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


By Features Reporter

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Rotarians and guests at a Burns supper held by Thurso Rotary Club in the Pentland Hotel in January 2010. The Immortal Memory was given by Craig Omand, while other guests included Raymond Bremner and piper Alan Plowman.
Rotarians and guests at a Burns supper held by Thurso Rotary Club in the Pentland Hotel in January 2010. The Immortal Memory was given by Craig Omand, while other guests included Raymond Bremner and piper Alan Plowman.

Stirk created a stir at Wick

From the Groat of January 27, 1922

An "amusing incident" had occurred in Wick's Bridge Street which "provided a number of the unemployed who were nearby with a hearty laugh".

According to the report, a stirk en route to the auction mart "was attracted to the Employment Exchange on the way from High Street and calmly entered at the women's door to see, no doubt, if all the stories it had heard were true. When it had investigated the lobby and enquired whether it was entitled to some out-of-work donation, something seemed to startle it. Perhaps it was asked, 'Wis ye wor-r-kin' the day?'

"Anyway, it vented its injured dignity in a wrathful clamour at the telephone, and when the exchange operator did not reply promptly enough, it tore the telephone from the wall and came forth with it into the street to the great amusement of all who were standing near.

"At length it was pacified and taken quietly along to the mart."

Elsewhere it was reported that influenza, which had been creating considerable alarm in the cities, had reached Caithness and a number of deaths had occurred in Wick, believed to have been caused by the disease.

It was thought that this was just the start of the epidemic locally, and it was expected to last up to seven weeks.

Youth club dance given go-ahead

From the Groat of January 28, 1972

Keiss Youth Club had finally been given permission to hold a dance in the village's new school and community centre.

The group had wished to use the new venue to hold a concert, which was to be followed by the dance, but ran into problems getting permission as the council's education subcommittee realised there were no rules drawn up to govern how the facility was to be used for such entertainments.

Following a delay for consultation, it was agreed that smoking was to be prohibited at concerts, and alcohol and smoking to be prohibited at dances, where at least six stewards were to be in attendance.

Smoking was to be permitted at whist drives if adequate ash-trays were on the tables and at other social table functions smoking would be allowed. However, these events had to finish by midnight.

The committee had previously heard that the floor in the new centre had already been damaged by a cigarette.

Elsewhere, police in Thurso were investigating an "unusual complaint". It was alleged that two single-deck buses had been unlawfully taken from the Lovers' Lane depot, driven into the grounds of the Dunbar Hospital and then returned to the depot.

Some damage had been done to the vehicles as a result.

Heated argument over fireplace

From the Groat of January 31, 1997

A row had broken out over claims that cash-starved council bosses had spent £1000 on an ornamental fireplace at a Thurso primary school.

The old-fashioned hearth and surround had been installed as part of a 1900s classroom being developed at Miller Academy.

But the disclosure had angered teaching staff braced for a fresh round of spending cuts by Highland Council.

And their anger had been fuelled by claims that a specialist paint job was also carried out at a cost of £3000.

The work was being undertaken as part of the renovation of the school's dilapidated annexe, where a classroom from the Victorian era was being created in one of the rooms.

A teacher at the school said: "They have made a lovely job and the fireplace is beautiful. But at a time when there is talk of teachers losing their jobs because of a shortage of funding, it is unbelievable that they can afford to spend this kind of money on what really is a luxury."

The teacher added that the council should be getting its priorities right.

Council officials refused to confirm the costs involved but stressed that the money had come from the repairs and maintenance fund and not the teaching budget.


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