Looking Back – news from the John O'Groat Journal of yesteryear
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'The ravages of a loathsome disease'
From the Groat of February 23, 1923
A "lecture of high interest and educative value" was delivered to the Mercantile Debating Society by Dr Leask of Wick, who spoke on the "Tragedy of Syphilis".
The doctor explained that the upsurge in cases of syphilis was a "side issue to the Great War" and said: "This disease existed before the war but has become vastly more prevalent as a direct result of it."
He also pointed out that at the early stages, when syphilis was "curable", sufferers were treated as social pariahs, while at the later stages when it was incurable the patient was rendered "an object of our charity and our unavailing treatment".
Dr Leask went on to explain what syphilis was, how symptoms manifested, how it could be "inherited" by children and how prophylaxis could help to stem the spread.
His concluding advice to the meeting was that, "as a nation, we ought to live clean lives".
He said: "We ought to be temperate and avoid excesses of all kinds. Let our minds be hale and healthy. We should banish from our thoughts everything depraved and sensual. Let us turn towards the sublime.
"Let us interest ourselves in the beautiful things of this earth, whether it be art, sound literature, music or healthy sport, etc. Let us admire virtue and purity in women, and, above all, let us be honest to ourselves."
New housing planned in Wick
From the Groat of February 23, 1973
Preparing for possible industrial development in the area, particularly in connection with North Sea oil, Wick Town Council was considering the acquisition of sites on the north and south sides of the town and elsewhere for the building of houses to meet the needs of the public and private sectors.
It was reported: "If the oil industry develops in Wick, it is estimated there will be an influx of between 600 and 700 people, of whom half will be permanent at the end of the day.
"At the same time the council requires sites for its own housing schemes and provision is also to be made for private houses such as those required by teachers and police."
Elsewhere, a 16-year-old refused to apologise to the sheriff for addressing Wick Sheriff Court with his hands in his pockets.
The boy had admitted driving offences and the case was being continued for background reports. Sheriff Ewen Stewart had commented that he thought the young accused had had a poor start in life, and the sheriff was seeking an alternative to a borstal report.
It was agreed that the case be deferred to allow the accused to find a job.
However, the sheriff then remarked that if the youngster didn't want to make of a success of his life, he was stupid.
"The boy replied: 'I am not stupid.' Sheriff: 'Then I must be.' Boy: 'It is possible.'"
When challenged, the accused said he wasn't trying to be insolent. But when he refused to apologise for not taking his hands out of his pockets, "the sheriff snapped, 'Take him away for a borstal report.'"
CCTV call over late-night violence
From the Groat of February 27, 1998
Police and publicans were calling for closed-circuit TV cameras to be installed in the centre of Thurso to counter an upsurge in late-night violence outside bars.
They were also seeking a by-law banning alcohol from streets in the town centre amid warnings that pubs, hotels and clubs would face much tougher policing unless licensees "ensure their houses are kept in order".
It followed a spate of violent incidents in which drunken thugs used glasses and beer bottles in assaults, leaving their victims permanently disfigured.
At a specially convened meeting, the town's police chief, Inspector Hamish Milne, said that between the end of October and the end of January there had been six occasions when victims had been assaulted using glasses or bottles.
"You may think six is not particularly high but it is more than there were over the same period in Inverness," he said.
Brian O'Brien, of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, said that CCTV and an anti-drink by-law had "transformed towns such as Nairn".
He told the licensees: "Do not start blaming the public, the police or whoever. It is our responsibility and we should address it."
Licensees were urged to ensure that no-one left their premises carrying a glass or a bottle. And they were reminded that it was an offence to serve someone who was drunk or to allow someone to get drunk on licensed premises.
