Tom Young obituary

That Tom Young enjoyed a stellar 70-year career in glassblowing was a stunning example of serendipity: he had planned to go into engineering. He grew up in the East End of Glasgow, where there was a long and proud history of engineering, and applied for jobs in the sector when he left school at 14.

He had little in the way of qualifications, though, and when he heard that his elder brother Jack, a pharmacist, had a contact looking for apprentice glassblowers, the opportunity for alternative employment presented itself.

He took his chance and started working for R&J Wood, a city-centre company making medical and laboratory glassware for hospitals, universities and government research labs. When his mentor struck out on his own, Young followed as