Growing up in Stirling: A Night of Reminiscence at The Smith

Son of a Miner was on display from Wednesday 14th June - Sun 20th August at The Smith. It brought together photographs taken by David Malcomson depicting life in 1960s and 70s Stirling and London. David was born and brought up in Stirling, the son of a miner in St. Ninians, and became interested in photography in his late teens. He attended the London Film School, working in a top Bond Street photography shop and freelancing in film and photography. When he retired, David studied classics and the history of architecture at the University of Newcastle, and the subject of his dissertation was Stirling’s very own architect John Allan. Amongst his possessions was a John Allan Heritage Trail produced by Stirling City Heritage Trust.

It was a dream of David’s to have an exhibition of his photographs in The Smith. Sadly, David passed away in 2022, but The Smith’s Exhibitions & Events Officer worked with his partner Colin and his nephew, also called David Malcolmson, to make his dream a reality.

The reception of the exhibition was incredibly positive, sparking childhood memories for many, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to host a Reminiscence event. Reminiscence Therapy involves discussing events and experiences from the past, and aims to evoke memories, stimulate mental activity and improve a person's wellbeing. Research has shown that Reminiscence Therapy can help older people with depression to focus on positive aspects of their past, encouraging positive thoughts. It is particularly useful for people living with dementia, as they often have a better memory for the distant past than they do for recent events.

We asked attendees to grab a cup of something warm and a biscuit, and then sit down and have a blether with people they didn’t know. We provided prompt questions like, ‘What did you get up to during the school summer holidays?’ to get the conversation flowing. We had some great conversations about past Stirling businesses, like Green’s, the posh hairdressers, and we also discussed what to do with all those family photos many of us have stored away in boxes. If you have photographs of Stirling in the 1960s, 70s or 80s you think should be preserved, you can contact Stirling Archives and The Smith and enquire about donating them to their collections.

We had a lovely night, and we were thrilled that some of David’s family members were able to attend, as well as some familiar faces from his photographs.

Thank you to The Smith for inviting us along to co-host this event. Here at Stirling City Heritage Trust we are currently working on another project with reminiscence at its heart, so watch this space for more information in the coming months.