From Our Own Files, December 21

Friday, December 18, 1987

A CAITHNESS councillor declared he would fully support a move to locate a radioactive waste disposal unit in the county. Councillor Roy Godfrey hit out at “scare stories” being spread by anti-nuclear groups and pointed instead to the jobs boost which would arise from the construction and maintenance of an underground chamber at a Caithness site. He maintained this method of storing low and intermediate-level waste would prove “safer than crossing the road in Inverness at 5pm at night”. Mr Godfrey, the regional councillor for Caithness West and a leading campaigner for Dounreay expansion, was one of the council’s representatives at a seminar held in Edinburgh by the Government’s radioactive waste management agency NIREX. Parts of Caithness had already been identified as potentially suitable for underground waste disposal and the anti-nuclear lobby labelled the county a “probable” choice.

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Norfrost boss Pat Grant with the help of Santa launched an auction for a gold-plated freezer. All the money raised for the freezer – the one millionth to roll off the production line at Castletown – was to go directly to the Children’s Centre Appeal to help Care for Kids in Caithness at Christmas.

50 YEARS AGO

Friday, December 21, 1962

THURSO’S new primary school, Pennyland, was opened by a Dounreay chief. Built at a cost of £135,000, it was officially opened by Dr Robert Hurst, director at the nuclear establishment, who praised the local authorities for their wholehearted and close co-operation with the Atomic Energy Authority in the establishing of a new community in their midst. The new school was situated on the ground acquired by the authority for its housing estate – ground which was formerly part of the lands of Scrabster and Pennyland farms. The ceremony took place in the spacious hall and was attended by representatives from most parts of the county. The proceedings opened with the singing of Psalm 100, following which Walter Sinclair, Thurso, chairman of the county education committee, welcomed the gathering. He expressed satisfaction at the large turnout despite the stormy weather. Shortly before the opening ceremony there had been a rainstorm and a gale.

100 YEARS AGO

Friday, December 20, 1912

AN alarming accident occurred on Wednesday when a horse yoked to a two-wheeled dog-cart and driven by Mr Bain, jr, Harpsdale, bolted down Princes Street in Thurso and in turning the corner capsized. Mr Bain was thrown to the ground. The horse, still attached to the machine, continued his course but was arrested in Traill Street. Mr Bain luckily escaped with a cut above the eye and the horse and machine remained practically intact. Prior to this, football players had been injured while playing in boisterous weather on Saturday. A displaced kneecap, a knock to the kidneys and another injury all caused three changes for the Brits while playing the Acks in the Miller Cup tie. The game was abandoned shortly after half-time due to heavy sleet.

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