Halfway to Blantyre: Growing up Scotland in the 80s and 90s

Halfway to Blantyre: Stories from a Scottish ChildhoodBefore smartphones, social media and organised activities, there were streets, footballs, bikes, bad ideas - and plenty of time to get into trouble.Growing up in Halfway and Blantyre in the 1980s and 90s, James Forbes lived through a childhood filled with scraped knees, playground chaos, dodgy adventures, unforgettable characters and the kind of freedom that now feels like it belonged to another world.From climbing school roofs and dodging conductors on trains to Glasgow, to disastrous football teams, wild friendships, freezing river runs, family holidays and more than a few brushes with danger, Halfway to Blantyre is packed with stories that are funny, outrageous, nostalgic and sometimes unexpectedly moving.But beneath the laughs is something deeper.This is a story about family, friendship, growing up, making mistakes and discovering that the places and people from our childhood never completely leave us.If you grew up in Scotland during the 1980s or 90s, much of this will feel instantly familiar. And if you didn't, prepare to step into a world where kids disappeared for hours, came home when the streetlights came on and somehow survived to tell the tale.Warm, funny and full of heart, Halfway to Blantyre is a nostalgic journey back to a childhood when life was simpler, freedom was everywhere - and health and safety was mostly somebody else's problem.