A CHARITY champion with a heart of gold and one of Britain’s most famous actors of the 60s and 70s are in the running to be named Greatest Glaswegian by Evening Times readers.
Beatrice Clugston, daughter of a wealthy Glasgow businessman, cared deeply about the health and wellbeing of poorer patients in the city’s hospitals.
In 1863, she founded the Dorcas Society of Glasgow Royal Infirmary, providing warm clothing for impoverished patients and organising visitors for those who had none. It also provided patients with small amounts of money to help them once they had been discharged, helping them to buy clothes and food.
Beatrice also visited inmates in prisons, and raised funds to establish the Glasgow Convalescent Home in Bothwell, the first institution of its kind in the west of Scotland.
She went on to found a second home in Dunoon, which was at the time the biggest in the country; and set up the Broomhill Homes for Incurables in Kirkintilloch in 1876.
Gordon Jackson was born on December 19, 1923, in Glasgow, where his father taught painting. He started acting in childhood, but chose to work for Rolls-Royce when he left school.
Read more: Sharleen Spiteri and Sanjeev Kohli in running to be Greatest Glaswegian
The lure of the silver screen tempted him back and he became one of the country’s most prolific actors, with roles in the film Millions Like Us in 1943, Floodtide in 1949 and The Great Escape in 1963 and on stage in repertory theatre around the country.
In a career spanning more than 50 years, he will probably be best known for his much-loved roles in Upstairs, Downstairs and The Professionals.
In the former, he played the butler, Hudson - the series lasted five years and aired in dozens of countries worldwide – and in the latter, he played Cowley, the head of a tough government agency called Criminal Intelligence.
In 1974 he was awarded British Actor of the Year and in 1975, received a Supporting Actor Emmy for Upstairs Downstairs.
In 1979 he was awarded OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) for his services to drama.
Could Beatrice or Gordon make it to the top of your Greatest Glaswegian list?
Read more: Activists Eunice Murray and Mary Mcarthur in running for Greatest Glaswegian
Over the summer we are revealing the names of 100 men and women who have put the city on the map through sport, science, politics, the arts and more. Most were born here, some moved here to work or study and have since made the city their own, opening the eyes of others around the world to its strengths and successes; and others have made such an impact on Glasgow that, despite having been born elsewhere, they are inextricably linked with the city, its people, culture and ideals. Once all 100 have been announced, we will be opening our list up to a public vote.
Find out who else is in the running at eveningtimes.co.uk Two more contenders will be revealed tomorrow.
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