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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: fishing
Friday photo: The happy sailor
Sometimes the smile of a a person in a photo or their demeanour is just captivating. This image is identified as Alexander Macleod of Point, skipper of the Muirneag SY486. The image is take around 1940 and comes from the … Continue reading
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Friday photo: Mending the nets
Another image from the Lewis Museum Society collection held at Stornoway library featuring two fisherman mending nets in Stornoway harbour (image reference P/FI/026). It looks like back breaking work to me!
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Friday photo: A Point fisherman
This happy fisherman is Donald Macleod of Knock, Point. He was a crew member of the Muirneag SY486. The image is taken in about 1930 and comes from the Lewis Museum Society’s collection held in Stornoway library (image reference P/FM/7). … Continue reading
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A collection within a collection!
It isn’t often we find a collection within a collection here at Tasglann nan Eilean Siar but that is exactly what has happened with James Shaw Grant and the MacAulay (Rhodesia) Fund. The Fund was set up after the death of Ness … Continue reading
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Friday photo; Lochboisdale boats
This week’s Friday Photo is of fishing boats in Lochboisdale. Lochboisdale was a major port at the time of the herring boom in the late 19th and early 20th century, and now serves as one of the main ferry ports … Continue reading
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