LOOKING BACK: news from the John o'Groat Journal of yesteryear
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Twilight 'keeking' fine, Cottage demoliton deplored and Millions withheld from Dounreay
From the Groat of September 7, 1923
A number of people in Wick had been complaining about "someone anxious to see into their homes through the window".
Those worried about these alarming instances of "keeking" were "relieved to learn that that certain local citizens who had kept watch for some nights safely lodged in jail a man whom they caught climbing a lower bedroom windowsill in Sinclair Terrace.
"The sequel was heard in Wick Burgh Police Court... when a young married railwayman (not belonging to the town) was charged with the offence and with annoying and alarming the inmates of the house, and committing a breach of the peace."
He was fined £2.
Meanwhile, the work at Duncansby Head Lighthouse was almost completed and it was expected that the light would be working about the beginning of winter.
It was reported that Mr Peter Cromarty, who was principal lighthouse keeper at Stroma, had been transferred to Duncansby Head where he had taken up his duties.
In Thrumster, the official opening took place of the Ex-servicemen's Recreation Hall.
The building had been erected on the site of a ruined house beside the Police Station House and it was hoped it would become "a centre of light and leading in the district, physically, intellectually and morally".
Cottage demolition deplored
From the Groat of September 7, 1973
The Scottish Civic Trust had sent a letter to Thurso provost Mr WS Smith deploring the "unimaginative act" which had resulted in the demolition of a property in the town.
In the letter the trust said it had been made aware that the historic Harbour Cottage "which has been the subject of prolonged discussion between your Council and the Scottish Civic Trust, has been bulldozed down.
"It seems most unfortunate that what could have been made a useful tourist amenity in a town where the tourist potential is about to increase, should have been removed in this way, particularly after so much time and trouble, not to say expense, has been contributed towards laying plans and contributing funds to conserve it".
The letter continued that "instead of taking the opportunity to use the imaginative scheme prepared for this cottage as a contribution by Thurso to European Architectural Heritage Year 1975, the present action subtracts.
"It seems to us that the manner in which it has been handled reflects no great credit on the Burgh."
Elsewhere, a delegation from Dunnet Bay Action Committee was to meet Secretary of State for Scotland Gordon Campbell to present the case for Chicago Bridge Ltd being granted permission to establish an oil rig fabrication yard at Dunnet.
Millions withheld from Dounreay
From the Groat of September 11, 1998
Tens of millions of pounds had been made available to Dounreay's operators for decommissioning and waste management in the mid-1990s but the money was withheld by a board of directors who included the then site director John Baxter and the current post-holder Dr Roy Nelson.
Dismissing claims that Government under-funding had been responsible for the "chronic safety problems which were allowed to develop at Dounreay", Energy Minister John Battle disclosed that funds had been made available for the plant but had never been used by the UK Atomic Energy Authority.
It was reported that "a large underspend occurred when Mr Baxter was director of Dounreay and his successor, Dr Nelson, was responsible for all decommissioning and waste management projects.
"At the same time, the UKAEA was claiming that the only way for Dounreay to survive was with the help of foreign income from the commercial reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel."
Official reports suggested that the amount of money being withheld from Dounreay and other plants had been a source of pride for the board, and the directors had "succeeded handsomely" in achieving "the prime task of reducing their costs to the taxpayer of the division's programme" at time when £15m had gone unspent.
The inspection of the 1994/95 annual review revealed that the underspend was deliberate "with the board's agenda fixed by a desire to reduce decommissioning and waste management costs as quickly as possible through competitive tendering and private sector management techniques".
