bill died, his wife found his memoirs, which she had not idea that he had kept, and had them published as ‘God Bless Mrs McGinty - My Life and The Sunday Post’ by Waverley Books.

On July 6th 1970 Bill started as an office boy, at a time when editorial went out and got the stories which went to the case room, put on presses, the presses were run and the papers were tied up in the dispatch and sent out to newsagents. Bill worked as an office boy for 9 months before moving on to the case room, and editorial from around 1991.

He asked us a question that he is asked at least once a month. The Broons? How many are there in the family? There’s

Paw Broon, Maw Broon, Grandpaw, Hen, Daphne, Joe, Maggie, Horace, The Twins and The Bairn!

Bill asked Jill, just how inquisitive (read nosey) do you have to be to become a journalist?

Jill told us that she was always on the alert, always looking for the not so obvious stories. She remembers vividly listening in on a conversation that two women were having on a Glasgow bus, the subject, Glasgow Airport. When she got back to the office she called the airport and had them confirm the story about a passenger kicking out the emergency door on a Globespan flight and disappearing into the night, never to be found. Globespan were not happy with her.

Jill asked Bill how things affected him emotionally?

Bill told us how he remembers dates. Someone asked him recently when Patrick Swayze had died. He knew it was the 15th September 2009 because he remembered sitting in Glasgow Airport with around 250 students from Dumbarton who were going on a one day trip to Auschwitz with a Rabbi on that date. They went to Auschwitz in the morning, then Dachau later on. Right at the end of the afternoon they were taken down to the end of the railway line, where the Rabbi started to take a service. It is something that Bill will never forget as it was such a poignant moment for him. The children all had candles, one girl started crying, then around 60% of them did too. He said it had been such a fast day for them with so many emotions being processed.

Bill and Jill told us that even when you get to a certain age, and you think you have seen it all, every now and again something happens that will take you aback and leave you speechless. Bill had been sent to Yorkhill to see a young boy who was dying. His Mum and him had been given a trip to Blackpool by a charity. When they got there a nurse told them that the trip wasn’t happening as he was too ill to travel. They started to leave, when both he and the photographer thought it would be a good idea to go back and speak to the Mum, get her to say how disappointed her and her son were to be missing the trip. The nurse wouldn’t let them in and wasn’t giving them a reason why, until she eventually told them that they couldn’t speak to the Mum because she had gone on the trip!!!!

Jill knew very early on that it wasn’t a 9-5 job and that even if you didn’t want to do something it was easier to get it over and done with, especially contacting someone. We were shown her treasured book with all her contact names, phone and fax numbers, even contact details for Buckingham Palace, which was one of the first calls Jill ever made.

Bill and Jill went on to reminisce about some of the places they got to see and people they got to meet. Bill on the Forth Road Bridge when it was covered in scaffolding, judging a pie competition at Dunfermline College and having to taste 75 different pies. Jill on training with the army for five days on Jura and the first famous person she met, Sean Connery, to name a few.

Bill concluded their talk by telling us that although working at the Sunday Post for 40 years, people thought he looked too young to retire. He told us that he had listened to a bit of advice that an older gent had given him when he first started at the paper, “If you die of overwork then its your own fault”.

Jill and Bill were thanked for their talk and the audience were invited to ask them relevant questions.

Q Was Mr Thomson for, or against trade unions?

A There is more than one Mr Thomson, but no, there were no unions at the newspaper. When I look back on it, it wasn’t a problem, they were good employers and they weren’t in a union until the law changed.

Q Yes, that was an interesting talk. Can I ask what year was the Sunday Post founded?

A I’m glad that you asked that. It actually came about because of WW1. Mr Thomson already had a Saturday newspaper, but he felt that families should have a voice, so in 1919 he took the step of founding the Sunday Post. Q Was it the Sunday Post that ran a fashion contest?

A No, that was the Sunday Mail.

Q I presume you met the original cartoonist of the Broons?

A No, indeed not, he was born before my time! Dundee was where the cartoonists worked out of, Glasgow was

editorial.

Vote of thanks: President Henderson called upon one of our Past-Presidents, Sam Gordon, to propose the vote of thanks on behalf of the club.

Mr Gordon thanked Jill and Bill for coming to talk to the Old Glasgow Club, sharing their journey, bringing up memories from the Post and reminding him that his Mum used to do the fashion competition in the Mail. Although Sam had heard their talk before, he said how enjoyable it was to hear it again and amazing that they got all that information in a talk of just under an hour. Sam invited members to show their appreciation.

Quiz: Tonight’s quiz question was, “By what other name is St Mungo known?” The correct answer was St Kentigern. The winner was P. Stirling.

AOCB: None this evening.

Next Directors Meeting - Thursday 7th February, 6.15pm start at Hutchensons’ Grammar School, 21 Beaton Road.

