Loss of friend leads to Kirrie man publishing first book at the age of 89

Ed Wilson’s heart and soul has been poured into writing ‘Letters to Iain’ and it is all the more remarkable that his original intention was to keep a dear friend going and interested in life even as that life was steadily seeping away.

Ed wanted to give his friend something upon which he could focus, think about and, quite often, laugh about and this collection was the result.

When Iain died, Ed continued to write to him, visiting his burial place regularly to tell him all the latest news.

He said: “People might think I am a lttle crazy – and they are probably right. It was originally intended to cheer up Iain’s wife as he struggled with life but very quickly it was simply letters to Iain to cheer him or both of them up.

"When he finally passed it left a void so I continued to visit his grave and have a chat virtually daily.

Ed said his literary inclination has always been there, even if his first publication coincided with his recent 89th birthday. His career has been extremely varied and he served as a merchant seaman for 10, a sales manager for 20 years and hotelier/publican for 35 years.

He added: “It was something I always wanted but never thought would actually happen to a Glasgow-born Kirriemuir lad like myself.”

‘Letters to Iain’ reflects the laughter opinions, memories and gossip that goes on between two close friends enjoying each other’s company and is available online and from bookshops.