Toby Purser

Not only a damning indictment of the murderous Thatcher devastation wrought upon the industrial heartlands of Glasgow in the 1980s but a searing and harrowing tale of childhood in poverty, sometimes very funny, mostly awful but utterly compelling, and this is because of the poetic language that makes every line a gem. Think Kes meets Trainspotting and My Name is Daniel Blake. Flashbacks to the war years are equally on point and if you thought the late 20th century Britain was a time of progress, think again. It’s also a reminder of the pre-internet life and times - grindingly dull, boring and hard - and a warning to the present day disposable culture of casual, temporary expectation.