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- I am just in from the meeting of the school Literary Society. They had a Gaelic debate: “Has emigration been beneficial to the Highlands?” They went into it with great vim and seemed to enjoy it greatly. Several times it resolved itself into little duels in which there seemed to be excellent bits which brought down the house, and retort would follow retort to everybody’s delight… The affirmative won by 35 votes to 14; some did not vote… Stornoway, 28th Feb. 1917
- There have been some fine catches of herring this last week, one day 5000 crans. The Minch has been getting “swept” and the mail-boat is running regularly. Oatmeal scarce; we have had to fall back temporarily on Quaker oats… Stornoway 22nd Feb 1917
- This week’s letter highlights a difficult truth which is very pertinent, given that it is Black History Month. In the course of transcribing the letters we occasionally encounter racist language which is extremely offensive and considered abhorrent today. The fact that a highly educated woman like Mrs Gibson would use this particularly horrible word in such a context reflects the racist ideas prevalent in Britain at this time. We thought carefully about whether to publish this letter on the blog, but we feel it is important not to cover up the past and that we should bring it out into the open, as the attitudes of people in the past are an important part of the historical record. In another sentence of the letter there is a reference to insanity in a particular family. We have not revealed the family’s identity in case this causes distress to any descendants.
- I had letters this week from Wm. B. Macdonald, who is with a battery in France and has had one or two narrow escapes, from J. W. Matheson, in Salonika, and from Alick Thomson, in the training camp at Gailes. He is enjoying the change from the trench-mud. Did I mention that Simon Mackenzie, who has been on a minesweeper off the west coast of Ireland, is now home, discharged on account of his health?… Stornoway, 15th Feb. 1917
- He told us of a mule who had a spite against a man and waited patiently for an opportunity to pay him out [get revenge]. One day the man was grooming the third mule from his enemy. The watchful one saw his chance and laid the man out with a kick delivered below the bellies of the two intervening mules. What do you think of that? E. says they never forget anybody who has beaten them…Stornoway, 9th Feb. 1917
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Monthly Archives: May 2012
Friday photo; Road to Hushinish
Tomorrow the Islands Book Trust is hosting a boat trip from Hushinish to Scarp departing at 11am. Scarp is famous for being the island where an experiment was carried out to see if post could be delivered by means of rockets. … Continue reading
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Tagged Bunavoneader, Friday Photo, Harris, Hushinish, Islands Book Trust, Scarp
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Friday photo; Carloway School extension
Katie Anne and Donna have been busy sorting some uncatalogued records and came across some School Board records relating to the building and extension of various schools. They included these lovely drawings of the proposed 1893 extension to Carloway school. Firstly, the … Continue reading
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Tagged 1893, carloway, carloway school, School
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Friday photo; Picture the Past, Create the Future
Next weekend, as part of the Festival of Museums, Museum nan Eilean and An Lanntair are working in partnership to hold a two day programme for families to explore some of the history of Lews Castle. Families will get the … Continue reading
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Tagged An Lanntair, Dog, Festival of Museums, Friday Photo, Lews Castle, Musueum nan Eilean
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St Peter’s Episcopal Church
On Tuesday, David visited St Peter’s Episcopal Church on Francis Street in Stornoway to meet with their new minister, Rev. Shona Boardman, and to see the archives they hold. The archives include records relating to the day-to-day management of the … Continue reading
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Tagged Church, eoropie, episcopal
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Friday photo; Sheep shearing
The above picture shows a group of men shearing sheep in the early 20th century. A copy of this image can also be found in Western Isles a postcard tour – Barra to North Uist, though, unfortunately, it does not … Continue reading
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Tagged Friday Photo, sheep, Uist
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