Looking Back – news from the John O'Groat Journal of yesteryear
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Herring season better than expected
From the Groat of September 15, 1922
The fishermen in Wick "appeared to have made, in the majority of cases, a moderately good living" from the herring fishing, despite the grave concerns at the start of the season.
However, while they were able to meet their everyday financial obligations this year, practically all of their surplus revenue had gone on paying off debts incurred "in the poor season which went before".
It was reported that the summer herring fishing at Wick had been entered upon "by all sections of the industry with serious misgivings".
An effort to obtain government assistance had failed "and the trade had to commence operations unsupported in face of political and commercial chaos in the Continental herring-buying countries with the value of the German mark rapidly falling to an undreamt-of level".
"There was no ground for optimism and neither fishermen nor curers could see the vestiges of a silver lining to the black cloud overhanging the industry."
Now that the season had closed, the number of unemployed had risen and in the past week an additional 150 people connected with the trade had registered at the town's labour exchange. These were chiefly coopers, firemen and cooks.
This brought the total number of unemployed in the town to 605 – 537 men, 34 boys, 33 women and one girl.
Bid to save threatened building
From the Groat of September 15, 1972
One of the Wick traders interested in sharing a High Street site which was to be made available under Wick's town centre redevelopment scheme was to be given the opportunity to purchase a building and reconstruct what was left of it following the widening of the street.
The property at 54 High Street had been deemed worthy of preservation by the Wick Society and a petition signed by 23 people had been handed to the local authority supporting the proposal to allow Mr A Cardosi the opportunity to buy it and reconstruct it to house a café and a dwelling above.
Caithness County Council's roads committee had purchased the property with the intention of demolishing it to facilitate the road widening and then redeveloping what remained of the site.
However, it was argued that it might be possible to demolish just the front part of the building and allow the remainder to be converted, at a price less than the cost of buying the vacant site and developing it from scratch.
Members of the roads committee heard that the council had no obligation to provide accommodation for those who were being displaced as part of the redevelopment scheme but agreed to give Mr Cardosi the opportunity to come up with an acceptable proposal for the building.
Vote of confidence for maternity unit
From the Groat of September 19, 1997
Scottish health minister Sam Galbraith had given the maternity service at Caithness General Hospital in Wick a vote of confidence following public concern that its future could be under threat.
Describing it as a "splendid unit" with a "warm, friendly atmosphere", he stressed that no decision on its future had been made by Highland Health Board and he urged all parties involved to co-operate to come up with a solution that was best for mothers and babies.
Mr Galbraith acknowledged that solutions acceptable in areas with sizeable populations may be totally inappropriate for rural communities.
He added that the Labour government was keen to get away from "entrenched positions and empire-building" in the NHS and to "foster a spirit of co-operation rather than competition".
However, he could not give an assurance that Caithness and Sutherland NHS Trust would continue in its present form.
Fears had been raised before the general election in May that Labour planned to reduce the number of trusts in Scotland and concerns had been expressed that such a move would have adverse consequences for people in the northern counties.
Mr Galbraith pledged that geographic factors would be given careful consideration, as would other issues such as the relationships trusts had with the community and the esteem in which they were held.
