Firefighters thanked for helping retrieve art school students' work
Textile design and jewellery graduates had their creations stored in the Reid Building opposite the Mackintosh Building
Firefighters have been thanked by Glasgow School of Art bosses for helping students retrieve work from a building across from the fire-ravaged Mackintosh building.
Textile design and jewellery graduates had their creations stored in the Reid Building when the massive fire broke out in the Mackintosh building on Friday night, leaving the area cordoned off for days.
The designs were due to be taken to London for a showcase event but graduates were not allowed into the Reid Building, which sits directly opposite the Mackintosh, while a safety barrier remained around the site.
With around 40 graduates affected, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service offered to escort GSA staff into the Reid Building to retrieve all the work so it could be dispatched to London.
Barbara Ridley, head of the school of design at GSA, said: "The graduate showcases in London such as New Designers and Free Range are important opportunities for young designers to showcase their Degree Show work to a broader audience.
"It would have been particularly disappointing for our recent Textile Design and Silversmithing & Jewellery graduates if they had missed out on this important career opportunity due to Friday's fire.
"We are hugely thankful to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service for allowing us into the Reid Building to retrieve all the work so that it can be dispatched to London on time.''
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service deputy chief officer Iain Bushell said: "It's been really heart-warming to see the continuing effort of all our crews even several days into the incident, and the way that we are able to assist them to get this community back to normal as soon as we can."