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Looking Back – news from the John O'Groat Journal of yesteryear


By Features Reporter

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The Golf Links Hotel at Dunnet – now known as the Northern Sands. Originally called the Dunnet Hotel, it became the Golf Links Hotel as a golf course had been established nearby.
The Golf Links Hotel at Dunnet – now known as the Northern Sands. Originally called the Dunnet Hotel, it became the Golf Links Hotel as a golf course had been established nearby.

Boat offered as war souvenir

From the Groat of December 16, 1921

Thurso Town Council was to consider an offer made by Mr William Allan, fishcurer, to present to the town the boat Valerie as a souvenir of the Great War.

During the war the Valerie had been used several times by His Majesty the King, the Prince of Wales and other members of the Royal Family, on the occasions of their visits to the Fleet.

No decision on the offer was made and the matter was remitted to Provost Brims and Bailie Munro for consideration.

Meanwhile, the town's parish council was eager to sell the building that had once served as a poorhouse.

It was reported that repeated efforts had been made to dispose of the property but without success.

The parish council agreed that the building should not be sold for less than £500.

In Wick, preparations were being made to feed the town's needy children on Christmas Day.

The Wick branch of the British Legion (Comrades of the Great War) "agreed to take means to augment the fund for the dinner to the children attending the soup kitchens on Christmas Day".

Representatives from the Legion were to call upon ladies of the town on an early date to solicit their aid in providing Christmas puddings and other festive treats.

Speed limit change resisted

From the Groat of December 17, 1971

A bid by Caithness County Council to have the 30 mph speed limit area at Watten extended by 330 yards resulted in a suggestion by the Scottish Development Department that the limit should be raised to 40mph.

The department not only refused to extend the distance covered by the existing limit, but told councillors that there existed at the village "neither the criteria nor the environmental conditions necessary to justify a 30mph limit".

It said that due to the lack of accidents, the good horizontal visibility on the road and the fact that 85 per cent of motorists travelled through the village at 39 mph, a 40 mph limit would be "more realistic". It also suggested that the council set up a school crossing patrol.

However, the councillors were not convinced and took the view that the "lack of accidents" was probably due to the existence of the 30mph limit.

And they considered that if 85 per cent of motorists were breaking the existing limit, they would travel even faster if the limit was raised.

In the end they opted to forego the extension to the distance and keep the limit as it was.

Arcade plan fury

From the Groat of December 20, 1996

A local councillor provoked a furious backlash after he backed plans for a new amusement arcade in Wick as a way of keeping kids off the street.

Anderson Murray was the only councillor to speak at the Caithness area planning committee at which the scheme by local businessman Younes Amin for a property on Glamis Road, was unanimously approved.

Mr Amin had intended to offer a range of video games, pool tables and a jukebox at the arcade. Moving approval, Councillor Murray had remarked: "I think this would keep kids off the street."

However, his comment incensed local objectors to the scheme, along with Church of Scotland minister the Rev Bill Wallace, convener of the kirk's board of social responsibility.

Mr Wallace maintained that children would be better on the streets than in an arcade and said that if the council felt there was a need to keep children off the streets "they should be providing more imaginative leisure facilities for them".

While Mr Amin stressed that he would not be providing gambling machines in his premises, Mr Murray remained unrepentant.

He said: "This will give somewhere for the kids to go and do something instead of vandalism. I don't think it would be detrimental at all or lead to the kids becoming involved in gambling."


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