These truly inspirational women told tales of women from different backgrounds, who left their homes in Scotland to travel to Canada in the 1940s to start a new life in truly exceptional circumstances. From land girls to city women travelling thousands of miles to a different way of life for love, family, experiences. All the stories are completely unique and utterly captivating. Melynda’s passion and enthusiasm in championing these women is inspiring, and the fondness and care between Melynda and Mrs Boone is so apparent that it really warms the heart.

One story that really tickled me was of a land army lass who’s father had thought that her working the farm land would keep her out of “trouble” the sort that he envisaged she’d be getting in to had she joined the wren’s. When working the farm one day she was struggling with a large wheel barrow of manure up a ramp and fell face first into it, much to the amusement of two officers who happened to be passing. They ended up helping her out of this sticky situation and this chance meeting with one of the officers led to love and the woman moving to Canada, much to the surprise of her father!

The title of this event is fitting in so many ways, not only the title of Melynda’s newest book, but this is also what happens when you hear Melynda and Mrs Boone talking about their experiences and the experience of the thousands of warbride women in Canada – it really does Capture your Heart.

We will be holding more Women Make History workshops and events, so keep an eye on our events calendar for more information.

They are an inspiration to everyone especially women. We live in a modern world now and young women have very different obstacles to face, however, they would do well to learn from these ansisters as their knowledge and how to survive many different situations is invaluable.

The library are holding another War Brides event on Thursday 26 May at 6pm. There is more information on the website here. I recommend people go along to hear about these fantastic women.

A lot has changed over the course of 2010. We’re in new premises, thankfully waterproof and, even in the past month’s cold weather, staying above freezing (we have Eddie in the Mitchell basement to thank for that). But the move to 15 Berkeley Street, into the old Anderston Library space at the Mitchell, was rather more abrupt than we had ever planned, and we’re not yet in the purpose-built home we’ve been working towards since moving out of 109 Trongate in 2006.

That space is now a part of the 103 Trongate visual arts complex, and 81 Parnie Street is due to be renovated by Wasps Studios. Our intention, ever since the 103 Trongate development was announced and we were kindly offered the Anderston space by the Mitchell Library management, was to do the same with this space. We – Sue in particular, as our Strategic Development Manager – have been working with Gareth Hoskins Architects to undertake feasibility studies and Stage D planning for the renovation of the Anderston Library space. The plans included raising the ceiling and adding a mezzanine, essentially increasing the floorspace by 50%, and opening up the back of the space to build a glass-fronted office space. They also looked at crucial accessibility issues, and included lift access to the main floor and the mezzanine, as well as a disabled toilet. There was also space for a small kitchen area – just as crucial to the Library, as anyone who’s spent time with us can tell you: we and our learners and visitors all need our tea!

As the planning progressed, Sue and Adele, supported by the GWL staff and volunteer team, have worked incredibly hard to raise the funds for this renovation. As a result, we’ve raised money with grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund (for the archive space and, of course, Hannah the Archivist), from the Robertson Trust, the Third Sector Fund and more.

We’ve also raised funds from you, our supporters, with the Women on the Shelf initiative as well as one-off fundraisers like our ‘Auction of Pleasures’ and the recent GWL Winter Raffle. This support has been even more gratifying than the major grants, because it confirms that the Library is as important to you as it is to us, and shows us that our ambitions for the future of the Library are built on solid foundations.

But the simple fact is that this a very difficult time to be raising money. The financial crisis – crises – of the past few years, combined with the subsequent political backlash and the way in which the current Government has chosen to respond, has left the public and voluntary sector across the country under pressure. The perception is that belts must be tightened, costs cut, regardless of how this impacts on those who are most vulnerable. For an organisation like the Library, which has never been easy to pigeonhole, it is all too easy to find oneself on the wrong lists when it comes to fundraising.

It is ironic, then, that the Library has continued to build its services and reach out to more and more women, both in Glasgow and across Scotland. It could have been possible, over the past year, for us to get bogged down in crisis after crisis, whether bailing out water from our office, or scrambling to prepare for a move into a space that even the most optimistic of us would struggle to describe as ‘fit for purpose’. There have been times when it’s felt like all we have done is fight fire after fire (thankfully, never literally). But looking back over 2010, it’s clear that we are better than that.

Despite the frequent hiatus – through flood, flitting and frost – our learning programs continue to grow. From the immensely popular launch of Jackie Kay’s Red Dust Road to the many women accessing our literacy project, from the women’s history workshops held in Wigtown, Inverness and Dundee, to the oral history project working with older migrant women in Pollokshields, to the young girls combining creative writing and all-action assault course trips in Glenburn – the Library is reaching more women than ever. We continue to work in partnership with national and local organisations, universities, colleges and community centres across Glasgow and Scotland, bringing both our experience and our aspirations for women in all walks of life.

