Memories in Gerry’s new book

‘Recalling the past… While I still can’ is a collection of memories from Ayrshire, Airdrie and life growing up after the Second World War.

Born in 1938 before the outbreak of the Second World War, Gerard Grant, the author, recalls what life was like in the years during and after the war. His childhood and youth was a time of food rationing and great austerity in the tenement flat in Airdrie in which he was raised.

Gerry, 79, shares many memories of playing in the air raid shelters, street games, outside toilets and washhouses, school classrooms with over 50 pupils and even a court appearance at seven years of age for the crime of ‘playing football in the street’.

His book conjures up for the reader vivid pictures of life in working class Scotland in the 1940s and 50s.

After he was married in the early 1960s he moved to Ayrshire spending 13 years in Irvine and the last 40 years in Ardrossan employed mostly in local newspapers, The Ayrshire Post, Kilmarnock Standard and Irvine Herald.

In the 1980s he published a street map of the three towns and some of you may recall his monthly free advertising newspaper, ‘The Three Towns Trader’ which was distributed in Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenston.

Gerry was also a sub-postmaster with a very busy sub office in Ayr and also one in Kilmarnock.

A long held ambition of publishing this book of memories has now been achieved … “while I can still remember them” he says.

In his book he recalls many events, people, places, incidents and adventures throughout his life, some funny, some frightening, all put together in his book of recollections which makes it an interesting, humorous, pleasant and easy read.

Gerard and his wife Rena have four children, six grandchildren and now two great granddaughters.

The front cover of his book features a charcoal sketch by his artistic grandson, Connor McMillan.

The book, retailing at £6, is in stock at Starks in Hamilton Street, Saltcoats or you can contact Gerry by email at: ggrantbook@gmail.com.