Gorebridge Memories; a Childhood Remembered.

"He met the world as a Dalkeith boy, raised from a shaft in Monktonhall, in a well-oiled cage that locked away his dreams." (Fish,(Derek W Dick); Lucky.)
Well, I am a Gorebridge boy. And I was raised out of Bilston Glen's shaft many times.
Wherever I roam, the streets of Arniston and Gorebridge and the surrounding countryside will be in my bones.
My father worked down the Lady Victoria, and his father before him at the Gore Mine.

I grew up on the miner's "Tattie Raw", went to the 'Pictures' at Dundas Hall (the Fleapit), bought sweets at Minnie Pinkmans.

I went on adventures up the 'Roman camp' and down the 'Glen'. I made slides in the snow, and built bonfires.

At school we worked hard, and did some really dumb things in the chemistry class.

This is a collection of stories from my childhood, old times with friends, now scattered all over the world.

Memories; Some funny, some quirky. All true, all mine.

Click the link below to take you to Amazon to have a wee look, or to buy.

Childhood Memories of Gorebridge; Available at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk for the measly sum of $2.99.

Edinburgh Memories. On Kindle now.

I was born in Edinburgh in 1959, and for the first twenty-one years, lived in the small village of Gorebridge, ten miles south. Fifty yards from my house was the best view in the world; looking down on Edinburgh Castle, and Arthur's seat, then across the Forth to the hills of Fife.

I took some of the memories, and wrote them here; making slides in the snow, the herculean efforts to build bonfires, the first days at school, and more.

My recollections of the 1968 Hurricane. Memories of Grandparents, and their quirky ways. And some crazy stories of our adventures in and out of the Chemistry Lab at Greenhall. (Thank goodness the Statute of Limitations has long past.)

Some funny, some quirky. All true, all mine.

Click the link below to take you to Amazon to have a wee look, or to buy.

Edinburgh Memories; Available at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk for the measly sum of $2.99.

Roman Invasion of Scotland: A Scottish Rant on Ancient Roman Political Spin

Learn the real story of the Roman invasion of Scotland

In 80AD, the legions of Rome invaded Scotland for the first time. Julius Agricola made quick advances in the lowlands, fighting, bribing and pacifying each local tribe. 
When he entered the higher ground, however, he found himself faced with a coalition, a union of the tribes. For three years the two armies campaigned against each other, culminating with the Battle of Mons Graupius.

In this book, the author postulates that, since no battlefield has been found, perhaps the details regarding it (Written by Tacitus, Agricola's son-in-law, many years later) Agricola was just giving the Emperor back home the news he needed to hear.

The book is drawn from the authors prize-winning website, and has been researched extensively.
With many photographs, the book brings the reader back in time, to 'see' the data for himself. 
A great read for student, historian, or anyone interested in the truth.

The above ‘alternative history’ is available in a great new Historical Fiction series on Kindle;
Caledonii: Birth of a Celtic Nation (Part One: The Great Gather)
Caledonii: Birth of a Celtic Nation (Part Two: The Druids Plan)
(Update; parts 3,4,5 are now available too, on eBooks everywhere)

A new FREE download is also available, a prequel to the Caledonii series; Caledonii: Birth of a Celtic Nation. Druid and Iceni.

Available on eBooks everywhere

First Wee 'Short' on Kindle

The Great Kansas Word War
My first short story on Kindle. I'm kinda chuffed with the cover too (painted it myself).

An American Tale; a Midwest family gets more than it bargained for when Grandpa starts venting at poor grandson Alex. (I know this has nothing to do with Jamie Leith, but go along with me on this one!)

I intend to up-publish quite a few shorts on Kindle over the next few weeks, while taking a wee sabbatical from Jamie(2) and seeing what other genres exist in my poor tortured head.

FOREWORD: I Was Asked to Write One and This Slipped Out

The foreward for my soon to be published book Opportunities; Jamie Leith in Darien from IFWG Publishing:

This is a story that should have been told centuries ago.It should have been trumpeted from the battlements of Edinburgh Castle, and proudly broadcast to the world. But it was not. Perhaps due to the nature of its end, the Scottish Darien story has languished at the periphery of history, covered in a nation's disgrace, and wrapped in the blankets of shame, purposely hidden.

The Darien Scheme was a world-changing event that few people today even know existed. The Scots raised half the actual capital in Scotland for the scheme, confident that they would dominate world trade. It was as large a leap of faith as to set a colony on Mars today.

I am not spoiling the ending when I tell you that the Darien venture did not turn out as the Scots had envisaged. The loss of such an amount of Scots revenue forced the 'union of the crowns', and Scotland was swallowed by its neighbor, England. Directly because of the Darien Scheme, Great Britain was born. A country that would assert itself across the globe until it had grown into the biggest Empire in the world.

The Darien Scheme actually happened, and most of the events portrayed in my book are researched historical fact. Ship names and their sailings, captains and council members, events, battles, and major storyline are as accurate as I could manage.

Opportunities, however, is a work of fiction, and although I have told the Darien story as close to history as I could, it should be read as a work of fiction.

Essentially, my book is a compromise; the events and characters portrayed herein are either researched or imaginary and I will leave it to you to work out which.

I would rather, of course, have you caught up in my story, and forget everything else.

The book is seen through Jamie's eyes, and I hope as you read, you will find in him, the spirit of my nation; the guile, the grit and determination, the pride and the strength of character that I feel in myself today.

I am Scottish and proud of it.

Ian Hall

Update: Opportunities is now available on Amazon~ Click here to purchase or preview  

Cover art for Opportunities: Jamie Leith in Darien by R. L. Carter

Edinburgh; Closes and Vennels.

Leith 1698-ish; As you can see, there's an alleyway between the back of the old houses, out to the road. To the rest of the world, it's an 'arched alleyway'

To Scots, it's a 'close' or 'vennel'.

I can still hear the cries of "Where will I put ma' bike?"

"Aye, stick it in the vennel."

We even played football, one player each side, with the close as our entire football pitch. If the ball was kicked past us, out into the open, it was a goal.

We took it real serious.

It caused real vibration in the houses to either side, mind you. I remember getting chased up to the 'back field' to play many times.

Anyway.... closes and vennels.

Quotes from the book (2 of 3)

Leith 1698.

In contrast to the quiet streets of the town, the dock was even more crowded than usual. Dockers and some ship's crew milled around on the quayside like partners in some disorganised dance. The difference today was the crowd of passengers, mostly men, who were standing in orderly queues, waiting to be boarded. In comparison to the dock officials, the passengers were a pathetic sight, soaked to the skin from the recent rain. The men who had donned hats for the heavy shower, had removed them, but the women's bonnets drooped dejectedly. Their baggage lay waterlogged in puddles at their feet.

"Looks like the expedition ships are finally gettin' ready tae sail!" Jamie ambled closer.

"It's about time." Gordon nibbled at the hard apple core. "They've been loading the ships for weeks."

Activity increased as they neared the quayside, harbour officials strutted and postured. Orders from both the docks and on board ship were barked across the morning.

"They'll leave on tonight's tide, maybe tomorrow's." Jamie threw his apple core high into the air, landing into the brown chocolate suspension that was Leith harbour.

(Excerpt from "Opportunities; Jamie Leith in Darien, published by IFWG Publishing this month.)