Ladies First: A History of the Queen Margaret Union of the University of Glasgow [Paperback]

Gary Robert Brown (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 6, 2010

Queen Margaret Union is as much a staple of Glasgow life as George Square, Sauchiehall Street or Buchanan Street. For nearly 120 years she has influenced the lives of students both of the old College bearing the same name and of the University of Glasgow. She has survived two world wars, out-lasted several monarchs of the United Kingdom and weathered some fairly public scandals. Throughout the decades, Queen Margaret Union's members have successfully managed to move with the times and to reinvent her image whenever necessary - often doing so ahead of the trend. From its humble beginnings in the basement of Queen Margaret College for Women, to its position as a top ranking entertainments venue in Glasgow, every possible aspect of the history is explored. This is a journey through these important times and events by the very people who lived them. Each decade offers the historical context as well as often quite personal memories about the Union and what it meant to its members. Gary R. Brown was President of Queen Margaret Union from July 2006 until June 2007 - the 106th student to hold the post. He has spent the best part of three years researching the history of the Union. Aiming for true perfection, he has traced as many former Presidents, Board Members and Staff of Queen Margaret Union as possible in putting together this volume.

Product Details

• Paperback: 442 pages
• Publisher: The Grimsay Press (January 6, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1845300610
• ISBN-13: 978-1845300616
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,699,314 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Ladies first, but all welcome., April 15, 2010

By 

Little Miss Anonymous - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ladies First: A History of the Queen Margaret Union of the University of Glasgow (Paperback)

This book is a greatly entertaining read. The essays may not be perfect, there may be a wee bit repetition, but there's a lot of love inside. The book starts with beautiful descriptions of a Union and University no longer here, and the lives of upper class women in Glasgow before the turn of the century. It speaks, even then, of volunteers giving their all to the Union "often to the detriment of their degrees," and I've lost count of the students I've seen that happen to. If pressed, I might even admit it happened to me.

It's quite astonishing how the pictures of the Union in the 60s look exactly the same as now. The pictures of all the Board Members with their changing styles of dress are both informative and hilarious. The essays from all different eras are excellent, and the present-day snapshots are just as full of fun as those from the eighties/seventies/sixties...

The beauty of this book is in the sheer number of writers, often speaking of the same events from different viewpoints. Lovely to see some staff members joining in as well as previous students. They put up with so much from us! This book brought back so many happy (and sad) memories for me, and I read it faster than any book in a long time. I hope you find the same.