Christmas

Topics discussed include: Scottish AIDS Monitor (SAM) moving premises; training; resignations; elections for Liaison Officer and Minutes Secretary; feedback on AIDS conference held by Lothian and Fife Health Boards; information on the Christmas night out; an update on the draft code of conduct; and notice of the first Scottish bisexual phone line opening.

Topics discussed include: a vote to remove a member from the Branch Committee; a finance update; repots from subgroups (including: Women, Books, Hypermarket, Disco, National Executive Committee (NEC), Committee, Communications, and Development); a letter from Lothian Regional Council Labour Group discussing job discrimination; complaints received by members; and objections to a Christmas card stocked in the Open Gaze Bookshop.

Note on the custom entitled 'Goisearan' [Christmas waits] which reads ' Xmas waites - King & Queen dressed up with crown & rustics with strings & papers & flags.'

This file contains draft poems written by Richard Tod. Some of the poems include the Scottish folkloric creature, the brownie. Also, there is a handwritten draft of a story entitled "Cast Adrift: A North Sea Adventure". The drawings include what was known as a "golliwog", a character created in 1895 by Florence Kate Upton that was popular until the 1960s-70s but was later perceived as a racist caricature.

This file contains pencil and painted drawings by Richard Tod. The illustrations are for "Witcherley Ways, A Christmas Tale", which was written by Margaret Oliphant (1828-1897). The story was printed originally in Blackwood's Magazine in January 1857 but reprinted in Tales from Blackwood, New Series Volume 10.

Topics discussed include: an update on the Christmas Hypermarket arranged by the Edinburgh Council of Social Services; management of the Gay Centre; a forthcoming grant; the constitution of the Scottish Homosexual Rights Group; training; election of office bearers; and membership updates.

Poem entitled 'Duan na Clainn - La nam Bannag' probably collected from Angus Gunn, cottar, Dail bho Thuath/North Dell, Nis/Ness, Eilean Leòdhais/Isle of Lewis beginning 'Thoire Thoire beannaichte e beann[aichte] e'. Text has been scored through in ink as if transcribed elsewhere and some additions to the text have been made in pencil.

Typescript of The Magic of Christmas, together with 4 copies of the issue of Christianity and Crisis of 10 December 1956 in which it was published.

Two songs, one entitled 'Duan Bannag na Callaig' beginning 'Taobh a phocain toa' an tearcain' and the other beginning 'Fhir a Challain i ri o' probably collected from Angus Gunn, cottar, Dail bho Thuath/North Dell, Nis/Ness, Eilean Leòdhais/Isle of Lewis. The note explains that after the second song the custom was that '2 bannag were handed out round the fire'. The text has been scored through in ink as if transcribed elsewhere.

This file contains a typewritten script version of "Beyond the White Forest" written by Richard Tod.