Next Ordinary Meeting - Thursday 14th February, 7pm for 7.30pm start at Adelaides, 209 Bath Street, Glasgow.

Close: President Henderson thanked everyone for attending this evening and wished all a safe home.

Shona Crozer

Recording Secretary

Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club
14th February 2019

held at Adelaide's, 209 Bath Street, Glasgow

Chair: President, Mr Brian D. Henderson.

Welcome: President Henderson welcomed everyone to the OGC annual informal meeting for members and friends and advised that tonight’s theme was a Glasgow based quiz. He then proceeded to explain the rules and the scheduled timetable:

1st round - Old Glasgow Photographs, compered by Vice-President Crawford Cassidy.

2nd round - Missing Lines of Songs, compered by club director Cilla Fisher and her side-kick Artie Trezise (aka

The Singing Kettle).

INTERVAL for refreshments and home baking.

3rd round - North Glasgow questions, compered by club director Gaynor MacKinnon.

4th round - South Glasgow questions, compered by Past President, Stuart Little..

Please also make sure that your mobile phones are silenced, or switched off.

Mr Henderson advised that should we be experiencing adverse weather conditions on the date of an Old Glasgow Club ordinary meeting to check on the club website or facebook page. Should the Directors decide to stand down a meeting there will be a notification on both these mediums.

Apologies: There were apologies from Janette Knox, Isabel Haddow, John McKnight, Jane Sheridan and Maureen McRobb.

Minutes: The minutes of the last ordinary meeting on the 10th January were approved and proposed by Niall Houser and seconded by Iain Henderson. There were no amendments or matters arising.

President’s Report: There was no President’s report this evening.

Secretary’s Report: No Secretary’s report this evening but the following club business and dates of interest were running on the screen at the start of the evening:

Old Glasgow Club Ordinary Meetings remaining in the 2018/19 session:

March 14th - “The Maid of the Loch” with speaker John Beveridge

April 12th - “What’s Past is Prologue” with speaker Dr Stuart A. Harris-Logan.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum - Dippy, the Natural History Museum’s iconic Diplodocus dinosaur skeleton will be on show until 6th May 2019.

Leonardo Da Vinci: A Life in Drawing at Kelvingrove, which commemorates the 500th anniversary death of the

Renaissance master with a display of twelve of the artist’s extraordinary drawings. On show until 6th May 2019.

Nelson Mandela: The Centenary Exhibition runs until Saturday 2nd March at The Lightouse, Glasgow City Centre.

Harry Benson: From Glasgow to America. An exhibition of Scottish born photo-journalist Harry Benson’s work, who arrived in America with the Beatles in 1964. Runs until Sunday 31st March at Pollok House. Prices, Adult £7.50 and Concession £5.50.

Benny Lynch: The Little King of the Gorbals. The Peoples Palace has a display of never seen before objects from Benny Lynch’s life and career, including his gloves and trophies. Runs until 30th June 2020. Entry is free. More information at glasgowlife.org.uk

Strathbungo Window Wanderland: windows all over Strathbungo will be transformed into a spectacular outdoor gallery for all to see on Saturday 23rd February.

Glasgow Film Festival - Glasgow’s annual film festival takes place from 20th Feb - 3rd March. Listings and more information can be found at glasgowfilmfestival.org

AOCB: None this evening.

Speakers: As Brian had already explained, tonight’s members and friends evening was in the form of a Glasgow quiz.

The hall was divided down the middle with an imaginative River Clyde, complete with decorative gondola, separating the North and South of the City. The teams were named Maryhill, Auchinairn, Dennistoun, Springburn, Patrick, Govan, Shawlands, Castlemilk and Langside.

There was good natured banter and heckling between the tables and at the comperes. A director, wearing a school teachers gown sat with each team making sure there was no misbehaving or googling answers !

The overall winner was the Langside team with a very respectable score of 36. The other scores were as follows,

Maryhill - 31 points.

Auchinairn - 30 points.

Springburn - 30 points.

Partick - 30 points.

Govan - 28 points.

Dennistoun - 25 points.

Shawlands - 24 points.

Castlemilk - 24 points.

Next Directors' Meeting - Thursday 21st March, 6.15pm start at Hutchensons’ Grammar School, 21 Beaton Road.

Next Ordinary Meeting - Thursday 14th March, 7pm for 7.30pm start at Adelaides, 209 Bath Street, Glasgow.

Close: President Henderson thanked everyone for participating and especially to the organisers/helpers, Joyce, Gavin, Colin, Niall, Crawford, Cilla, Artie, Stuart, Gaynor, Margaret and Shona for the questions, catering, river, school props and so much more.

