A picket pity

Negotiations to try to solve the Educational Institute of Scotland's dispute in the new universities have sadly come too late for Paul Cosgrove, lecturer in sculpture at Glasgow School

of Art.

Due to attend the launch of a college exhibition of almost 1,500 of his drawings and sculptures, Mr Cosgrove instead found himself taking industrial action outside. And he felt unable to ask

television star Elaine C. Smith, who was to open the exhibition, to cross the picket line. "It's a bitter pill to swallow, but if you're not able to give tutorials to students, it's not really possible to walk into the building afterwards to the opening of your exhibition," he said.