Tribute to Dr. Elspeth King

We are all deeply saddened to hear about the sudden death of Elspeth King. Elspeth was a founding member of the Friends Group who served as our Chair for many years.

She was a tireless campaigner for the People’s Palace and fought relentlessly to keep it opened when it was threatened with closure and also to see the Winter Gardens restored. Elspeth was always there, fighting to protect the People’s Palace’s integrity as the political and social history museum for Glasgow. Out in all weathers – rain, hail or shine, Elspeth was always there ensuring the People’s Palace stayed true to its purpose as a home for the city’s social and political history.

Her passion for the People’s Palace was unquestionable and as curator  from 1974 to 1990, Elspeth transformed it into a museum  of the people, often challenging authority to make sure that the city’s working class stories were told – reflecting the political and social history of the people of Glasgow.  Under her curatorship the People’s Palace won Museum of the Year in 1981 and British Museum of the year in 1983. Her support never waned and in her retirement Elspeth applied to the World Monument Fund in2022 to have Glasgow’s People’s Palace recognised as a World heritage Monument.

After leaving the People’s Palace in 1990 she became Director of the Abbot House Museum in Dunfermline, and latterly the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum for 24 years – receiving an honorary doctorate from the University of Stirling for her contribution to Scottish museums and her promotion of the nation’s history and culture.

Elspeth’s contribution to the Friends group was immense and her knowledge of Glasgow’s cultural heritage second to none. A historian of renown, her talks were inspirational – we always got more supporters after these events. She will be greatly missed by the Friends group and by all the people and organisations she championed.

Our heartfelt thoughts are with Michael and her many friends at this sad time. We will continue her fight for the People’s Palace and Winter Gardens, honouring her memory when its doors open once again in new splendour.

Elspeth with Smudge The Cat, the People’s Palace mouser

Elspeth at one of many demos to keep the People’s Palace & Winter Gardens open.

The People’s Palace closed its doors on Sunday 14th April 2024. It closed for refurbishment and is due to re-open in 2027. The refurbishment will also include the Winter Gardens which has been closed since December 2018 and all plants in it completely destroyed.

The first stage of funding. £850,000 has been provided by the National Heritage Lottery Fund.  We understand that all the artifacts from the People’s Palace will be removed and put into storage.  Once this has been completed Glasgow Life will assess the full restoration costs estimated at £35.9million.

 Glasgow Life has stated that they will follow a “community centred approach” and that local people will shape all aspects of the refurbishment of the People’s Palace, including collecting, interpretation, and programming.  They state ” The revitalised People’s Palace and Winter gardens will be a place by people,  for people, with people. Therefore we hope to work closely with Glasgow Life, Glasgow City Council and other stakeholders involved  over the coming months  in the restoration plans of this important civic resource which tells the story of the social history of our city. We will keep you updated with developments. So far we are still to meet with Glasgow Life.

In August we supported plans developed by Glasgow Life, the arms-length organisation running culture and leisure, brought before Glasgow City Council’s Administrative Committee to “restore, reimagine and enhance”” the People Palace and the Winter Gardens.  The cost of this proposal is £35.9 million and not all this funding has been identified yet.  An initial bid of £7.5million has been made to the National heritage Lottery We should hear soon . late December, if this bid has been successful. A further £11m contribution would come from the Council, which intends to identify funding “through capital planning across budgets from 2025/26 onwards. While Glasgow Life would endeavour to secure £12m from “other public sector funders”. 

If funding bids are successful, initial work would begin early next year and the whole scheme is expected to be completed by autumn 2027.

Full committee report can be fund here:

Glasgow City Council City Administration Committee Report by Bailie Annette Christie, City Convener for Culture, Sport and International Relations PEOPLE’S PALACE & WINTER GARDENS REFURBISHMENT 17th August 2023   Glasgow City Council