And with the move to 15 Berkeley Street, our collection is starting to come out of the boxes we’ve had in stacks 5 high since 2006. Wendy the Librarian has been readying the shelves, and we hope to start lending books very soon. Meanwhile, Hannah has been opening up the archive for more and more researchers, turning the taped up boxes into a living, working archive once more. The collections team has grown, with more volunteers being trained, joining the volunteers who help us on the reception ‘front line’ as well as those who tutor with the ALN project. And our newly visible location in the Mitchell Library building has shown a marked increase in the number of people entering our doors – many of whom have never found GWL before (and if you haven’t yet, do come and visit us at 15 Berkeley Street!).

At the same time, it’s frustrating to still have two thirds of our collection in storage in the basement of Hillhead Library, and to have no proper disabled access (not to mention no toilet!). We know that it’s frustrating for you, as well, and we’re still working, both as an organisation and with our colleagues in Glasgow Life and Glasgow City Council, to improve the situation.

It could be tempting to batten down the hatches, to cut back on what we do, to stick to the safe paths and projects, keep our collection in boxes and never venture out of Glasgow. But it’s not in our nature to do so, and would go against the guiding principles we work by.

Glasgow Women’s Library will be 20 this year: since 1991 we have been both a voice for Scotland’s women and a place where thousands of women have found their own voice. From a wholly voluntary organisation we have grown into a 12-strong staff team, supported by many more volunteers. Our collection has grown, too: what once fit in a Garnethill shopfront now fills more than 500 metre-long boxes. The range and scope of our learning opportunities has expanded, but at their core the same principles can be found.

The Library is a home for women’s histories and, we believe, their futures. The Library is words, written and spoken, recorded and remembered. It is tangible objects that illuminate history, like the umbrella stand painted by imprisoned suffragettes, and it is the intangible ripple effect of empowering women to take control of their own lives. The Library is not easily contained, despite the constraints that have been placed on women’s voices over the years.

We don’t know what 2011 holds for us. Rather than making resolutions in the New Year, we will simply say: We are resolved. We know that it won’t be easy, but we are working towards a fully sustainable future for the Library, and for Scotland’s women.

On the topic of Storytelling, I was recently sent some information about an event at the start of November in the Ramshorn Theatre that reinterprets some classic tales with a feminist twist.

Louna Productions in collaboration with STG
Wednesday 3 to Saturday 6 November at 7.30pm
GRIM(M) TALES/ BLUEBEARD

Think you know your fairy tales? Think again…drawing on their Fringe sell-out success, ‘Grim(m) Tales/Bluebeard’ is Louna’s second production, this time in collaboration with Bruce Downie and Strathclyde Theatre Group at the Ramshorn Theatre in Glasgow.

Merging the lesser known, darkest tales by the Brothers Grimm and the tale of the devilish bridegroom, this brand new production is a double bill of European folklore with a twist. Using elements of physical theatre and traditional storytelling, making use of only minimal staging and props, ‘Grim(m) Tales/Bluebeard’ relies on the power of words to enthral its audience in a nightmarish take on fairy tales.(Please note that this show is not suitable for anyone under the age of 14).

‘Grim(m) Tales/Bluebeard’ takes place from Wednesday 3rd November – Saturday 6th November, 19:30 pm at The Ramshorn Theatre, 98 Ingram Street, Glasgow G1 EX.

Tickets are £9(£6 concession).

Louna Productions is a new Scottish-German company founded by Anna Lehr and Louisa Thornton. The two actresses met in early 2010 and founded their own theatre company to specialise in storytelling with a twist for an adult audience. Their current production is being performed as part of the IETM (Informal European Theatre Meeting).

For more information visit The Ramshorn Theatre Events Page

Five instalments of Mary’s diary written between 1782 and 1783 are available so far, as well as an intriguing article Mary penned whilst considering potential husbands, which outlines the prospects of three eligible contenders.   Although each man’s financial position is prominent in her notes, Mary’s eventual husband (who is not mentioned in the essay) was not chosen for his fortune but despite his lack thereof  as the family were beset by financial problems caused by the Earl’s gambling and unfounded explorations for mineral mining both abroad and on the estate.

The diaries provide an insight into family life at Traquair in the late 18^th century, in particular the management of the household in great detail.  Mary refers to herself in the third person throughout, as Ly. T, meaning Lady Traquair.  Rather than being a reflective kind of diary – Mary refers to herself in the third person throughout, as Ly. T., standing for Lady Traquair – Mary instead offers an account of her daily life at home, focusing on guests to the house, how she manages her servants and the health of the household.  Entries detail on numerous occasions which meals Mary prepares for her son Linton  and how Mary consoles him following his vaccination against smallpox – an immunisation programme which was then in early development.  As the immunisation was in its infancy, how Linton might react to it provoked curiosity amongst friends and neighbours, who visit the House to check on the boy’s wellbeing.  As Linton develops smallpox symptoms Mary cares for him alone, with no input from her husband noted in the diaries.  Significantly, Mary is willing to challenge and question the doctor’s treatment of her son, as her anxiety about his condition increases.

