Can anybody translate this shorthand?

[angeldelightforbreakfast]

(Light hearted)My mother thinks she has the upper hand because for thirty years none of us have been able to read her secret notes. She doesn't agree that modern day technology can foil her attempts to write in code.

Can anyone break the code?

I'd definitely think Pitmans, not Teeline. I'd assume the dots suggest a capital, but I've only studied Teeline, which is less complicated.

Yes definitely Pitmans but it’s about 35 years since I learned it. Could the last word be Chances or Janice’s?

First line does look like present for Judy

First word second line, glasses?

So ‘glasses for Chances (surname) or Janice’s (family)’

‘If my ungrateful children translate this they will be written out of my will’
Hope that helps op.

My mum does the same as yours, OP. She's 83 now and always writes notes to herself in Pitmans, and she is still impressively neat. She was a very fast shorthand notetaker back in the day.

I learned Teeline 35 years ago but have forgotten it all now as I haven't used it in years. It was much easier and quicker to learn than Pitmans and I suspect easier to forget as well. I was never very fast, but it was a handy skill to have at the time.

Yes, agree - glasses (or gloves)

Or "Joneses"

That is Pitman shorthand, but I'm not good at Pitman.

I used to use Teeline, I was amazed when someone read a note I'd made on a file years later - I'd have probably struggled to read it myself by that time! I use the odd symbol occasionally, you're making me want to try it again now.

Yes could be Joneses

@Ragwort yep, Teeline. I also did it in journalism training and have a friend who did it on an administrative course

present for Judy
gloves for Janice

My best shot looking at it overall, Pitmans shorthand, loved it

Nuts. I was reading it as Pitman.

I love shorthand and use it all the time, my secret language!

Ooooh I know this.....

"My daughter isn't as clever as she thinks. And if you people on Mumsnet could lie about where the presents are I'd be grateful. Tell her Janice is getting gloves. It'll be hilarious when she realises I got one up on her. Cheers folks"

Does that help?

My DM reckons Present for Jodie gloves for secret Santa(?). She still does pitmans after 60years. Doesn't think it looks like Santa though - I've put that in because of what other posters thought it was.

My mum used to write her xmas list in shorthand . I wonder if she still remembers it .. it's so weird

Glasses vs gloves

Off track but is shorthand taught anymore? You never hear of ‘secretarial college’ but that was a big thing in my day .

I’d be surprised if there is any demand for it from employers - it was superseded by audio typing and there is now voice recognition software.

I have a friend who teaches teeline at a uni as part of their journalism course.

My mum wrote her Christmas lists in pitman and left them pinned to the fridge. We used to pore over the dictionary to try to work them out. Never managed it.

I had no idea shorthand looked ike ‘this! Remember those ads in magazines you used to get hat said ‘if u can rd ths msg u may b abl to lrn shthand?’ Or something like that!

Glasses/gloves - Agree that it should be with a L hook at the beginning but it looks to me like it's written wit agree that it should be with a L hook at the beginning but it looks to me like it's written incorrectly with the C orG separate to the L.

I've just found my Pittmans dictionary!

Sorry don't know what happened there a bit garbled.

I think it is glasses or gloves but written incorrectly.

Where are you have a C or a G/followed by an L it is normally a downward L rather than an upward L.

I remember those ads, but not the name of the system Claphands. What was the difference between Greggs and Pitman shorthand? I learnt a bit of Pitman but then did Teeline instead.