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Boyracers.... Anyone Read It?

Maxxed_Ross

By Maxxed_Ross
in Scottish Scoobies

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Maxxed_Ross

Maxxed_Ross

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Got a loan of the book Boyracers from a mate, and being from Falkirk - where it's set in the late 90's - I thought I'd give it a go

It focuses on 4 young guys and their social life - going for nights out, racing people in their car, trying to be a hit with the girls. It really is the funniest, most realistic and perfectly written book that I've read for ages!

It was set at around the time I started to become involved with nights out in Falkirk and the cruising scene, and there's so many characters and incidents that I had totally forgotten about

Well done Alan Bissett for his first book-totally amazing!

Aparently there's going to be a movie about it soonish too :blush:

mystery machine

mystery machine

Posted
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Heddy haw!

Just read it for the first time a few weeks back :blush:

Very good 'coming of age' story, written in our local tongue. Really strange to read a book where every place that's mentioned is completely familiar! Even down to the burds posing on the stairs at Rosies (a while since I've been there to see them, mind).

For the most part, the car scene is a backdrop to the story. However, there's one very amusing part involving a drag race, a driver with no license and a brick wall :crying:

Plenty of good Scottish humour in there too.

One thing I couldn't work out while reading it was how much of the story was autobiographical. I know that Bisset is from Hallglen, but that's about it...

Edited by Mystery Machine
mystery machine

mystery machine

Posted
Posted
Aparently there's going to be a movie about it soonish too :D

Seriously? Where did you hear that?

Hope they film it around Falkirk...

Probably end up transferring the story to Surrey, casting Hugh Grant as Alvin :crying:

Maxxed_Ross

Maxxed_Ross

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Posted (edited)

They have been in touch with the Falkirk Cruise team about it, but it's all very vauge at the moment

However, there's one very amusing part involving a drag race, a driver with no license and a brick wall :)

I may well have been involved in that if we hadn't given a very very drunk mate a lift home after riding a shopping trolley through the side of a bus shelter ;)

Luckily we just caught the aftermath and the chaos trying to clear up before the cops showed up :crying:

The same guy spun off Lathallan roundabout about a week later after racing along the M9 :D;)

Them were the days

Edited by Maxxed_Ross
sparky_sj04

sparky_sj04

Posted
Posted (edited)
Got a loan of the book Boyracers from a mate, and being from Falkirk - where it's set in the late 90's - I thought I'd give it a go

It was set at around the time I started to become involved with nights out in Falkirk and the cruising scene,

Just need to ask mate, what age were you in the "late 90's"??? 12?? :crying:

Edited by sparky_sj04
mystery machine

mystery machine

Posted
Posted (edited)
They have been in touch with the Falkirk Cruise team about it, but it's all very vauge at the moment
Interesting - do keep us posted if you hear any more about that :crying:

Hey - I could even apply to be an extra... my big break into showbiz! ;)

I may well have been involved in that

...

I was 16 in 2001 so about there

Do you reckon that's the same incident?

Bisset is about the same age as me (he was born in 1975). If any of the events in the book were based on his own experiences during his mid teens, then they would have taken place around 1991-92 (now THOSE were the days, young Ross! :D). Of course, it would make sense for him to bring the story forward in time to make the book more contemporary and appealing to the young 'uns.

Guess it's also possible that he was just writing about something he'd heard, or perhaps it was all completely fictional! He does mix it up a bit right enough. For example, there's a lot of chat about text messaging and mobile phones - and there sure was none of that nonsense when me and Mr Bisset were laddies, oh no...

At the time that I began courting, if you craved the company of a fair maiden, texting was not an option...

Here's what you had to do:

- Learn how to play the guitar.

- Write a sonnet - aye, a sonnet!

- Camp out below her bedroom window.

- Wait until the moon reached its apex in the night sky.

- Serenade her in dulcet tones, with perfect pitch.

- Woo her with your sonnet, embellishing where appropriate with interesting phrasing, accentuation and inflections.

- Finally - if you hadn't lost the will to live - you would ask for her father's permission to take her on a social outing (strictly no tongues).

Or, failing that:

- Buy her a bottle of MD 20/20 + ten fags and hope for the best...

Edited by Mystery Machine
Spaceman

Spaceman

Posted
Posted

yup i read it a while ago great book like the bit bout fighting the Camlon weapons at the superbowl lol

they have had casting sessions for it already locally i know of a few who went. grieg

Maxxed_Ross

Maxxed_Ross

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Do you reckon that's the same incident?

Bisset is about the same age as me (he was born in 1975). If any of the events in the book were based on his own experiences during his mid teens, then they would have taken place around 1991-92 (now THOSE were the days, young Ross! :D). Of course, it would make sense for him to bring the story forward in time to make the book more contemporary and appealing to the young 'uns.

Guess it's also possible that he was just writing about something he'd heard, or perhaps it was all completely fictional! He does mix it up a bit right enough. For example, there's a lot of chat about text messaging and mobile phones - and there sure was none of that nonsense when me and Mr Bisset were laddies, oh no...

It certainly sounded the same, but from memory it was alot later on than the dates you mention.

I think he has brought it forward a bit, as you say mobile phones weren't really popular around my way until I was almost out of high school, and even then text messaging was later again. I thought it was starting to sound more like the early 2000's in parts

I hope there is a movie, and by the sounds of things it will be in Falkirk. I've got my name down to be an extra too :crying:

sma01

sma01

Posted
Posted
They have been in touch with the Falkirk Cruise team about it, but it's all very vauge at the moment

I may well have been involved in that if we hadn't given a very very drunk mate a lift home after riding a shopping trolley through the side of a bus shelter :lol:

Luckily we just caught the aftermath and the chaos trying to clear up before the cops showed up ;)

The same guy spun off Lathallan roundabout about a week later after racing along the M9 :o:rolleyes:

Them were the days

no prizes for guessing who was in the trolley......sure i remember that happening up the retail....back then was a laugh when thursday and sunday nights were the nights to be up the town with the cars......dont know anyone that still goes up, most of the cars are either sold or off the road....

sma01

sma01

Posted
Posted
I still go up then if I'm about, and a few of the old crew are still about but not nearly as much.

I think most of them grew out of it

a few of us started going to the pub on a thursday night instead, wasnt the same going up without the cars(majority of them were off the road for rebuilds), once i get mine back i dare say i will head up to see whats happening/what new cars are there now....

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