Looking Back – news from the John O'Groat Journal of yesteryear
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Call for sports support in Wick
From the Groat of June 22, 1923
The leader writer in the Groat took "our civic fathers" to task for failing to provide sports facilities in Wick.
Addressing the councillors directly, it was stated that "complaints have not infrequently been made, as you are aware, good gentlemen, that you are not as sympathetic and helpful as you might be in the encouragement of local sports. Some go even so far to say that, as a corporate body, you have little initiative and less imagination.
"How does it never occur to any of you to propose the taking steps to institute a putting green in or near the town? You must know the popularity of golf with young and old – a game which would be taken part in more extensively in Wick but for the distance from the town of the admirable course at Reiss links.
"Well, if a golf course cannot be found nearer hand, surely there are one or two places where excellent putting greens could be laid down."
The writer argued that the costs involved would very soon be recouped and the facilities would become a source of revenue for the town. The added bonus would be an increase in membership of the club at Reiss.
"Just take the matter up, please, and by another season we shall have a flourishing putting green in Wick."
First steps for new pool
From the Groat of June 22, 1973
Wick Town Council had decided to take the first preliminary step in providing an indoor swimming pool for the community.
At a meeting of the whole council it was agreed, by a majority of 11 votes to two, to put forward the plan to the Scottish Development Department for approval. It was expected that the cost would be £280,000.
Dean of Guild James Miller had made it clear from the outset that he was against the plan because of the other commitments facing the council, including a new sewer from High Street to Scalesburn, £1 million for new housing and the cost of the modernisation of existing council houses.
He told the meeting: "I sit here and hear councillors say, 'We have got to provide this.' We have not got to do everything.
"We have to protect the ratepayers' money. Very few can afford this no more than they can afford colour television or two cars."
Treasurer James Dunne agreed, saying: "We are not in a fit financial state to do this."
Bailie Mrs Margaret Robertson argued that the council needed to plan for the future and stressed that Wick children were being hampered in their swimming progress while in Thurso, where an indoor pool was available, their counterparts were competing at national level.
Rail junction upgrade
From the Groat of June 26, 1998
Railtrack was to spend £200,000 on improvements at Georgemas Junction, which would shave up to six minutes from the journey time between Inverness and Wick.
Community leaders in Caithness had welcomed the announcement but believed it did not go nearly far enough and would do little to encourage more people to travel on Britain's slowest rail service.
At a meeting in Thurso Town Hall, Railtrack's Scottish director Janette Anderson was told that the upgrade would make little impact on the journey time between Wick and Inverness, which had lengthened to more than four hours after the former state-owned BR axed a train crew and forced Wick passengers to detour to Thurso.
Mrs Anderson also announced plans for a £500,000 facelift of Wick and Thurso railway stations, but the meeting believed such an investment would be better spent reducing journey times.
Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise director Jim Fry, also a member of Friends of the Far North Line, pointed out that the six-minute saving would be "wiped out" if plans came to fruition to open new stations at Beauly and Evanton.
Elsewhere, a plan to build a new hall and community centre at Latheron had been boosted by the award of £105,000 from the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations. Latheron was the only Caithness scheme to attract funding from the £3.7 million on offer.
