Glasgow memories: City kitty was star of the show at the People's Palace

Its glorious winter gardens, for one, built to give the people of the east end a glimpse of greenery and escape from the poor housing conditions.

Billy Connolly’s Big Banana Boots, for another, which resided there for a time.

But alongside the fascinating collection of objects and photographs, historic artifacts, paintings, prints and films which tell the story of the city’s social history from 1750 to the present day, there is another well-kent resident who some readers may remember from visits to the museum many moons ago.

Smudge the cat was employed by Glasgow City Council in 1979 to deal with a rodent problem at the People’s Palace, and she quickly became a favourite with visitors and staff alike.

1988 - Smudge the People's Palace cat helps celebrate the museum's 90th birthday. Pic: Herald and Times

So respected was she, that she even got her own Trade Union membership with the General, Municipal and Boilermakers’ Union who issued her with a member’s card.

(The National Association of Local Government Officers, Glasgow chapter, had turned her down. Perhaps they were not cat people.)

In 1986, well-known potter Marjery Clinton – whose work has been exhibited at the Tate, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Royal Museum of Scotland – made 50 limited edition ‘replicats’ of Smudge, which were so popular, she made 500 more.

Our photographers captured the moment, in the late 80s, when Smudge met some of the replicats – here at Times Past HQ, we are not entirely sure she was all that impressed.

People's Palace and Winter Gardens on Glasgow Green. Pic: Herald and Times

There was lots of Smudge merchandise, apparently – t-shirts, postcards, mugs and fridge magnets, to name a few examples – and her fame spread far and wide. Even the Washington Post covered her story and she made it into the book The Scottish Cat.

She was a mascot for many campaigns, such as the Save the Glasgow Vet School crusade and Hands Off Glasgow Green, and she became the first ever recorded ‘picket cat’ during the 1989 strike at Kelvingrove.

In 1990, when Glasgow was chosen as European City of Culture, she was proclaimed Kitty of Culture.

Smudge was on hand, too, in 1988, to celebrate the 90th birthday of the People’s Palace. A pamphlet once available inside the museum revealed the drama that had occured when Smudge went missing briefly.

The Lord Provost made an impassioned plea for her safe return, and when she did eventually appear, police took her back to the museum.

Billy Connolly's banana boots on show at the People's Palace, Glasgow.

She retired in 1991 and died in 2000.

A memorial plaque to ‘Sister Smudge’ sits on the wall of the Winter Gardens.

This year, 123 years to the day Lord Roseberry declared the People’s Palace open on January 22, 1898, supporters determined to protect the museum for future generations, held a socially distanced outdoor celebration.

Organised by Friends of People Palace Winter Gardens & Glasgow Green (FOPPWGGG) it included musical performances and cake.

In 2019 city authorities said residents would lead the refurbishment of the historic building.

READ MORE: The Glasgow piper who went down in history on D-Day

Described by Glasgow City Council as the “largest exercise in participatory democracy seen in the city”, the project is to see citizens consulted on every aspect of the building’s future - including the glasshouse structure - as part of a £750,000 project.

The Glasshouse was forced to close on in 2018 after a structural report raised concerns. A £350 million refit saw the People’s Palace Museum re-opened but the steel structure of the glasshouse is still in need of work.

*Do you remember Smudge the cat? What are your favourite memories of The People’s Palace and the Winter Gardens on Glasgow Green? Get in touch with Times Past to share your stories.