1974/02/14 Letter Ian Dunn to Greig Fenwick

“Dear Greig,/I was delighted to receive a letter, 13 Feb. from Alastair Black, Branch treasurer SMG Aberdeen. It was heartening to learn that you have plans to revive the Branch and I wish your effort every success.” 2 page reply to a letter asking what was on in Edinburgh.

1974/07/07 letter: 3pp. Angus to Ian [Dunn] re writers bisexuality & a recent gay affair.
“I hope someday I can be more active in SMG nationally. At the moment Aberdeen needs all the time & effort I can spare just to keep it going, although Mike Hanson's visit helped. Denis W soldiers on magnificently but too many of our members and potential members have problems real or imagined which make it hard to keep things going. Denis & I are hardly the best disco organisers either by temperament or inclination.

1974/07/09 Reply to above.

1976/03/03 Letter: Robin S to Ian Dunn.

...”The Aberdeen branch of SMG seems to be getting off the ground at last, I am happy to say. Our regular meetings now seem to be have a fairly steady attendance of at least a dozen [12].
One thing disturbs me and I don't think that anyone in the group can answer my question; I would welcome advice. Nearly every meeting we get a new person along; usually young – frequently a student – and often deeply troubled and unsure and seeking help to find their feet – and we seem to have nobody trained to deal with this situation. I think the group should have someone trained in putting them at their ease and showing them that the group can help them sort out their problems. I know the group has helped me. Often these newcomers seem to be scared off and we lose any chance to help them.

1976/12/13 Minutes of Committee Meetings

Denis Wilson – President; Ian Elder – Vice President; Adrian Marshall – Treasurer; John Sutherland – Secretary.

Counselling: weekly Monday meetings, Quaker Meeting House not much good for this – reduce to first Monday of month. Contact system to be set up in gay bars. 2 people needed for each counselling session – ask Samaritans about facilities they might be able to offer. Contact tel no in Gay News, Aberdeen People's Press etc. possibly Denis.
Social Functions – held in Quaker meeting house, with [University] Gaysoc. Aim 1 to make money 2 increase members.

 1976/12 Scottish Contact Nos: Aberdeen Denis Wilson, Gaysoc: Jean Polson (both at Denis' number)

1977/01 [in order, but undated.] SMG Branch Aberdeen “Opened 1970” [Is this time a ballot was opened or is it a date?]
Present Convenor: Denis Wilson. “Cautionary Notes Denis isn't particularly 'welcoming' when he doesn't care to be!”

1977/01/09 Letter Ian Dunn to Denis Wilson: Re visit of young man Ken coming to Aberdeen to see solicitor in Inverness. “Novel feature is that he is dumb. Not dumb congenitally, but struck dumb because of the truly horrible death of his 2 young twin sons & the subsequent suicide of his wife. ...he will write down his answers” Plans to live in Edinburgh.

 ...

 1977/12/09 City Bar denies discrimination against homosexuals. Press and Journal. Six customers trying to start a gay theatre.

1978/01 [undated but in order] Gay Granite Gay Liberation Lesbians Ignite
16pp A3 folded b&w.

P16 Gaze through The Press
“Over the last few years the gay movement had little press coverage in the north, until people in the area started to defy society by going about their everyday lives no longer hiding the fact that they were gay. During the past few months there has been some mention made of the taboo subject of homosexuality in the local papers; this has revolved mainly around three issues: the banning of six people from the Scotia Bar in Aberdeen; a series of articles on the Women's Liberation movement; and a request by the Scottish Minorities Group that Gay News should be available in the Aberdeen central library.
[There follows an account similar to that in the Press and Journal]

The 'Scotia affair' made headlines news in the P&J; we ourselves were interviewed, tough our story was subtly distorted – our spokeswoman, who comes from Essex, was reported as being a 'Londoner', for example. We were encouraged by the amount of support we gained and several people, gay and non-gay, agreed to boycott the pub. We then decided to go one step further and on December 5^th a group of twenty people began a picket outside the Scotia, distributing leaflets and putting our case to the customers. During the picketing three of our friends were assaulted by to customers and were taken to hospital – one had a black eye, one was hit about the head and chest and the other lost three teeth. The two mem responsible [names & addresses given] were each fined £25. In court their agent said, 'They are both the type of chap who dislike this kind of behaviour intensely and hitting them was the first thing to come into their heads to get rid of them.' 'The kind of conduct that has been described is not what the law regards as provocation. People may have views which are highly offensive to you, but that is no excuse for using the kind of violence used here'. The press coverage of these events had been surprisingly thorough and free from hysteria.

1978/12/21 – 1982/01/27 Bank statements of Scottish Homosexual Rights Group [sic]