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’.
