Looking Back – news from the John O'Groat Journal of yesteryear
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From cabin boy to commodore
From the Groat of May 25, 1923
The death had occurred in Dorset of Captain Horatio McKay, a native of Thurso who had attended school in the town.
Captain McKay (86), who for many years was commodore of the Cunard line fleet, had begun his working life as a cabin boy on a sailing ship at the age of nine, and in the course of a long life at sea had received "46 testimonials and 20 medals and watches from passengers and representatives of foreign countries in respect of rescues at sea effected under his supervision".
When he retired from his position with the Cunard company in 1901, he had crossed the Atlantic "some 800 or 900 times" without losing either a ship or passenger. His final command had been the Lucania, which in 1894 made the record transatlantic passage of the time from Queenstown to Sandy Hook, a record not beaten for eight years.
Captain McKay had had the "unusual experience of reading his own obituary notice" owing to a mistake that occurred through his name being confused with that of his brother, Captain Alexander McKay, who had died in 1912 and had also been a commodore in the Cunard fleet.
Elsewhere, local cricketers were up in arms after Wick Town Council erected a fence in the Bignold Park, right over the only cricket pitch. The fence was designed to separate the recreational area from that used for "municipal agriculture".
Support for Struie upgrade
From the Groat of May 25, 1973
Members of Caithness County Council agreed to support their Sutherland counterparts in the latter's efforts to have the Struie road improved. However, councillors made it clear that this was a "short-term road policy and that their main concern was the bridging of the Dornoch Firth".
Sutherland County Council had written asking Caithness for support and local members agreed that the Struie was an important road for Caithness people. It was deemed too narrow, especially "with lorries and caravans using it", and was likened to the Causewaymire in Caithness before it had been widened and improved.
Ex-provost TW Pollok, Thurso, stressed that they would have to wait "several years yet" for the bridge over the Dornoch Firth and meanwhile the Struie was "dangerous".
Elsewhere, a project undertaken by four youngsters at the small primary school of Altnabreac, which had fewer than a dozen pupils, had won them third prize in the Lyons Lifeline Schools competition, open to all of Britain.
John Mackay, Robert Rowantree, Mark Bartram and Ian Reid had written and compiled a book on the wildlife of Caithness.
They had also cured wildcat skin and pieces of deer skin that had been submitted as specimens.
They won an animal encyclopaedia for their school.
Woman's bravery rewarded
From the Groat of May 29, 1998
The courage displayed by a Wick woman who saved her friend's life was given official recognition at an awards ceremony.
Yvonne Aikman, of Cairndhuna Terrace, had plunged into Wick harbour after her friend Ellen Rosie fell into the water as they made their way home after a night out. Although she had difficulty locating Miss Rosie in the dark, Miss Aikman eventually "pinpointed her cries" and succeeded in getting a lifebelt over her head.
They were then hauled to safety by two police officers who had launched a small boat.
Chief Inspector Jim Heddle said that without Miss Aikman's brave actions her friend would "no longer be with us".
Handing over the Royal Humane Society scroll, Northern Constabulary's deputy chief constable Keith Cullen said it was a "rare honour" as such an award was more usually made to members of the emergency services who tended to be first on the scene of an incident.
Honoured at the same ceremony was PC Garry Maclennan, who had entered a burning, smoke-filled house and dragged the occupier to safety.
Elsewhere, a former navigator aboard the QE2 had been hired by Scrabster Harbour Trust to market the port as a destination for cruise ships.
Grant Laversuch, who ran Cruise Net UK, said he would be highlighting such attractions as Caithness Glass, John O'Groats, the local archaeology and the prestigious Ackergill Tower to cruise companies.
