Document 416
Biggam Collection Letter: 23
Author(s): Madge Taylor Law
Copyright holder(s): Mr William Biggam
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Blackrod
Bolton
1st July 1994
Dear Joan
I've just been clearing out a drawer and come across your last letter and realised that I owe you an answer. Time just flies past.
Well I've just had another check-up from the Christis doctor. They won't commit themselves to saying that I've been cured but they tell me that the tumour is considerably reduced. They say that there is no blood test or scan which could prove I'm cured. They will give me another check-up in 3 months. The other hospital that I first went to are giving me check-ups as well so I am being well-checked-up. I'm much stronger now and getting out and about. The only trouble is that the x-ray treatment I had leaves you with loose bowels which means that I have to be sure where all the toilets are when I go out anywhere because you don't get much warning so its a bit of a nuisance, but as they say, its a small price to pay for life. Do you remember the old music hall song in Glasgow, "Where ere I go I take my po and a little bit of tissue issue paper oh!" Well thats what I'm doing these days. Apart from that I'm enjoying myself doing a little bit of gardening. John helps with the hoovering and dish-washing. I manage to do some housework and shopping. I still get on the Tesco free bus and they have a toilet in their shop so I'm O.K. there.
John and I went a bus ride round about and got as far as Rochdale. It was a lovely day and I knew that all the bus stations had toilet facilities which I duly christened.
I dont feel confident enough to travel very far yet so I don't think I'll go very far this year. John went to London for a month to Roberts flat. He painted the kitchen for him while he was there. He also went to see brother John one day in Basingstoke. He is quite bad with arthritis but Esther can drive now and she drove them to the Pub. You know she and young John all stay together with John. Young John has a part-time job and I think his health is a bit better now.
I hope young Sharon has had her operation and better now. Has young Tom got married yet? He had got engaged last time I saw you all, that was at Hannah's funeral.
Bobby is doing a part-time job in one of the schools here. I come in handy for looking after the boys when their school has a holiday and she doesn't. It happened when the council elections were on. I took them with me to vote and explained all about how to vote when they are old enough. The man & woman officials were laughing because its so long until they will be old enough to vote. I think its all part of education and they seemed to enjoy it anyway, especially as they were able to have a good game of football on the grass as well.
Thomas the oldest seems to be quite good at football and his team won a cup and had their picture in the Wigan local paper. They had their sports day at school last week, Joseph the youngest came first in 2 races and 3rd in another so whatever their being fed on it must be the right stuff.
The last I heard from Chrissie she was keeping well and Isa was living with her. It's a good job that business is all settled now they can get on without worrying about David Murray.
I was going to Pottery classes but I missed a lot by going to hospital but even so I've got a lot of my monstrosities dotted around. I've made an owl with a beak like Snozzle Durante and a cat without a chin. The cat is going in the garden when I find a place for him. It was good fun but the council has stopped the classes because of money trouble.
It may be on in September again but it will not be in Blackrod. I can't see myself going off and on buses in the rain in the winter to travel to Horwich for pottery so I won't be having any more "ornaments" looking for a home. I don't like putting them in the dustbin even although thats all they are fit for.
Well I've no news so I hope you are not suffering so much with your arthritis, its a wicked disease. Bobbies mother has trouble with it in her knees, even after having an operation for it. Bobbie, Norman and boys are off on Sunday for a camping holiday in France for a fortnight so John and I will be keeping a lookout on their house while they're away. The burglars are still busy around here. They got caught at one house. I don't suppose it will stop them though.
Ta Ta for noo
Love from us yins
Madge
Bolton
1st July 1994
Dear Joan
I've just been clearing out a drawer and come across your last letter and realised that I owe you an answer. Time just flies past.
Well I've just had another check-up from the Christis doctor. They won't commit themselves to saying that I've been cured but they tell me that the tumour is considerably reduced. They say that there is no blood test or scan which could prove I'm cured. They will give me another check-up in 3 months. The other hospital that I first went to are giving me check-ups as well so I am being well-checked-up. I'm much stronger now and getting out and about. The only trouble is that the x-ray treatment I had leaves you with loose bowels which means that I have to be sure where all the toilets are when I go out anywhere because you don't get much warning so its a bit of a nuisance, but as they say, its a small price to pay for life. Do you remember the old music hall song in Glasgow, "Where ere I go I take my po and a little bit of tissue issue paper oh!" Well thats what I'm doing these days. Apart from that I'm enjoying myself doing a little bit of gardening. John helps with the hoovering and dish-washing. I manage to do some housework and shopping. I still get on the Tesco free bus and they have a toilet in their shop so I'm O.K. there.
John and I went a bus ride round about and got as far as Rochdale. It was a lovely day and I knew that all the bus stations had toilet facilities which I duly christened.
I dont feel confident enough to travel very far yet so I don't think I'll go very far this year. John went to London for a month to Roberts flat. He painted the kitchen for him while he was there. He also went to see brother John one day in Basingstoke. He is quite bad with arthritis but Esther can drive now and she drove them to the Pub. You know she and young John all stay together with John. Young John has a part-time job and I think his health is a bit better now.
I hope young Sharon has had her operation and better now. Has young Tom got married yet? He had got engaged last time I saw you all, that was at Hannah's funeral.
Bobby is doing a part-time job in one of the schools here. I come in handy for looking after the boys when their school has a holiday and she doesn't. It happened when the council elections were on. I took them with me to vote and explained all about how to vote when they are old enough. The man & woman officials were laughing because its so long until they will be old enough to vote. I think its all part of education and they seemed to enjoy it anyway, especially as they were able to have a good game of football on the grass as well.
Thomas the oldest seems to be quite good at football and his team won a cup and had their picture in the Wigan local paper. They had their sports day at school last week, Joseph the youngest came first in 2 races and 3rd in another so whatever their being fed on it must be the right stuff.
The last I heard from Chrissie she was keeping well and Isa was living with her. It's a good job that business is all settled now they can get on without worrying about David Murray.
I was going to Pottery classes but I missed a lot by going to hospital but even so I've got a lot of my monstrosities dotted around. I've made an owl with a beak like Snozzle Durante and a cat without a chin. The cat is going in the garden when I find a place for him. It was good fun but the council has stopped the classes because of money trouble.
It may be on in September again but it will not be in Blackrod. I can't see myself going off and on buses in the rain in the winter to travel to Horwich for pottery so I won't be having any more "ornaments" looking for a home. I don't like putting them in the dustbin even although thats all they are fit for.
Well I've no news so I hope you are not suffering so much with your arthritis, its a wicked disease. Bobbies mother has trouble with it in her knees, even after having an operation for it. Bobbie, Norman and boys are off on Sunday for a camping holiday in France for a fortnight so John and I will be keeping a lookout on their house while they're away. The burglars are still busy around here. They got caught at one house. I don't suppose it will stop them though.
Ta Ta for noo
Love from us yins
Madge
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Biggam Collection Letter: 23. 2024. In The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. Glasgow: University of Glasgow. Retrieved 18 April 2024, from http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=416.
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Biggam Collection Letter: 23
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