Career

February 1997-Present Day

Director and Founder of Britannia Panopticon Music Hall campaign and the charitable trust, The Friends of Britannia Panopticon, that operates it. I established the campaign in 1997 to raise awareness to the plight of the world’s oldest surviving music hall, ensure its future and interpret the history and archaeology of this incredible relic of the Victorian era.

In order bring Britannia Panopticon to life, I have been responsible for reopening the music hall for events and shows. Over the years I have worn many hats and utilised many of my skills to:

• Complete and submit funding applications
• Produce over 200 shows
• Provide talks and after dinner speeches to over 300 groups including Church Guilds, Rotary, Soroptimists, Walking Groups, U3A and professional organisations such as the Bank of Scotland.
• Provide guided tours, for schools, group visits and individuals
• Create and deliver education plans
• Organise weddings and private parties
• Write 2 books about the music hall; published by Birlinn
• Create and distribute most of the publicity from Press Releases to social media across several platforms including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.
• Engage and manage a core team of staff and volunteers.

Although the Britannia Panopticon Music Hall has been my main occupation for 26 years, it has generally been on a part time basis and therefore I have had other work over the years including:

March 2019 – December 2019

Executive tour guide for Canadian company, Tours by Locals. I planned and delivered seven executive, bespoke tours for their customers visiting Scotland. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic prevented me from continuing with Tours by Locals.  

Summer 2002 – 2007

Researched and developed a history pack for Colin Beattie when he was developing Oran-Mor and in 2004 I became a part-time history officer for the building during which time I collected an archive of material including an oral collection from previous parishioners of the former Kelvinside Parish Church.

March 2003 – October 2003

I developed an Education Plan and Audience Development Plan for the Trades Hall of Glasgow to support the new museum that was created in the school room. I also co-produced and managed a Civic event to launch the new museum.

April 1^st 2000 – October 31^st 2000

Museum assistant at Fossil Grove for Glasgow Culture and Leisure Services (now Glasgow Life). This was just a seasonal six-month contract. My duties were to look after the fossils and displays, help develop new ways in which to engage young people with the history of Fossil Grove, and generally greet and inform visitors.

1996 – 2016

Part-time tour guide with City Sight Seeing (formerly Scotguide Tours and Services) seasonally from March – November. This job involved tours around Glasgow on open top buses and also step-on coach work across Scotland. I also developed and delivered special tours for the company including the Halloween tour and The Love Bus which celebrated St Valentines remains in Glasgow.

1991 – 2005

In 1991 I founded the Spirit of Glasgow tour company which originally offered a walking tour (complete with costumes and a touch of the dramatic) of the famous Glasgow Victorian Square Mile of Murder. By 1993 I had established The Ghost Tour, Afternoon Tea Tour, and Historic Pub Tour. My aim is always to engage visitors and locals with Glasgow history and architecture in a fun and informative way.  The Spirit of Glasgow still exists and is now operated by Caroline Gallagher.

1985-1989

Free-lance Field Archaeologist on various excavations and field surveys across Dorset, Hampshire, and Scotland. Including a Roman graveyard in Dorchester, the medieval Bargate in Southampton, a Roman fort (Elginhaugh) outside of Edinburgh, and a Viking settlement on Westray in the Orkney Islands.

Additional

I have also had an ongoing relationship with the Barras and Barrowlands Ballroom (Maggie McIver Ltd.) since 1997 assisting with the market and history of both the market and the ballroom.

Since 1998 I have also provided at least one annual lecture for the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (formerly the RSAMD) on the history of popular entertainments and the development of music hall and cinema.

 

Broadcast Experience:

Glasgow & Scottish History Presenter

Company: STV 2 & STV

Programme: People’s History Show

Date: Jun 2014 – November 2017

Since the very first day of broadcasting, I was a regular history correspondent for STV 2 on the Riverside Show (latterly known as Live at 5), and on the People's History Show. I researched, wrote and presented three-minute, pre-recorded pieces on the more obscure, bizarre and macabre side of Glasgow and Scotland's past. My last piece for the People’s History Show was a full 23-minute episode on four revolutionary Scottish women and is available to view on request.

