Glasgow Caledonian welcomes more than 800 people for 150th Anniversary Weekend

More than 800 people joined Glasgow Caledonian University’s 150th Anniversary Weekend as the University opened its doors for three days of celebrations bringing together alumni, staff, students, friends, partners and members of the public.

The weekend, held from Friday 28 to Sunday 30 August, celebrated Glasgow Caledonian’s distinctive history, the people who have shaped the University and its continuing contribution to Glasgow and beyond.

It marked 150 years since the founding of the Glasgow School of Cookery in 1875 – the institution from which Glasgow Caledonian traces its history.

The pioneering school was established to provide education for working-class women and improve lives in lower-income communities. It later became part of the Glasgow and West of Scotland College of Domestic Science – affectionately known as the ‘Dough School’ – before becoming Queen’s College and eventually merging with Glasgow Polytechnic in 1993 to create Glasgow Caledonian University.

The Anniversary Weekend reflected that journey, combining opportunities to explore the University’s heritage with a showcase of the people, ideas and innovation shaping Glasgow Caledonian today.

The programme included an anniversary afternoon tea exploring the legacy of the original Glasgow Cookery Book, an Alumni and Friends Reunion Evening, interactive campus tours and a series of talks and events.

University Chancellor Professor Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE and internationally acclaimed author Dr Abi Daré were among the speakers, while acclaimed actress Dr Blythe Duff returned to Glasgow Caledonian to reflect on the enduring legacy of Taggart.

Dr Duff has a longstanding relationship with the University. She received an honorary degree in 2011 and is a Glasgow Caledonian Cultural Fellow. In 2018, she donated scripts from 95 episodes of Taggart, along with photographs, awards and other memorabilia, to the University’s Archives Centre. The collection has since supported teaching and research.

The weekend also celebrated the legacy of former Chancellor Magnus Magnusson KBE, with a special Mastermind-inspired challenge paying tribute to the much-loved broadcaster and quizmaster, who served as the University’s Chancellor between 2002-2007.

The celebrations culminated in a family-friendly festival on Sunday, with live music, fashion showcases, food, exhibitions, competitions and interactive activities bringing the campus to life.

Visitors could explore a collection of 12 football shirts personally signed by Sir Alex Ferguson CBE, including a shirt from Manchester United’s 1999 Treble-winning Champions League season.

The shirts, donated by Glasgow Caledonian graduate and Entrepreneurial Ambassador Norrie Innes from the collection of his late brother Des Innes, founder of Football v Fashion, are being auctioned to raise funds for the University’s 150th Anniversary Campaign.

The campaign aims to establish 150 scholarships for students facing the greatest barriers to higher education, including care-experienced and estranged young people. The auction runs until Sunday 13 September and details on how to bid can be found here.

Visitors could also view Sir Alex: My Story in Objects, a display in the University’s Archives Centre celebrating Sir Alex’s life, career and longstanding relationship with Glasgow Caledonian, as well as browse and buy retro football shirts through Street Soccer Scotland’s Kitbag initiative.

The festival also provided an opportunity to showcase the work of students and academics, including displays from the University’s three academic schools.

Among those, Glasgow Caledonian Racing showcased the team’s Formula Student car after its best-ever finish at the international competition at Silverstone, where it placed in the top 20 and won a sustainability award. The student-led event gives aspiring engineers the opportunity to apply their academic knowledge to the design, development and testing of a single-seater racing car.

Visitors could also see the cyber-physical systems demonstration, featuring a working model of an automated railway level crossing. The testbed provides a realistic environment for students and researchers to explore cybersecurity risks to critical transport infrastructure and how such systems can be protected.

Jill Watt, Director of Advancement and Communications at the University, said: "Our 150th Anniversary Weekend was a wonderful celebration of the people, partnerships and community that have shaped Glasgow Caledonian over the last 150 years. Thank you to everyone who joined us, contributed to the programme and worked behind the scenes to make the weekend such a memorable success."