We’re delighted to share the latest developments in the Archie Hind centenary project. Recently we’ve been bid-writing, meeting with Hind family and friends, and conducting our first archives engagement event using the collection.

If you’re new to the project, our first blog post explores the discovery of Archie Hind’s archive, the significance of his papers, and our early plans for the centenary. You can read it here: The ‘Rediscovery’ of The Dear Green Place: Introducing the Archie Hind Centenary Project

Republication launch at Glad Café (22 September 2024)

Following the interest generated by the discovery of the Archie Hind papers, the original publisher of Hind’s novel Dear Green Place, Birlinn, agreed it was time to republish the work. It became Waterstones ‘Scottish Book of the Month’, September 2024, with a huge number of copies sold. 

We celebrated the republication with a launch event at the Glad Café, Shawlands. Around one hundred family and friends attended to listen to a panel discussion about the archive collection, watch footage of Archie Hind in interview, listen to a live music performance and reminisce about their memories of Archie and his work.

Meeting Martin Hind (7 January 2025)

It was a great pleasure to meet Martin Hind, the son of Archie Hind, when he travelled from Germany to view his father’s papers in January this year. He hadn’t seen the collection for several years and some items he had never caught sight of at all. He was a font of information about the life and work of his father, and he could give us an insight into the experience of the success and acclaim Archie received for his novel, from the perspective of someone within the Hind household! We hope to see Martin again this year.

Book group sneak preview (17th February 2025)

We were excited to share a preview of the Archie Hind collection for a group visit in February. The Strathclyde Lifelong Learning book group came to hear Eleanor Bell speak about Archie’s novel and give a short introduction to his papers. Attendees were able to see the original manuscript of Dear Green Place as well as one of the scrapbooks Archie’s wife, Eleanor, collated after the success of the novel. The book group were delighted to hear more about Archie Hind, his deep association with Glasgow, and enjoy a preview of the treasures within the archive collection. 

We have also been working on funding applications so stay tuned for further updates throughout the year.
 

We are delighted to announce that we have recently published catalogues for two oral history collections.

Glasgow Working Lives

Glasgow Working Lives oral history project (SOHC 42) includes 28 interviews with men and women who give an insight into job conditions in areas such as: the armed forces, the civil service, education, factory work, farming, fire service, healthcare, insurance and finance, and retail.  

These interviews provide a window onto the physical and psychological experiences of the working environment in Glasgow from the 1930s right up to 2000s. Several different sectors, and a large range of occupations, are covered. Interviewees reflect on how they found employment, the interview process, career progression, colleagues they met along the way, and everyday experiences in the workplace environment. 

Explore the Glasgow Working Lives oral history project catalogue.

Jean Wark: Life in a Mining Cottage

Another fascinating resource, now described on our catalogue, is an interview with Jeanie (Jean) Wark about life in a mining cottage (SOHC 28). Jean speaks about living in South Ayrshire from the 1920s to the 1950s, describing the small and basic interior of the mining cottage, games the children used to play, local customs, and the implications of mining on the health of the miners. 

Discover Jean Wark's story on the online archive catalogue.

Browse our catalogue and get in touch if you would like to listen to these incredible oral histories!

This year, Women’s History Month (March 2025) celebrates ‘Women Educating and Inspiring Generations’. To mark both Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day (8 March), we are highlighting three women who trained generations of teachers at Strathclyde’s antecedent institution: the Glasgow Provincial Training College, known from 1959 as Jordanhill College of Education. Those featured are:

• Miss Janet Gallie, Mistress of Methods (1916-1950)
• Dr Anne McAllister, Principal Lecturer in Speech Training (1919-1958) and Director of the Glasgow School of Speech Therapy (1935-1964)
• Miss Joyce Moffett, Lecturer in Speech Training (1941-1958) and Dean of Women (1958-1971)

Significantly, Miss Gallie and Dr McAllister both taught Joyce Moffett, who qualified as a teacher in 1933 and subsequently lectured at the College alongside her mentors. The transcript of an oral history interview with Joyce (reference: Acc 95/07), conducted in the 1990s reveals the esteem in which she held Miss Gallie and Dr McAllister and the knowledge and inspiration she gained from each of them.

