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Recording and transcript of Julie Shaw in conversation with Ken and Anne Whitty, 19 February 2014. Ken and Anne Whitty worked as house parents at Quarrier's Village from 1973 until 1987 before becoming foster carers. Ken and Anne discuss their roles, the regime in the house in Quarrier's, the staffing structure, staff training, how they handled the young people who came into their care, the children's activities and education, holidays, and the changes that came in after the Social Work (Scotland) Act.

Recording and transcript of Julie Shaw in conversation with a teacher and house mother, 13 January 2014. The interviewee worked at an approved school for girls in Glasgow followed by a residential school in Edinburgh. She discusses her roles, the structure and routine at the schools, improvements that were being made in residential care, and the backgrounds of the children coming into care.

Recording and transcript of Rebekah Russell in conversation with Mary McAleese on 8 October 2014. Mary (May) McAleese was born 7/08/33 in Townhead, Castle Street. She grew up in Provanmill. she attended primary school in Provanmill and the St Enoch Secondary School. She worked in a tailors after leaving school; a pub and in 2 hospitals as an Auxiliary nurse. her husband was an electric welder and lost his job. At time of interview May lived in Riddrie in sheltered housing.

Time-coded summary

[00:00:00] Introductions.
[00:00:25] Talks about place of birth and where she grew up.
[00:01:01] Tells where she went to primary and secondary school and that she enjoyed school.
[00:01:22] Informs that first job was in a tailoring works for children’s wear.
[00:01:42] Tells that during the period 1960 - 1990 worked first in Robroyston Hospital and then in Stobhill hospital as Auxiliary nurse and had 2 children, working part-time as a working mother.
[00:02:36] Remarks on taking time off to have children and thereafter working part-time.
[00:02:58] Mentions also having worked for a time in a bar at Townhead.
[00:03:18] Briefly mentions balancing home life with part-time working hours, not starting work till 4pm.
[00:03:38] Comments that managed to move job to another public house when the one they were working in closed down during this period. Tells that income from 2nd job in family allowed for holidays.
[00:04:15] Tells that husband lost job as welder in shipyards as younger employees entered workforce with additional skills and training such as undersea welding.
[00:04:48] Anecdote about husband’s relationship to employer upon redundancy.
[00:05:18] Remarks that after redundancy husband took unwell with heart trouble and retired.
[00:05:27] Describes average day in family home. Would go out to work when son came home from school, then later husband would return from work.
[00:06:07] Remarks that there were no health problems in family during period in question.
[00:06:19] Describes that area seems more depressed now than when husband lost his job. That she both enjoyed working and the financial benefit it brought family.
[00:07:12] Agrees that there is an idea that women are mothers first and workers second.
[00:07:23] Explains had always worked before getting married and having children so going out to work as a mother was not new.
[00:07:49] Describes convenience of living in parent’s home when first married.
[00:08:11] Tells that she does not live in Springburn but in Riddrie in sheltered housing not far from Alive & Kicking project.
[00:08:48] Tells of being taken into hospital early towards end of 2nd pregnancy.
[00:09:22] Remarks that worked part-time as mother to also be at home with children.
[00:09:44] Tells that was still working when husband retired.
[00:09:55] Comments that had to adapted to retirement when she and husband no longer able to work.
[00:10:03] Remarks that feels situation for people in Springburn seems more depressing now than in period when factories closed down.
[00:10:56] Mentions she feels for the impact of factory closures on others in Springburn and families.
[00:11:31] Tells of how she sees a deterioration in Springburn as a community.
[00:11:51] Comments that she considered her family better off than some as husband had good job and she contributed an additional income.
[00:12:28] Tells that husband was well paid as an electric welder before losing job. Comments that 17 years old grandson cannot find employment as electrician.
[00:13:35] Tells that children were fortunate in finding employment in area and considers it harder now even for people with degrees.
[00:14:25] Tells of enjoying the personal and social benefits her additional income provided. Praises Alive & Kicking project for providing social life after feeling depressed following being widowed in 2007. Considers it harder for younger generation to bring up families now.

Recording and transcript of Julie Shaw in conversation with Anne Black, 9 December 2013. Anne Black worked as a child care officer in children's residential nurseries in Edinburgh from 1965. Anne discusses her working roles, standards of care, child abuse, and various residential facilities.

Recording and transcript of Julie Shaw in conversation with Richard (Dick) Poor, 10 December 2013. Dick Poor worked as a children's officer in Stirling from 1965 and later as Director of Social Work in Argyll. Dick discusses his roles, the environments he worked in, different types of residential care, improvements in the review process and the Social Work (Scotland) Act.

Recording and transcript of an interview with Margaret Graham on 27th September 2013. Margaret Graham worked as a residential care worker in a number of children's homes in Edinburgh in the 1970's. Margaret discusses the environments she worked in, homes involved in the Edinburgh Children's Enquiry, lack of training, abuse, daily routines, difficulties with colleagues and thoughts on developments in residential care.

Recording and transcript of an interview with Susan Strang on 24th September 2013. Susan Strang worked as a volunteer in children's homes in 1969 before training as a social worker in 1970 and entering the field of social work in 1973. Susan discusses her placements, differences in work culture between new social work graduates and those with other backgrounds, the environments she worked in, colleagues, dealing with challenging behaviour and developments in residential care.

Leaflets for undergraduate and postgraduate study entry in 2013, covering the various degree courses offered by each of the four Faculties at the University of Strathclyde plus general leaflets about student life, accommodation, finance, and study abroad as an exchange student.

Recording and transcript of Julie Shaw in conversation with Barbara Radcliffe, 9 December 2013. Barbara Radcliffe worked as a social services care worker in a list D girl's school in Edinburgh from 1970 to 1971. Barbara discusses her role, the type of people that came into care at the school, her colleagues and the school environment.

