Michaela Meade
Alistair Pirie is sharing his childhood memories of Seaholme in a creative way, with the release of his children’s book, ‘Billycan’s Tail of Two Crocodiles’.
The book tells the story of five children who meet a mysterious stranger who directs them into a tunnel to discover an underground river system.
A series of adventures follow, making the kids aware of the environmental damage caused to coastal wetlands.
Mr Pirie said his own experiences living near Seaholme’s esplanade inspired the story.
“There was a lot of environmental destruction that we saw as kids,” he said.
“For example, there was a beautiful swamp … which was gradually filled.
“It became an industrial site, so this swamp was basically buried beneath ash.
“That was, I suppose, the bee in the bonnet.”
Mr Pirie said that beyond the book being “good fun” to write, he wanted to pass on his knowledge for his family.
“[The book] gave my grandkids a bit of family history,” he said.
“It’s also a story that I wanted to tell.”
Using his other profession as a sculptor, Mr Pirie has designed a special gift to go along with every book – a laser cut model of a crocodile.
‘Billycan’s Tail of Two Crocodiles’ is available now.
