Dear Mum

I had a rather eventful journey home, I did manage to catch the night train to Glasgow as planned. There seems to be less and less people traveling by train these days. I found a quiet compartment with just one frail old lady. She saw the badges on my rucksack, which led to conversation. So it came out that I was an illustrator traveling to Skye. She knew of my work. We talked about so many things, including playing the bagpipes.
It turned out her great great grandfather had led the highlanders into battle playing the pipes. But back to my companion. She had just let it slip that she was a founder member of the Plumage League, when the ticket inspector arrived. He checked my ticket then left. So I turned back to my traveling companion, saying how surprised I was that he did not want to see her ticket. Guess what mum, I was alone in the compartment. My companion had vanished into thin air. Now when I look back, I realised she was wearing Edwardian clothes and that the Plumage League, in time became the RSPB. Tomorrow I will start on my illustrations for the RSPB.

Footnote.
The Plumage League predates the RSPB [Royal Society for the Protection of Birds] Emily Williamson nee Bateson was born in 1892, she also founded the Gentlewomen’s Employment Association in Manchester…