East End Walking Tour

This afternoon, we went to the Glasgow Women's Library for a guided walking tour of the East End of Glasgow. The tour was incredibly informative and rich in history, highlighting the role of women in Glasgow's history. The tour also helped us to put the lives of our Glasgow ancestors into perspective and to help us understand the times in which they were living. 

The external walls of the elevator are decorated with book titles

Domestic school for girls

Drying Green at Glasgow Green where women would
take their washing to dry

Old Central Police Station

Glasgow Tardis

Sir Billy

Learning about the Saracen Head

We ended our tour at the Weaver's Cemetery on Abercrombie Street.  

Martyr's Memorial

The Glasgow Women's Library walking tours are wonderful opportunities to learn more about the women who played important roles in the history of not only Glasgow but also of Scotland. The tours are also a great way to support the work of the library. 

Thank you to our incredible tour guides: 

Mary-Alice, Sue, Kristin and Beverly

East End Heritage Tour

Our purpose in going to the Glasgow Women's Library was to take one of their heritage tours. We chose the East End Heritage Tour and were treated to a delightful afternoon of learning.

The lift was added during renovations and is
decorated with the titles of books on the
library's shelves

The beehive shows how industrious women in domestic economics could be

Templeton's Carpet Factory. Tragically 29 women and girls were
killed when a high wind caused a large section of the building
to collapse into a weaving shed. 

The Drying Green - part of Glasgow Green where the women
would bring their laundry to dry. 

Glasgow Women's Library

On Saturday afternoon, we headed over to the Glasgow Women's Library. What a treat this place was!

The library is in Bridgeton and is housed in a former Carnegie Library. The library is also a credited museum, dedicated to women's lives and women's history. 

We started out by having tea and sweets. 

Then we received an overview of the library, its history and its collections. 

We were treated to a behind the scenes tour. 

We enjoyed viewing the exhibit on travellers and gypsies. I was particularly looking forward to this because the outdoor site manager that I met at Auchindrain was instrumental in helping to put this display together.