Renton native, Tom McBride recently published his novel – Renton: Fly…or You Cry, a twenty-year labour of love and tribute to his home village of Renton. Tom was determined to give something back to the community that shaped him and wanted to donate all proceeds from the book to local charities, including Cornerstone.  

Tom explained; “having been brought up with nothing myself, and now being in the position to give something back, I wanted to give something to the local area.” 

The book details what it was like growing up in Renton in the 50s. Tom wanted to depict the true nature of the Renton he grew up in refusing to shy away from darker themes and describing the best parts of Renton alongside the bad. As Tom explains; 

“This book has everything; from exploring true love, football, and friendship, to sectarianism, court appearances, gangland culture and other hard-hitting topics. It’s ultimately a book about survival in very difficult times." 

"There is a strong Rentonian culture; people are proud of where they come from. There’s a sense of belonging there, and that’s certainly something I’ve always felt.” 

Renton: Fly...or You Cry was officially launched at Cornerstone's Carman Centre in Renton on the 15th of November 2022. At the event, Tom briefly talked about the inspiration behind the book and signed copies for everyone who wanted to purchase one. The book quickly sold out and because of continued demand, Tom’s book has already raised £500 for Cornerstone. The other half of Tom’s profits have been donated to local foodbanks. 

Fly...Or You Cry is now available to purchase from; 

• The Carman Centre, Renton 
• Loch Lomond Gift House, Balloch 
• Asda, Dumbarton (on a Tuesday and Thursday between 10am and 2pm) 

You can also purchase the book online for £12.99 (including postage) via PayPal – PayPal.Me/RentonBook