Shona Crozer

Recording Secretary

Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club
14th March 2019

held at Adelaide's, 209 Bath Street, Glasgow

Attendance: 74 attendees (9 of them visitors)

Chair: Mr Brian D. Henderson

Welcome: “Good evening ladies and gentlemen, may I welcome you all very warmly, to this our March meeting, with a particular welcome to any of you joining for the first time tonight. We do hope that anyone visiting this evening will decide to become a member.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is now my very sad duty to advise you of the death of Past-President, Murray Blair. Murray passed away peacefully last Sunday morning. A character with a lively sense of humour, Murray had been a member for many, many years, though declining health had meant that he and Joy, his wife and another Past-President, were absent in recent years. President on two occasions, with an earlier term as Secretary, Murray was instrumental in arranging joint meetings with the Provand’s Lordship Society in the early 1980’s. He also worked with Past-President and Librarian, Anna Forrest, in the transfer of the Club’s Library to the Trades House.

Speaking personally, it was mainly thanks to Murray’s final encouragement that I accepted nomination, eventually, to the Presidency in 1995. I owe him a very great deal. He will be very sadly missed.

Murray’s funeral is due to take place on Thursday 21st March. An intimation is due to appear in the Herald. Thank you all very much indeed”.

Housekeeping: Safety. If you hear the fire alarm then please make your way quickly and calmly to the nearest fire exit, which are at each side of the room. Please assemble at assembly points so that you can be accounted for.

Mobile phones. Please make sure that they are on a silent setting or switched off. Thank you.

Apologies: There were apologies from Janette Knox, Isabel Haddow, Iain Henderson, Jane Sheridan and John McKnight.

Minutes: The minutes of the last ordinary meeting on 14 February were approved and proposed by Niall Houser and seconded by Ken Benjamin. There were no amendments or matters arising.

President’s Report: “Ladies and gentleman, club history comes to life in the most unexpected of ways.

Mr T.C.F. Brotchie of old Govan fame, and a director in 1911, was due to have addressed our meeting of 17th March 1919. Unwell and unable to attend, congratulations were to be sent to him on his election as curator of the Art Galleries and Museums.

Very fast forward then to one of our January speakers, Jill Scott, who produced a rather unique A3 photograph of a club outing around 1947/48. It seems that Jill’s late mother had been a member. Jill also produced a copy of the transactions from 1947-48 to 1951-52, edited in 1955. Could the image relate to the 1947 outing to Bothwell Castle, Jill asked? Ladies and gentlemen, we shall probably never know.

The 1904 image from the front of these transactions takes us back, almost to the club’s inception and so many names within the volume, which live on in memory:

Dr A.C. Smith, President in 1955. I knew him in the 1980’s, as a member of the Provand’s Lordship Society - formed in 1906 by a group from our own club here.

Miss Isabel H. Patterson, Vice-President. Later served as President, and later still, Club Librarian. A very warm hearted lady, I corresponded with her in her later years.

Mr Arthur F. Cumming, Club Auditor during my time as Secretary, was a member as early as 1947.

James A. Robertson, Assistant Chief Constable addressed a meeting in 1948. A member, as he was at the time, Sir James, as he later became, was honorary President in the 1980’s and would regale our Annual General Meetings with his tales of ‘Old Glasgow’.

John C. McCrindle, known also as Ian, a Biology teacher by profession. John was a member in 1947 and President from 1966 to 1969. I knew John, in club circles, in his later years.

Charles Oakley of the ‘Second City’ fame addressed the club on 10th November 1947. I have a photograph of the ‘last week of the Empire Theatre’, courtesy of Mr Oakley, which he commissioned for the Chamber of Commerce magazine in 1963. Later, in the early 1990’s, the opportunity came to introduce myself to him one Saturday, outside the old Regal Cinema, Sauchiehall Street. A true gent, he had, it seems, been a Director of the Club in earlier days.

And Jack House, that doyen of ‘Old Glasgow’ with his Evening Times ‘Ask Jack’ column, and so much more besides. Was a club member, certainly during the early 1950s. Drawing to a close now, Ladies and Gentlemen, this brings me nicely to the well-known city vendors cry of “Times, News Citizen” from days of yore.

“Peter the Prowler”, or our member James Cowan, highlighted aspects of ‘Old Glasgow’ in the ‘Evening Citizen’ in the early 1930’s. Lecturing on “Some Worthy Glasgow Citizens” in October 1951, his “From Glasgow’s Treasure Chest”, also vintage 1951, is a testament to his research and knowledge of our city. Well worth a read Ladies and Gentlemen.

And all of this thanks to Jill, in January, and her very evocative photograph.

Thank you all, again, Ladies and Gentlemen, for your very kind attention.

Moving forward now, if I may, the New Savoy Theatre of 1910, and cinema, Hope Street, which became the Majestic Dance Hall until its 1972 closure, features in a window display at the rear of the Savoy Centre in Renfrew Street. Again, well worth a look Ladies and Gentlemen”.

Secretary’s Report: Club Secretary, Mrs Joyce McNae apologised for the lack of heating tonight at Adelaides, adding that Adelaides had not informed us until late this afternoon, much too late to stand down the meeting.

