Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Infamous Timex strike of 1993 sets backdrop for city cabbie’s new novel
A CITY cabbie turned author is putti ng the f i n ish i ng touc hes to his fifth novel, which is brimming with tales of murder set against the backdrop of the notorious Timex strike.
Craig McCabe, from Kirkton, has already found success with books Driving Nowhere and Youngsters, both similarly set in his home town.
The taxi driver was inspired to try his hand at writing after years of dreaming up ideas from his time behind the wheel.
Now the 45-year-old is delving into his own past, as one of his first jobs after leaving Lawside Academy was at the Timex factory.
Although the central character in his latest book, The Last Great Strike (A Timex Story), is fictional, the 1993 strike will play a part.
He said: “The book focuses around Tommy who comes out of prison in London after serving 22 years for murder.
“He returns to his home city and thinks back to how he ended up where he did and realises it started from the strikes.”
Craig was 18 when he worked on the assembly line at Timex and was laid off on Christmas Eve, 1992 – just weeks before the strike began.
However, his mum Rose, who worked in the factory for a number of years, took part in the strike and Craig joined her on the picket line, which stood firm until the site was eventually shut in August 1993.
He added: “I was on a temporary contract at that time and at one point I thought we’ll get back to work but obviously that didn’t happen.
“My mum
Rose worked there and she was a quality controller. I remember the events of that time very well, I’ve still got pictures of my mum on the picket line.
“My family were affected by this strike like so many others.
“I’ve had the plot for the book for years. Although the central character is fictional most of the events around Dundee at that time are factual.
“There was a taxi firm that went bust during the strike for taking ‘scabs’ over the picket line and I’ve also been doing my research into the more violent side of the strikes.”
The writer, who revealed he has “30 y e a r s wo r t h o f material” still to commit to paper, has so far played out his stories withhis home city as the backdrop city, inspired by people he would pick up in his cab. He said finding his feet in the competitive world of publishing had never been something he had envisaged when he left school.
He added: “School wasn’t really for me and I never would have imagined sitting here speaking about publishing another title.
“When I started working in the taxi that’s when I started thinking about plots, purely through some of the things I heard while dropping off fares.
“The Timex book is about a third of the way through. Trying to balance it with working as a driver is difficult, I’ve got about 30 years worth of material.
“I’ve not given too much away about the storyline but given the events of that time, people are really interested in the book.
“At this stage I’m hoping to get it out by the start of next year.”
Craig’s previous works can be bought on Amazon where they are available to download or buy in hardback.