Looking Back – news from the John O'Groat Journal of yesteryear
Wick milk quality substandard
From the Groat of July 15, 1921
An important discussion at Wick Town Council had highlighted the unclean state of milk being sold by some dairies in the town.
Sanitary officials had been asked to compile a report after councillors learned that four samples of milk sent for analysis had appeared to show the milk had been watered down.
The filthy state of the cows owned by some of the dairy people in the town was condemned by Bailie Davidson, who said that "the filth in the milk was much worse than a little water", while ex-Bailie Green wondered if this was the cause of the "large amount of tuberculosis in the town just now".
Sanitary inspector Mr Reid said that dairies and byres were regularly inspected and "some were clean and others were not; some of them had no right to have cows". He added that under the Dairy Act, which had been suspended during the war, "75 per cent of the byres in the town would not be in existence".
Meanwhile, news had arrived from America of an invention which it was hoped could transport people from London to New York in just 15 hours.
According to the Groat, plans for the "aerohydrator" had revealed a "weird ocean-going craft designed to travel 200 miles per hour, reminding one somewhat of a gigantic motor car wheel with enormous inflated tyres bound round a steel rim forming the outer circumference".
The craft was to be kept upright by a combination of gyroscopic action and a huge gasbag at the top filled with a form of helium.
"Engineers," it was reported, "believe that the craft is scientifically possible."
Town and parish form 'the Wick Society'
From the Groat of July 16, 1971
The Wick Society was officially launched at a meeting in Wick's Assembly Rooms. The society was to have six objectives, including the preservation of the character, history and traditions of the town, promotion and education and the formation of a "museum of local character".
Discussions at the meeting highlighted the threat to the older parts of Pulteneytown as there was a strong body of opinion locally in favour of razing them to the ground and concerns were expressed about the integrity of the picturesque Argyle Square.
It was noted that the town was "a thousand years old yet there is scarcely a building today which is more than 300 or 400 years old".
Discussion was also held about demolition versus improvement of derelict properties and the value of saving a historical but unusable property if its only value was that of "relic".
Meanwhile, the final stages of the establishment of a new industrial glove factory in Thurso was to take place with the official opening of the premises by Sir Andrew Gilchrist, chairman of Highlands and Islands Development Board.
The factory was commissioned by the board at Ormlie Industrial Estate at a cost of £40,000 and leased to Mark Templeman and Son, Ltd.
It would allow the company to increase its workforce to up to 65 by the autumn and double the present production rate of 10,000 pairs of gloves per week.
Eventually the firm hoped to employ 100 people.
Harbour 'eyesore' slammed
From the Groat of July 19, 1996
A popular tourist haunt had been dubbed an eyesore by a local councillor.
Peter Sutherland had hit out at the unkempt state of Lybster Harbour and had urged council bodies to get together with the harbour owners to improve its appearance.
Visitors to the historic harbour could not see it from a large part of the approach road because of 4ft to 5ft grass verses, and the quayside was blighted by an untidy clutter of long-abandoned fishing gear, debris and litter.
Mr Sutherland said that harbour was "the biggest asset we have and it attracts a lot of tourists. The state it is in just now, however, is just an eyesore – it's an absolute disgrace."
Alec Calder, of Lybster Harbour Society, acknowledged that the area was "a mess". But he said the group was considering renovating disused stores to create a new tourist attraction and was hoping to get EU funding for the project.
Elsewhere, a pre-season double bill of football friendlies between Caithness teams and a top Faroese side had fallen through.
The Klaksvik club, which had arranged the fixture through the Highland Council's cultural and leisure services department, had been forced to call off because of additional commitments and the loss of two players required for national team duty.
The Faroese team was to have played Wick Academy and a Caithness select. It was hoped that the fixtures could be rearranged.
But there was good news for sport in general in the county as Caithness District Sports Council had received a funding boost of £5000 from Highland Council which it would use to encourage sports development regardless of age or ability.