Joyce also extended an apology to our President, Brian, for not being able to locate the photographs that matched his

Living History talk. He had sent them to Gavin and herself at the end of February but unfortunately they had disappeared from their computer.

Joyce proceeded to tell us about upcoming club dates for our diaries and happenings around Glasgow:

Old Glasgow Club Ordinary Meetings remains in the 2018/19 session:

April 12th - “What’s Past is Prologue” with speaker Dr Stuart A. Harris-Logan.

J.A.S. Memorial Walk, 16th May - Glasgow Botanic Gardens walk led by General Manager of the gardens, Euan Donaldson.

Tappit Hen Bowling Challenge, 30th May - This event is for bowlers, non-bowlers and spectators alike; the emphasis is on fun. Meet at Kelvingrove Bowling Green at 6.15pm on Thursday 30th May.

Afterwards, for those wish, we will repair to Baffo in Argyle Street for a reasonably priced supper. The bowling is free - supper should be paid directly to the restaurant.

Summer Outing - Saturday 8th June.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum - Dippy, the Natural History Museum’s iconic Diplodocus dinosaur skeleton will be on show until 6th May 2019.

Leonardo Da Vinci: A Life in Drawing at Kelvingrove, which commemorates the 500th anniversary of the death of the Renaissance master with a display of twelve of the artist’s extraordinary drawings. On show until 6th May 2019.

Benny Lynch: The Little King of the Gorbals. The People’s Palace has a display of never seen before objects from Benny Lynch’s life and career, including his gloves and trophies. Runs until 30th June 2020. Entry is free. More information at glasgowlife.org.uk

Aye Write! - 14th - 31st March. Glasgow’s annual book festival takes place at various locations throughout the city. More information at www.ayewrite.com

Kate Donne: A Life in the Gorbals - A Theatre Show - 16th March at the Mitchell Theatre. A cast of professional actors brings Kate Donne’s ‘Life in the Gorbals’ trilogy to life in this heart-warming and hysterical dramatisation.

2019 Glasgow International Comedy Festival - various venues between 14-31 March. More information at www.glasgowcomedyfestival.com

Glasgow Short Film Festival - various venues from 13-17 March. More information at glasgowfilm.org

Scotfairs Antique, Vintage & Collectors Fair - 17 March, 21 April, 19 May from 10am - 4pm at Bellahouston Sports Centre. Adults £2, accompanied children free.

Walk this Way - 17 March - 11am - 3pm George Square. Organised by students from Strathclyde University. Walk this Way is an opportunity to share your knowledge of the city with those more recently arrived, they’re looking for us to join in with the tour guiding and storytelling. The event is open to all and free to attend but if you are able to, there is a suggested donation of £5 from existing community members. More information and route details can be found at www.refuweegee.co.uk/events-1/walk-this-way.

Declutter Drive on Saturday 16 March 12pm - 6pm at The Ice Box Arts and Music Centre.

Clear out your cupboards and support local organisations.

All of the organisations involved have a focus on re-use, and the drive will give the Glasgow community a chance to declutter by donating their unwanted items to some great causes. In return for your donations they’ll be providing workshops, games, presentations, a raffle, upcycled jewellery making. More information at newhellfireclub.co.uk

Speaker: President Henderson introduced Mr David Hunter, who is very kindly standing in for Mr John Beveridge of the Loch Lomond Steamship Company as he took us on a trip on the “Maid of the Loch”.

David thanked Brian for the warm welcome but said that he is only a lowly tour guide, not the exalted Chairman that we were expecting. His interest in the Maid of the Loch stems from his father having been the Chief Engineer on her.

We were given some background history of the Maid of the Loch. She was assembled in the Glasgow shipyard of A&J Inglis. She was bolted together, then taken apart and transported to Balloch on rail wagons before being reassembled on the Balloch slipway. Her launch was on the 5th March 1953.

“The Maid is the very last paddle steamer to be built in Britain, and is the UK’s only remaining example of an ‘Up and Doon’ vessel - a ship that’s been built twice!”

Licensed to carry 1,000 passengers, she was the largest paddle steamer to sail on Loch Lomond. Not only was she used for passengers, she was also used to carry goods and mail, so it took some time to get from one end of the loch to the other. Over the course of her 28 years on the water there were around three million day-trippers as well as celebrities and royal guests. Some of the more recognisable names being Queen Elizabeth, Princess Anne,Queen Salote of Tonga, President of Sudan, Timothy West, Prunella Scales, Donald Dewar, Reverend Russell Barr and Nicola Sturgeon.

She was the last and largest of the paddle steamers to sail on the loch. For 28 years, 1953-1981, with her heyday being in the 1950’s and early 1960’s, many a passenger enjoyed a sail whilst enjoying the scenery and the “commodious saloons serving lunches and teas of the highest quality at popular prices”.

