Cromarty Archive

Grace & Patsie outside the Hugh Miller Institute

Grace & Patsie outside the Hugh Miller Institute

Date Added: 07 May 2009 Contributor: Alex Grant Year: 1968 Picture No: 2375

Taken around 1968, Grace and Patsie would deliver bakery goods as well as the milk.

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10 Comments

Never seen this one before, really nice. Gran looks really young, and happy to be out an about....!!!! Comment left on 08 May 2009 at 09:19 by SELMA BROWN (MARY GRANT WAS MY MUM)'
Lovely to see a photo of Cromarty's milk lady on the Archive at last. I worked briefly for the McBeans at Townlands from the autumn of 1968. By that time Patsy was very old and confined to her stable at the back of the byre, where she still enjoyed the occasional treat from Matheson's bakery. Patsy, probably presumed by most people to be already dead, was kept there in some secrecy, as Danny and John were afraid that they might be forced to have her "put down". So the date of the photograph, for what it matters, would certainly be a bit earlier. Comment left on 10 May 2009 at 18:06 by Christopher Hart
Can you check your dates Christopher, because I can remember Patsie in the field below the Manse, where Townlands Park is now, and I only moved to Cromarty in 1968 at age 6. Comment left on 11 May 2009 at 10:11 by Garve Scott-Lodge
Hello Christopher, Mother talked about you often although I don't know you. You could be right about the date. I wondered that myself but came to the conclusion that the date on the back of the photo [summer 1968] must be right. Comment left on 11 May 2009 at 21:16 by Alex Grant
Garve, My date of autumn/winter 1968 is correct. But my impression that Patsy was kept in all the time evidently wrong, because you saw her in the field. However, when I saw her, her hooves were very overgrown, almost to the length of a human foot. This is all getting very "academic", but how long would it take a horse's hooves to grow that much from the normal condition shown in the photograph? Comment left on 12 May 2009 at 22:34 by Christopher Hart
I have checked the photo again and it is just possible that the 6 could be a 5 which would make the year 1958. This would also make my Mother 47 which I think is a bit more likely looking at the photograph. This would also make Patsy about 12 years old. Comment left on 13 May 2009 at 20:36 by Alex Grant
Hello Alex, Sorry for starting all this ado about the date. Don't remember you either. Will always remember your Mum though. Memories of her in her wellies and waterproof apron, busy with the milk bottles. Working at Townlands was the best job I ever had. Wish I'd stayed there longer. Comment left on 14 May 2009 at 22:14 by Christopher Hart
Generally, horses hooves grow about 1/2" or 12 cm in 4 to 6 weeks. The growth is slightly faster in warm wet environments and less in dry or cold environments. A horse can grow a complete new hoof in about a year.
The growth is what makes a 4 to 6 week hoof trimming necessary to keep the hoof in good condition.
Comment left on 15 May 2009 at 21:30 by A horse nerd
What, in the end, did happen to Patsy?

I remember herself and Gracie when I was a 'Summer holiday Crom...'

I hope Patsy didn't suffer at the end and was humanely and kindly brought to the end of her life.
Comment left on 16 May 2009 at 04:53 by Margaret Tong
Great memories of Gracie and Patsy ....thanks for posting the pic Alex superb! All Croms like myself have some wonderful memories of your MUM. Comment left on 11 July 2009 at 08:03 by John Macdonald
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