It is impossible to write a retrospective of Rowland without mentioning the International Marxist Group or IMG for short. This was a Trotskyist political party that was part of the Fourth International. It was formed in 1964 and enjoyed some success at the time with around a thousand members in the late 1970s. Rowland was one of them.

THE FAYRE - FUNDRAISING FOR CALAMA - CHILE. These photos show various founder members of the Chile Solidarity Committee and their families and supporters both at work and at play. The black and white snapshot was taken at an Alloa May Day Rally. I think about twenty people turned up but if you look closely you will see that Rowland was one of them, just hidden on the left of the fourth row of marchers. On the second row are Susanna Antonioletti and Jan Watson.

On the 11th of September 1973 President Salvador Allende and his legitimate left wing Government was overthrown by a military junta led by General Pinochet. The event was held in the Golden Lion Hotel and was well attended by any number of local big-wigs including all the local area MPs, the town provost and university dignitaries.

Asking people to sponsor you to do things was very much the rage at the time. As the Chile Solidarity Committee was desperate to collect money to send to Chile to support a soup kitchen charity in Calama, Roland and the rest decided to give the method a try.