A nice neighbourly natter with a former college nursing lecturer led to a very notable nostalgic discovery to add to the history of Forth Valley College recently.
Maureen Duff from Falkirk – a Florence Nightingale Scholarship Award winner and Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland - contacted FVC Principal Professor Ken Thomson, to see if he would be interested in hearing of some social history that was both personal to her and of some important interest to the College, and Ken happily agreed to invite her in for a coffee.
During the conversation, retired Maureen explained how in the early 90s (1990-92) she had taught Access to Nursing and Health Studies at the old Falkirk College of Technology. She then moved to the then named Forth Valley College of Nursing from 1992-96 which was situated at the old Falkirk Royal Hospital – a full 15 years before Forth Valley College as it is now, had come into being with the merger of Falkirk College of Technology and Clackmannanshire College.
She then revealed that she continued to teach Pre-Graduate Nursing before it was incorporated into the University of Stirling curriculum at degree level.
Maureen, also disclosed more personal information relating to her late husband Roy who passed away two years ago, as he had also attended the old Falkirk College of Technology as a student, graduating in 1973 after completing an Apprenticeship as a Motor mechanic.
Memories came flooding back to her recently when in the middle of moving home she uncovered his old Falkirk College scarf – given to him when he started the College in 1969 - and she felt that the most appropriate thing she could do was donate it to Forth Valley College as an important part of the social history of the organisation.
Maureen, said: “When I came across the scarf, I felt that it might be interesting for people to know that the original Falkirk College had a scarf with its own colours, as when I worked at Falkirk College, no one seemed to know of its existence. My husband was very proud of his scarf and his association with the College, so I decided to speak with the Principal and see if he would be interested in having it to add to the College archives.
“He was very happy to meet with me and discuss the scarf, as he was also unaware that the College had a scarf, so after a delightful chat and a journey down memory lane, I presented him with the scarf. I am very happy it is being preserved for posterity, and I am sure my husband would have been be too. I am very grateful to Professor Thomson for his interest and for the delightful chat we had.”
Ken said: “I was delighted to welcome Maureen in to the College and spend time with her to hear about her fascinating lecturing and teaching background and that of her husband who had sadly passed away recently. I was honoured to accept his old Falkirk College scarf and we will hold it dear as part of the history of further education in this area. I was particularly intrigued by Maureen saying she taught at Forth Valley College of Nursing a full 15 years before Forth Valley College became the new name of our College.
“I am so grateful she contacted me and came in to share this wonderful social history and nostalgia. We hope to get some photographs taken of the scarf and include them in a time capsule which we hope to bury in the Falkirk Campus grounds when we officially open the new facility – which was postponed due to the pandemic – in the months to come.”