Why a Booktrail?
2000s: First in the Southsiders series
Southsiders: That’s All Right
What you need to know before your trail
Ray Spalding’s had enough of his wife, Paula. He’s left his home in Edinburgh’s Southside and headed for Belfast. It’s safer there.
Unknown to Ray, Paula’s also had enough of him. She’s not going back home. Not now, not ever.
Jesse Spalding wakes up one morning to find both his parents gone. And he can’t tell anyone or he’ll be taken into care.
As time passes and bills need paying, all Jesse can rely on are his wits, his friend Archie and his dad’s 1950s record collection.
Southsiders is a powerful short novel that follows the spiralling fortunes of Ray and Jesse, pushing father and son to their limits while they struggle against the odds in the darker shadows of two of Britain’s capital cities.
Locations
ResetTravel Guide
Explore the Southside of Edinburgh BookTrail style!
The Southside is a really interesting part of Edinburgh! It was actually Edinburgh’s first real suburb. When George Square was built in 1766, it was the first major development outside the Old Town.
The Meadows is somewhere some of the characters live beside and Jesse is often found here. This was formerly a Loch, drained in the mid-17th century and turned into a public park. There’s history underneath his feet and he doesn’t know it!
The Royal Commonwealth Pool, another site often spotted in the books is very close to the vast expanse of Holyrood Park. Well worth a visit!
Busy Streets
This is a popular and diverse area of the city. Busy streets include Nicolson Street, South Clerk Street, Lothian Road and the crossroads of Tollcross.
Bruntsfield and Morningside have a relaxed village feel to them and there’s a good feel to these places. A different view in the Southside books granted but it’s a view where the characters show you their version, their life and their experiences of one part of a well-known city.
BookTrail Boarding Pass: Southsiders – (That’s All Right 1)
Destination: Edinburgh Author/guide: Nigel Bird Departure Time: 2000s
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