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A School in South Uist: Reminiscences of a Hebridean Schoolmaster, 1890-1913
 
 

A School in South Uist: Reminiscences of a Hebridean Schoolmaster, 1890-1913 (Paperback)

by F.G. Rea (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
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Product details

  • Paperback: 240 pages
  • Publisher: Birlinn Ltd; New Ed edition (1 Sep 1997)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1874744874
  • ISBN-13: 978-1874744870
  • Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 220,466 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Product Description

Product Description

These are the memoirs of a teacher from England who became headmaster of Garrynemonie School in South Uist in the 1890s. At that time, the Hebrides were as remote and forbidding to mainlanders as the Antarctic is in the late-1990s. In the 1890s this island was one of the poorest districts in the Outer Hebrides. Roads were no more than rough tracks. Gaelic was the majority language, although children had to learn their lessons in English and few allowances were made for bilingual teaching. Epidemics were frequent and the school had to close its doors because of outbreaks of smallpox, whooping-cough, scarlet fever, mumps and measels. Rea's memoirs show how he strove to meet these difficulties. His pupils recall him as a sincere, hard-working man and an excellent teacher. This work reveals his powers of observation and his interest in the unfamiliar scenes and events he witnessed and recorded.

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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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A School in South Uist: Reminiscences of a Hebridean Schoolmaster, 1890-1913
80% buy the item featured on this page:
A School in South Uist: Reminiscences of a Hebridean Schoolmaster, 1890-1913 4.5 out of 5 stars (2)
£5.99
Tales from an Island: The Christina Hall Omnibus
9% buy
Tales from an Island: The Christina Hall Omnibus
£8.99
Stories from South Uist
5% buy
Stories from South Uist 5.0 out of 5 stars (1)
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Uists and Barra (Pevensey Island Guide)
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Uists and Barra (Pevensey Island Guide) 4.3 out of 5 stars (3)
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Customer Reviews

2 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A step back in time., 16 April 2001
By R. P. MACLEAN (Inverness, Scotland.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Being familiar with South Uist and having an interest in historical/factual books I bought and read this book not really knowing what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised. This is a gentle and relaxing journey into life in the Outer Isles 100 years ago. The story benefits by being told by an 'outsider' - the day-to-day happenings are recounted with an innocence and simplicity which a historian/professional observer would be hard-pressed to present. I'm not sure whether the pleasure I received from reading the book was enhanced by being able to picture in my mind's eye the landscape being described by the author, but I suspect it was. Having said that, I am sure that anyone with an interest in history/Uist would enjoy this book. It is certainly very easy to read - ideal for reading in the sun, on the passenger deck of the Cal-Mac Ferry en route to Uist and Barra (or by your bedside as you dream of the long silver beaches and machair). Lovely.
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4.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly entertaining!, 4 Sep 2008
By M. BRINSLEY-MOTTO (London, England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Rea came to South Uist as head teacher at Garrynamonie School at a time when the roads were little more than feint tracks across the barren moorland. There was no public transportation, so pupils were frequently absent, and the remote area was among the poorest in the Outer Hebrides. This book, which distils Rea's prolonged residence on the island, is vivid and unexpectedly compelling. The intimate writing is intensely personal, infused with his fascination and deep love of the place. The island, with its curious inhabitants, its spooky myths, its folk-tales, seems to cast a magic spell on Rea. As a newcomer, he lives in a state of constant wonder at its endearing oddities--the unusual customs, superstitions, unfamiliar rituals; the dismal, ferocious, often deadly weather; the thick, killing fogs; the sudden, face-searing, paralyzing snowstorms. The book is filled with novel events and curious encounters: the Will O' the Wisp, the shrieking, 'child-lifting' wind, his darting, bare-footed servant, who appears and vanishes as if by magic; the wonderful description of 'lifting the peats' for winter fuel, and the book's characters are as quirky, unique, and peculiarly textured as Harris Tweed. The writing is restrained, clear, plain, often lucid, full of anecdote, conversational, and seamlessly flowing. Many episodes are memorable, and have the odd power to burrow into our minds and remain there as permanent fixtures. When Rea returns to England, some part of him remains among the people, the land, the places he has grown to love. Accounts of the Western Isles run to many hundreds of pages, but here is the most intimate, most sincere and most readable which I have found.
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