Janet Gallie

During her 34-year career, Miss Janet Gallie taught thousands of women students the practical techniques of primary school teaching. Through lectures in the College and demonstrations lessons in its practicing school, she showed the students how to maintain classroom discipline, convey information clearly, and present themselves confidently and authoritatively before a class of children. This basic, but essential training was forever appreciated by Joyce Moffett, who described Miss Gallie as “an excellent teacher” from whom “I got most help in the practical business of teaching”.

Anne McAllister

As well as pioneering specific courses for the training of speech therapists, Dr Anne McAllister taught phonetics to aspiring primary and secondary school teachers at the Glasgow Provincial Training College. Her expertise and enthusiasm inspired many of them, including Joyce Moffett, who acknowledged that she first became interested in phonetics thanks to Dr McAllister’s classes. In 1941, several years after Joyce gained her teaching qualification, Dr McAllister, who knew of her interest in the subject, invited Joyce to join the staff of the Speech Training Department on a temporary secondment. Thus began a long and fruitful career, attributable to Dr McAllister’s influence and encouragement.  

Joyce Moffett

The temporary secondment became permanent, and Joyce Moffett ultimately succeeded Dr McAllister as Principal Lecturer in Speech Training in 1951. Seven years later, Miss Moffett was appointed Dean of Women, serving as counsellor and advisor to all the women students - over 2,000 each year – who entered the College. It was a demanding and frequently exhausting role, but also very rewarding. On her retirement in 1971, the student magazine, Spectrum, observed that Miss Moffett ‘has served the students popularly and well, giving advice and direction where required, not only in the academic sense but in the personal field as well.’ She was, and is, remembered with gratitude and affection by former students and colleagues alike.

Visit our Women's History Month display on Level 3 of the Andersonian Library throughout March 2025, during Library opening hours. Details of more activities and events can be found on Strathclyde's Women's History Month webpage.

We are delighted to introduce a guest blog post by lecturer Maria Cairney celebrating the history of Speech and Language Pathology teaching at Strathclyde.

This year marks the 90th anniversary of our Speech and Language Pathology (SLP) programme at the University of Strathclyde. Founded in 1935 by Anne McAllister DSc FRCSLT OBE as the Glasgow School of Speech Therapy (GSST), it was one of only four programmes in the UK at the time, and it has continued to run as an accredited programme ever since. This brief overview of the programme’s history is based on McCartney (1996), a former director of GSST.

A Look Back: The Origins of the SLP Programme 

The founder, Anne McAllister, was a distinguished scholar and practitioner from Glasgow. She pioneered the application of phonetic knowledge in supporting children with speech difficulties in the 1920s, while also lecturing Phonetics at the Jordanhill College of Education from 1919. Early on she established a collaboration with the cleft palate surgeon Matthew White, which continued throughout both of their careers. This collaboration established the importance of including a medical approach in speech therapy, going beyond the pedagogical tradition, which was widespread at the time.

The Glasgow School of Speech Therapy has changed affiliations over the years, reflecting its varied content and the development of the profession. In its early years it was associated with Jordanhill College thanks to McAllister’s work at the college, but it soon moved its affiliation to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow. This affiliation was maintained until 1963 when the GSST merged back with Jordanhill. Prior to merging with the University of Strathclyde in 1993 degrees were awarded from the University of Glasgow. The BSc Honours Speech and Language Pathology programme is currently part of the Department of Psychological Sciences and Health at Strathclyde.

The Programme Today: Excellence in Teaching and Research

Currently our programme is ranked 1st in Scotland for Speech & Language Therapy in 2025 and it was ranked 1st in the UK in 2022 by the Complete University Guide. The Speech and Language Therapy programme is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council, and it is accredited by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT). In addition, 95% of the research in our department has been rated outstanding or world-leading, as rated by expert panels in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 - the UK-wide system for measuring excellence in research.

Our team maintains strong ties with the NHS, offering varied clinical placements. We are one of the few programmes in the UK to offer a dedicated placement focused on supporting people with Eating, Drinking and Swallowing disorders. One of our student-favourite modules “The Impact Project” allows students to tailor their own work experience with the aim of producing tangible impact with social benefit in their chosen host organisation. For example, some of our current students are helping to organise the VoiceBox 2025 competition of RCSLT Scotland. Our undergraduate students have also contributed to the team’s research projects, for example, a clinical trial of a new treatment for people with Ataxia called Clear Speech Together.

