For further reading, visit the Women Make History pages at the website address below. For more insight into women’s history contact Glasgow Women’s Library to find out when our two hour guided bike ride of the East End and guided walks in other areas of Glasgow take place. You can also download our maps and audio tours from our website.

About Glasgow Women’s Library Glasgow Women’s Library is no ordinary library. It is the only Accredited Museum dedicated to women’s history in the UK, and also a designated Recognised Collection of National Significance. A place for browsing, borrowing and being inspired, GWL is welcoming, free and open to all, with programmes of events and activities that offer something for everyone: from film screenings to literacy support; from talks to supported volunteering opportunities; and from exhibitions to workshops.

About Women Make History Women Make History is GWL’s women’s history project. Volunteers research and deliver pioneering Women’s Heritage Walking tours in Glasgow and produce related maps and audio tours. Other activities include talks, workshops, recording the histories of living heroines, exhibition curation, tour guiding, training and ongoing women’s history detective work. For more details contact GWL.

How to get involved Glasgow’s women’s history is still largely hidden from the general public. There are many ways to get involved to address this. Why not join our women’s history detective or tour guide teams? You may have information you think could be added to this tour or suggestions of how it could be improved. If so, we want to hear from you. You can also support GWL by becoming a Friend. This is an invaluable way of ensuring that our work is sustainable for future generations. Visit friends.womenslibrary.org.uk to become a Friend.

Contact us To find out more about GWL, Women Make History, our guided tour dates and maps and audio tours of other routes please visit our website: www.womenslibrary.org.uk, or email us at [email protected]

This trail was developed by the Glasgow Women’s Library ‘GWL Heritage Bike Ride’ group. Thanks to Heather Middleton, Neil Johnson-Symington, Heather Robertson and Sheila Hanlon for sharing their research and expertise. Edited by Elena Trimarchi. Designed by Kirsty McBride. © GWL 2019. EAST END Glasgow Women’s Library, 23 Landressy Street, Bridgeton, Glasgow G40 1BP, 0141 550 2267 [email protected] womenslibrary.org.uk @womenslibrary

