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Author’s surprise gift for Angus schoolboy who lost treasured books in house blaze

At Northmuir PS are author Stuart Reid and pupil Connor McAuley, also below, who received books.
At Northmuir PS are author Stuart Reid and pupil Connor McAuley, also below, who received books.

A schoolboy whose family home was gutted by fire received a special surprise.

Half of Connor McAuley’s house was destroyed last month after a blaze on the outskirts of Kirriemuir.

The loss included his prized book collection, a treasured part of which he had only just acquired.

Three Gorgeous George books, signed by Falkirk children’s author Stuart Reid, were lost in the fire with the rest of Connor’s library.

But Mr Reid arrived in Angus with an aid package of bookish goodies, which brought a smile to the Northmuir PS pupil’s face.

Mr Reid said he had enjoyed a visit to “a beautiful part of the country” in February while on a promotional tour, and was dismayed to hear of Connor’s situation.

He added: “I came back from my holidays last week and had an email from Anne, the clerical officer at Northmuir.

“She said this little lad was devastated to have lost everything. But the most upsetting thing was that he had lost the books I signed for him which I was blown away by.”

Crews were called to the detached house at Chapelton Farm, about four miles outside of town, at 6pm on April 30.

The McAuleys had gone for a walk and returned to find their home in flames.

Four fire engines two from Kirriemuir and two from Forfar rushed to the scene, and a support pump from Dundee was also used.

In total, 30 firefighters tackled the blaze for more than an hour and half, as well as making sure no one was in the building. Inspections found that half the cottage had been destroyed.

Determined to help the family during a difficult time, Mr Reid brought Connor a personalised illustration from Calvin Innes, who inks the Gorgeous George series, T-shirts and a whole series of titles, including signed replacements for the ones lost.

The 47-year-old, who described his anarchic books as “all bums and bogies”, is doing a show at the Edinburgh Festival entitled Reading Rocks.

He hopes the healing power of reading will help Connor like other fans.

“I once had a cracking letter from a soldier’s wife who said he had post-traumatic stress disorder,” he added.

“He was really down and depressed, and he found the illustrations in my books really cheered him up.”

Mr Reid, from Shieldhill, left Scotland to manage the Premier Inn in Dubai in 2007, but returned as visitor numbers declined.

He also worked on radio as an unofficial Scottish football pundit for ex-pats before he moved his family back in 2009.