Our programme has a key role in training the future SLTs of Scotland and the UK. Some of our graduates are also currently contributing to our cutting-edge ESRC-funded research on the Variability in Child Speech project. Members of our team are also collaborating with clinicians to enhance our online resource of ultrasound and MRI videos for teaching and practicing speech therapy: SpeechSTAR. 

Looking Ahead: The Future of SLP at Strathclyde 

We are excited about the future of our programme, driven by our ambitious, curious and caring students and our dedicated and highly experienced teaching team. Thanks to the collaborations between students and staff we are currently exploring the inclusion of Virtual Reality simulation-based learning, as well as spreading the use of student-led Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Programme (ICAP) among our placement partners. As we celebrate our 90th anniversary we are also looking ahead with hope for our continued excellence, innovation and impact in the profession.

Before you go 

Follow our social media channels on @Strath_SLT on X and @Strathclyde_SLT on Instagram to keep up to date with news about upcoming celebrations of our anniversary.

Reference

McCartney, E. (1996). The Glasgow School of Speech Therapy. In M. Harrison & W. Marker (Eds.), Teaching the Teachers: The History of Jordanhill College of Education 1828-1993. John Donald Publishers.

Are you a University of Strathclyde staff member and have recently published a book? If so, we'd love to include it in the Strathclyde Staff Collection, housed in the Andersonian Library's Archives and Special Collections.

Established in 1985, this permanent collection preserves print books authored by University staff, ensuring they remain accessible to students, researchers, and academics for generations to come.

The earliest publication in the collection dates back to 1799: “Tentamen chemico-physiologicum inaugurale de sanguine...” a thesis by George Birkbeck, the second professor of natural philosophy at Anderson's Institution (1799-1804). This copy is particularly special as it bears Birkbeck's own inscription to Dr Foucault and a dedication to Thomas Garnett, his predecessor and the Institution's first professor of natural philosophy (1796-1799).

By donating your book, you:

• secure your place in the University's historical record
• showcase the diverse academic achievements of Strathclyde's staff
• make your work easily available for study and reference

Did you know?

We collect books by all staff, not just academics. Whether you're a cleaner who writes crime fiction or an administrator with expertise in local history - we value and welcome your publications too!

How to Contribute

Donating is simple. Hand-deliver your publication to Archives & Special Collections on Level 5 of the Andersonian Library or post it to us. If giving us a print copy isn’t an option, let us know the details so we can record your publication.

Retiring soon? Check if your publications are already in the collection, or send us a list and we'll check for you.

Full details on how to donate and access the collection are available on our Strathclyde Staff Collection guide.

Use the Collection

The Strathclyde Staff Collection is a reference resource, available in the Archives and Special Collections reading room. Book an appointment from Monday to Friday, 10 am to 4 pm, to visit us.

For more information, email Archives and Special Collections at archives@strath.ac.uk.

Last year the Diamond Jubilee of the University of Strathclyde was celebrated. This was the marking of 60 years since the institution officially became a University. 

A Royal Charter was officially granted on 23 June 1964, and 'put under seal' when it was signed by Her Majesty the Queen on 14 August 1964. This marked the completion of the formalities in the creation of the University of Strathclyde as successor to the Royal College of Science and Technology.

As the home of the Royal Charter itself, and the custodian of the Institution’s history, Archives and Special Collections were delighted to be involved in the 2024 Jubilee celebrations around campus. This blog post provides a round-up of a few of our Jubilee related activities.

Supporting colleagues

We continued to answer historical and collections related enquiries from around the University. Last year, more of these took on a Jubilee flavour and we were able to supply images, information, and even some archive footage to colleagues within Communications, Events, and Alumni to support their articles, pamphlets, events, and videos. Some examples include: 

• images and key dates for the official Jubilee landing page
• footage for the Jubilee video
• an article in the University’s staff newsletter celebrating International Women’s Day
• images for press pieces on the Jubilee
• an LGBTQI+ workshop and event 

Strathclyde at 60 blog post series

To celebrate the Jubilee, we launched a blog series called ‘Strathclyde at 60’ on our webpages. Each post highlights an item from the archives and special collections, creating a breadcrumb trail of the University's history and development. Stay tuned to our blog for more ‘Strathclyde at 60’ posts.

Jubilee summer Fete with guest appearance of the Royal Charter

A highlight of the jubilee celebrations was the summer fete organised by the Events team on 14th August 2024. We were invited to bring the original Royal Charter onto campus, the foyer of Learning & Teaching Building, to join the sunny celebrations, and to let people have a peek at the original document. Our presence was also advertised as an opportunity for staff to “Ask an archivist” any historical questions they might have.

