Jack Gillon – författare

The ‘Fair City of Perth’ is aptly named. Situated on the banks of the Tay, Scotland’s longest river, Perth and its surrounding area boast some of the most beautiful scenery in the country. The city’s position on the River Tay ensured that it became a busy trading port, exporting salmon and wool and importing claret from Bordeaux. Its bustling harbour remains in use, the only inland harbour in Britain. Perth was once the capital of Scotland and there are many interesting historical sights to visit. The jewel in the crown is undoubtedly Scone Palace on the outskirts of town. Scone was the home of the Stone of Destiny for nearly 500 years, and the site where every Scottish king was crowned. Today, Perth is a major tourist centre and important staging post on the route north to the Highlands of Scotland. As such, it boasts many shops, bars and restaurants, as well as a thriving arts and cultural scene.In this book, author Jack Gillon takes the reader on an evocative journey into Perth’s past through a superb selection of old postcards. This fascinating window into the city’s history will appeal to residents and visitors alike.

In 1560, Mary of Guise moved the Scottish Court to Leith, a site that is now Parliament Street, off Coalhill. Serving Edinburgh’s shipbuilding and repair facilities, in subsequent centuries Leith’s port saw the opening of a new Wet Dock, the first of its kind in Scotland. Leith has played a long and prominent role in Scottish history. As the major port serving Edinburgh, it has been the stage on which many significant events have taken place. From housing the Scottish Court to seeing civil war, being the port of call for royal arrivals and becoming its own burgh, Leith has seen it all.Leith Reflections features an exciting collection of historic and modern pictures that are individually merged to reveal how the area has changed over the decades. Each of the 180 pictures in this book combines a recent colour view of Leith with the matching sepia archive scene. Through the split-image effect, readers can see how streets, buildings, the docks and everyday life have transformed with the passing of time. Local authors Jack Gillon and Fraser Parkinson present this fascinating visual chronicle that ingeniously reflects past and present glimpses of Leith.This book will be of interest to residents, visitors, local historians and all those with links to the area.

Having been granted city status during the Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2002, Stirling is Scotland’s smallest city, but has an enthralling wealth of architectural and historic heritage that would be the envy of much larger places in the country. Stirling’s heritage dates from the thirteenth century, when it was granted a royal charter and became a significant medieval settlement. Its strategic importance as the ‘Gateway to the Highlands’ also made it the much-fought over ‘Cockpit of Scotland’ and it has been witness to many of the most significant battles in Scottish history.Today, Stirling is a bustling and charming historic city that retains much of its ancient character and architectural quality. Using old postcards, Stirling The Postcard Collection shows how the city has changed and evolved over the years. These postcards are an invaluable visual record of a place’s past and provide a fascinating insight into the world of our ancestors. The old postcards of Stirling celebrate the town’s civic achievements and distinctive character in the form of public buildings, principal streets, parks, railway stations and historic landmarks.

The historic county of Fife is a natural peninsula on the east coast of Scotland, bordered by the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Tay. Alongside its three largest settlements of Dunfermline, Kirkcaldy and Glenrothes it is also home to the ancient city of St Andrews, with its world-famous golf course and university. The often turbulent history of Fife is reflected in its royal palaces, castles and other ruins, such as Ravenscraig Castle and Dunfermline Abbey.Fife’s picturesque coast draws visitors to places like Crail Harbour and Pittenweem. Fife’s cultural and industrial heritage are also celebrated, including the Fife Folk Museum, the Anstruther Fisheries Museum and the Fife Heritage Railway.50 Gems of Fife explores the many places and their history that make this part of Scotland so special, including natural features, towns and villages, buildings and places of historical interest. Alongside justly famous attractions, others will be relatively unknown, but all have an interesting story to tell.

Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city, has a dramatic cityscape and its wealth of historic streets and buildings make up the UNESCO Old and New Towns World Heritage Site. The city has also been subject to a myriad of changes through the years. This book features several landmark buildings but concentrates attention on areas which have been subject to change through redevelopment.Edinburgh Reflections features a collection of historic and modern pictures that are individually merged to reveal how the area has changed over the decades. Each of the 180 pictures in this book combines a recent colour view of Edinburgh with the matching sepia archive scene. Through the split-image effect, readers can see how streets, buildings and everyday life have been transformed with the passing of time.This book will be of interest to residents, visitors, local historians, and all those with links to Edinburgh.

The 1960s, 1970s and 1980s were decades of great change. Many towns and cities were redeveloped with projects that dramatically affected the character of the place. People’s shopping habits were altered as supermarkets took over from traditional stores and corner shops. Leisure habits were changing too, as cheap air travel led to the arrival of the foreign package holiday and a new range of leisure facilities were developed at home. Fashions, as ever, were changing in this period, reflecting radical changes in society and the ways in which we viewed ourselves. Transport also evolved, with a move away from the railway and buses, creating a strain on the roads and leading to new road schemes.These changes in people’s habits and lifestyles were keenly felt in Scotland’s capital as the city grew in size. Old and dilapidated housing was demolished, to be replaced by new housing estates; other areas were redeveloped and new shopping centres were built, universities were expanding and many long-established pastimes and activities, cultural centres and places of leisure were evolving. Local author Jack Gillon recaptures it all in this fascinating portrayal of the city and its people over the course of these most nostalgic decades.

