Exhibition gives snapshot of 1970s Maryhill

Richard Ward can still remember his dad George's response whenever a nearby building was set for demolition in Glasgow.

"If there was something to be demolished, he was always straight out to see it and take pictures," he recalled.

"He always had a camera and lots of cine film, so he would just go and see what he could get."

Now an exhibition showcasing some of the many images taken by George Ward in Maryhill in the 1970s is set to open.

George was 86 when he died in 2022, having lived his entire life in Maryhill.

When Richard began looking through the footage his father had collected, the idea of an exhibition was far from his mind.

But when he found that his dad had a coat of arms for Maryhill, Richard decided to tell the Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust group.

It "mushroomed from there", he said, after the trust learned about the amount of images, footage and assorted items that George Ward had collected.

They include various disused street signs rescued from the scrapheap.

Many of the images show buildings, shops and pubs that have long since disappeared.

"A lot of my dad's generation are no longer there, but the exhibition is bringing them back in a way," said Richard, 61.

"He was always one for telling us [Richard and his sisters] about the stories and the history of Maryhill, because he was a Maryhill man through and through."

For Richard and his family, it has also been an enjoyable experience to remember their father and his camera.

However, the most important thing for Richard is ensuring the memory of Maryhill as it was is kept burning brightly, the way his father hoped.

"I think my dad would be happy at this, but he never liked the limelight," he said.

"It was a hobby for him, but it was something that's fascinating too. I remember him saying to me once 'maybe someday somebody will be interested in this' and I think that day is here."

Melanie Farrow, of the Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust, said she hoped the exhibition "does George Ward and his memory proud".

The George Ward Collection runs at the Maryhill Burgh Halls until 11 May.