Christie Boy

THE BOOK

Chris Fraser's autobiography is written in four readable and evocative sections:

Tarmacadam had not yet come North
covers the period from his birth in Lairg in Sutherland through a childhood spent in Grantown on Spey and Kyle of Lochalsh as the family followed his father's railway career. These barefoot years in a strict Free Church home authentically reflect a byegone age from the horse drawn funeral of his baby sister Anne Jane, the emigration to Canada of his elder brother Murdo, the arrival of the first motor car in the West Highlands, to his first innocent encounter with crofting animal husbandry.

O'er Heav'n and Earth the Lord God Reigns,
But the Western Isles, they're David MacBrayne's
covers Chris' first period with the ferry company which was and remains an institution in the Highlands and Islands and Clyde Coast. He fondly remembers characters like Captain Squeaky Robertson and many other equally eccentric staff members; incidents like the wrecking of the "Sheila"; and his own experiences, such as frequently breaking off from his Acting Purser duties to relieve his seasickness in a bucket.

The Left Handed Gun
sees Chris joining up as a Seaforth volunteer before the outbreak of war to begin an eventful army career wrestling with military orthodoxies. Highlights include training with the first Scottish Commandos in Arran; the frustration of the Commandos' early set backs in North Africa; the exhileration of a non rider finding himself in charge of a motorcycle squad; and taking the lead in finding a way of processing Russian prisoners of war.

Normal Service is Restored
sees a return to David MacBrayne and the resumption of a career which through Glasgow, Lochboisdale, Inverness and Fort William saw Chris rise to Area General Manager. The memories of early married life with city girl Rena in the wilds of South Uist are particularly enchanting.

Chris Fraser in 1994

Chris Fraser in 1938