Sadness as Civic Officer retires
A Paisley man who‘looked after’ many members of the Royal
Family admitted he was sad when the time came to call it a day.
Alexander Goudie, the town’s Civic Officer for 46 years, hung up his robes at the beginning of 1938.
For almost half a century, Mr Goudie had feted distinguished visitors to the town but, when it was time to go, he admitted to doing so with a heavy heart.
He said:“I have watched Paisley grow into something special over the years – it has been a joy to see fine things happen to my home town.
“I have looked on from the privileged position behind the Provost’s chair and it has been wonderful, but we all have to go some time.”
During his time in office, Mr Goudie‘saw off’an astonishing 13 Provosts, while the pageant of civic administration brought him into contact with 113 councillors and 94 bailies.
Down at the neighbouring burgh police headquarters, four Chief Constables passed through the station during Mr Goudie’s reign.
His duties also led to an involvement in the groundbreaking School of Design, which had housed the Master of Works, Chief Medical Officer and Sanitary authorities since the beginning of the 20th century.
But to his‘day job’, and the first time Mr Goudie ever called‘Gentlemen, the Provost’, in the Chambers, took place in 1892.
In fact, to give you an idea of just how long ago that actually was, it was 30 years before a mace was first used in civic proceedings.
Probably no one else in Paisley could claim to ever have held such a prominent a place in the Royal visits to the town during the early decades of the 1900s.
In 1888, Mr Goudie helped form a Guard of Honour to Queen Victoria, while in his official capacity, he was present at receptions to King George, the Duke of Windsor (as Prince of Wales) and, on two occasions, to Princess Mary.
Certainly, he was one gentleman who had a‘front seat’at all of Paisley’s important 20th century events – or perhaps he would prefer you to say he was‘right in the thick of it!’