Forth Bridge Writer-in-Residence completes her year

For the past twelve months, the Forth Bridge heritage and tourism team has been working with its first writer-in-residence, Barbara Henderson. A children’s author specialising in historical fiction, Barbara started the position at the Barnardo’s Your View event in September 2022 and concluded her residency at the 2023 event where lucky participants enjoyed the amazing views from the top of the Forth Bridge in North Queensferry.

It has been a year to remember! The year-long residency has resulted in two books, twelve months of blog posts, many articles and several thousand miles as Barbara travelled to share the Forth Bridge story with children and adults alike at almost thirty live events - and counting.

The idea of a Forth Bridge Writer-in-Residence developed during her research for her children’s book, Rivet Boy. Frank Hay is a local historian who helped with her research and comments: “When Barbara contacted us, The Briggers, requesting help writing a children’s book about the Forth Bridge, we were so pleased as this is not an easy task. The author must invest so much time and energy learning about this unique Victorian industrial environment - but we were happy to help. Barbara is a whirlwind of activity and an obvious candidate for our first-ever Forth Bridge Writer in Residence.”

Barbara adds: ‘It has been an unbelievable honour to spread the Forth Bridge love in words. I am particularly pleased that so many schools across Scotland have chosen to use Rivet Boy in the classroom – I went to Mull to do Forth Bridge school events last week! Working with photographer Alan McCredie for Made from Girders has been another highlight. In fact, the whole year as Writer-in-Residence has given me so many new connections and experiences which I will treasure for life!’

Among the stories told in the newest book, Made From Girders, is that of North Queensferry resident Garry Irvine, who recalls an old lady telling him about a man’s head being found in a garden under the Bridge, knocked off from a train passing overhead. That’s not to mention the many lifeboat operations of RNLI crew member Julia Dominguez whose career in the Forth has seen her rescue everything from a mass of floundering swimmers to over-adventurous dogs who found themselves in deep waters.

Click here to buy Rivet Boy and here to buy Made from Girders.