Registered Company No: 178507 Glasgow Women’s Library is a Scottish Charity SC029881, regulated by the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) WOMEN’S HERITAGE BIKE RIDE path along London Auckland Games in 1990. Despite “Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. Road. Stop opposite this absence in public sporting the Police Station, events women have been racing I think it has done more to emancipate at Kirkpatrick Street, for over a century. In the late 19th and look north to century velodromes were built in women than anything else in the world. a derelict red brick many major cities across Europe, building beyond and women’s racing was a popular It gives women a feeling of freedom the Police Station. spectator sport. This popularity This building was refl ected the Victorian thirst for and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice the premises for novel experiences, and was mirrored the Howe Machine in women’s higher earnings than every time I see a woman ride by on a Co. (2). The their male counterparts. In the 20th American company century there were many successful wheel... the picture of free, untrammelled was well known for Scottish women riders, including its production of Rebecca Mason from Maryhill and womanhood.” Susan B. Anthony, sewing machines, Howe advertising poster, © National Marguerite Wilson in the 1930s. but turned to the Museums Scotland. Marguerite was not Glasgow born 1820 – 1906 – abolitionist and leader of manufacture of bicycles in the 1880s. but she sourced her record holding ‘Flying Tricycles were an important part of their Scot’ bicycle from the renowned Rattray’s the American women’s suffrage movement. production and were popular with lady Cycle Shop in the Townhead area of the cyclists as social norm required women to city. Marguerite was known in the late 1930s wear tight corsets and long dresses which as the “greatest girl rider in cycling history” This ride will take you from Glasgow essentially precluded them from riding high becoming the holder of all 16 Women’s Women’s Library, east to the Velodrome, bicycles such as the Penny Farthing. These Road Records Association’s bicycle records. then south to the river Clyde and west, high bicycles eventually lost popularity and following the riverside walkway through gave way to the Safety Bicycle and Glasgow Green and towards the city centre. the start of a revolution in women’s The stops along the way illustrate some dress. Indeed the chain mechanism key events in women’s history and the role on the modern Safety Bicycle was cycling has played in these. dangerous for female cyclists wearing long skirts, so women began to adopt Begin at the Glasgow Women’s Library divided skirts and bloomers, paving (GWL) (1). The library, founded in 1991, the future of women’s fashion. relocated to these premises on Landressy Street in 2013 and carried out extensive Heading east along London Road renovations to their new home, a Carnegie you will reach the next stop at the Library built in 1906. GWL is the only Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome (3). It Accredited Museum in the UK dedicated to is here that the track-cycling and women’s lives, histories and achievements, para-track events took place during Aileen McGlynn and Louise Haston, © Glasgow Life. with a lending library, archive collections the XX Commonwealth Games in 2014. and innovative programmes of public Scotland’s para-cyclist Aileen McGlynn and Head south along the Clyde Gateway for events & learning opportunities. The library her pilot Louise Haston won silver in both 1 km. When you reach Dalmarnock Rail holds books by intrepid female touring the Women’s Tandem Time Trial and the Station, cut through the green space, going cyclists such as Dervla Murphy, Anne Tandem Women’s 1km Sprint. Their tandem south, to reach the crossroads of French Mustoe and Josie Dew as well as books bike is on display at the Riverside Museum, Street and Carstairs Street. Going south about the history of women’s cycling. The following a partnership between Glasgow to the Clyde River you will cycle through library also has its very own team of cycle Museums and the athletes in 2014. Dalmarnock, passing through the area couriers called the PaperGrrls. known as the Glasgow’s Showman Quarter. Front Cover: Woman on a tricycle, Women’s cycling is now a prominent sport When you reach the riverside pause for a possible Perthshire, 1880s © National Museums Scotland. A selection of From GWL make your way to Bridgeton within the Commonwealth (and Olympic) while to admire the Shawfi eld Bridge (4) cycling books from GWL. train station, where you can join the cycle Games but it was not included until the and the former Strathclyde Public School 7 Clyde St Gallowgate

