End of Wick allotments association, Illiteracy widespread in county and New era at Pulteney House
LOOKING BACK: News from the John O’Groat Journal of yesteryear
End of allotments association
From the Groat of March 13, 1925
The Wick Allotment Holders’ Association was to wind down following “declining interest in the movement locally” which had been demonstrated by “the falling off in the number of allotment holders”.
According to an editorial on the matter, the decline could be explained by a lack of support “from the sources from which it might have been reasonably expected”.
The writer stated that for several years the “movement showed signs of popularity and expansion” but that there had been a “good deal of obstruction” behind the scenes.
In addition, “the majority of the Town Council were far from being as sympathetic in support of the movement as they might have been”.
The editorial continued: “This, we consider, is a matter for regret, for, looking to the advantages to many a home in the cultivation of an allotment, there was no reason why the movement should not have been beneficially maintained in the town if the necessary support and sympathy had been forthcoming.”
In other towns throughout the country, the cultivation of allotments, with the cooperation of local authorities, had become “a successful and healthful undertaking”.
However, the writer said that some blame had to be shared by the association members themselves as they had failed to “demand that the legislative provisions should be put into full operation”.
Illiteracy widespread in county
From the Groat of March 14, 1975
The local education committee was to consider the provision of night classes for adults after it was claimed that illiteracy was widespread in the county.
The problem had been highlighted by Councillor Kenneth Gunn, who said there were “an awful lot of children and adults who could not read or write”.
He maintained that there appeared to be no action being taken to improve the matter and admitted to being “worried stiff” about the situation. He said the main problem was overcoming the stigma felt by people “who could not even write their names or read a front-page newspaper headline”.
In response, director of education Hugh Stewart said the problem was “easily detected with children of school age and there were remedial staff on hand to tackle it”.
The chief difficulty was with adults, he explained, and “a lot of that hinges on the nature of the person. Some are so fed up at school that as soon as they leave they actually spend their time forgetting about reading and writing.”
The answer lay in night-class tuition, the director said.
Meanwhile, a new electric clock had been installed at Wick Town Hall and was up and running.
New era at Pulteney House
From the Groat of March 17, 2000
Former Caithness social work manager David Flear was to officially open a new daycare centre for people with dementia and rededicate the refurbished Pulteney House.
The ceremonies at the residential home in Wick would mark the upgrading of the old folk’s facility and the introduction within the building of the independently run Longberry, which offered people with dementia a four-days-a-week daycare service.
Operated by Alzheimer Scotland, Longberry would eventually give people in east Caithness the same service as that operated within Bayview House in Thurso.
The unit had opened its doors in February and employed six full-time staff and two relief workers, along with a volunteer.
Elsewhere, an assurance had been given that the Wick to Aberdeen air service operated by Gill Airways was not under threat. The Newcastle-based airline had appointed administrators two weeks previously after getting into financial difficulties.
There had been fears that the move would result in the loss of the air link, but according to Gill Airways the route was regarded as “part of the company’s core business”.
Meanwhile, students at North Highland College were to benefit from the help of the chef and head waiter from Ackergill Tower to produce and serve a gourmet meal at the college’s Flagstones Restaurant.