HUNDREDS of people lined the streets surrounding Glasgow Cathedral on May 3, 1978. The cathedral itself was filled with what would later by described, by Ron Ferguson, as “row upon row of sombre faces, straight out of a Who’s Who of Scottish political and ecclesiastical life”, the quietness “broken by a housewife wheeling her baby through the church in a push-chair”.

This was the memorial service for the Rev Geoff Shaw, convener of Strathclyde Region, who had died the previous week, aged 51. His vice-convener, Charles Gray, paid tribute to his “crusader-like zeal” in fighting for the deprived, the disadvantaged, the sick, elderly, persecuted, the disabled, and the lost; he had commanded respect for his fair play, compassion and integrity.

There had been a huge outpouring of grief when news emerged of Mr Shaw’s death. Prime Minister James Callaghan said: “He was a friend whom I admired for his breadth of vision, his desire to serve his fellow man, and his staunch principles. Scotland has lost one of her foremost sons.”

The Glasgow Herald said that Mr Shaw, who had died after suffering a second heart attack within seven weeks, had disregarded repeated pleas from colleagues to lighten his impossibly heavy load, having insisted on carrying on as convener of Scotland’s largest council and as chairman of its policy and resources committee.

“An ordained minister who devoted himself to community and social work rather than hold a charge,” the paper continued, “Geoff Shaw had combined political ambition with a personal reserve which was typified by his refusal of a knighthood in the last New Year’s honours list”.

The Herald’s Regional Correspondent, Claude Thomson, who had known him since both were young post-war servicemen in Malta, said the extent to which Mr Shaw would be missed could not be calculated. It would, he added, certainly be immense.

A year later, Ron Ferguson published Geoff, his biography of Mr Shaw, from which the Cathedral quote above was taken.

** Continues tomorrow.

Read more: Herald Diary