Saltmarket

London Rd Crownpoint Rd

Fordneuk St

Fielden St

2 Gorbals St Ballater St Arcadia St 5 1 London Rd

James St Dalmarnock Rd 3

Dunn St King’s Dr

Glasgow Main St Green

M74 Motorway Clyde Gateway

The bike ride is approximately 6 km long along cycle paths and share-use paths and it takes between an hour and an hour and a half. You can do the ride in either direction and there are Dalmarnock Rd Next Bike hire stations near stop 1 and halfway between stops 6 and 7. You can also bring your Carstairs St bike on the train to Bridgeton train station (please note however that this station does not 4 have a lift) or to Argyle Street train station. designed by John participate in cycling activities. They offer bicycle. Janet Margaret and her husband Bobby set off MacKissack in 1903. a range of adapted bikes, trikes and go-karts, was arrested on a Peace Pilgrimage, cycling from Iona to Glasgow’s Showman and organise led group rides which are cycling away Canterbury. They made several stops along Quarter, part of a open to all. As early as the 1900s, cycling from the crime the way to hand out leaflets and to speak to former industrial groups gave young women a chance to scene, but her residents about their campaign to change estate, has been socialise and gain freedom away from the accomplice public and political perception about home to the city’s home. The 1930s also saw the revival of the escaped on nuclear weapons. There are newspaper largest travelling socialist Clarion Cycling Club, which sought foot, leaving accounts of the two cycling on a tandem community since to promote freedom and class equality only her bicycle, for a period of 6 weeks. Margaret’s the 1850s – through cycling. Mixed and women cycling bicycle behind efforts, along with her husband’s, were fairground workers clubs have recently seen a revival and the for the police instrumental in changing public attitudes who have made Belles on Bikes, a cycling group set up in to find. to nuclear weapons and in alerting people, Glasgow their 2011 for women in and around Glasgow, on an international scale, to their danger. home. A show organise rides and women-only bike Heading A year later, in 1982, they went onto ‘Annie Oakley Rides the woman and cyclist maintenance sessions. There are rides for west we establish the Faslane Peace Camp which Sterling Bicycle.’ Sterling from further afield all abilities and whether you want to leave Glasgow continues to this day. Bicycle co. advertisement. with connections commute confidently by bike or (re) learn Green and Suffragette postcard. GWL collection. with Glasgow’s East End was Annie how to take off on two wheels, this group cross the road Having reached the end of the route, let us Oakley (1860–1926). She visited Glasgow is a great way to meet other cyclists and at the Albert Bridge passing the Briggait reflect on the role that bicycles and cycling with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show from discover new cycling routes. (Glasgow’s old fish market) on the right. have had on women’s history. A symbol November 1891 to February 1892 and was Join the Clydeside cycle path and continue of freedom and possibilities, the bicycle one of the show’s main acts. Annie was Continue west for a short distance through on to Customs House Quay, continues to inspire one of the first women to earn superstar Glasgow Green until you reach Nelson’s located just before Glasgow women to explore status as entertainer and sharpshooter, Monument (6), once an important meeting Bridge. Here you will reach the their environment and to be hired by a Wild West outfit in a point for suffragette rallies. The bicycle was final stop atLa Pasionaria (7), and their role role traditionally held by men. She ordered instrumental in the campaign for women’s or the Passion Flower, one of within it. We hope her first bicycle in Glasgow and it was here suffrage, making it easier to advertise rallies only a handful of statues that you have that she learned to ride her bike, practising and distribute leaflets. The Women’s Social representing real women from enjoyed the ride incorporating her wheel into many of her and Political Union (WSPU) had a dedicated history in Glasgow. The statue is and that you feel shooting acts. She wasn’t able to perform team of Cycling Scouts whose role was to of Dolores Ibarruri (1895–1989), inspired to discover atop her bicycle in Glasgow but went on spread the word beyond urban areas. And a Spanish communist who more about to do so upon her return to the United for suffragettes involved in militant arson became a symbol of Republican women’s cycling States, shooting clay pigeons whilst riding and vandalism attacks, bicycles could resistance during the Spanish history and follow and earning the nickname “Little Cycling facilitate quick getaways. But not always… Civil War. The Republicans, who in the trail of these Sure Shot”. One account tells of two suffragettes, Janet were fighting in Spain against women cyclists. Parker and an accomplice, who set out Franco’s regime, received support Continue west along down the river, by bicycle in an attempt to destroy Burns’ from the people of Glasgow and entering Glasgow Green. Once passed Cottage, the birthplace of the poet Robert this memorial erected in 1977 under the Kings Bridge which Burns in Alloway, in the name of women’s commemorates the 65 Scots La Pasionaria Credit Martin Emes, Creative Commons. links the Gorbals and suffrage. The who died in the conflict. ‘Cyclists against the bomb’ badge. GWL collection. Bridgeton, cycle up the pair rode to the incline to reach the cycle isolated cottage While there is no evidence that training centre Free Wheel under cover Dolores ever cycled, cycling has North (5) with its outdoor of night and been a mode of transport for cycle track and colourful attempted to women activists since the time of shipping containers. This set the building the suffragettes. A woman whose charitable organisation alight. When the bicycle was central to her activism promotes physical and plot failed and was Margaret Harrison (1918–2015), mental health, providing the authorities a campaigner against nuclear opportunities for people arrived the pair weapons and one of the founders ‘Belles on Bikes’, reproduced with permission of the with additional needs to Belles on Bikes. took flight by of the Faslane Peace Camp. In 1981