Edinburgh’s Southside - History People Memories by Lisa Sibbald

Edinburgh’s Southside - History People Memories by Lisa Sibbald is a book that, for once, is exactly what the title promises to be. In this book, the author gives us a solid background to history of this historic area of Edinburgh whilst at the same time bringing to life through the memories of “Southsiders” the ever changing faces of an individual community that still refuses to give up its warmth, diversity and identity.
There are few areas in Edinburgh that have suffered more at the hands of politicians and town planners in the quest for social and housing “improvements”, and the 1960s saw the start of a short- sighted housing and buildings clearance and renewal programme, which has left its mark everywhere you look in Edinburgh’s Southside.  Some of these changes have been for the good, but all too often historic buildings with links to the Southside’s rich cultural past have been lost forever in the name of progress.
There are many interesting facts, often backed up with photographs in this book, and this book should be on every Southsider’s (past and present) reading list.  Even if you have no connections with this area of Edinburgh, I recommend reading this book as The Southside has had a major impact upon the larger city that is Edinburgh for 100s of years. 
It takes skill as a writer to make history more than just places and dates and to not only bring it alive, let it breathe again, but to let the voices of everyday people speak and tell their stories; Lisa Sibbald, as a writer has this skill.
Edinburgh’s Southside - History People Memories is self-published by Lisa Sibbald. For further information on this and other books by the author visit click on the website link below.

EDINBURGH'S SOUTHSIDE
HISTORY PEOPLE MEMORIES
NOW AVAILABLE
A5 softback, 164 pages, with over 150 photographs/illustrations of Southside old and new
£15 plus postage (£2.00 UK)

https://lisasibbald.weebly.com/

Review (c) Tom King 2020