David showed us some fabulous images of the Maid of the Loch. Her on the slipway being riveted together, in the original colours, of the last purser on ship before decommission, how she looks today in her CalMac colours, numerous of the ongoing restoration work being carried out, being taken out the water to test slipway in 2016, winch-house reopening, Balloch Pier in 1993, Deck Saloon Bar and the Lower Bar, which was used by the serious drinkers.

“Decommissioned in 1981, the Maid was subjected to a sorry period of neglect, decay and vandalism until her purchase, in 1992 by Dumbarton District Council.

It was in 1996 when on the point of dereliction, she was rescued by the very determined volunteers of the Loch Lomond Steamship Company, who continue to take care of her to this day. An ambitious rescue mission, where the aim was always to return to the ship to sailing again on the Loch was launched. Since then our charity, staffed entirely by volunteers, has raised over £2 million and invested in the first stages of the Maid’s conservation.

Following a successful Heritage Lottery Fund bid in 2015, we undertook to raise £1.7 million in order to release Heritage Lottery Funding of £3.8 million which allow us to return our Maid to full steam operation. We did manage to raise that amazing amount but sadly, in Autumn 2018, we were not awarded the £3.5 million as we had hoped”.

David told us that the future is looking good for the Maid and the surrounding area, with Flamingo Land currently in negotiations to build a park, along with hotels to the area near Loch Lomond Shores, but west of the river. This investment would be great for the local economy, not only bringing in revenue to the area but creating jobs.

We were shown the future of the Maid, a technical drawing and artists impressions of what she is going to look like. She is a flat bottomed ship with a draw of 4 feet, an engine capable of 11.5 knots and a licence to carry 399 passengers (Health and Safety standards now being very different from 1953).

The moot question David said, is when will the Maid be sailing again. It is hoped that it is 2020, and that is what the slide says, but it is very difficult to guess. It depends on many, many things as she needs a passenger certificate and will have to come out of the water again before she can sail again.

David invited the audience to ask questions:

Q Are you quite confident of getting the Heritage Lottery money?

A I’d like to say yes, but then we thought that before, didn’t we. You have to apply to a committee, in this case

Scotland. It was rubber stamped at Scottish level but when it went to England it wasn’t approved......

Q With the popularity of the bars on board and with it being a mode of transport, would it have had different licensing laws?

A I’ve actually no idea but they may have had an hotel licence.

Q How long do you think it might be before it has to convert to an electric engine?

A I know your question is tongue in cheek but who knows where it is going. It’s certainly one to keep an eye on.

David thanked us for coming to hear him speak and told us that they are currently fundraising as money is being spent all the time. The volunteers time may be free but materials need to be paid for.

“There are six ways you can help create a bright new horizon for our Maid. You can donate, be our friend, volunteer, shop Maid merchandise, fundraiser and tell our story” maidoftheloch.org “

Vote of thanks: is being given tonight by Club Past-President, Stuart Little.

“David, thank you very much. Looking around everyone’s faces, you have either come off the Maid of the Loch, or, intend going on the Maid of the Loch. I have a wee snippet of information, the boat became one of the bus fleet of the

Alexander fleet for a short time. I’m sure the only paddle-ship to be part of a bus fleet!

It is wonderful to see so many volunteer, great to see it coming on, and we wish you all the best of success in the endeavour. I’m sure we all look forward to sailing on her next Summer, or the Summer after.”

Mr Little invited us to show our appreciation in the traditional Old Glasgow Club way.

AOCB:

Next Directors Meeting - Thursday 21st March, 6.15pm start at Hutchesons’ Grammar School, 21 Beaton Road.

Thursday 4th April, 6.15pm start (venue to be confirmed).

Next Ordinary Meeting - Thursday 11th April, 7pm for 7.30pm start at Adelaides, 209 Bath Street, Glasgow.

Close: President Henderson thanked everyone for their attendance and participation, and wished all a safe home.

Shona Crozer

Recording Secretary

Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club
11th April 2019

held at Adelaide's, 209 Bath Street, Glasgow

Attendance: 61 attendees (5 of them visitors)

Chair: Mr Brian D. Henderson

Welcome: “Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen. I would like to welcome you all very warmly, to this our April meeting, our final ordinary meeting of the session. And, to extend a particular welcome to any of you joining for the first time tonight.

We do hope that anyone visiting this evening will decide to become a member. Thank you.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am very sorry to report that following the death of Past-President Murray Blair last month, I must now give you the further very sad news of the passing of Past-President, Liz Smith towards the end of last week.

A member since the 1970s, Liz, our Vice-President from 1995 until 1997, had been very unwell for quite some time. A lady with, if I may say, quite a wicked sense of humour. Liz had also served as Secretary for a time. In fact, I think she was covering two roles at one stage, in her efforts to serve the club.

Many were the times she had me doubled-up with laughter. A wonderful legacy for her to leave, and this is how I shall remember her. She will be very sadly missed.

