Glasgow Central Station visit reception in the Grand Central Hotel: Thursday 17 September 2015

Following the tour of Glasgow Central Station, a wine reception was held in the Clyde Suite in the Grand Central Hotel. Members and guests were able to relax and hear guest speaker Professor Dugald Cameron.

Mr. Cameron described his early days as a train-spotter during his journeys to and from the High School of Glasgow via Charing Cross Station and recalled his first visit to Glasgow Central station. In those days, he said, it was a gloomy and sooty place.

Mr. Cameron attended Glasgow school of Art specialising in Industrial Design. He became a freelance industrial designer and part time teacher at the School of Art before being appointed professor of industrial design at the Technische Hogeschole, Delft in 1970. He was also appointed senior lecturer in charge of industrial design at Glasgow School of Art in the same year and in 1982 became head of design, before becoming the Director of Glasgow School of Art in 1991.

His interest in railways came to the fore when he was appointed in 2002 as a Public Member of Network Rail when it was set up and is also an advisor to the Railway Historical Trust. He regaled his audience with numerous humorous anecdotes and reminiscences.

He then and introduced Stephen Shaw, the poet known as the "Glasgow Cabbie". Mr. Shaw read two of his poems, "Beautiful Scotland" and "Welcome to Glasgow" both of which can be read by kind permission of the author by clicking on the following links:

Beautiful Scotland   © Glasgow Cabbie
Welcome to Glasgow   © Glasgow Cabbie

After the reading, the Scottish Region Chairman, Ken Thomson thanked Mr. Shaw and also Vic McLaughlin and Paul Lyons of Network Rail for the Central Station tour. He then presented Dugald Cameron with one of the Scottish Region's engraved glasses as a memento of the evening.

The Scottish Region would like to thank Network Rail for facilitating the event and Mr. Stephen Shaw for his poetry reading.

Report and photograph by John Fender.