Tag Archives: Bill Watson

Bay to Birdwood is coming!

Posted on by

As an avid classic car buff, The Bay to Birdwood is possibly my favourite day of the year. This year’s event is The Bay to Birdwood Classic, open to vehicles built between 1956 and 1977 and will be held on Sunday September 25th.

The procession of over 1750 vehicles leave West Beach at around 9.30am, travel through the city and up North East Road, past the Library, on its way to Birdwood. Hundreds of spectators set up picnic and viewing spots in Civic Park outside the library to view the run and at least one or two local clubs put on a sausage sizzle.

Recently we launched Bill Watson’s book The Bay to Birdwood Run- 1980-2010: History in Motion, a book chronicling the behind-the-scenes events that go on in the lead up to this iconic event. We also have a huge range of automobile books, plus arguably the largest range of workshop manuals of any SA library. These manuals cover vehicles of all makes and ages, so if you’re after that hard to find manual for your classic Honda Z, or Series One Landrover we’ve got it! This collection is not-for-loan so the manual you’re after should be on the shelf when you need it!

You could BANK on it!

Posted on by

Local author Bill Watson, will be visiting the library to talk about his latest book, You could BANK on it! A Banker’s Life or alternatively Where there’s money there’s crime, a narrative based on his own life as a banker. Bill started out his financial life in Scotland, emigrating to Australia  in the 1960’s and continuing his career in banks at various locations around Adelaide and South Australia.  Bill goes on to discuss how the banking world changed radically in the last two decades and how restructuring saw the loss of many skilled and loyal employees. Bill comes to the library on January 25th, more information can be found here. Bill has previously authored Police Forces of the World a comprehensive look at the evolution of the world’s police forces. He is currently working on a non-fiction book about the world famous Bay to Birdwood Run.