PROGRAMME FOR 2019-2020

2019

Monday 7th October
Glasgow West End Delusions of Grandeur
Prof. Michael Moss - The West End of Glasgow is often presented as a masterpiece in Victorian upmarket housing. This is far from the truth. Much of it was jerry built and many of those involved in its development were no better than scoundrels. Many of the mansions failed to find buyers and were let and very quickly split up into multiple occupancy. The root of the problem was that Glasgow was over-built. There were too many houses chasing too few occupants chasing too many houses.

Monday 4th November
Girton and Newnham College Nursin in Serbia in WW1
Carol Parry and Elaine Morrison - Based initially in Troyes, France, this all-women Unit, working under the French Army served briefly in Serbia and then established a large tented hospital in Salonica. Through the drive of its chief Medical Officer, Glasgow graduate Dr. Louise McIlroy, the Unit had, by the end of the war created an orthopaedic centre and dental department. (This talk was originally scheduled for the 2017-18 session but had to be cancelled due to bad weather.)

Monday 2nd December
Sir THomas Lipton
Laurence Brady - Sir Thomas Lipton, lst Baronet, KCVO was a Scotsman of Irish parentage who was a self made business man, merchant and yachtsman. He engaged in extensive advertising for his chain of grocery stores and his brand of Lipton Teas.

2020

Monday 6th January
Alexander Greek Thomson, Glasgow's Architect
Ian McGillivray - What is so special about Alexander Greek Thomson? And why Greek? An illustrated response that looks at his work, its sources and its continuing influence and relevance.

Monday 3rd February
Bridgescapes, an Illustrated Talk
Bruce Keith - With the opening of the Queensferry Crossing in September 2017 it is apposite to celebrate the long and illustrious history of bridges within Scotland. This also includes viaducts and aquaducts, and many of the iconic bridges in Glasgow and its hinterland are featured.

Monday 2nd March
The Darien Scheme
Margaret Anderson - In the late 1690s, the Scots being unable to get access to trade with English colonies, tried to found one of their own – with disastrous results.

Monday 6th April
Excavating the Galloway Viking Hoard
Andrew Nicholson - The most significant Scottish treasure trove find in over a century. In 2014 a metal detecting enthusiast unearthed in a field artefacts from the mid-ninth and tenth centuries including rare gold and silver items, a unique enamelled cross and a metal vessel containing more artefacts.

Monday 27th April
AGM and Members' Night
Short talks to be arranged.