The Whaler of Scotland Yard

The Whaler of Scotland Yard PDF

Author: Jock Murray

Publisher: Birlinn

Published: 2011-11-01

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 0857900870

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Jock Murray looks back over an extraordinary and varied life in this entertaining autobiography. From humble beginnings on a croft in the Outer Hebrides, at the age of fifteen he went on to work in the Hydro tunnels on the mainland as the Hydro-Electric board embarked on some of the most ambitious civil engineering projects of the century. By seventeen he had sailed several times round the world and spent two years as a whaler in the Antarctic. And over a long career in the Metropolitan Police he served on 6 Divisions as well as in specialised squads (regional crime squad, flying squad, stolen car squad, central drug squad as well as several murder squads), which gave him an intimate and unrivalled knowledge of the murkier aspects of London life. In 1977 he was involved in Operation Ohio as the police dealt with a major and vicious spate of armed robbery in the Midlands and south of England. Since returning to Lewis he has maintained a high profile, both for his charity work (he has raised money for Leukaemia research and the Anthony Nolan Trust) as well as more controversial things, such as serving alcohol in his pub on Sundays and campaigning for Sunday flights and ferries. All this, and much more, is covered in this witty and amusing memoir which is bound to appeal to Hebrideans both at home and abroad, as well those with an interest in true crime and all readers who appreciate the story of those with a remarkable zest for life.

Jessie's Journey

Jessie's Journey PDF

Author: Jess Smith

Publisher: Birlinn

Published: 2012-04-05

Total Pages: 337

ISBN-13: 0857901788

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From the ages of 5 to 15, Jess Smith lived with her parents, sisters and a mongrel dog in an old, blue Bedford bus. They travelled the length and breadth of Scotland, and much of England too, stopping here and there until they were moved on by the local authorities or driven by their own instinctive need to travel. By campfires, under the unchanging stars they brewed up tea, telling stories and singing songs late into the night. "Jessie's Journey" describes what it was like to be one of the last of the traditional travelling folk. It is not an idyllic tale, but despite the threat of bigoted abuse and scattered schooling, humour and laughter run throughout a childhood teeming with unforgettable characters and incidents.

A Life in the Hills

A Life in the Hills PDF

Author: Katharine Stewart

Publisher: Birlinn Ltd

Published: 2018-08-23

Total Pages: 655

ISBN-13: 1788850017

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Katharine Stewart, who died in 2013, was one of Scotland's best-loved writers on rural life in the Highlands. A Croft in the Hills, her first book, tells the story of how a couple and their young daughter, fresh from city life, took over a remote hill croft near Loch Ness and made a living from it. Full of warm personal insights, good humour and a love of living things, it has become a classic and has rarely been out of print since it was first published in 1960. This omnibus gathers A Croft in the Hills together with some of Katharine's later books: A Garden in the Hills, describing a year in the life of her Highland garden; A School in the Hills, a vivid history of the school at Abriachan which eventually became the Stewarts' family home; and The Post in the Hills, which tells the dramatic story of the postal service in the Highlands, from the point of view of Katharine's later role as postmistress of the smallest post office in Scotland, run from the porch of her Abriachan schoolhouse. Each of these books glows with what Neil Gunn described as 'its unusual quality, its brightness and its wisdom'. The omnibus will bring the grace, charm and wisdom of Katharine Stewart's writing to a new generation of readers.

Is There a Pigeon in the Room?

Is There a Pigeon in the Room? PDF

Author: Cameron Wyllie

Publisher: Birlinn Ltd

Published: 2022-06-02

Total Pages: 222

ISBN-13: 1788854993

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Is There a Pigeon in the Room? is a deeply personal book about Cameron Wyllie's remarkable four-decade career in teaching. It's a tapestry of anecdotes and reflections on topics like drugs, parenting and sex education, laced with stories about memorable individuals. What did he say to the Third Year after drinking too much gin with the Head? Who was Adolf? What happened to the horrible bus driver? While the intention is to make the reader laugh plenty, Cameron also deals with discipline, refugees, tragic events, his own status as a gay man and tells us the story of Tes, an Eritrean boy who inspired hundreds of young people with his love of education. Cameron taught over 8,000 students in his career. Having been once described as 'the place where Jean Brodie meets Kenneth Williams' the book also charts the surprising trajectory of a career which culminated in his appointment as Principal of George Heriot's, one of Edinburgh's most prestigious schools.

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