We arranged a special display case to keep the Charter safe and a member of the team was on hand throughout, to engage with fete-goers. It was great to meet with our colleagues around the University and celebrate together!

Oral History Trail

The Jubilee year gave us an excellent opportunity to showcase one of our fascinating oral history collections.

‘The University Experience, 1945 – 1975’ was an oral history project carried out by the Scottish Oral History Centre in 2002-2003. It involved interviews with all manner of students and staff across the institution: professors, cleaners, administrative staff and students from all faculties. Many of the interviewees reflect on what the atmosphere was like as the institution transitioned from a technical college into a University, and also give insights into life in general at Strathclyde in the past. 

We worked with our colleagues in the Events team to design and mount a physical oral history trail around the city centre campus. Seven quotes are accompanied by an archival image and the QR code links to where the recordings can be heard. It encourages people to explore the institution, and presents an opportunity to hear Strathclyders of the past reflect upon key moments, and the atmosphere of the institution, at a pivotal time in its history.

Visit the Jubilee Oral History Trail page for details, or dive deeper into our full collection on the University Experience LibGuide page. And if you're on campus, take a stroll and see how many you can spot!

 

Curated in conjunction with Alex Kabaj, Graduate Intern in the University’s Equality and Diversity Office, our display for LGBT+ History Month 2025 highlights the development and early activities of the student Gay Society at Strathclyde (now the LGBTQ+ Society).

Known as Gaysoc for short, the Gay Society was established in 1971, a decade before homosexuality was legalised in Scotland. Run by students, for students, it was the first such initiative at a Scottish university. 

Gaysoc’s primary objective was to provide a safe, supportive and non-judgemental space for gay students (men and women) to meet each other, talk and socialise informally. The Society also organised annual programmes of meetings and social events, promoted through its regular column in the Strathclyde Telegraph student newspaper. 

The display, which is part of an ongoing project to uncover Strathclyde’s LGBT+ history, features a selection of Gaysoc’s newspaper columns published between 1975 and 1992. As well as highlighting the Society’s activities and achievements, these emphasise the significant challenges faced by LGBT+ students over the period.

The Society, together with the Students’ Association at Strathclyde, also supported countrywide gay and lesbian rights campaigns organised by the National Union of Students and the Scottish Fight the Clause Campaign (a movement against the implementation of Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988, which banned schools from teaching - or promoting - the acceptability of homosexuality). Two posters relating to these campaigns, illustrating the broader LGBT+ activism of the time, are included in the display.

The eventual repeal of Section 28 in the year 2000 was a significant win for LGBTQ+ rights in Scotland, but it also revealed the deep-rooted prejudices that still linger in society and its institutions. As we reflect on this turning point in our history, we are reminded that the fight for equality and acceptance is far from over.

The display can be viewed on Level 3 of the Andersonian Library throughout the month of February, during Library opening hours. Discover more activities and events on Strathclyde's LGBT+ History Month programme.

Content note: The archive materials presented include some strong language, homophobic slurs and stereotypes, and discussions of loneliness and poor mental health.  
 

In 1906, the governors of the Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College, acting on a suggestion from the Master Bakers of Scotland, founded the Scottish School of Bakery. This innovative institution offered a diverse array of classes, encompassing bakery, breadmaking, and practical confectionery, as well as theoretical courses in physics, chemistry, and biology.

By the 1933-1934 academic session, the School had evolved into a well-equipped and thriving facility within the Royal Technical College, which would later become the University of Strathclyde. According to its prospectus from that period, the School’s facilities included two dedicated bakeries—one for breadmaking and another for confectionery—a specialised piping room, and a laboratory for "bakery technic." Students also benefited from access to the College’s chemical, physical, and bacteriological laboratories.

The featured photograph from the same session offers a fascinating glimpse into the confectionery day class. Taken in the piping room, it shows students practising their cake decoration skills under professional guidance. Dressed uniformly in white jackets, aprons, and caps, the students are equipped with an assortment of tools, including piping tubes, small knives, pocket scissors, earthenware basins, and wooden spatulas.

Students in breadmaking similarly adhered to strict standards, wearing white jackets, aprons, and caps and using essential tools like small palette knives, bone spatulas, and thermometers. These measures ensured both hygiene and precision in their craft.

