Illustrated talk takes a dip into the history of the Trinkie
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An illustrated talk about the history of the Trinkie – one of Wick's outdoor pools – will look at the changes throughout the decades at the popular leisure facility.
Swimmers are once again taking to the water at the venue thanks to a recent facelift organised by the Trinkie Heritage Preservation Group keen to get the lido restored to its former glory.
Immersing herself into the history of the Trinkie has been the secretary of the group Catherine Patterson who has compiled the talk which will take place at the Pulteneytown and Thrumster Church, Wick, on Thursday, October 28 at 6.45pm.
It has been a labour of love for Catherine who has spent over a year delving into old copies of the John O'Groat Journal looking for articles about the pool which played an important part in not only her own family's lives but many others.
Her talk includes a number of photos from her own family as well as ones from the Johnston Collection and copies of articles and advertisements from the Groat.
Research for the talk started prior to lockdown as the event was originally due to take place in March last year but was one of the many things delayed due to Covid.
Catherine explained that finding old photos from four or five generations of her own family had kind of initiated the project. She was delighted to discover pictures of her mum and dad all dressed up in the fashions of their eras and old adverts which gave things a Hollywood feel.
"I did research quite extensively for a over a year directly from the pages of the Groat from the microfilm in the library," she said. "You just stumble across things and then you have to dig deep.
"I find it all very interesting – it is part of the town's heritage. The photos are right from the1920s over the decades to the present day – it is like a social history, you can see all the fashion changes, the only thing that does not change is the Trinkie."
As a natural rock pool, the Trinkie has always been a feature of Wick and during the talk the secretary will tell people about the development of the venue over the years and the reason behind a wall being put up there in 1931.
"I explain why that came about, what the process was and why that came about at that particular time," she said. "My family has been going there since before the wall. I learnt to swim there – it was a family tradition, I'm sure we are not alone there. It is a town feature – it has always been a go to place."
The secretary admitted that during her research she also found a number of sadder stories connected with the Trinkie but chose not to feature any of those in her talk.
She pointed out that the pool had been very busy since it was restored, which she felt was part of a general resurgence in all kinds of outdoor activities following Covid.
Catherine explained that the church in Argyle Square provided an excellent venue for the event, providing plenty of space for three screens while allowing good visibility and room to comply with Covid guidelines. Everything will be sanitised beforehand and those attending will need to provide information for contact tracing as well as wear masks.
Any donations from the talk will go towards future maintenance and restoration of the Trinkie.
Related article: Volunteers take the plunge at the Trinkie
