h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hello, Sue and Douglas. Didn't realise you were in Inverurie. That, along with Kintore, is the hub of the universe for the Smiths and Esselmonts on o/h's maternal side. O/h used to spend his summer hols with his gran in Kintore until he was struck down by the juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at 10.

We shall certainly come and see you on our Non-Royal Progress this summer. Just my luck: marry a half Scot, and his family turn out to be called Smith in large numbers, yawn (Sorry, Katy, if you read this, but I guess you'll take my point!). If I have got it right, they are under the wing of the Robertsons, the tartan o/h wore when kilted up as a little boy. I wanted at least a McGillicuddy or similarly exotic name in the family hinterland. The consolation is that both Smiths and Esselmonts could not have been more welcoming to me and Teenager into their family, and they're lovely people.

I shall also enjoy raiding your shop, Visa card in hand. It will be just as much fun as hitting LakelandSorryBella with a manic gleam in my eye. I shall meanwhile practise my 'fits' and 'loons' and other bits of the Doric I have gleaned.

Uncle Bert Smith (80-odd) wrote a lot of Doric poetry, some locally published. Alas, this gentle, kindly gardener has recently slipped off into dementia-land and is now in a care home in Aberdeen. We'll go to see him, but he won't know us. Sad, sad, sad.

Anyway, good to find you here, and may I please put you on my 'Friends' list? $qxx

Massive appologies. As Douglas tends to write (or dictate) posts I tend to look through his conversation list. He leaves sue_green up if he wants me to add something so I do not access this bit myself..

Yes the shop is in Inverurie, though we live in Aberdeen. The relations will know it as "Dassie Laaws" (I'm not sure of the spelling), Alexander Walker. It was in the same family for sixty years before Ann bought it. Ann doesn't work in the shop but bought it only to stop it closing and my mother had said that I would be interested in running it.

As a small corner shop using pen and paper (no EPOS till)we don't take Visa (cash or cheque). I have many regular customers who never spend more than £2.00. Most purchases would be for under a fiver. We do have a dozen or so customers who do do a proper shop. All are welcome and their purchases do seem to balance out most days.

The Esslemont name was I think more common in the past than now. The local names have been diluted by those from other parts of the UK. One of the ways we find out our customers names is by their cheques and I don't have an Esslemont, a few Smiths but I don't think any are "locals". There are a lot of Robertsons though.

Kintore will have grown since you last saw it though the main street is unchanged apart from being longer.

We are having dinner with dagesh and Peet tomorrow (saturday)night. Part of dagesh's tour before South Africa and the end of Douglas's academic year; last exam today. He and Dougalas did meet briefly today.

So let us know when your coming...

And of course you may add us to your friends list.

Sue