Meeting 28 March 2019 - The Linwood Line’: Regional policy, deindustrialisation and a working life in a car factory in post-war Scotland

Our next meeting will be held on Thursday, 28 March 2019 at 7.30, in room D133, McLean Building, UWS. Paisley Campus. This room is accessed via the main entrance in High Street and will be signposted.

The speakers will be Dr Valerie Wright, Research Associate in Economic and Social History at the University of Glasgow and Mr Joe Riley a former worker at Linwood car factory. 

Guests are welcome, and we ask that they make a donation, suggested amount £3.00.

Please note the meeting will be proceeded by our AGM @ 7.00pm.

This evening’s meeting will be a collaborative endeavour. In December 2017 Joe kindly agreed to be interviewed on his experience of working in Linwood car factory for the University of Glasgow, Leverhulme Trust funded, project ‘Employment, Politics and Culture in Scotland: 1955-2015’. Valerie will begin the meeting by outlining why Linwood car factory was located in the West of Scotland and how its trajectory was shaped by global forces and economic circumstances. She will draw upon archival research and also on the oral history narratives provided by individuals participating in the project. Joe will then give an account of his experience working at Linwood drawing upon his memoirs entitled ‘The Linwood Line’ published recently in the Scottish Labour History Journal.

 Joe Riley worked at Linwood from 1971 until its closure in 1981. Joe became a shop steward at Linwood initially for the National Union of Vehicle Builders and later the Transport and General Workers Union. He was also a member of the Labour Party and became a councillor for Johnstone town centre and Johnstone Castle ward in 1972. Following the closure at Linwood, Joe became a self-employed gardener, but to improve his book-keeping and administration skills he went to college part-time. Joe also became a part-time youth worker in Ferguslie Park. He later completed full-time HNC and HND courses in leisure services management to improve his prospects in his work in leisure services for Glasgow City Council. Joe ended his career as a Community Facilities Officer in the Gorbals and Govanhill, but had worked in a variety of areas throughout the city managing services and working with the community. Joe retired in 2009.

Valerie Wright is a historian of modern Scotland with particular expertise in gender, social and political history. She is based in Economic and Social History at the University of Glasgow. Her current research as Research Associate working on the project ‘Employment, politics and culture in Scotland, 1955–2015’ focuses on the long-term effects of deindustrialisation in post-war Scotland. Previously she was employed as Research Associate on the project ‘Housing, everyday life and well-being over the long Glasgow 1950–1975’.