Edinburgh has always been a city of unusual characters and has its own distinct, often peculiar, history. Quirky Edinburgh delves into lesser-known but fascinating tales from Edinburgh’s past. Readers will discover stories of the sedan chairs that transported the gentry around the city in the eighteenth century, horse racing on Leith Sands, the open-air Royal Patent Gymnasium that delighted its Victorian visitors with rides on the Great Sea Serpent and Giant See-Saw, an exploding postbox, the 80-foot spiral of kinetic art placed on a roundabout, the original Mrs Doubtfire and much, much more.Quirky Edinburgh celebrates the unusual and often strange history of Edinburgh and its characters over the years. This fascinating insight into Edinburgh will be of interest to all those who want to know more about the city’s quirky history.

Edinburgh has always been a city of unusual characters and has its own distinct, often peculiar, history. Quirky Edinburgh delves into lesser-known but fascinating tales from Edinburgh's past. Readers will discover stories of the sedan chairs that transported the gentry around the city in the eighteenth century, horse racing on Leith Sands, the open-air Royal Patent Gymnasium that delighted its Victorian visitors with rides on the Great Sea Serpent and Giant See-Saw, an exploding postbox, the 80-foot spiral of kinetic art placed on a roundabout, the original Mrs Doubtfire and much, much more.Quirky Edinburgh celebrates the unusual and often strange history of Edinburgh and its characters over the years. This fascinating insight into Edinburgh will be of interest to all those who want to know more about the city s quirky history.

Edinburgh Old Town is the ancient centre of the city of Edinburgh. Many historic buildings still stand in the Old Town, on the Royal Mile which runs from Holyrood Palace to the Castle and in the surrounding area, alongside newer construction. Edinburgh Old Town Through Time explores the rich history and vibrant culture of Edinburgh’s Old Town through a collection of then-and-now images which reveal how the area has evolved, showcasing its historic architecture, bustling streets, and the lives of its inhabitants. Discover the stories behind famous landmarks, hidden gems, and the everyday scenes that shaped this unique place. Whether you’re a history buff, a lover of architecture, or simply curious about Edinburgh, this visual exploration connects the past and present of the Old Town.In spite of the many changes that have occurred in Edinburgh Old Town, the area has retained its identity, with historical buildings alongside the new. This fascinating selection of old and new images of Edinburgh Old Town will be essential reading for all those who know the area.

The teeming nature of life in eighteenth-century Edinburgh elevated the Old Town’s taverns to a critical role in the city’s social life, and there was ‘no superabundance of sobriety in the town’. Much of the business life of the city was carried out in taverns where it was even normal for doctors to consult their patients.The Edinburgh taverns of the eighteenth century are described as having ‘a coarse and darksome snugness which was courted by their worshippers’. These earlier basic hostelries were swept away during the period 1880–1910, which is recognised as the golden age of pub design. These new pubs were decorated with an abundance of spectacular ornaments to attract customers into their shining interiors.This book won’t tell you how many real ales or malts the pubs stock or whether the burgers are worth popping in for. What it does provide is a record of Edinburgh Pubs that are architectural gems of exceptional quality or which have a particularly interesting historical association.

Neuk is the Scots word for nook or corner, and the delightful East Neuk, with its string of picturesque fishing and farming villages, is one of the most attractive parts of the country to investigate. Few regions present a greater number of attractions than the East Neuk with its sandy beaches, wild and precipitous cliffs, remarkable caves, celebrated golf links, notable churches, historic castles and historical associations.These villages, running from from Crail to Largo, are quite distinct from those of any other part of Scotland and have stood almost unchanged for centuries and thus present, in their uneven, angular streets, red-tiled roofs and crow-stepped gables, an accurate representation of the ancient burghs of our past.

Falkirk is a small town with a big history. Its strategic location, at the crossroads of lowland Scotland, contributed to its key role in Scotland’s history. The Romans were the first to make a significant mark on the district, William Wallace and Bonnie Prince Charlie fought the English nearby, cattle were driven from all over Scotland to the great trysts in the area, central Scotland’s canals came together at Camelon, and local foundries fuelled the Industrial Revolution. Secret Falkirk delves into the town’s past and offers an insight into aspects of its fascinating history that may not be familiar to many Falkirk Bairns.

Leith has played a long and prominent role in Scottish history. As the major port serving Edinburgh, it has been the stage on which many significant events in the nation’s past have taken place, from housing the Scottish court to witnessing civil war, acting as the port of call for royal arrivals and becoming its own burgh until the amalgamation with Edinburgh in 1920. The 1950s brought the final days of the old and ancient thoroughfares in the heart of Leith: the Kirkgate, St Andrew Street, Tolbooth Wynd, Bridge Street and many more would disappear in the coming decade. However, the town retains a passionate sense of individuality and its people a proud sense of identity. Leith has seen it all. In Secret Leith, local author and historian Jack Gillon delves into the town’s past and offers an insight into some of the lesser-known aspects of its long and distinguished history.