The Golden Mile is a book of poems but it is more than that: it is a love story. It speaks of one man’s love first of his brave father who died, when the author was a teenager, of disabilities caused by his service in the Battle of the Atlantic during World War II and then of his own family. He dedicates the book to his late father’s memory. He retraced his father’s footsteps along the Golden Mile that leads up to Edinburgh Castle seventy years after he father did so during a break in hostilities. He writes about that movingly in the title piece in the collection. Most of us can point to a favourite song, place, scent or possession that triggers memories of a loved one who has, as Banjo Patterson describes, gone over the range. He introduces you to his own family one at a time. He calls Lesley, his wife, the mother of his three children and grandmother of their five grandchildren by the affectionate names of Madre, La Madre and the Contessa as well as her real name. Their adventures are hilarious and at the same time heart rending. Navigating the removal of a cheap bead his young daughter placed up her nose - Heaven knows why? - one minute and coping with stage four breast cancer the next, takes you on a roller-coaster ride which our author captures brilliantly in this collection. At a time when men are asked to express their feelings our author needs no coaching. He uses the “l’ word frequently, filially and unexpectedly. He shows us that if you say what you feel and feel what you say, there is a lot to be gained by everyone. If you are a thinker, a believer in the golden rule and a lover of people, this is definitely a book for you.
