TIMES PAST
Susan Baird ...
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GLASGOW’S longest serving councillor of modern times and the city’s second female Lord Provost was a bold and bright breath of fresh air in local politics. Susan Baird (nee Reilly) was born in May 1940, in Dalton Street, Parkhead, and educated at St Mark’s Secondary School. She married husband George in 1957 and the couple had three sons and
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a daughter. A staunch Labour Party supporter (she joined in 1969), Susan’s social conscience propelled her into politics, and she became a bailie, representing Braidfauld in 1975, then convenor of the manpower the campaign to free Nelson committee in 1980. Four years Mandela, hosting the launch later, she became vice-convener of of The End Of a Regime?, an the powerful parks and recreation anthology of Scottish-South committee and held the position of African writing against Apartheid
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Lord Provost from 1988 until 1992, in 1991. overseeing the Glasgow Garden Susan was appointed Festival of 1988 and the City of CBE in the 1991 New Culture celebrations in 1990. Year Honours, and was After her tenure as LP, Susan the recipient of the 1991 stayed on, and became convener St Mungo Prize, awarded to the of the economic and industrial individual who had done the most
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development committee. in the previous three years to Her obituary in our sister improve life in the city of Glasgow. title The Herald said he She retired in 2007. ‘brought a regal touch to Sadly, Susan died two years her Lord Provost’s office later, aged just 68, from overlooking George Square, but cancer. Never forgetting her was never too grand to pour the roots, she always said that tea for distinguished visitors.” her proudest achievement was Susan was instrumental in to improve the quality of life for organising activities surrounding people in Glasgow’s East End.