 Visit http://www.traquair.co.uk/content/traquair-house-archives to access this fantastic resource.

 If reading the diaries online reveals a passion  for archives, then come along to our archive taster sessions – these will take place on Mondays, 2-4pm, from 1st November to 13th December 2010.

ARTS AND CRAFTS

The women get creative in the Arts & Crafts workshops making hand made cards and their very own life book using scrap booking techniques.  Women brought along their photographs and other information to include in their life book.  We have enjoyed listening to one anothers stories of childhood, growing up, families, special memories, hobbies & interest, achievements and future aspirations.  

Mrs Farah has made her very first hand-made greetings card!

Mrs Nasreen Shami is pleased with the first page of her life book which was all about her name.

VISIT TO THE ST. MUNGO MUSEUM OF RELIGIOUS LIFE AND ART AND PROVANDS LORDSHIP

We set off to St Mungo Museum to learn about the main religions followed by people of Glasgow.

It was great to be taken round by the wonderful learning officer Kirsty Hood who made the objects come to life! 

Kirsty tells the story of the Hindu God Shiva.

Nadia takes a closer look at the beautiful painting of the 99 names of Allah created by the famous artist Abu Mustapha

Nurah has a go at handling objects belonging to different faiths.

While we were there, we went across the road to visit the Provand’s Lordship.

Mrs Shamim is fascinated by the old style kitchen and makes connections with kitchen utensils she used whilst growing up in her village in Pakistan.

VISIT TO THE KELVINGROVE ARTS GALLERY AND ‘BEING CREATIVE’

Although Kelvingrove Art Gallery seems an obvious landmark for places to visit in Glasgow, many local women had never visited the grand palace which houses over 8000 objects including art pieces and paintings. 

Mrs farah is re-united with her all time favourite rock star Elvis!

The women also took part in the ‘Be Creative’ workshop to explore methods of creative writing! 

FILM SCREENING

We watched a Bollywood film called Black, a thought provoking film about a young Indian girl who is deaf and blind.  The film was in Hindi and English with English Subtitles. 

” I am so glad I came along to watch this film.  I have never watched a bollywood film, both actors played their roles very well.  I felt so emotional and moved at the efforts of the young girl and her teacher.  Thank you for inviting me!”                  May Cummings

VISIT TO THE GARNETHILL SYNAGOGUE

It was extremely exciting visiting the very first purpose built Synagogue in Scotland which is located on Hill Street in the Garnethill area of Glasgow.  In fact it is still one of the finest 19th century Synagogues in Europe, and the “mother synagogue” of Glasgow.

Women learn about the different functions of the Synagogue.

The Synagogue also houses the fabulous Jewish archive.  It was a pleasure to learn about the Jewish history in Scotland which dates back to the 16^th Century.

Mrs Parveen explores the Jewish archives.

And it doesn’t end there…… I cant wait to visit the Gurdwara in Pollokshields on Wednesday 28th July, 10.30am to 1pm; film screening of Slum dog Millionaire at the Glasgow Women’s Library on Thursday 29th July, 1.30pm to 3.30pm; and the woodlands trip to Barons Haugh Nature Reserve in Motherwell on Thursday 5th August 10am to 4pm! 

If you fancy coming along then please book a place by calling Syma or Pauline on 0141 552 8345.

Kirsty and Louise at our first podcast recording session.

The podcast is of the West End Women’s Heritage Walk and will take listeners on a journey round Glasgow’s West End pointing out points of interest relating to Women’s History, it will make our walk, and women’s history much more accessible.

The recording process has been really fun, I have even taken on a role and got into character to play a little part myself – the first time I have stepped behind the microphone and I have to say that I am now itching to do more!

A massive thanks must go out to Louise Storrie, who has been teaching me the podasting ropes, and also Jean, Anne and Kirsty – who each allowed me to shut them in a soundproof box for a number of hours and made them take on various roles, repeating sections to get them just right. They were all very patient and really got into the spirit of things, thanks once again Women Make History team.

Jean takes to the mic

Thanks also to the Scottish Youth Theatre who provided the sound proof box for recording, the finished product is going to sound that much better thanks to this modern equipment.

Now onto the edit stage, another part I am really looking forward to, sourcing sound effects and maybe even recording some ourselves! Watch out BBC – we are about to take the podcasting world by storm!!

