Double Time

by Michael Elder

With the population still growing and land urgently needed to build the comapts to house the people, it falls to Grant Lomax, a junior public relations officer with the Accommodation Section, to persuade farmer Ernest Henshaw and his daughter June to leave their out-of-date open farm for a new, modern, labour-saving comapt in the Megapolis. But the Henshaws are unwilling to leave. They are even prepared to fight to stay on their own undeveloped land, an attitude which Lomax finds very difficult to understand. Part of the reason comes to light when Lomax’s great-grandfather dies at an immense age and, having wantonly destroyed most of his personal possessions, leaves Lomax a single heirloom. Through this heirloom and the Henshaws’ actions, Lomax eventually learns the ghastly price which people have had to pay for the organized, protected existence they have come to regard as normal.

165 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 3, 1976

About the author

Michael Elder was a Scottish actor who also wrote documentaries and other largely fact based programmes for BBC Scotland amongst others. He was a member of the Citizens' Theatre, Glasgow, Byre Theatre, St. Andrews, The Gateway Theatre, Edinburgh (1953 - 1960), and the Fraser Neale Players.

In film and television, he is known for his roles in The Flight of the Heron (1976), The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1978) and Sam (1973). He played Dr. Wallace in the Scottish Television series Take the High Road.

Elder had a long association with the town of St. Andrews, moving there when he and his sister, Alison, travelled north for schooling after their home was bombed during the blitz in the Second World War.

During the 1950s, he was a member of the Edinburgh Gateway Company. His many television credits included the classic drama series, Dr Finlay's Casebook. A prolific writer from a very early age, Elder had many books published, from children's titles and poetry, to an impressive list of 14 science fiction novels. He also completed several scripts for television, including High Road.