Recording and transcript of Julie Shaw in conversation with Mae McQueen, 11 December 2013. Mae McQueen worked as an assistant house parent in Kilmarnock in 1974 until 1976 before going on to study for a certificate in Residential Care of Children and Young People at Langside College. Mae discusses working in a family group home, the structure of the home, lack of training, reasons for young people coming into care and thoughts on improvements that could be made in the sector.

Recording and transcript of an interview with a former residential care assistant, 13 December 2013. The interviewee worked as a residential care assistant in Lanark from 1963 before completing a child care training course and a number of placements and then going on to work as a unit leader at Lady Mary School in Edinburgh from 1969. They discuss the environments they worked in, their roles, standards in local authority care homes, the introduction of the children's hearing system, psychiatric involvement and their perceptions of changes in the sector.

Recording and transcript of an interview with Robert Nummey on 10th December 2013. Robert Nummey worked as a duty welfare officer and social worker in the 1960's, a county welfare officer in Angus from 1967, director of social work from 1969 and director for residential and day care in Glasgow from 1971. Robert discusses his career, the Social Work (Scotland) Act, the environments he worked in, colleagues, some serious incidents that occurred at some of the homes, training and improvements in residential care.

Recording and transcript of Julie Shaw in conversation with Ellwyn Mitchell, 25 September 2013. Ellwyn Mitchell worked as a house mother at the Priory children's home in Selkirk from 1963 until 1973. Ellwyn discusses the environment she worked in, the standard of care, staff structure, the routine, lack of social work involvement and lack of support for those leaving care.

Recording of David Walker, of the Scottish Oral History Centre, in conversation with David McLetchie MSP in 2013. The interview was conducted at David McLetchie's office at the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh.

This interview was originally intended to be the first of a series of interviews carried out by the Scottish Oral History Centre with the first cohort of MSPs. However, due to David McLetchie's poor health, this interview was undertaken ahead of the planned project. Conducted about two months before his death from cancer at the age of 61, this interview is one of the last interviews which McLetchie gave. Because of time pressures, the interview is approximately 25 mins in length. The larger project with the rest of the cohort of MSPs was never undertaken.

The interview covers McLetchie's entire life, orientated primarily towards his life in politics.

The interview covers the following topics:

• Family background
• School education
• Political involvement at Edinburgh University
• Career in law
• Conservative Party involvement, including Young Conservatives, and party conferences
• Standing for election as an MP in 1979
• Selection process for becoming an MSP in 1999
• Becoming leader of the Scottish Conservative Party in 1999
• Running the Conservative 1999 election campaign for the Scottish Parliament
• Life as a constituency MSP and as a 'list' MSP
• View on 'consensus' politics of the Scottish Parliament
• Press coverage of the Scottish Parliament

Recording of Arthur McIvor in conversation with Phyllis Craig, Chair of Clydeside Action on Asbestos, 28 January 2013. Phyllis Craig describes her work at the charity where she started on 2 October 1995.

[00:00] Introductions.
[00:25] Summarises main life events.
[01:14] Describes voluntary work at Castlemilk law centre and the poverty she observed.
[01:43] Describes starting work at Clydeside Action on Asbestos.
[02.44] Discusses the occupations of her parents and her relationship with them.
[05:10] Describes roles at Clydeside Action on Asbestos.
[06:04] Tells story of a particular appeal and the treatment of a client.
[07:28] Returns to description of activity of Clydeside Action on Asbestos.
[07:53] Mentions the case of ‘Fairchild, Matthew and Fox’ and describes other asbestosis cases.
[10:58] Describes the wide variety of other Clydeside Action on Asbestos activities, such as fundraising and communications.
[11:56] Describes how the job has changed over the years.
[13:17] Describes how the resources and funding have improved since the early years of the charity.
[13:54] Describes the psychological effects of a mesothelioma diagnosis.
[16:12] Describes the experiences of those living with mesothelioma.
[18:59] Describes the physical and mental effects of mesothelioma.
[20:20] Talks about the limitations of new government disability legislation and its relation to the mental health of sufferers.
[22:15] Mentions the economic schemes that were available to help sufferers and remarks upon the likely negative effects of recent government legislation.
[23:06] Describes the rise of diagnoses of mesothelioma in women, explores the reasons, and talks about the different experiences of the disease for men and women.
[25:45] Describes the difficulties of competing with other charities for funding for example charities that work with victims of post-traumatic stress.
[27:07] Tells the story of a particular mesothelioma case pertaining to a male client who was a Glasgow joiner.
[30:11] Tells the story of two mesothelioma cases pertaining to women, one client from Falkirk who struggled to get a diagnosis and a former GP who works in the charity office. Phyllis comments on the different reactions of men and women to a diagnosis of mesothelioma.
[32:46] States that mesothelioma is still incurable and describes the general life expectancy of sufferers.
[34:47] Describes the dramatic changes in medical interest and treatments for mesothelioma since 1995. Also discusses surgery and the importance of palliative care.
[38:55] Describes the differences between Scotland and England in terms of legislation and compensation. Also describes the tenacity required to campaign for justice.
[42:30] Describes the reasons why legislative situation has evolved further, to the benefit of victims, in Scotland than in England.
[46:11] Discusses how the establishment of the Scottish Parliament has benefited the experience of victims in Scotland and how Scotland’s asbestos legislation compares globally.
[47:43] Describes the current campaigns and activity of Clydeside Action on Asbestos.
[50:59] Closing remarks upon the importance of the recognition of other asbestos related lung cancers in addition to mesothelioma, in terms of legislation and support.
[52:53] Describes inaccuracies in predictions for when the peak of asbestos-related deaths will be seen.