Monthly Archives: July 2020

The snow has lain (the hens have not!) thick… with frequent renewals. Mamma has been down the town only once during the week to hunt for meat, and, as I told you, she got none. Butter is all done, margarine unobtainable, and for two days we have had no milk. If ‘lil Lizzie’ had not obtained half a dozen herring for 10d. on Saturday there is no knowing what state of lowness we wd. now be reduced to… Stornoway, 14 Jan. 1917

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Archivist (Editor)

Mr Gibson’s letter to Jean gives an insight into the difficulties of obtaining food supplies during the War. A combination of the German submarine blockade and an unusually heavy and prolonged snowfall was making life very difficult for Stornoway residents … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on The snow has lain (the hens have not!) thick… with frequent renewals. Mamma has been down the town only once during the week to hunt for meat, and, as I told you, she got none. Butter is all done, margarine unobtainable, and for two days we have had no milk. If ‘lil Lizzie’ had not obtained half a dozen herring for 10d. on Saturday there is no knowing what state of lowness we wd. now be reduced to… Stornoway, 14 Jan. 1917

‘Every year on the first Tuesday of July, the town of Stornoway presents a very busy appearance, the bright coloured dresses of the girls and the more sober colours of the boys ‘bests’ help to give a gay festive air to the scene.’ Market Day, c.1905

Posted on July 16, 2020 by Archivist (Editor)

This week’s gem from the Gibson Collection is a beautifully evocative essay by Doldina MacLeod of Secondary Class III. The collection contains not just family correspondence, but also examples of Nicolson Institute pupils’ work. The account is so well written … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on ‘Every year on the first Tuesday of July, the town of Stornoway presents a very busy appearance, the bright coloured dresses of the girls and the more sober colours of the boys ‘bests’ help to give a gay festive air to the scene.’ Market Day, c.1905

Meet the team!

Posted on July 10, 2020 by Archivist (Editor)

During the Coronavirus lockdown, Museum and Archive staff have been busy transcribing hundreds of letters and documents from the Gibson Collection, which we have been sharing on this blog. The valuable work of the project team will be incorporated into … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Meet the team!

I was speaking the other day to Mrs Macgregor’s daughter who has the shop near Mr Murdo Macrae’s. I asked her about her nurse sister in Salonika. She said she was well and liked it fine. She had written to her mother when she first arrived that she wouldn’t be home-sick as “Salonika is just like Bragar” … Stornoway 17th Dec. 1916

Posted on July 3, 2020 by Archivist (Editor)

This week’s letter includes reference to  a new newspaper being started in Stornoway and Mrs Gibson wonders, in the course of her 8-page letter, if there will be enough news. She also advises Jean how to prepare for winter travel … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on I was speaking the other day to Mrs Macgregor’s daughter who has the shop near Mr Murdo Macrae’s. I asked her about her nurse sister in Salonika. She said she was well and liked it fine. She had written to her mother when she first arrived that she wouldn’t be home-sick as “Salonika is just like Bragar” … Stornoway 17th Dec. 1916