Looking back – news from the John O'Groat Journal of yesteryear
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Million-pound plan for harbour
From the Groat of February 11, 1921
Wick harbour trustees agreed to take forward a scheme to improve the town's harbour, even though the cost was expected to be around £1 million.
The project had first been put to the government for approval in 1915 and the £1m price tag was what it would have cost at that time.
At a meeting, resident engineer Mr Wookey laid before the members the full plan which included two suggested outer breakwaters.
Some members considered that going with the full scheme would mean that urgent improvements could be put back, but ex-bailie Green moved approval of the original plan and told his colleagues that the trust should "aim high". He also said they should apply for immediate work to be done, including finishing the extension to the North Quay, the deepening of the inner and outer harbour basins, the finishing of the river walls and the deepening of the river basin.
Meanwhile, subscribers to the Wick telephone circuit had protested against a proposed increase of telephone rates. Some in the town, including the grocers and ironmongers, had already decided to discontinue their phones if prices went up and it was likely that most of the remaining customers would follow suit.
It was agreed that the Postmaster-General be urged to reconsider the price increase.
Preservation society hope
From the Groat of February 12, 1971
Wick man Mr J Sutherland expressed the hope of forming an antiquarian and preservation association to protect the town's heritage and record its history.
In a letter to the editor, another on the subject of the widening of the High Street, Mr Sutherland called for a halt to the scheme, which would involve the demolition of buildings in the west half of the thoroughfare.
Wondering if anybody had "bothered to read the plans", he pointed out that architects had said the reshaping of High Street was a short-term solution and the only long-term answer was a new bridge to the Whitechapel area.
Mr Sutherland went on to say that his hoped-for association would "act as a watchdog over similar stunts and create a permanent display of local history".
He added: "As I hope to have an inaugural meeting within the next month I will know soon enough whether I am merely a noisy pest or if there is a body of opinion which thinks there is something of the heritage of this town worth keeping for the future."
Elsewhere, Bailie DT Harper called for action on gap sites in Pulteneytown. The situation was so bad, he said, "you would think that Hitler had been here last week bombing the place".
Fire service crisis talks
From the Groat of February 16, 1996
Talks being held in Inverness would determine the future of the fire service in Caithness.
The fire board, drawn from members of the Highland Council and island authorities, planned to cut £750,000 from the next year's budget along with £240,000 of savings already identified by firemaster Bob Gordon.
Mr Gordon was to make an eleventh-hour appeal to reverse the decision amid fears that Wick and Thurso fire stations could be reduced to one engine each to cover the whole of Caithness and north Sutherland.
The cuts were branded "deplorable" by Thurso councillor Morton Smith, a former fire board chairman, who said the Scottish Secretary should look again at the brigade's budget or risk being accused of putting cash before people's lives.
Meanwhile, primary seven pupils from Wick's South school had written to the Groat calling for the return of a cinema to the town.
The youngsters wanted a picture house reinstated at the site of the former Zig-Zags nightclub, which had been destroyed in a fire.
They had been impressed by the memories of many readers who had written to the paper saying they would always remember the building as the Pavilion cinema, and telling of the films they saw there.