Keep an eye on the Women Make History wesbite for the podcast going live later in the year. If you are interested in being involved with the Women Make History project then just contact me at the library, it’s great fun and you learn a lot just by being involved.

The Library asked me if I would like to be one of the tour guides for a lunchtime walk for some of the Paths to Health people who were holding a conference in Glasgow. I had one research afternoon in the library with Adele and Christine when we gathered info about the area from different sources. Discovering Garnethill was so interesting we did learn a lot that afternoon and what a historical area it is to Glasgow.

Route Testing

A couple of weeks later Christine and I walked around the route so that we could report back to Adele re what we might include for the walk. We started from the Chinese Garden just off Hill Street. Then we advanced up Hill Street stopping at the corner on Dalhousie Street which was the site of the first Women’s Library [a really historical place!]. We moved onto the Tenement House and then the first Jewish Synagogue in Glasgow and across the road to the first Beatson Hospital. From there we went onto the Glasgow School of Art. There was lots of discussion between Christine and myself as to what should be talked about on the walk and also bearing in mind that the walkers only had 45 mins as they had to get back to the Conference. On the day before the event Christine and I had a rehearsal walk with the completed script and we timed it as we went along reading out the facts at each stop. We started from the Concert Hall and took the group back “home” to the concert hall when the walk was completed 45 mins, we were pleased we met our target time.

The Big Day

I went along to the Concert Hall at 11.45 and met with Adele. We split the walkers into two groups me taking the first group of 15 people and Adele following 15 mins later with her group. They were all very keen to find out more about Glasgow. From the Concert Hall I led them up to the Chinese Garden where Christine was waiting and we introduced the walk. Next stop was the corner of Hill Street and Dalhousie Street the site of the first Women’s Library then we passed Glasgow High School for Girls. Further along Hill Street to the building with Chinese signage around the door where we spoke about the large Chinese community in Garnethill and its history and some of the positive things they had brought to the city. Then we stopped at the first synagogue in Glasgow which was built in 1881 and we mentioned some of the formidable and fascinating women connected to its history and of course what the Jewish community had done for the growing city of Glasgow. We then went along to Glasgow School of Art and told of some of the wonderful ladies who attended the school in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s especially the Glasgow Girls who were all very successful and have left some of the loveliest pieces of art which can still be enjoyed today.

Conclusion

I particularly noticed that the group commented frequently about the architecture in the Garnethill area as we were going from one stop to another and how diverse it was. We were able to tell them a little about it but I shall seek out more information regarding the architects including Greek Thomson. We received very positive feedback from the Paths to Health groups about how much they had enjoyed the walk and how much more they had learned about Glasgow and also many of them said they would like to bring their partners or friends and do the walk again. Another great success for Glasgow Women’s Library.

Jean Girdwood

The main reason it was Crazy Week for me was because I was filming for 3 days out of the 5. Filming what? Well, we are producing a promotional DVD for our Women Make History project to try and encourage more women to get involved as tour guides and researchers. This is the first time I have undertaken any thing like this and at first was a little daunted by the role of Director – but I soon got into the swing of things and thanks to a lot of help and support from the team at Plantation Productions and with a strong team of volunteers by my side the filming is now underway.

Laura and Elaine filming for Women Make History DVD

Monday we were filming out and about in Govan, the West End and at Charing Cross.  Thanks to a great team and good planning we managed to get everything filmed and finished early.

Wednesday was library filming day, and we filmed the lovely Ghazala and Vicky visiting the library for the first time and learning all about the Women Make History project. Everyone was so natural on camera and I really feel like the film is coming together.

We have one more day of filming to do now, and that is a walk from the library to the Ramshorn Kirk. We are looking for some volunteers to come forward as extras to play the parts of walk participants, so if you are free on Friday 9 October in the afternoon and would be interested in taking part, we are looking for men, women, children….even dogs….wait, no, I was warned not to work with children AND animals! Please get in touch if you would like to get involved.

Time for my Oscars speech practice run…I would really like to thank all the team that have made this happen. The staff at Plantation Productions, Elaine and Vicki – my wonderful camera and sound team, Ghazala and Vicky – the stars of the show, the Women Make History team (you know who you are) and all the library staff who have been roped in at one stage or another to help out.

The DVD will be launched at a Paths for All event next year, news of which will follow.

Whether you want to escape the early Christmas ridiculousness, need a wind down after Eid, or just fancy a bit of space and time to yourself, St Mungos are offering free meditation sessions, led by professionals in October, November and December.

So, you can chill at St Mungo’s on: 10 October, 7 November, and 5 December.
From 1pm to 3pm. 1pm to 2pm is for adults and 2pm to 3pm for families and children

There are also plenty of things going on at the library as well. Why not try your hand at something craty at our Banner Making sessions or give your vocal chords a work out at our Singing for a Gude Cause evenings.