The Hidden Glasgow Forums

Hey, this is my first post so if it's in the wrong place I'm sorry!

I've been lurking around the site for a few months now and I have to say that some of the stuff you guys have on here is pretty amazing. Since you all seem to know your stuff and have access to some amazing resources I figured you'd be a good place to start for my project

I am past president of the Queen Margaret Union at Glasgow Uni, and I'm ashamed to admit that it seems my predecessors over the last hundred odd years haven't been very good at documenting the history of the Union, particularly in pictures etc.

I was just wondering if anyone had/knew where to get pictures of the various old buildings the QM has lived in (as well as the current one up to about 1998!), mainly interiors. I think the two prior buildings to the current University Gardens monstrosity were the original Queen Margaret College building on Great Western Road and later, the John MacIntyre building on University Avenue.

Also, if anyone has old diaries, magazines or general QM memorabillia that they could scan in it would be greatly appreciated. We really need everything from day one until about seven years ago!

Thanks in advance,

Laura Kane
QMU President 2004 - 2005

may still have a QM magazine from the mid/late 80s. Also have pics of bands playing the QM around that time.

Also have my old diaries. Try to remember to pick them up whem I next visit my mum's house.

JayKay

QMU Wasters Corner resident most Friday afternoons 1984-1987

Fantastic! We only seem to have one or two broadsheets from the eighties, but from the minutes of Board Meetings it's clear that there were many more and we'd love to see them.

With regards to bands, we pretty much don't have any photos of bands playing during the eighties either with the exception of those featured in the Freshers' Week Handbooks, but we know there were some great ones as we still have the contracts (some of the riders are most amusing!) so they'd be great too.

Diaries are a more personal thing so I'm sure you wouldn't want to be revealing the contents! Although if you could even take a photo of the cover/QM specific blurb that would be amazing.

We are hoping to compile as much stuff as we can so that we can make a decent attempt at preserving the history of the Union, particularly as the University are biting at our heels to join up with the GUU to create a Students' Association

Also, just for a bit more information, we have already investigated information on the QM in the Glasgow Uni Archive Service as well as a little research in the Mitchell but neither really had that much archived with the exception of a couple of photos.

We're just really looking for people's personal bits and bobs from their time in the union over the years and we really appreciate anything, no matter how small (I got surprisingly excited about a ticket to a tea-dance in 1969 the other day!)

No problem.

I'll take a look over the weekend to see the bands I have photos of. I dont think any were published other than one I took of the Mission. ( in Strathclyde Uni's paper!)

I'm pretty sure I can get a hold of my three diaries, and there was a QM handbook thing somewhere too.

Too many great times at the QM to list.

I have, I regret, thrown out my "Relax...I'm a QM member" T shirt. It was naff even when they were giving them away in '84

The idea of the QM amalgamating with the GUU fills me with unspeakable horror. If it's time to step up in defense of the QMU then step up I shall...

Incidentally, my mother was a QM member when it was the Ladies Union (early 60s) I'll ask her at the weekend if she's got any artifacts.

Just keep me in mind for a life membership if they're still available!

Saturday night DJ at QMU in the late seventies

Ronnie Brown did the Fridays followed by Davie somebody or other in the early eighties.

I saw The Black Crowes at the QMU, Was not Was, Simple Minds, Robert Cray, Wreckless Eric, George Thorogood, The Ramones (or was that Strathclyde) John Gorman, Savoy Brown, Gary Glitter, but managed to miss

I used to frequent the QM in the late eighties. God i am getting old. A few of my mates back then were on the Board of the QM, at that time they had a lot of success in booking bands who were on the rise.

I remember they booked Erasure way in advance of the gig and by the time they were due to play the QM they had chart success, same thing happened with the Bangles.

There was one night when Zodiac Mindwarp played and a group of German bikers turned up and started boxing with the then door stewards who were the off duty watch of Firemen from Maryhill Fire Station. I think it finished a draw.

Hue and Cry and Texas remained regulars at the QM when they were starting to enjoy success.

If it had been suggested back then to amalgamate the Unions it would have started a riot.

I've got a collection of Handbooks, Broadsheets, posters and flyers from the 1990 - 1994 period, for some strange reason , and a mate of mine was one of your predesessors so I'll ask him if he's got anything too...

Try the University archives again. I know for a fact that we unearthed a whole load of stuff about the previous QM buildings when we went through a similar process some 13 years ago.

One of the reasons the bands were so good at QMU in the early 80s is that Mark mackie was Ents convenor. Mark's company now is Regular Ents - one of the top promoters.

Got to say - sharp intake of breath when I read about potential merger with the boys club down the road.... I'm old enough to have been on the picket line for the beer bar debates and the Freds...

Them were days!

Caz
ex QMU Hon Pres

Wow, thanks for all the responses!

Any bits and bobs, gig tickets, disco tickets, photos of the building interior etc. would be greatly appreciated, even if only a photocopy or a scan.

The 'Relax... I''m a QM member' t-shirt made several of the current board crack up, though I admit, I wouldn't mind one! If you want a life membership the form is available at http://www.qmunity.co.uk (there's a box on the left hand side) and I'm sure I could convince the Board to waive the fee for those that help us out with sorting out our history.

Any idea where the old QM djs are now? Are they still djing these days?

We still deal with Mark from time to time when he promotes gigs in the QM, just shows how far the QM can take you, eh?

I think the problem with the archives is the data protection act. Last time I went it seemed that even being president of the place wasn't enough to get access to certain files!

The Students' Association is a pretty long way off still, but for those that are interested it's worth noting that SRC Exec members have been elected in the past couple of years on a pro association ticket

Hey guys, Gary Brown, current QM President. This is quite exciting stuff on this forum. As Laura says, I'm sure the Board can be persuaded to waive the odd life membership fees in exchange for helping us with our Ongoing History Project.

Why just this week Laura, Jamie (last years Pres) and myself met the QM President from 1966-67 Margaret Fairlie for lunch.
And at this years President's Dinner we had the President from 1972 Brenda Graham (formerly Brenda Dowd) attend and give a speech.

Whoop!

GARY

Had a quick look over the weekend and unearthed a few things, although there are a few that will take a bit more research

photos of Deacon Blue, Lone Justice, Long ryders*, Dr and the Medics, Sugue Sigue Sputnik, Robert Cray Band (playing in the canteen as Sputnik wouldnt allow them to play the main stage allegedly) and a good few others that I'll need to sort through.

Also have quite a few ticket stubs. think there may also be a gig flyer or two tucked in an old LP sleeve or two. Pretty sure I've got one advertising the Long Ryders/ The Fall/ The men they couldn't hang.

Will hopefully start scanning this week.

The Smiths gig in early '84 (before my time at uni but key to my decision about what union I would join ) was recorded and broadcast by Radio Clyde, so it might be worth getting in touch with their archives people. River Records have been releasing some of these gigs on CD and although the Smiths one is probably some distance away, they may have plans for some other QM recorded shows coming out.

Have a word - if you've not done so already - with the picture library at the Herald/evening times. they may well have pics of some of the acts that played there.

No luck so far with my old diaries - they were not where I expected them to be but I'll hopefully track 'em down.


*The best band I ever saw at the QM by a (country) mile

i went to see Blamange during the early 80s @ the QMU had a great time, also the undertones ( i think it was there ) maybe i'm wrong, but all'n all this is a great venue for starting bands to play.

Them were the days right enough Cazzie

You should contact Stewart Cruickshanks of BBC Scotland who was at the Electric Prunes gig at the QMU in 1967. I'm sure he's been to other concerts.