Life in the Raws

About the Book: 

This is a personal record of a very important east central Scotland, industrial village – Pumpherston, but it is also a record of the life and experience of Jock Findlay, a proud, good, clever working class man. It tells of school, work, family life, of the community and the culture and ways of a by gone era, of a time of hard work and hardship, thrift, decency and respect. – Neil Findlay

While canvassing for the Scottish independence referendum in 2014 Neil Findlay made a discovery. Visiting the home that used to be his grandparents’, he was shown a plywood panel where John ‘Jock’ Findlay, his grandfather, had written his life’s tale.

This is Jock’s story. Jock grew up and grew old in the West Lothian village of Pumpherston – a village dominated by one industry, shale oil mining. In his own words he describes the good times, and the hard times, of living and working in Pumpherston. This is a story about a Scottish industry, a village and, most of all, a community.

Reviews:

Mr Findlay’s reminiscences provide a wonderful insight into everyday life in the Raws – the closeness of the community, the sense of security experienced through growing in a small village in which everyone knew everyone else. SYBIL CAVANAGH, Author of Pumpherston: The History of a Shale Oil Village

About the Author:

JOCK FINDLAY was born and brought up in the heart of the burgeoning West Lothian shale oil industry. His family and working life was shaped and dominated by The Pumpherston Oil Company or ‘The works’ as it was known locally. ‘The works’ provided jobs, housing, education, cultural events, sport and recreation.

NEIL FINDLAY was brought up in the working class village of Fauldhouse in West Lothian, he left school at 16 and followed his father as a bricklayer. He became interested in politics watching the miner’s strike unfold all around him. Neil later returned to education via evening class and eventually went to university, after which he worked in social housing before becoming a school teacher. He served as a West Lothian Councillor for 9 years before being elected to the Scottish parliament in 2011.