SCOTS Project - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk Document : 1461 Title : Letter from Frances Gardner 07 - 20/12/89 Author(s): Frances Gardner Copyright holder(s): Dr Sheena Gardner Text [CENSORED: address] Edinburgh [CENSORED: postcode] 20th Dec. My dear Sheena, As I write this morning, you will be sound asleep at Sheila's house - eagerly anticipating, when you waken up, having 5 stockings hanging from the mantlepiece in your room on Christmas Eve in hopeful expectation of a bumper visit from Santa!! However, when you actually receive this letter all the fun will be over and you will be back to your sub zero conditions. Have a Happy New Year - and I hope 1990 brings you all the success and happiness you deserve. You have been saying recently that your work load should ease off now. I hope it does, but knowing you, you will doubtless find something else to get your teeth into! It was nice chatting to you on Sunday. However, we will need to try and make it out to see you sometime so that I can imagine you in your new surroundings. I still think of you in your previous apartment - what about a photo of your new condominium? (though at least we do know the area) Edinburgh traffic was brought to a standstill on Thursday - 4 inches of snow fell in the early hours and it blocked up everything!! It took Christina [CENSORED: surname] 2 hours from Ratho to work, and there was a 20 mile hold up on the M8. Glasgow Rd. Quite ridiculous!!, especially as by the following day the snow had completely cleared!! I think our traffic department should visit Winnipeg. I was concerned about Kathryn driving to Glasgow but she had wisely decided to stay at home - and I think is travelling by train now most days - as you never know when the frost and snow can take you unawares at this time of year! I had a long conversation with your German colleague from the Languages Dept. at St Andrews. I never catch her name - but she was wanting your address - "How they all miss Sheena - we were such a happy team - it was lovely to see her in the Summer etc etc". Her mother died in Germany this year which involved some visiting to and fro - and she now feels she has no "home" there. Also she was off with an operation for seven weeks in the Autumn, so she feels things are not what they used to be at all. Well that's about it, I think. We had our Christmas Party at the Cottage Homes yesterday - now that that is over I can concentrate of getting my good and chattels ready for our Christmas visit to Essex. All the best and much love Mum xxx P.T.O. I forgot - Here is Molly's cousin's address. [CENSORED: personal names] [CENSORED: address] Molly's sister Muriel used to work in Ayr and she was a faithfull Baby sitter when you were a baby! You should given them a ring sometime. Anne is Molly's cousin from Aberdeen. Uncle Bill visited Molly & Alistair when he was home and they said they had been in Winnipeg earlier in the year. You would have enjoyed meeting them. - Alistair is very much a "[CENSORED: surname]" but Molly is very nice and normal. Alastair's father was Granny's brother Uncle Tom - married to Aunt Alice - their two boys = Graham m. Gladys; - Alastair m. Molly their son Robert now 1st Secr. in Embassy at Abu Dhabi - sent you the Arabic tapes. This work is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. The SCOTS Project and the University of Glasgow do not necessarily endorse, support or recommend the views expressed in this document. Information about document and author: Text Text audience Adults (18+): Females: Audience size: 1 Writer knew intended audience: Text details Method of composition: Handwritten Year of composition: 1989 Word count: 556 General description: Letter from mother in Scotland to daughter living in Canada Text publication details Part of a longer series of texts: Name of series: Series of letters from mother to daughter Text setting Private/personal: Text type Correspondence/letters: Author Author details Author id: 1059 Forenames: Frances Surname: Gardner Gender: Female Decade of birth: 1920 Educational attainment: College Age left school: 18 Occupation: Retired Social Worker Place of birth: Bridge of Weir Region of birth: Renfrew Birthplace CSD dialect area: Renfr Country of birth: Scotland Place of residence: Edinburgh Region of residence: Edinburgh Residence CSD dialect area: Edb Country of residence: Scotland Father's occupation: Corn Factor Father's place of birth: Montreal Father's region of birth: Quebec Father's country of birth: Canada Mother's occupation: Housewife Mother's place of birth: Edinburgh Mother's region of birth: Edinburgh Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area: Edb Mother's country of birth: Scotland Languages: Language: English Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Language: Scots Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: