Gatehouse Boy

A hazy town on a river, full of the din of industry, is where this memoir begins. At its centre is a shipyard, and it is there that the author spent his boyhood, growing up in a busy and prosperous community that has since disappeared. Bob Slater traces his path from those early years in the yard to the jobs he later took in other workplaces that are now largely forgotten. Along the way he recalls times of contentment and grief, excitement and everyday routine, laughter and some frightening moments. The result is a picture of a young man coming of age in a period long past. The book opens with an invitation in local speech: pull on your ovys (overalls) and takkities (boots), settle down by the brazier, and listen to the lads doon the yard tell a few wee tales.