Sess oo ite Fa a ES eee ESERSE: pe ee ae RR Sa ea SE eran Wednesday, June 2, 1999 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 32 way to Leith, with his family, where he went into partner- ship with one of his brothers and was “engaged in mercan- tile pursuits” for the next 30 years managing “a very large and successful wholesale provision and export” business. It was at this time George was able to give “much of his time to philanthropic work, his own countrymen being spe- cially the objects of his care.” In an article called The Passing of a Man of Parts, written by one of the family members shortly after George Stew- art’s death, it was stated that “for a long time he maintained several schools in his native parish, until the passing of the Education Act enabled the parish to have schools of its own. He was also instrumental in building roads and bridges and otherwise developing the Islands, and his beautiful country place, Over Gogar House, Mid-Lothian, near Edinburgh, [which] was the headquar ters for much philanthropic and charitable wor Among George Stewart’s many talents was the use of the pen on paper. His greatest accomplishment in this realm: was the writing of Shetland Fireside Tales or The Hermit of Trasswickness, of which it was regarded as “the best speci- men of the Shetland dialect ever written.” In the Preface to the first edition he wrote: “The author of the following pages spent the earlier and happier years of his life amongst the peasant youth of his native islands, shar- ing with them the perils and pleasures of their daring and manly sports by sea and shore — the gun, the oar, and: the cragsman’s rope being the familiar and appropriate. play: ; things of those earlier years. ‘Happy years, when the long. summer days, separated only by a brief twilight, were ever too short to accomplish all that youthful enterprise could _ plan; and the long winter nights never long enough to.tell - all the fairy tales, legends, and ghost stories which inspired ; with pleasure or fear the hearts of youthful listeners. - The impression which those wild legends and fascinating : fairly tales of a bygone age made upon the author’s youth-: ful-imagination, has not been lessened by time, but rather deepened ¢ as. maturer: Foyears, Dee the sublect, to his” PIONEER F mind, not merely as a childish pastime, but as a mirror in which are reflected, more or less distinctly, the habits, thoughts, and feelings of past generations. It was with such feelings, and in such a view of the sub- ject, that the author was led some years ago to write from memory, and in the native dialect, a collection of Shetland tales, not with a view to publication, but merely as a private souvenir of past times and old friendships, which the recital of those takes so vividly recalled. The idea of publication oc- curred to him as a later thought, and it was when revising the tales for this purpose that he was led to attempt the more ambitious and difficult task of writing a general story, illustrative of Shetland life and manners. He can scarcely hope that amid the multitudinous works The Sidney Shutterbugs Camera Club offers a wide vari- ety of activities and programs including guest speakers, workshops, newsletters, outings, clinics, competitions, cri- tiques-and a place to make new friends with an interest in photography. They meet the first and third Thursday of each month from mid-September to mid-June, 7:30 p.m. at the Iroquois Park Fieldhouse. Call Betty at 656-6-52 or Ed. at 656-9198. - Saanich Peninsula Canadian Federation of University _ Women meet on the fourth Tuesday of each month, 7:30 p.m: at Saanichton Bible Fellowship, 2159.Mt. Newton X Road. We welcome new members. Call Marg Ann at 656- 4695 for information. Are wu new to the Saanich Peninsula within the past two years? If so, join the Peninsula Newcomers Club for friend- -ship, fun, fellowship and ladies’ monthly luncheons. For “more information, call Beth: at 655-4835, or Pauline at. cee 0024. * ae Peninsula Evening Newcomers’ Club, women’s s ebeial group, holds monthly events, plus mixed happenings. Call - EVEN ADDRESSES watering allowed 4—9 am and 7~10 pom Jume Tt wintal September 30 TWICE WEEKLY WATE RING - While some municipal bylaws may not come into effect until mid June residents ave moqneatcs to comply with these restrictions as of June 1 Wednesdays and Saturdays | ° flowers, vegetables, trees and shrubs may be cmered by hand at any, time | ¢ drip and micro irrigation systems may be used at any time me .* commercial nurseries, (ree farms, turf farms and farms are exempt from the restrictions * permits are required to water a newly seeded or sod lawn, aml are available fra rom CRD Water, 479 Island Highway or CRD, 524 Yates Street office * Variations to the bylaw exist in Saanich and Oak Bay and residents are nnrourane to contact municipal of flees for details PENINSULA NEWS REVIEW 33 A much-admired businessman and philanthropist of fiction which annually issue from the press, and bearing as they do the recommendation and authority of great names, his humble literary effort can occupy a very high place. But be this as it may, he has some satisfaction in believ- ing that his own countrymen will at least appreciate his ef- forts in trying to preserve, in a written form, some of those familiar tales which once so happily wiled away the long winter nights, and in their present form may still, he hopes, help in some measure to serve the same important pur- pose.” Next week we will continue with George Stewart story, and his making his way to Saanich Peninsula. Marg Ann at + 656-4695. _ The Kiwanis Club of Sidney and Peninsula meets Wednes- days at 7:30 p.m. (7 p.m. social) at the Iroquois Park Club- house (2295 Ocean Ave.). Call Joe at 656-6917 or Roxanne at 881-7646 to confirm location. Call Patrick to reserve for the optional pre-meeting dinner. he Peninsula Garden Club meets the second Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at Sidney Silver Threads, 10030 Resthaven Drive, Sidney. New members always welcome. The Sidney Anglers Association meets at 7:30 p.m. the - fourth Monday of every month (except July and August), at - the Mills Road Legion. SAA features guest. speakers, draw prizes, derbies and a monthly ladder board and local fish- . ing info. For more info., call 652-5559. Brentwood Bay Lions meet at 7p p. m. on nthe second and ~~ fourth Tuesday of each month at the Central Saanich Se- _ nior’s Centre, 1229 Clarke Road, Brentwood Bay. For infor: * mation call Lion President Gary, 479- 0432 or r Lion Gus, 652, 2 : 6463. x ts | ODD ADDRESSES {watering allowed { Thursdays and Sundays — od S AeD on and 7-10 pm i i \ f oeuneortinnnamncennrenesnipemuneaTnaunonl ee ee ce ae ee ee wy Re nearer eR NB RINE ST oo ee