Research

The impetus for my trip to Scotland, in 2010, was research. Long before I discovered that my best friend, Stuart, was planning a trip to Edinburgh, I told DW that I needed to return to Roland's homeland for research purposes. I needed to learn more about the town from whence he came, and I needed to find him a home.

Because I had planned to begin my next book, Gyeosunim, in Edinburgh and North Berwick, I needed to find Roland's house. I needed to find Siobhan's house: Roland's sister was married and living in New Town, Edinburgh. Roland started his days, in North Berwick, with a climb to the top of Berwick Law, and I needed to know how to do that, and what to see when I reached the summit.

The fact that Stu, my friend of more than 30 years, was going to be in Edinburgh, and had generously offered to share his accommodation and some of his valuable time with me, made the timing to go irresistible.

But I did have to fulfill that necessity to research as much information as I could. Already, I had found Siobhan's Georgian home, on Northumberland Street. I had found Roland's home, on Westgate, and had climbed to the top of Berwick Law—luckily, on a clear day, when I could see the extent that its vista allowed. I had rediscovered and re-familiarized myself with Tantallon Castle, Roland's childhood playground, and I had enjoyed a pint at the public house that was Roland's father's watering hole.

All that was left for me, on my final, full day in Scotland was to learn some history of the town: to see what life was like in North Berwick in the late 60s and through the 70s, when Roland lived there (his family moved to Ottawa in 1980). I wanted to learn about the surrounding area.

On Thursday, June 3, 2010, Stuart had a full plate. Conferences all day and then a dinner. We wouldn't see each other until late that evening. After breakfast—my third of haggis and blood pudding with my fried eggs and toast—we went our separate ways. I packed up my camera bag, walked to Waverley Station, and caught the train to North Berwick.

I arrived at the North Berwick Library shortly after it opened. This small community building is located on School Road and is very close to the second house that was a candidate for Roland's home. Two librarians, Alison Hunter and Caroline Henley, greeted me as I entered the foyer and asked if they could be of assistance. Little did I know of how much assistance they were willing to offer.

I explained that I was writing a novel and wanted to learn as much as I could about this town as I could. These ladies pointed me to a couple of books, but admitted that historical books about North Berwick were not in abundance. I was able to look at some microfiche copies of newspapers, but because I didn't know what I was looking for, I just randomly searched papers in the dates between 1973 and 1979.

Meanwhile, Ms. Hunter and Ms. Henley searched their records and made calls to other libraries. And I learned, too late, that I should have dropped into the library yesterday: a neighbouring library, in Haddington, had some publications on North Berwick, and they could have sent the books to North Berwick for me to have today.

Damn.

I did find some information about the surrounding towns that would help me. For example, during World War I and II, the Royal Air Force had a base to the east of the nearby village of Drem. It was in use from 1917 to 1946 and was the home for primarily fighter squadrons during the Second World War. This find was perfect, because I was looking for the origin of the Axams.

If you remember, when I was looking for Roland's last name, I found it by flipping through the phone book and blindly plunking down my finger. I was hoping for a surname that started with B, so that Roland and I had the same initials, but I landed on Axam. It stuck with me right away.

Before I came to Scotland, I looked up the origins of the Axam name. I didn't find much but I had read one site that indicated that a family from East Prussia fled the Russian invasion before World War I and made it to Poland, and eventually to the UK. I imagined that Roland's great-grandfather had fled to Scotland with his wife and two young children, and had settled in Drem.

In 1939, Roland's grandfather, an aircraft metal polisher and mechanic, got a job working on aircraft at the RAF base. At the library, I learned more about the airbase and made more notes.

Ms. Hunter and Ms. Henley gave me more information. I learned of a drowning tragedy on the beach, and I worked this sad story into Gyeosunim. I learned that Arnold Palmer had played golf at one of the town's clubs.

When I stopped for lunch (the library closed between 1:00 and 2:00), the librarians reserved my table, with my books and papers. I went back to the Dalrymple Arms Inn, where I had had lunch the previous day. Katie wasn't working, so I sat at the bar and ate while I wrote a blog post on my old site, Brownfoot Journal.

Back at the library, my assistants had uncovered a photo archive and left it for me at my work table. It showed photos of North Berwick in the 1960s and 70s. It was perfect. I found detailed accounts of life in this town, from the end of World War II to 2000, including diary entries. I feverishly made notes while Ms. Hunter and Ms. Henley spoke on the phone with the Haddington library, getting information from the librarian on the other end.

I owe these kind and generous ladies a lot. I will be acknowledging them in Gyeosunim (I also acknowledged them in my blog post of that day.

At 5:00, the library was closing, and I helped my assistants collect the myriad materials with which they had supplied me. I thanked them profusely for their help, gave them my business card, with my home contact details and the URL to my blog, and said farewell.

I wandered more of the town, walking the two beaches that are separated from the harbour. I had another pint at the Auld Hoose, and checked to see then the last train left for Edinburgh. I had plenty of time, so I decided to return to the Dalrymple Arms for one last meal.

When I arrived, I was happy to see that Katie was working behind the bar, so I saddled up, opened my computer, and began assembling my notes. I asked her questions about general life in North Berwick. I asked about the weather in each season. I asked about how residents spent the winter months and the months outside tourist season.

Katie MacLeod, now immortalized in Gyeosunim.

Some of the locals joined me at the bar and they added more information to the things that Katie provided. I typed in my computer while Katie and the others provided answers to my questions, and I decided that Gyeosunim was going to begin in North Berwick. Because it would be February at the start of the novel, I asked them more about the light at that time of year, and what sort of weather I would face. Their answers painted a picture that I have tried to portray in the opening chapters of my book.

Though I wasn't ready to start the sequel to Songsaengnim: A Korea Diary for nearly a year later, I had more than enough information.

As the sun sank toward the East Lothian horizon, I thanked my new friends and made my way to the train station, taking one last look at the town and the house that would become Roland's in my novels. I caught the 9:20 train, arriving at Waverley before 10.

In Edinburgh, I took one last walk around the old town before making my way back to the hotel. I packed my bags and waited for Stuart's return, which came near midnight. We chatted for a few hours before my 3 am taxi arrived to collect me and take me to Waverley Station, where I took an airport bus and began my journey home.

It was the shortest trip that I've ever taken, overseas. Only three-and-a-half days, but so much accomplished, and memories that I will hold with me forever.

Stu and I are long overdue for another getaway.