I am sure our thoughts will be with Graham, Liz’s husband, another Past-President of the club. Liz’s funeral is due to take place at Dalnottar Crematorium on Wednesday 17 April, 1.30pm. Thank you all very much.

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I say secondly, and very respectfully that in view of the recent sad and tragic events in Christchurch, New Zealand, our deepest sympathy and thoughts, as the Old Glasgow club, are very much with our friends in the Muslim community. Thank you very much.”

Housekeeping: Safety. If you hear the fire alarm then please make your way quickly and calmly to the nearest fire exit, which are located at each side of the room. Please assemble at assembly points so that you can be accounted for.

Mobile phones. Please make sure that they are on a silent setting or switched off. Thank you.

Apologies: There were apologies from Maureen McRobb, Janette Knox, Isabel Haddow, Niall Houser, Colin McCormick, Jane Collie, Margaret McCormack and Patricia Stirling.

Minutes: The minutes of the last ordinary meeting on 14th March were approved and proposed by Cameron Low and seconded by Anne White. There were no amendments or matters arising.

President’s Report: “First of all, Ladies and Gentlemen, following the hiccup at our last meeting, when you did not have the opportunity to see, properly, the images of the club meeting in 1904, the club outing from the late 1940s, and finally, from Glasgow’s treasure chest, we are running these now, on the screen above.

Moving on now, if I may please. One hundred years ago, on 17 April 1919, our speaker Mr Robert Harvey, who was, I believe, an ordinary member, addressed our meeting with a very detailed history of “The Early Days of Engineering in Glasgow”.

You will all be very relieved to hear that I am not going to read all 26 pages of his report, from the club transactions to you tonight!

The city with a population of 12,500, enjoys status as centre of the weaving industry by 1707. Spin-weaving pioneered by James Watt’s 1770s steam engine; 1792 the first steam-driven spinning and weaving mill, Springfield Dock site: Scott, Stevenson and Co.

A whole number of firsts for the city: J & R Hart, export bakers in gas-lit premises 1810 - 8 years before the Glasgow Gas Company 1818.

James Watt’s Engine - at Cook’s Folly Sugar Mills, Commerce Street, Tradeston, 1805. By 1820, the city’s most important engineering works.

1806, Corporation of Bakers’ Claysaps Mill, Patrick: first city steam-driven flour mill.

William Beardmore and Co Ltd: the worlds largest airships 1919. Parkhead Forge roots pre - 1854.

1831 first iron boat launched - the “Fairy Queen” : John Neilson, Canal Basin Foundry, near Garscube Road. The first vessel known to be built of iron - The Vulcan, 1818, by the late Thos Wilson.

Randolph, Elder and Company’s first compound marine engine, 1854, leads to Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan - named for an old farm.

First locomotive : 1831, Murdoch, Aitken & Co, for the Monkland & Kirkintilloch railway; £1,150.

Queen Street Station opens on 18 Feb 1842: tunnel haulage by locomotives from Neilson and Co, Hydepark Street 1838 : their first locomotive.

Henry Dubs opens his new locomotive works at Polmadie, 1865. The Springburn Locomotive Works, by Walter Montgomery Neilson, 1861. 1903 : The North British Locomotive Co Ltd formed from three companies. The largest locomotive company in the Empire, explains Mr Harvey.

He concludes.....our fellow Glaswegian of 1810, told that in another 110 years, people would be in vessels without sails, carriages without horses, flying machines and immense airships, would no doubt say it was another story of Aladdin ad his wonderful lamp. James Watt had begun these wonders.

1919 Glasgow: The Empire’s Centre : steam-driven vessels and sugar cane, mills and large-scale locomotive building.

No doubt our Engineers and Shipbuilders would by their energy and perseverance keep her in that proud position.

And all of this, and so much more, presented to the club, one hundred years ago, Ladies and Gentlemen.

Thank you all again, for your very kind attention.

Secretary’s Report: Club Secretary, Joyce McNae read out the upcoming AGM Special Notice that had been included in the distributed membership packs that would be voted on at the AGM in May. Joyce also advised us of happenings and events taking place in and around Glasgow in the coming month/s. Special Notice -

The Directors would like to explain why they deem it necessary to seek to increase the annual subscription by 50%, for £20.00 to £30.00.

At the end of August 2018 Adelaides advised that the cost of hiring the auditorium would increase to £180.00 per evening. This was an increase of 25% and was advised too late to ask for an increase to the subscription cost for the 2018/19 session.

In the middle of February 2019 we asked Adelaides if they envisaged an increase for our next session and were advised that the cost will be £204.00 from September 2019.

This is another increase of over 13% which unfortunately the Directors feel they cannot absorb.

We trust you will understand the necessity for such a large increase.

