Lord Provost Helen Wright
Helen Wright- Back to the '60s

Helen helped promote the "Back to the 60's" exhibition in Dundee in 1993 - as young woman in the 1960's it was back to earlier days for her personally too and she even dressed for the part!

Press article about the occasion

Helen in the 1960's ... and beyond

Helen was born and raised in Clackmannanshire, started work at the age of 16 and became a cashier with the Co-op. Helen moved to a new job at Renfrew Airport in the early 1960s.

Renfrew Airport 1960's

Helen's work at the old Renfrew Airport in the 1960's in her early days included meeting and greeting visiting VIP's and staying with them whilst they waited for connecting flights.

The young 1960's Helen spent time with many well-known names including The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Dolly Parton, Dusty Springfield, Pat Boone, Sandie Shaw, Petula Clark, The Swinging Blue Jeans, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Herman's Hermits, Simon and Garfunkel and many more. Interesting insights and amusing stories will be told in a later publication such as the time a Rolling Stone found himself rolling all the way down a staircase after Helen sent him flying before his flight arrived for alarming her when he made a very unexpected approach behind her! Initially concerned about the consequences, Helen was put at ease by other band members who said he was often a bit of a nuisance and known for his outrageous antics and thought it was good that a women had at last put him in his place! He picked himself up at the bottom of the staircase as if nothing had happened. This sort of behaviour would never be tolerated today but the 1960's was a different time.

Helen however never thought this behaviour, though meant in fun on this occasion, was acceptable behaviour and it was this sort of experience, outlook, belief and determination - that actually started with her grandmother's example and influence - that shaped her approach and her activity in the years that followed: in the women's movement; her work for equality in the Labour Party and the Trade Unions; her time as a prison visitor at a women's prison; as a convener of social work often dealing with women's issues; in her involvement with women's aid and refuges; as a magistrate during her 18 years on the bench at Dundee District Court where she took a different approach towards women offenders; and later in 2019 when she actively supported the creation of a new unit in her ward for women offenders (despite local opposition, Helen, fully understanding the importance of the unit, departed from London very early one morning and returned to Dundee in time to cast her vote that evening to ensure it would be built). These early events also helped give Helen the experience and ability to see through the outrageous and brutal attacks on her as the city's first female lord provost. These stories and more will be published with full details soon.

Helen's position at Renfrew Airport in the 1960's meant she was the last person to close the books for her department at Renfrew in May 1966 and open the new books for the new Glasgow Airport located about a mile away.

For those interested in the history of Renfrew Airport, Helen still has some of the badges she wore on her smart airline uniform.

After the 60's

Coming from a family involved in the Labour and Cooperative movement, representing fellow workers seemed a natural, and the right, thing to do. In the 1970's Helen worked in the engineering and oil sector and became a national official of her engineering trade union.

In 1980, Helen took her first step into local government, becoming the only female member of the 25-member Labour administration on Dundee’s District Council when she was elected as councillor for the Fairmuir ward. During this time, in addition to her employment, running a business and other work, Helen was married, brought up a family, and has always enjoyed spending time with her family that has now expanded to include grandchildren.

Helen's early experience in airport hospitality and catering stood her in good stead when she opened her own retail outlets and restaurant in Dundee City Centre some years later.

As Helen's roles changed, her badges also changed! This is a badge Helen designed for her trade union women's committee to promote one of their campaigns. Helen was UK national chair of the AUEW-TASS National Women's Sub Committee (NWSC) 1977-1981.

Much more will be said about Helen's time in the 1960's and beyond in a later publication.

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