Blogging

The postal pensioner project I have been involved in is coming to an end - we are now in the final phase which involves writing a blog about the pensioners we have been researching.  

Today I spent some time looking into the life of one of "mine" - Hugh McColl from Port Appin. I'm finding it really interesting finding out more about life in the Highlands - my other pensioner is from Blarmachfoldach just outside Fort William. Both came from crofting families, spoke Gaelic and seemed to combine being letter carriers on highland routes with other work (crofting in one instance and running a coaching company in the other).  I have also "adopted" a third postal pensioner from Halkirk in Caithness, the son of a dressmaker.  In order to join the postal service you had to get your date of birth confirmed. All were born before compulsory registration and so no birth certificates. Instead they had to get a sworn statement from family members attesting to birth and attaching an extract from baptism records signed by minister. I hadn't come across this before.  

Really interesting - although it does feel strange to have deadlines to worry about again. The  blogs will all eventually be published on the project website. 
 

We have a writing workshop on Friday and I am looking forward to seeing how others are getting on.