Looking Back – news from the Groat of yesteryear
Wick voters back prohibition
From the Groat of December 17, 1920
There was a decisive victory for the temperance campaign in Wick.
While the remainder of the county had voted against going "dry", the town opted for the prohibition of alcohol with 1438 voting for no-licence as opposed to 851 for no-change and 29 for limitation.
In all there were 29 licensed premises in the town – six hotels, 11 licensed grocers and 12 public houses – and as from the following May all their licences would be cancelled without the right of appeal, with the hotels the only places that could possibly sell limited alcohol at the discretion of the licensing court.
There were emotional scenes once the news of the win was announced and "it was obvious from the countenances of even the no-licence supporters that the decision, although popular, was startling and unexpected in its decisiveness".
"In the east of Pulteney women ran eagerly to their doors to hear the news, some anxious and half afraid, some hesitatingly confident. Reports state that some touching incidents took place, women standing silent for a second ere they burst out with 'Thank God! Thank the Lord!'"
Following the news there was "a great mass meeting of rejoicing in the Breadalbane Hall".
Legion club damaged by fire
From the Groat of December 25, 1970
Serious damage was caused to the British Legion club in Francis Street in Wick by an outbreak of fire which began at around midnight the previous Saturday.
The fire had started in a boiler room at the rear of the building and, despite the efforts of two cleaners who tackled it with a fire extinguisher, the flames spread to the main building.
Wick Fire Brigade, under the command of Firemaster Dane Gunn, was summoned and fought the blaze for an hour before getting it under control.
The boiler room was gutted and the roof at the rear was destroyed. Part of the bar room was damaged but the main building was saved.
The cost of the damage was estimated at £2000 to £3000.
Meanwhile, the finance committee of Wick Town Council had rejected a proposal to install an upgraded telephone system in the town hall offices.
The existing system was unsatisfactory on grounds of cost and accidental, or other, interruption to and overhearing of confidential business.
The proposed new system would have eradicated the faults and allowed council officials to have conference calls instead of having to have successive conversations.
Bridge call for rail line
From the Groat of December 22, 1995
The future of train services in the far north could only be guaranteed if a rail bridge was built over the Dornoch Firth. That was the view taken by Thurso Community Council whose members had joined their Wick counterparts and three main rail unions in outlining support for the project to the recently formed Highland Rail Development Partnership.
Thurso Community Council secretary Hugh Manson said that the project would provide local travellers with an improved and faster train service, and would result in a much greater number of passengers from the north as well as tourists "wishing to travel on the first stretch of track constructed since World War II".
The project was still the preferred means of improving the rail service despite claims by ScotRail director John Ellis that the journey time between Inverness and Caithness could be cut by 45 minutes by line improvements.
Meanwhile, plans were under way to restore a regular freight service on the line and the timber trade was the latest being targeted.
Talks were due to be held in the new year that could pave the way for regular movements direct from Caithness and Sutherland forests to a wood-processing factory near Inverness.