Family's links to Berriedale post office told in new fundraising booklet
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The story of one family's association with Berriedale post office over four generations is told in a new booklet that will raise funds towards renovating the village church.
It has been written by Jenny Bruce, an artist and retired principal teacher of art, who is the last surviving family member to have been born in the post office building.
The 44-page booklet is an account of daily life in the village, containing family photographs and outlining the history of Berriedale House and the post office. Berriedale was an important changeover stop for mail coaches in the 19th century after road and bridge links to the north had been completed by Thomas Telford.
Jenny has made the booklet available to Berriedale Church and Cemetery Association to sell for £10, including post and packaging.
"Usually the yearly Christmas carol service is well attended and much appreciated by all at this time of the year, so perhaps the sale of the booklet will help contribute to the funds for church renovations," she said.
It will be available this week from committee members Janet Ross, chairperson (rosstoro@aol.com); Sheila Rapson, vice-chairperson (sheila64@tiscali.co.uk); Sue Steven, secretary (sue@whittlespublishing.com); or Alexa MacAuslan, treasurer (alexa.macauslan@gmail.com).
Jenny worked at Berriedale as a sub-postmistress, helping her aunt Betty Smith before her retiral some years later at the age of 86.
She has donated a digital copy of a photo of Berriedale House to the Wick Society, which looks after the Johnston photographic archive, as it was taken by Alexander Johnston while on his way to the Kildonan goldfields. Mr Johnston and a relative from Wick may have stayed at the Berriedale Inn, which Berriedale House had become following the building of Sir John Sinclair's new home at Langwell.
The inn may also have been where Telford stayed while travelling to or from work in Caithness. Jenny has a great interest in the work of the celebrated civil engineer and she was instrumental in developing and promoting the Telford Trail and interpretive panels in Wick.
