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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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Tag Archives: Christmas
Merry Christmas!
That’s it from us for another year! Merry Christmas and we will see you in 2012!
Friday Christmas Card
This week’s Christmas card comes from 1906 and Lochmaddy, and shows a snowy scene with a family linking arms. Is it too much to hope that we will have a white Christmas, or did we peak too early snow-wise?
Friday Christmas Card
This greetings card from Christmas 1944 was sent to Mr Macleod, the town clerk of Stornoway during WWII. It appears to have been sent from a member of the armed forces as thanks for the work carried out by the Town … Continue reading
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Tagged Christmas, Friday Photo, Stornoway Town Hall
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Friday Christmas Card; Lord Leverhulme in 1920
Following on from last week’s post, here we have the card that Leverhulme sent out for the Christmas of 1920. On the cover there is a picture of him in May of the same year, about to embark on a … Continue reading
Friday Christmas Gift; Loose Leaves from the Lews
In the spirit of all things Yuletide we have forgone our Friday Photo and instead present the Christmas gift given to Lord Leverhulme from his son in 1918. This booklet contains a series of poems, photographs and sketches created both … Continue reading
