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Document 862

Correspondence from Canada: Letter 14 - 23.10.81

Author(s): 852

Copyright holder(s): Name withheld

Text

The Maggie
23rd Oct.

Dear Maw & Paw,

Thanks for your letters - sorry that I haven't had time to reply before now. I've been kept fairly busy, mainly by my first batch of grammar exercises, which I had to correct and hand back for today. Prof. [CENSORED: surname] was fairly pleased with them and I'm getting more on Monday. In a week or so I'll start handing the exercises back to the class myself, and I'll discuss errors. That should be fun and games.

Otherwise not a terrible lot has happened since I last wrote. I applied for and received my American visa, so it's all systems go for Christmas. Only two months off now - it's hard to believe. Time is shooting by.

Mark, my room-mate, has been acting strangely lately. After the Engineers' Lady Godiva fiasco last week, it's been the Foresters' turn to be silly. Mark was up and out at 2 o'clock this morning painting green Paul Bunyan feet all over campus. Paul Bunyan is a legendary 20-foot logger of Canada's dark past who is famed for going through forests like a combine harvester. He is the Foresters' mascot, and a bunch of them were painting the huge footsteps last night to publicise the Woodsman's Competition tomorrow. So Paul Bunyan walked again last night - until stopped by 2 squad cars and half a dozen campus police!! Mark got back around 4am. He's up at 6.30am tomorrow again to do his lumberjack bit in the competition.

I misread the [CENSORED: surname]'s letter - it's not actually 3000 miles to Philadelphia, altho' it's a fair haul.

I hope the 25th anniversary of the kirk went well and that you gave Bill [CENSORED: surname] & Iain [CENSORED: surname] and families my regards. You were taking a bit of a chance, Dad, getting Nick [CENSORED: surname] even to take a reading. You'll deserve your "retreat". Are you taking your hat with you?

I hope you both enjoyed your weekend at Aunt Anne's. I haven't been in touch with Anne yet at all.

Thanks for sending me the photos of Drew's wedding. I'll write to him soon. He does look terribly young.

I've received 3 letters from Carole in the past 3 days, but she still hasn't mentioned anything about the Sadat assasination. Either she hasn't heard yet - which is unlikely, but possible considering she was studying for her German exam - or she's waiting to see how things develop. From what I've read, the situation in Egypt is still unstable, but Mubarak seems a strong enough leader to get things back under control. I've been talking to a student here from Alexandria who believe it won't take long at all for things to calm down. But I'm keeping my eye on the state of affairs.

I see Scotland's made the World Cup again. Jock Stein for Prime Minister! Is Ted Heath really trying to make a comeback? Will the SDP take Croydon? Will Maggie T. last the year out? I read more U.K. current affairs than I did at home! Mainly from outdated copies of the Times and the Observer - Canadian papers just don't seem real somehow.

What's the local radio station like? Interesting or "hame-knitted"? Maybe you'll switch on some time and hear Nicky [CENSORED: surname] as resident D.J!

Well, I'd really better get to bed. Mark's snoring across the room. I don't envy Ali her tutor - Mr [CENSORED: surname] is rather useless to be honest: one of the worst lecturers there. She's got enough ability to see her through 1st year by herself, though, and at this stage the tutor isn't too important.

I hope you enjoyed entertaining the massed [CENSORED: surname]s, and that the house-painting is at last finished. It's becoming more like the Forth Rd Bridge - you won't have stopped till it's time to start again! I'm afraid my presents haven't arrived yet - they should come next week. Take care, regards to all,

Love,
[CENSORED: forename]

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APA Style:

Correspondence from Canada: Letter 14 - 23.10.81. 2024. In The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. Glasgow: University of Glasgow. Retrieved 19 March 2024, from http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=862.

MLA Style:

"Correspondence from Canada: Letter 14 - 23.10.81." The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. Glasgow: University of Glasgow, 2024. Web. 19 March 2024. http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=862.

Chicago Style

The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech, s.v., "Correspondence from Canada: Letter 14 - 23.10.81," accessed 19 March 2024, http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=862.

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The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. 2024. Glasgow: University of Glasgow. http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk.

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Information about Document 862

Correspondence from Canada: Letter 14 - 23.10.81

Text

Text audience

Adults (18+)
Audience size 3-5
Writer knew intended audience

Text details

Method of composition Handwritten
Year of composition 1981
Word count 687

Text medium

Other airmail

Text publication details

Part of a longer series of texts
Name of series Correspondence from Canada

Text setting

Private/personal

Text type

Correspondence/letters

Author

Author details

Author id 852
Gender Male
Decade of birth 1950
Educational attainment University
Age left school 17
Upbringing/religious beliefs Protestantism
Occupation University Lecturer
Place of birth Ayr
Region of birth S Ayr
Birthplace CSD dialect area Ayr
Country of birth Scotland
Place of residence Bridge of Weir
Region of residence Renfrew
Residence CSD dialect area Renfr
Country of residence Scotland
Father's occupation Insurance Broker
Father's place of birth Auchinleck
Father's region of birth S Ayr
Father's birthplace CSD dialect area Ayr
Father's country of birth Scotland
Mother's occupation Dental Receptionist
Mother's place of birth Ayr
Mother's region of birth S Ayr
Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area Ayr
Mother's country of birth Scotland

Languages

Language Speak Read Write Understand Circumstances
English Yes Yes Yes Yes In most everyday situations
Portuguese Yes No No Yes When trying to communicate with my in-laws
Scots Yes Yes Yes Yes In domestic/activist circles; reading literature

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