IT has often been said of the Grade-A Garnethill Synagogue, built in 1879-81, that it is the finest example of high Victorian synagogue architecture north of Liverpool. In September 1963 the building was re-consecrated by its minister, the Rev Dr I.K. Cosgrove, after an extensive redecoration. The service, attended by Lord Provost Peter Meldrum and other civic dignitaries, also included the dedication of memorial windows to former members of the congregation.

At a reception in the McLellan Galleries, Sir Myer Galpern, MP for Shettleston and a former Lord Provost, said the city had a “wonderful new story to tell of tremendous development” and that the appointment of a press and publicity officer would help spread the word about its cultural, economic and industrial attractions.

Mr Meldrum said he was not in favour of this, as officers in council departments “had not been unsuccessful” in spreading the word. He would like to change much of the city’s image, but it could not, he accepted, be done overnight.

A press and publicity officer, he added, would not make that any easier to accomplish.