Stirling’s best bits

The funny, surprising and downright cool stories from Stirling Uni’s history

10 years ago

So we pretty comprehensively covered that 2013 was a bit of a bust for the institution of Stirling University. But it hasn’t always been like that!

In addition to the regular stuff like good graduate employment rates, being Scottish University of the Year (2009/10) and other accolades, Stirling’s students also know how to have fun.

The uni has only been around since 1967, but that’s been plenty of time to fit in some cool, funny and surprising moments. First up is that time when a political protest turned into a bit of a piss-up…

Boos and booze with the Queen

PHOTO: The Guardian/PA Archive

In 1972, Queen Elizabeth II turned up at Stirling to wave at her loyal subjects – but they weren’t feeling so loyal, largely because it was up to the taxpayer to cover the cost of it all. Students made headlines by hitting booze and booing the Queen – captured memorably in one photo that shows a student swigging wine as the monarch walks past, an offence described as “abusive and discourteous to the Queen and her accompanying party”.

The spoilsports in charge went on to give 24 ‘ring leaders’ disciplinary action and the local community hated students so much that they were refused the use of buses! (What is it with Stirling’s rowdy students and buses?)

But Stirling was seemingly forgiven in 2011 when Prince Edward, the Queen’s son, was given a tour of the campus.

The incident even had MPs asking questions in Parliament and The Times ran an angry editorial. Best of all, though, was making the cover of Private Eye:

A more important Queen

Elton’s stage [PHOTO: stir.ac.uk]

It’s not all We Were Promised Jetpacks and last-minute cancellations from Jagwar Ma, you know. Back in the day, Stirling University played host to a whole load of great musical acts. Queen played in 1972, and Pink Floyd were hired the next year to play Atom Heart Mother in its entirety.

Paul Martin, a student of the time, once recalled: “We paid them £1,000 pounds exactly for their performance with two £500 pound notes which they said they were using as pocket money for a golfing holiday in Scotland.”

Martin also remembers the time that Elton John played Pathfoot before he hit the big time: “The lack of a stage for him was realised at the point of booking, when his contract specified a full stage and a grand piano. The piano was no hassle as we hired one from Glasgow but lacking the stage, we simply borrowed some new chemistry tables from the University plus a saluting podium from the Army and lashed them all together.”

Does she run for office in slow-mo, too?

What could have been…

With a loch on campus, drowning is always a threat – so it’s no wonder that, in 1995, we tried to get Pamela Anderson to become the honorary president of the Student Union. Unfortunately, she turned down the request on the grounds that it was “impractical”.

Then again, it’s a lot better than the time that a student launched a mad campaign to get Gerry Adams elected to the same post.

Freedom!

Inaccurate enough to give a history lecturer heart problems and mostly shot in Ireland, Braveheart got its European premiere on Stirling University’s campus – specifically at the MacRobert Centre. “It was a fabulous evening for the MacRobert and Stirling,” MacRobert manager Jan McTaggart told The Tab.

“They had invited so many guests, actors, dignitaries and MPs that they had to hold a second screening running at the same time in Logie Lecture Theatre. Mel Gibson sat on seat G22.” A slight problem occurred when a bulb in the projector blew, prompting Gibson to stand up and ask: “Is the projectionist an Englishman?”

(He was.)

Fetchez La Vache!

Monty Python and the Holy Grail credits, taken from Netflix

Before they were ancient and selling out Wembley, the Monty Python crew gathered around Stirling and Doune Castle to film many of the scenes of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Because the ‘battle’ scenes required quite a few people, the Pythons looked for 175 students who were willing to dress up and be part of “an abundance of crazy antics”. They were offered £2, free transport, food and an undeniably cool story for the grandkids.

When Louis Met… Stirling!

Hi, I’m Louis from the BBC… ©BBC

Remember when Paul Daniels tried to help his wife do a ballet? No? Well perhaps you remember it being covered by BBC documentarian Louis Theroux.

Students largely resisted attending the ballet, although Daniels managed to badger a few into going.

The best bit isn’t the ballet, though – it’s seeing what the university looked like back in 2000, including some lovely wood panelling.

When was the last time you saw chess in the union? Or Paul Daniels, for that matter [©BBC]

Haldane’s after dark? Surely not… [©BBC]

“Jeremy Cunt”

Our current chancellor is James Naughtie (pronounced noch-tee), a presenter of Radio 4’s Today programme. But he’s most memorably known for that time in 2010 that he was talking about then-Culture Secretary MP Jeremy Hunt… and accidentally referred to the Tory as “Jeremy Cunt”. How about that for a Freudian slip?

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