Looking Back – news from the John O'Groat Journal of yesteryear
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North man killed in Canada
From the Groat of August 25, 1922
Helmsdale-born William Murray, the eldest surviving son of Mr and Mrs James Murray, Dunrobin Street, had died instantly in an industrial accident while working in a lignite mine in Manitoba, Canada.
The incident occurred at around 7.30am when a cave-in happened in the shaft where Mr Murray was working.
It was reported that "a number of miners entered the shaft and, with difficulty, the body was reached. No-one seems to know exactly the cause of the accident. More than a hundred tons of timber etc fell on the unfortunate man, mashing him into the damp earth and badly mangling the body."
Mr Murray, who was 36 years old, had emigrated to Canada 11 years previously. He was well known in the Jordan district, where he had a homestead west of the city.
Elsewhere, three blocks of new houses being built in Keiss were nearing completion.
"Situated in the centre of the village, the style of architecture of the houses is distinctly different to the old class of houses, and the internal arrangement is up to date," it was reported.
John Flett, water diviner, Milton, Wick, had located water quite near to the buildings.
Midnight movie for youth club funds
From the Groat of August 22, 1972
With the co-operation of the management of the Pavilion Cinema in Wick, the town's youth club was to present a late show "featuring two feature films which will be welcomed by discerning cinemagoers".
The first, The Lost Man, starred Academy Award-winning Sidney Poitier, while Robert Redford was the attraction in Tell Them Willie Boy is Here.
The double feature was to start at 11.15pm with the doors opening at 10.50pm.
"Through the generous assistance of Caledonian Associated Cinemas Ltd and the film renters the profits of the evening will be donated to Wick Youth Club Building Fund."
Meanwhile, a fête held on the village green at Keiss had raised £176 which was enough to complete the repayment of £2200 that the local congregation of the Church of Scotland had borrowed to build its new church hall.
The scheme had begun two-and-a-half years previously, during which period the congregation had staged three fêtes, three sponsored walks, several jumble sales, two ceilidhs and a Burns supper as the main efforts to clear the debt.
The hall itself was the repurposed drawing office of a firm of contractors in Edinburgh. It had been reassembled and fitted in Keiss largely by voluntary labour.
Drugs awareness event
From the Groat of August 29, 1997
The parents of an Essex teenager whose death had become a touchstone for drug abuse in Britain were to visit Caithness to speak to children and parents.
Paul and Janet Betts' daughter Leah died in 1995 after taking an ecstasy tablet at her 18th birthday party in Chelmsford.
Her death attracted national media coverage and led her parents to begin a drugs awareness campaign based on their own experience.
They had travelled the country to give presentations about the devastation that drug abuse could wreak and to speak about the mistakes they made in their attitude towards drugs and discussing the issue with their daughter.
The couple had been asked to come north by Robert Sutherland, the crime prevention officer at Thurso police station, in a joint initiative with the community education department of the Highland Council.
The event was being supported by local businesses, with the Royal Hotel in Thurso providing free accommodation for the couple, Dunnet's garage providing a free car for their use and North of Scotland Newspapers printing information packs.
Sponsors such as CASE, Highland Council, Norfrost and UKAEA were helping to offset the £3000 bill for the visit.
