Broken Columns​ The Impact of the 1918 Spanish Flu​ – How a global pandemic reshaped lives, communities, and memory​

Using information from his 2023 book Broken Columns: The Spanish Flu Dead of Rural South Perthshire, Andrew will explore the devastating impact of the influenza pandemic of 1918-19 on communities across Strathearn and beyond. Through personal stories, local records and contemporary accounts, he will examine how the outbreak transformed everyday life, caused profound loss, and left a lasting mark on families and communities. The talk will also consider how the pandemic has been remembered, forgotten and rediscovered over the past century, shedding light on a significant chapter of local history that still resonates today.