Looking Back – news from the John O'Groat Journal of yesteryear
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Road hogs in Wick
From the Groat of August 10, 1923
Columnist "Cairndhuna" put pen to paper to "protest against the excessive speed of motor cyclists through the streets of our town".
He noted that an English judge had called the vehicles "abominable contrivances" and he suspected that the judge could "even have called them by a stronger term".
"Cairndhuna" wrote: "It is not boys who use them, but grown-up men, and even fathers of families. The bulk of them seem to have no concern for other folk's bairns but dart suddenly amongst the youthful toddlers who may be playing around the corners. If they have a horn they are too lazy to sound it.
"Not a few of these spiritless characters are leaders in public life, and even in Christian circles. They race among our country roads as if souls were perishing in the Kirk o' the Moss."
He ended his complaint with the "hope that the men of the law will make an example of some of these road hogs before worse happens".
Meanwhile, in Canisbay, the sixth show of the Canisbay landholders was held in the "most auspicious circumstances in the area's Tower Park".
The event "passed off in a style both encouraging and creditable" and the quality of the stock on show was "most noteworthy".
Protest over office move
From the Groat of August 10, 1973
Sutherland County Council was to make representations to local MP Robert Maclennan about the decision to close the Department of Health and Social Security office in Golspie and transfer operations to Wick.
The department would be retaining only a counter service in the Sutherland village, councillors had learned. The move would result in the loss of four full-time jobs and mean people in the area would have to travel to Caithness to access services.
Local councillor D I Macrae said it was "entirely wrong that these people should have to go to Wick".
The council agreed that no such decision should be taken before the reorganisation of local government.
Meanwhile, special guest at a sale of work at John O'Groats public hall was Sydney L Luce, managing director of Chicago Bridge Ltd, which was seeking permission to develop land at Dunnet Bay for oil-related work.
There was a large turnout at the event to support the harbour improvements scheme and the sum of £610 was raised, "a remarkable effort for a small rural community".
Mr Luce expressed the hope that Chicago Bridge would be "successful in their efforts to be established in Caithness". His speech was reported as having been "illustrated with homely, humorous American anecdotes".
Concern over car park sale
From the Groat of August 14, 1998
Wick community councillors were to ask area council officials to put them in the picture regarding the sale of the town's riverside car park.
Members had expressed disquiet about the decision to dispose of the car park ground along with another similar area in Thurso.
Community councillor Marjory Mackenzie said that the buyers of the riverside ground were the owners of the nearby Safeway store and she questioned whether it had been legal to sell the land.
Sandy McLeod said he was under the impression that such areas had been designated as "open space for all time" but local Highland councillor Anderson Murray maintained that the land belonged to Highland Council.
Councillor Murray said Highland Council had explained what it had done and "the subsequent report which appeared in the local press was all that was required".
He then wanted the discussion to continue in private, but chairperson Deirdre Steven said the community council had been elected by the townspeople and "it was right that they should be seen to be open and accountable".
She added that the community councillors would have "preferred to have been advised of such local decision-making in advance, particularly with regard to the possibility of alternatives to riverside parking, as opposed to being presented with a fait accompli".
