CLICK HERE TO ADD YOUR EVENT

Cameron Wyllie and Alison Colwell - Head Teacher Tales

Two Head Teachers from very different schools tell tales from the classroom and staffroom!

Cameron Wyllie and Alison Colwell - Head Teacher Tales

About Cameron Wyllie and Alison Colwell - Head Teacher Tales

Is There a Pigeon in the Room? is a deeply personal book about Cameron Wyllie’s remarkable four-decade career in teaching. It’s a tapestry of anecdotes and reflections on topics like drugs, parenting, refugees, tragic events, his own status as a gay man and tells us the story of Tes, an Eritrean boy who inspired hundreds of young people with his love of education.

Cameron taught over 8,000 students in his career. Having been once described as ‘the place where Jean Brodie meets Kenneth Williams’ the book also charts the surprising trajectory of a career which culminated in his appointment as Principal of George Heriot’s, one of Edinburgh’s most prestigious schools.


No Excuses charts an extraordinary principal’s journey in diary form from the moment she took over at a failing secondary school in a deprived area of the country, where less than a quarter of children attained five or more A*–C GCSEs, and how she set about the gruelling task of transforming its reputation using her zero-tolerance, tough-love approach.

Armed with only a wicked sense of humour, fearless energy and a powerful vision, Alison Colwell put in place a stringent set of rules, including a strict uniform policy and a complete ban on mobile phones, provoking resistance and hostility from some parents, the wider community and on social media.

Sponsored Links

Cancer Research UK
Paisley First
East Renfrewshire Culture
City Sightseeing Glasgow
Napier Uni
Pawrade
Glasgow City Council

Other Events at The Mitchell Library and Theatre or Aye Write!

Glasgow Mitchell Library Classics Book Group

Selected dates between 5th December 2024 - 4th December 2025

Glasgow Mitchell Library Classics Book Group runs on the first Thursday of each month with the library kindly providing books for all members, so there is no cost involved!

READ MORE

Unearthed: The Power of Gardening

2nd May 2025 - 10th August 2025

Unearthed: The Power of Gardening, a free display at The Mitchell Library, explores the transformative, enriching and sometimes radical power of gardening.

READ MORE

Ask Our Musician In Residence

Selected dates between 13th May 2025 - 24th June 2025

Are you a musician looking for free advice from an industry professional? Ask Music Broth's Musician-In-Residence!

READ MORE

Introduction to the British Newspaper Archive

3rd June 2025

Find out more about using the British Newspaper Archive and how it can help with Family History research at the Mitchell Library on Tuesday 3rd June.

READ MORE

Glasgow Science Festival: From Persia to Glasgow - Coding the Collections

12th June 2025

Mix historic Persian paintings from the Mitchell Library with modern Glasgow by using a free coding app on your phone to create a tiny game or animation.

READ MORE

Great Big Green Week Celebrations at The Mitchell Library with Cara Rooney

14th June 2025

Join illustrator and plaything maker, Cara Rooney, for a themed creative session inspired by her book, A Little World of Ants, as part of the Great Big Green Week Celebrations at The Mitchell Library!

READ MORE

Sponsored Links

Fayre Play
Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust
Craftex
Connect Choir
City Of Glasgow Chorus
Glasgow Music City Tours
Go Radio

Similar events you might like...

Glasgow Mitchell Library Classics Book Group

Glasgow Mitchell Library Classics Book Group

Selected dates between 5th December 2024 - 4th December 2025

Glasgow Mitchell Library Classics Book Group runs on the first Thursday of each month with the library kindly providing books for all members, so there is no cost involved!

READ MORE
Books at the Botanics

Books at the Botanics

Selected dates between 1st February 2025 - 14th December 2025

Glasgow's Book Fair, Books at the Botanics, is held every month in the Hopkirk building at Glasgow's Botanic Gardens!

READ MORE
Diors Bookclub at The Marlborough

Diors Bookclub at The Marlborough

22nd May 2025

Not your typical book club... this is for the imperfect book girlies who want to have a laugh, discover some fab reads, and enjoy a laid-back night in a boujee space with fellow book lovers!

READ MORE
Book Launch: The Roma - A Travelling History

Book Launch: The Roma - A Travelling History

23rd May 2025

The Roma Cultural Centre are delighted to host the launch of Madeline Potter's new book - The Roma - A Travelling History!

READ MORE
Derick Thomson’s Prose - Rosg Ruaraidh MhicThòmais

Derick Thomson’s Prose - Rosg Ruaraidh MhicThòmais

29th May 2025

Derick Thomson is celebrated as a poet, but in the new book "An Staran" Petra J. Poncarová demonstrates his exceptional prose writing, including essays, short stories and reviews.

READ MORE
The Witches of Scotland in conversation with author C.J. Cooke

The Witches of Scotland in conversation with author C.J. Cooke

31st May 2025

Join The Witches of Scotland Podcast hosts Dr Zoe Venditozzi and Dr Claire Mitchell for a discussion and talk based on their new book How to Kill a Witch at Provan Hall!

READ MORE
Bookface Sip & Swap with Kate Foster

Bookface Sip & Swap with Kate Foster

31st May 2025

Enjoy coffee, croissants and fizz, swap books, and chat with Kate Foster at Bookface Sip & Swap on Saturday 31st May!

READ MORE
Bob Dylan ‘Blood on the Tracks’ Revisited (thi wurd)

Bob Dylan ‘Blood on the Tracks’ Revisited (thi wurd)

31st May 2025

Join thi wurd for a special literary and musical tribute to Bob Dylan's iconic album 'Blood on the Tracks' on the year of its 50th anniversary.

READ MORE
Matty Matheson

Matty Matheson

1st June 2025

Join the New York Times best-selling author Matty Matheson as he shows you the magical insanity of creating his latest cookbook Soups, Salads, Sandwiches!

READ MORE

Find other events in Glasgow

Sponsored Links

Cancer Research UK
Paisley First
East Renfrewshire Culture
City Sightseeing Glasgow
Napier Uni
Pawrade
Glasgow City Council
Fayre Play
Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust
Craftex
Connect Choir
City Of Glasgow Chorus
Glasgow Music City Tours
Go Radio

Popular Events

Summer Nights at the Bandstand
The Summer Nights at the Bandstand festival returns to Kelvingrove Park for a tenth year with 13 nights of live music from elbow, Billy Ocean, Hue And Cry, Teenage Fanclub and many more!
Glasgow Summer Sessions: Punk All Dayer
The Punk All Dayer, with Sex Pistols (Steve Jones, Paul Cook, Glen Matlock) featuring Frank Carter, The Stranglers, The Undertones and more comes to Bellahouston Park in June!
Women’s Scottish Cup Final
Hampden is set for a Cup Final Carnival for the Scottish Gas Women's Scottish Cup Final on Sunday 25th May as Glasgow City face off against Rangers!
Summer Nights on The Southside
Del Amitri, The Saw Doctors, Echo & The Bunnymen and Ocean Colour Scene will all headline The Big Top Tent in Queens Park when Summer Nights on the Southside returns in 2025!
The Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon, Broadway's outrageous smash-hit musical written by Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Robert Lopez, is coming to the King's Theatre Glasgow in May!

Popular Listings

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum King's Theatre Glasgow King Tut's Wah Wah Hut O2 Academy Glasgow SEC Armadillo Theatre Royal Glasgow The Pavilion Theatre Glasgow The Glasgow Barrowland Ballroom The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall The OVO Hydro