Contributor

Company: BBC Two Scotland

Programme: Collins Variety Agency

Date: 29^th May 2018

 

Contributor

Company: BBC Two

Programme: Shop Girls; Life Behind the Counter

Date: 2014

 

Contributor

Company: Sky Atlantic

Programme: Urban Secrets with Alan Cumming

Date: August 2012

 

Contributor

Company: BBC Four

Programme: The Story of the Music Hall with Michael Grade

Date: 25^th October 2011

 

Contributor

Company: BBC Two

Programme: Restoration 

Date: August 2003

 

Contributor and presenter

Company: STV

Programme: Arteries - Laugh I Nearly Died- The Story of the Britannia Music Hall

Date: 1998

 

Presenter, Researcher, writer

Company: STV

Programme: Skoosh x 6 episodes

Date:  1997

 

Over the last 23 years I have also been a regular contributor on live news features on Television and Radio, including Scottish Women (Extroverts), STV circa 1996 & The Kaye Adams Show on Radio Scotland, 2014 - 2016.

Publications

Titles written and researched by myself:

 

The Magic Lantern Trilogy– my first historic novels a time travelling adventure series. Books 1 and 2 are now available, book 3 will be out in February 2027 (published by Jasami Publishing & Productions CIC)

Glasgow’s Lost Theatre – with Foreword by Michael Grade (book published by Birlinn)

Stan Laurel and Other Stars (book published by Birlinn)

Obscure History (pamphlet printed by Glasgow City Council)

The Best of Edinburgh and Glasgow (travel/shopping guide published by Absolute Press)

Sir Percival, 42 and the Dragon from Mars (self published children's book written by yours truly and illustrated by the wonderful Becca McCall.

Papers:

Publication name: Capturing the Essence of Performance (SIBMAS 2008) – paper title: Intangible Britannia

Publication name: The Old Glasgow Club Centennial Book (Old Glasgow Club 1999) – paper title: Life in Old Ghosts

Additional:  In addition to the aforementioned publications, I also wrote the historical text for the wall on the ground floor of the City Halls.

Dresser Experience

Crowd dresser for film, Outpost 3: Rise of The Spetsnaz (May 2012)

Dresser to Janette Tough, AKA Jimmy Krankie, at the Armadillo for the following Pantomimes: Jack and the Beanstalk (Dec 2012/Jan 2013), Dick McWhittington (Dec 2013/Jan 2014), Cinderella (2014/15)

Dresser on War Horse at the Clyde Auditorium, 10^th January – 2^nd February 2019.

Crowd dresser for Dog Squad (Hello Halo Kids for Cbeebies April 2024)

 

 Recommendations

Beverley Morrison, Producer and Writer

Judith is one of the most charismatic and inspiring people I have worked with. She is a gifted public speaker, story-teller and presenter with a deep and fascinating knowledge of Glasgow and theatre history in particular.

She skilfully researched and presented a number of projects which I produced - including a documentary on the history of the Britannia Panopticon and segment for the children's series Skoosh, called Scary Scotland. I always found her to be hard working and professional as well as an engaging and entertaining interviewee and presenter.

Her work with the Britannia Panopticon Music Hall over the years is quite astounding and there is no doubt the theatre would not exist today were it not for her dedication.

Judith is a talented individual and I would have no hesitation in recommending her or working with her in future.

 

Matthew Hill - customer

Judith is absolutely brilliant - a real character, passionate about what she does and delivers brilliant results. My wife & I wanted to hold our wedding at a unique, truly Glaswegian Venue - The Britannia Panopticon was our dream venue. Despite the fact it was the venues first ever wedding, Judith ensured the day exceeded all our expectations. In addition to working to our somewhat loose brief she arranged a few extra surprises which truly added to the ceremony. Our guests were equally delighted with the experience. I'd also extend the same recommendation to the Panopticon's team of volunteers who Judith worked with. The joy and magic all of them added to the day will be treasured always. If you get the opportunity, do visit and support the Panopticon - it's a brilliant unique space. Judith will keep the ghosts under control!