The Directors

Old Glasgow Club

Proposed changes to the May 2019 Old Glasgow Club Constitution -

3. Insert the word “immediate” immediately before “Past President”

4.a The Office-bearers, except President and Vice-President, shall retire annually, but shall be eligible for re-election. The President and Vice-President shall be proposed for a period of two years, in office, unless considered otherwise appropriate by the Annual General Meeting, on recommendation by the Directors.

Joyce added, “Hopefully everyone has picked up their AGM papers.

It is quite a chubby envelope this year. With the average cost of coffee in the UK being £2.45 and most walking tours in Glasgow costing £10 and upwards. We realise membership cost does seem a bit of a jump to £30 but when you think that is 8 lectures, working out at £3.75 a lecture, it is still great value for money.”

Some of our Directors whose term is coming to an end have indicated that due to other commitments they will not be able to serve another terms. The club needs new volunteers to stand for election, this is an important role in helping to shape the future of the club. Please get in touch with any of the Directors if this is of interest to you.

Events and Happenings -

Quiz - What did the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland used to be known as?

J.A.S. Wilson Memorial Walk - takes place on Thursday 16th May, Botanic Gardens 6 for 6.15pm. Meet outside Kibble Palace.

Tappit Hen Bowling “Challenge” - Thursday 30th May at Kelvingrove bowling greens. Meet at the pavilion 6 for 6.15pm.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum - Dippy, the Natural History Museum’s iconic Diplodocus dinosaur skeleton will be on show until 6th May 2019.

Leonardo Da Vinci - “A Life in Drawing” at Kelvingrove, which commemorates the 500th anniversary of the death of the Renaissance master with a display of twelve of the artist’s extraordinary drawings. On show until 6th May 2019.

Benny Lynch: “The Little King of the Gorbals”. The Peoples Palace has a display of never seen before objects from Benny Lynch’s life and career, including his gloves and trophies. Runs until 30th June 2020. Entry is free. More information at glasgowlife.org

Glasgow Vintage Vehicles Trust - There are open days here on Sunday 5th May, Sunday 2nd June, Sunday 7th July, Sunday 4th August, Sunday 1st September, Saturday 12th October and Sunday 13th October. Check www.gvt.org for details.

Speaker - President Henderson introduced tonight’s speaker, Mr Stuart Harris-Logan, who is the archivist at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Stuart’s talk tonight is ‘What’s Past is Prologue - a musical history of Glasgow from the archives and collections of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’.

Stuart opened by telling us that one of the first things that he noticed when he opened the archives in 2011 was the ‘book of strangers’, a visitors book to you and I. He was even more intrigued when he opened it and saw the signature of Charles Dickens, and Ralph Waldo Emerson in 1848.

Our talk started from 1847, on a Monday when a group of men are meeting to discuss an Athenaeum for Glasgow. These were essentially a private members clubs with an interest in providing a locus for further learning, reading, discuss and debate in a time when education was not universal and universities were elitist and exclusive.

The archives still have the minutes for the Glasgow meeting in Steel’s Coffee House. After a protracted conversation as to the character of the Institution, a motion was proposed and seconded. It was agreed to remit a paper used by Mr Provan to a sub committee of twelve, to prepare therefore, first a brief outline of the Institution for presentation to those gentlemen whom they thought it desirable to add to the committee, and secondly to embody in a report of the character and objects of the proposed institution.

“The Glasgow Athenaeum, unlike many similar clubs, was explicit in its intention to provide ‘a source of mental cultivation, moral improvement and delightful recreation to all classes, ‘all classes’ in this instance referring to both social class and gender. It is interesting to note that the Athenaeum Club in London, one of the few still extant in any form, only began admitting women in 2002”.

Eleven months later and the Glasgow Athenaeum is opened by Charles Dickens on 28th December 1847, who appeared to be the second choice after Lord Morpeth.

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland currently resides in a purpose built venue, Renfrew Street since its opening in 1988. Before that it has had a number of names and homes.

When starting life out as the Athenaeum 1847, its premises were on the corner of Ingram Street. It moved into its premises in St George’s Place (Nelson Mandela Place), designed by architect John Burnet in the 1880s before adding additional premises, including the Anathenaum Theatre a few years later. The School of Music was set up in 1890, with its own principal and its own prospectus.

The School of Music was renamed The Scottish National Academy of Music in 1929 to better reflect its purpose. The Scottish National Academy of Music gained royal status in 1944, with the Queen Mother being patron until her death in 2002.

In 1950 a drama department was established called the Glasgow College of Dramatic Art, becoming the first drama school to contain a full broadcast television studios within the UK in 1962.

In 1968 the Royal Scottish Academy of Music changed its name to the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Dram (RSAMD), and introduced its first degree courses.

It remained the RSAMD until it changed its name in 2011 to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, now that it encompassed so much more than music and drama, ranking it consistently as being in the global top ten.

