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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: Mingulay
Friday Photo; Reflections on Mingulay
Today the Islands Book Trust is hosting a two-day event to mark the centenary of the end of permanent human settlement on Mingulay, with our very own David Powell as one of the speakers! The Trust will also be launching a … Continue reading
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Tagged education, Friday Photo, Islands Book Trust, Mingulay, schools
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St Kilda and Mingulay school log books in the news!
This week saw the formal launch online of the school log books for the abandoned islands of Mingulay and St Kilda. Several newspapers, including the Scotsman, Herald, Sunday Express and other news websites such as the BBC have picked up … Continue reading
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Tagged log books, Mingulay, palaeography, schools, St Kilda, transcription
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Friday photo: A good geansaidh!
As promised here is your second photo for the week, and it comes with the oath that I shan’t forget my Friday Photo ever again! It is horrible weather in Stornoway today, pouring with rain and chilly to boot. What … Continue reading
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Tagged clothes, Friday Photo, Mingulay, Vatersay
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