Looking Back – news from the John O'Groat Journal of yesteryear
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Carnival at Wick
From the Groat of January 4, 1924
A carnival had been staged in Wick's Rifle Hall by members of the Harmsworth Park Improvements Committee and profits from the event were to go towards further upgrades at the sports field.
The committee was "a distinct body from the Parks Committee" and it owed its formation "to the seeming disinterestedness of the rulers of the park".
Since its formation in April the previous year, the committee had "speedily got to work, raised funds by every honourable means and had the ground thoroughly drained, levelled and re-turfed, until today it ranks as one of the best sports grounds north of Aberdeen".
It was reported that the committee's "next consideration was the comfort of spectators, and if they are as successful in this direction as in their ground improvement scheme, Wick will yet have an exceptionally fine and attractive sports enclosure – some place where one would not be ashamed to bring a friend".
As for the carnival, "no effort was spared to make it attractive and nightly crowds climbed the stairs to see the fun".
The writer stated that "the carnival on the whole surpassed anything of the kind we have had in the town and at this season of the year it was particularly welcome".
A special attraction was a "wireless" which had delighted a large number of visitors to the event.
Three-day week crisis
From the Groat of January 4, 1974
Local MP Robert Maclennan heard how Caithness businesses were struggling because of the fuel shortage and the government-imposed three-day week.
At a meeting held by Caithness Chamber of Commerce, representatives from industry, agriculture and tourism spoke about the effects of the restrictions and their fears for the future if the situation continued.
"It was clearly stated that few companies could survive for long with a three-day week which effectively reduced productive output by nearly 50 per cent," it was reported.
"A number of companies which had recently been established in the county found it hard enough to survive working a full week and any curtailment of output could be disastrous."
Materials of all kinds were in short supply "and the building industry had been particularly affected by steel and other shortages".
Although the fuel situation had improved slightly, suppliers in the south were "commonly refusing to send their vehicles north since they feared that diesel fuel was unobtainable and this aggravated the material shortage position".
And an increase in the use of paraffin heating instead of electric appliances had led to shortage of paraffin in the county.
Tourism industry representatives feared that if the petrol supply position did not improve significantly, "large numbers of people would decide against the long journey to the far north of Scotland for their annual holiday".
Fury over Reay decision
From the Groat of January 8, 1999
Scottish Secretary Donald Dewar's decision to rubber-stamp Boundary Commission proposals to make Reay part of Sutherland had been greeted with fury.
The inclusion of the village within Tongue and Farr had been confirmed in the new-look 80-ward Highland Council blueprint.
An action group set up to fight the transfer vowed to continue its campaign by lobbying every Scottish MP.
Councillors in Caithness and Sutherland were united in their condemnation of the change as an "administrative convenience". But their protests cut no ice with Mr Dewar, who also knocked back protests about moving Edderton from Ross and Cromarty into Sutherland.
Bob Paterson, vice-chairman of Reay Action Group, claimed villagers would be disenfranchised from council affairs as a result of the decision.
"As far as local government goes we will be a voice in the wilderness," he said.
Caithness deputy provost Falconer Water said the decision was "undemocratic and illogical", and was being done "purely to satisfy a numbers game".
Councillor John Mowat, whose council ward included Reay, described the move as "madness".
"It's the Big Brother factor at work again," he said. "They are breaking up council wards to suit themselves and not taking anything else into consideration."
The new wards were to come into effect at the council elections in May.