Stuart informed and entertained us with a very vivid picture of 172 years worth of tales, concerts and the many famous names connected with the Conservatoire. Beginning with Charles Dickens, Chopin, Henri Verbugghen, Henry Irving, Brahms Stoker, Buffalo Bill, Bach, Mendelssohn, Frederic Lamond, The Glasgow Bach Choir, William Gillies Whittaker, Sir Ernest Bullock and Cecil Williams, to name a few!

The Archives hold collections and tell the stories of the Conservatoire’s past. The many collections include,

Jimmy Logan Archive, Friedel Keim Collection, Edward H. Tarr Collection, Reine Dahlqvist Archive,

David Nicholson Archive, Bach Choir Archive, Robert Minter Collection, Sir Ernest Bullock MSS, Choral and Orchestral Union Collection, John Cairney Collection, Francis Reid Papers, Britannia Panopticon Archive, John Webb Collection, John Steane Archive and others.

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Archives are housed at level six of the Whisky Bond, 2 Dawson Road, Glasgow G4 9SS. They are a short walk from Wallace Studios at Speirs Locks.

Further information about the archives can be found at rcs.ac.uk , as well as a calendar of What’s On and the facility to book online.

President Henderson thanked Stuart for his wonderful talk....and, after a deafening round of applause, members and visitors were invited to ask Stuart relevant questions.

Q The original B. Disraeli, is that Benjamin?

A Yes, yes it’s Benjamin.

Q Well that was a very interesting talk. Who was the most successful entertainer in Glasgow over the past 100 years?

A That’s a difficult one! If it was the most popular, then Jimmy Logan. Classical, then Nicola Bendetti.

Perhaps Stan Laurel, but nobody has done the arithmetic and counted the stubs. Nobody has heard of Frederic Lamond, and in Europe he was a superstar.

Q You haven’t mentioned books?

A There have been several books written about the institution but I wouldn’t recommend any of them. The first two would make you choke and the third is a fabrication, actually written by my Great Aunt, who never let truth stand in the way of a good story! It’s actually been suggested that I write a book on the subject. It is something that does need done.

Vote of Thanks: is being given tonight by OGC Vice-President, Crawford Cassidy.

“I hope you enjoyed your evening here tonight as it was me that invited Stuart along tonight.

I would like to thank Stuart for giving us an incite into such a wonderful institution like the Conservatoire, world renown and respected.

I’d also like to make a point of saying that there are wonderful weekly talks and concerts at the Royal Conservatoire that are very good and worthwhile going to. I particularly enjoy the events that take place on a Monday and Friday at 1pm.” We were invited to thank Stuart in the usual Old Glasgow Club manner.

AOCB: The correct answer to the Quiz question “What did the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland used to be known as”, was The Royal College of Music and Drama.

Next Directors Meeting - Thursday 2nd May, Hutchesons Grammar, 21 Beaton Road, 6.15pm start.

Next Ordinary Meeting - Thursday 12th September, 7pm for 7.30pm start at Adelaides, 205 Bath Street.

Close: “It only remains for me to close our meeting by thanking you all for your attendance, and for your very kind support to me during this session. Safe Home”.

Shona Crozer

Recording Secretary

The Antonine Wall

13th September 2018

Glasgow's Singing Traditions

11th October 2018

Reconstructing Charles Rennie Mackintosh's Glasgow School of Art

8th November 2018

Glasgow's First World War through the City Archives

13th December 2018

When Sundays brought The Post

10th January 2019

An Evening for Members and Friends

14th February 2019

The Maid of the Loch

14th March 2019

What's Past is Prologue

a musical history of Glasgow from the archives and collections of the Royal Consrvatoire of Scotland
12th April 2019

Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club
13th September 2018

Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club
11th October 2018

Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club
8th November 2018

Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club
13th December 2018

Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club
10th January 2019

Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club
14th February 2019

Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club
14th March 2019

Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club
11th April 2019

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club
9th May 2019

The Antonine Wall

13th September 2018

Glasgow's Singing Traditions

11th October 2018

Reconstructing Charles Rennie Mackintosh's Glasgow School of Art

8th November 2018

Glasgow's First World War through the City Archives

13th December 2018

When Sundays brought The Post

10th January 2019

An Evening for Members and Friends

14th February 2019

The Maid of the Loch

14th March 2019

What's Past is Prologue

a musical history of Glasgow from the archives and collections of the Royal Consrvatoire of Scotland12th April 2019

Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club13th September 2018

Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club11th October 2018

Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club8th November 2018

Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club13th December 2018

Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club10th January 2019

Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club14th February 2019

Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club14th March 2019

Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club11th April 2019

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club9th May 2019

a musical history of Glasgow from the archives and collections of the Royal Consrvatoire of Scotland
12th April 2019

Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club
13th September 2018

Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club
11th October 2018

Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club
8th November 2018

Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club
13th December 2018

Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club
10th January 2019

Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club
14th February 2019

Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club
14th March 2019

Minutes of Ordinary Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club
11th April 2019

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the Old Glasgow Club
9th May 2019