Looking Back – news from the John O'Groat Journal of yesteryear
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Telephone exchange opened in Thurso
From the Groat of October 6, 1922
The official opening of the new telephone exchange took place in Thurso, removing a "long-felt want". Its establishment was expected to be an "immense boon to all classes of the community".
While the exchange at the present time was confined to calls within the county, including a connection with Wick, it was hoped that at "no distant date a connection will be established, not only with the main trunk system, but with Orkney and Shetland".
According to the latest figures, the total number of telephone subscribers in Wick and Thurso was 100, of which 45 were in Thurso.
The cost of a call between the two towns was 10 1/2d from 7am to 2pm, 9d from 2pm to 7pm and 6d for night calls. During the day these sums covered a three-minute conversation, while the nightly rate was for six minutes.
Meanwhile, milk prices in Wick had been fixed at 2s 4d per gallon.
The local Milk Producers' and Dairymen's Association had met earlier in the year and had agreed, given the "present state of the town", to postpone the fixing of the winter prices until November 1.
The cold, sunless summer had been unfavourable for the production of milk, both as to quality and quantity, and it was certain that supplies would be greatly reduced.
Former provost honoured
From the Groat of October 6, 1972
The Freedom of the Burgh of Thurso was granted to Miss Isabella Cormack, a former provost of the town.
The ceremony took place in the Town Hall and included the ritual reading of the Burgess Ticket and the administering of the Burgess Oath.
Current provost Mr TW Pollok presented Miss Cormack with the Burgess Casket, made of natural oak and bearing the burgh coat of arms. The casket contained the Burgess Ticket which was made of calf vellum and which had been embossed by hand and illuminated in permanent heraldic colours.
A native of Thurso, Miss Cormack had been dux at Miller Academy in 1911. She had gained a degree and trained to be a teacher, serving in Thurso for 42 years.
After retiring she served on the Caithness Education Committee and its Western Area Sub-Committee and was the first president of Thurso Townswomen's Guild. She entered the Town Council in 1944 and was provost from 1964 until 1967.
Elsewhere, a well-known Wick restaurant had been helped to expand by financial assistance from the Highlands and Islands Development Board.
Mr and Mrs JGD Houston, who owned Houston's Restaurant in High Street, had increased their ground-floor seating capacity to 80 and had upgraded the kitchen and provided a store room, new toilets and a staff room.
The business had been set up by Mr Houston's parents.
Public toilets faced closure
From the Groat of October 10, 1997
A controversial decision to close all public toilets in Caithness to help save over £700,000 in the Highland Council's protective services budget had been condemned as "absolutely ridiculous".
It had emerged that the move had apparently been agreed in private by local councillors and ratified by their colleagues in Inverness a few days later.
A number of part-time attendants were expected to lose their jobs at the beginning of December when the closures were implemented.
Among the facilities to go was the John O'Groats toilets block which had opened just a few years previously at a cost of £100,000.
One worker facing redundancy said that people they had spoken to had been "horrified" and just couldn't believe that this was to happen.
Wick community councillor Marjorie Mackenzie said it was "obvious that the decision was taken by men and not women with bairns".
Calling it a "nonsense" she suggested that councillors take a cut in their expenses rather than cut the budget.
"The public are expected to make sacrifices – why can't they?" she said.
Elsewhere it was reported that the Swanson Gallery in Thurso could be closed until the beginning of the financial year in April 1998.
A council spokesman said the possibility could arise because of funding problems.
However, he stressed that he knew of no proposal to shut the facility permanently.
