BAILIE Constance Methven, who died this week aged 86, was a life-long lover of Glasgow and its people.
Born in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, she was the daughter of a postman who had served as a colour sergeant in the Boer War and of a noted seamstress who had overcome a childhood disability to bring up a family of eight children, all of whom succeeded.
From them Connie inherited her fire and drive and also her sense of style. From her early experience of life she learned to face difficulty and injustice and as a girl of 20 she led a successful strike of mill workers. Her commitment brought her into the Labour Party, and the experience of moving to Drumchapel with her own young family induced her to campaign for the basic facilities which had been omitted from that scheme as first built.
Elected as a councillor for Drumchapel she served continuously from 1958 to 1977 and her ability and energy led to service on committees on highways, health and welfare, children's welfare, education, social work, and police.
She was convener of the water committee from 1964 to 1967 and of civic amenities from 1971 to 1976, and bailie and Deputy Lord Provost from 1975 to 1977.
She was a founder member of the Glasgow sports promotion group. She threw herself into the work of all committees on which she served but her greatest affection was for the museums and art galleries committee where she gave a crucial impetus to the definitive housing of the Burrell Collection.
Her plan to invite the Olympics to Glasgow was not supported and was widely ridiculed at the time but, with hindsight, this can be seen as an idea ahead of its time by a visionary supporter of Glasgow.
Apart from her public side her greatest loves were her own family and her husband Jack, a great supporter and helpmate. The tragic death of her son Johnnie in a climbing accident in 1963 never faded, but she took huge pride and pleasure in the success of her three daughters and all her grandchildren.
Donald Dewar, the Secretary of State for Scotland, said of Mrs Methven yesterday: ''Connie was a very caring, effective councillor, always ready to take up the cudgels for anyone looking for help. She was a great Glasgow patriot, proud of her city, and in a sense invented the ''big project'' approach to the selling of the city. She was fun and full of character.''
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