A dream come true

I had an exciting but terrifying experience this week - looking in a bookshop and seeing my book displayed in the front of the window- The Dream That Wouldn`t Die by Ann Galbraith.

Every journalist likes to believe they have a book in them; their own perconal dream. And admittedly I have started a few - including a children`s book which I am determined to finish one of these days. But to have actually finished one has been quite something.

And at one time I wondered if it would ever come to be.
When I retired from the Ayr Advertiser, former industrialist and entrepreneur Bill Miller asked me if I would be interested in writing a book telling the story of how Prestwick airport had been saved from closure and demolition in the late `80s early `90s.

He had been heavily involved in the takeover from BAA - days when the airport had six flights a WEEK, and they were freight re-fuelling stops - and he thought the story deserved its place in history. Plenty of books had been written about the early days, plus aircraft specialist books, but not the inside story of the saving of the airport.

Timing was good for me - and almost two years of research followed - tracing people who had worked at the airport at that time and jogging their memories.It was a time they all remembered with a great deal of pride and were easy to talk to. I travelled to West Viginia in the US to see Matthew Hudson who materminded the turnaround with the late Lord Younger. I was emailing around the world. But eventually it came together and after much blood, sweat and tears, was written, checked, double- checked - but I bet there are still many who will come forward and say `that is not how I remember it`. But I told it as a heard it.

Next of course we had to find a publisher - not the easiest job I discovered. Then in one of life`s little moments of serendipity I was holidaying last year at the home of a former colleague, Jack Wright - he was sports editor with the Ayr Advertiser in the early 1980s. He has his own publishing company in Cape May, New Jersey and I was asking his advice. He said he would do it - and we had lift off.

Now the book is in the shops, we are also selling it online - here`s the plug thedreamthatwouldntdie.co.uk. And now is probably the most trying time of all - hoping folk buy it!.

On the council front, things are winding down towards the Easter recess. It has beena turbulent term since Christmas,with closures, cuts in services, job losses,street protests, the sad sight of the Gaiety with shuttered doors (short term I sincerely hope). We can only hope lessons have been learned and things will get better.