A nostalgic read

Despite a career move taking him south to England in 1970, Mike Gyles still regards himself as a true Red Lichtie and has fond memories of his time being raised and educated in the town.

He says that one of the tasks he set himself when he retired was to commit his memories to print and many of his recollections appear in his self-published memoir entitled Processed Peas, Macaroon Bars, Warm Pork Pies & Well Made Bras.

From his days living on Benedict Road and attending Hayshead Primary School, to his move across town to the Station Hotel and six years at Arbroath High School, to his first tentative steps working for Metal Box, Mike recalls many of the scrapes and adventures that he and his contemporaries somehow survived to reach adulthood.

“For anyone who can remember the infamous (and dangerous) Grannie Greig at Seaton Den, the joy of being a paper boy/message boy, Bert Lowe’s dances at the Mayflower Hall or the famous ‘bra on a flagpole’ incident at the end of the 1965/66 academic year at Arbroath High School, this will be a nostalgic read,” says Mike.

Noting that 2018 will be the 50th anniversary since he and many of his friends left Arbroath High School, there are tentative plans to hold a reunion next year. Anyone interested in supporting the reunion or in obtaining a copy of his book, can contact Mike at mike.gyles@hotmail.com

“It was a bit wet for us folk on the Isle of May the other day,” says Eric Niven, “but that didn’t bother the puffins at all, especially the one with the king-sized sprat. Maybe the other one was a wee bit jealous.”