Hail Philpstoun’s Queen: And Other Tales from the Shale

From the arrival of James Ross & Co. in 1883 until the departure of BP in 1962, the fate of the West Lothian village of Philpstoun was inextricably linked to the shale industry. Hail Philpstoun’s Queen and other tales from the shale, however, is more than just a tale of mines and oil works. Mother and daughter team Barbara and Marie Pattullo take us back to the days of Rows houses and horse drawn grocers’ vans, to summer gala days and thriving village sports clubs. Back to a life of walking to school, coping with life at war so close to the Forth and socials at the village hall. To a time when working life may have been hard but community spirit and village pride were well-founded. It is that spirit, and that pride, that this book aims to record, and to honour.