The School’s curriculum was comprehensive, with courses carefully designed to provide a thorough grounding in the art and science of baking and confectionery. For instance, Practical Confectionery Course I introduced students to a wide variety of techniques and recipes:

• Pastes such as puff, short, and choux
• Fillings including cheese, custard, and cream
• Meringues of different textures
• Sponge, almond, and macaroon goods
• Various cakes, including Genoa, Madeira, and simnel
• Icings like fondant and royal icing
• Piping, petit-fours, jams, purées, gateaux, and more

Building on these fundamentals, Practical Confectionery Course II advanced to more intricate skills and creations:

• Elaborate meringues and marzipan modeling
• Sugar artistry and wedding cake piping
• Desserts such as jellies, creams, and dessert ices
• Specialty items like nougat and barley-sugar trifle

The Scottish School of Bakery not only educated aspiring bakers but also set high standards for the craft in Scotland. In 1956, it transitioned to become the Department of Food Science, reflecting its broadened focus.

Further information:

Photographs of School of Bakery staff and students, 1933-1934 (ref: OP/4/147)

Prospectuses of day classes at Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College/Royal Technical College/Royal College of Science and Technology, 1899-1966 (ref: OE/10/2). Includes School of Bakery special prospectuses.

School of Bakery/Department of Food Science special prospectuses, 1950-1957 (ref: OE/10/3/6-8)

Bakery School Committee minutes, 1902-1947 (ref: OE/1/10)

Ian Terris papers: First year confectionery lecture notes, Scottish School of Bakery, 1948 (OM/466)

UK Disability History Month (14 November - 20 December 2024) provides an opportunity to reflect on the history of the disabled rights movement and the ongoing fight for equality and human rights. It also serves as a chance to confront the myths and stereotypes that affect the lives of disabled individuals while amplifying the voices of those with disabilities, both past and present. This year, the theme for Disability History Month is ‘Disability Livelihood and Employment’.

To mark Disability History Month, our latest display on Level 3 of the University Library, curated in conjunction with Alex Kabaj, Graduate Intern at the Equality and Diversity Office, features documents, posters and photographs relating to the 1981 International Year of Disabled People and to a support group established during that year by the Society for the Prevention of Asbestosis and Industrial Diseases (SPAID). SPAID was founded in London by health and safety campaigner, Nancy Tait, and registered as a charity in 1978. The world’s first asbestos action group, it was also ‘the only Society caring specifically for … Industrially Disabled [people].' ¹

One of SPAID’s key functions was to help those disabled from exposure to asbestos at work, and those suffering from other industrial diseases, by providing information, support, and practical advice on making compensation and benefits claims. It also encouraged research into the causes, prevention and remedial treatment of industrial diseases and the publication and discussion of the results; campaigned for legislation on the notification of industrial diseases; and championed the use of electron microscopy to detect asbestos fibres in lung tissue.

When the United Nations designated 1981 as the International Year of Disabled People, Nancy Tait resolved that people suffering from industrial diseases – who faced unrelenting respiratory and mobility challenges, exhaustion, mental strain, and isolation – should not be excluded from the initiative. Accordingly, she and her SPAID colleagues launched a supporters’ group, named the SPAID Fellowship, as SPAID’s contribution to the International Year of Disabled People. The Fellowship arranged social gatherings at which people disabled by workplace exposure to asbestos, and their relatives and friends, could meet others in similar circumstances, share their experiences and make new friends, whilst also receiving one-to-one advice from SPAID representatives on how to claim any assistance to which they were entitled.

The inaugural SPAID Fellowship event took place at a community centre within St Barnabas Church, Bethnal Green, London, on the afternoon of 20 June 1981. Tea and musical entertainment were provided, along with table tennis to amuse any accompanying children. The event having proved to be worthwhile, the Fellowship continued to hold support meetings at St Barnabas on the first Saturday of each month. In January 1996, SPAID was officially renamed as the Occupational and Environmental Diseases Association (OEDA), and the support group became known as the OEDA Fellowship. The OEDA Fellowship continued to meet into the early 2000s.

Further information on the activities and impact of SPAID and OEDA can be found in our Occupational and Environmental Diseases Association (William Ashton Tait) Archives (reference: GB 249 OEDA).

Details of other Disability History Month resources and events taking place at Strathclyde are available on the University's Disability History Month webpage.

¹ OEDA F/1/2: Typed statement outlining the aims of SPAID, 1981.