The 1970s have a bit of a bad name, usually being remembered for flares, the banality of prog rock, glam rock and disco music, and beige and brown boringly dominating the colour palette.

Then there was also the industrial conflict with the 1973-1974 three-day week after strikes by miners led to the attempt to conserve coal supplies. Tory Prime Minister, Ted Heath, called an election for February 1974, dubbed “Who governs Britain?” The answer was not him as Labour won.

If folk do not remember the sight of people going round supermarkets with candles attached to their shopping trollies because of the power blackouts or the burning braziers of the national firefighters’ strikes in the winter of 1977-1978, then they might recall the rubbish bags piling up in the streets during the 1978-1979 “Winter of Discontent”.

Culturally, Scotland's own contribution to the 1970s came most obviously in the form of the “tartan teen sensations from Edinburgh”, namely The Bay City Rollers. They were top of the hit parade with Shang-a-Lang, Bye, Bye, Baby, Give a Little Love and I Only Want to Be with You.

With one remaining original member, The Bay City Rollers released a new single for the first time earlier this month and a musical at The Pavillion Theatre in Glasgow, called Rollers Forever has begun a two-week run.

Scotland’s contribution to the industrial strife in 1970s came in the form of unofficial strikes. In Glasgow, firefighters in late 1973 went on unofficial strike for ten days over pensionable pay, with the army being called in to break the strike.

Again in Glasgow, dustbin drivers in January 1975 undertook a 13-week unofficial strike over pay parity. On........

© Herald Scotland