Hand cart from the 1930s restored and on display at Castlehill Heritage Museum
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A HAND cart, which dates from the 1930s and belonged to a stone mason in Castletown, has been given a new lease of life after being repaired and painted.
John Calder, a local community councillor, donated the cart to the Castlehill Heritage Centre after he was given it over 20 years ago.
Mr Calder said: "The hand cart belonged to James Kerr who was a stone mason and lived in the Main Street in Castletown.
"The cart was made by a firm in Aberdeen around the 1930s as it was marked on the axle when I took the wheels off. Mr Kerr died on June 28,1961 aged 77 years. He used to do general repairs around the village, especially to Caithness slate roofs, and all his materials – sand, cement, tools and often ladders – were carried on the cart."
Mr Calder added: "After his passing the cart lay in a shed and it was only when his son, Willie, also a stone mason, died in May 2001 that I was given the cart, but as I had no use for it I donated it to the Castlehill Heritage Society.
"It was in the courtyard for many years and gradually deteriorated. I was asked if it could be repaired as it had become quite rotten, especially the cart wheels. I spent many hours over the winter repairing the wheels as they had to be kept as they were when new but most of the body was replaced although I managed to keep as much of the chassis as possible. It was then painted."
The Castletown Heritage Society, which runs the centre, is a community group established in 1986 to "preserve the character, history and traditions of the village of Castletown and parish of Olrig."
