LOOKING BACK: Thurso footballer's holiday mishap, Boy rescued from drowning and Jobs on the line
Thurso footballer’s holiday mishap
From the Groat of July 11, 1924
A Thurso correspondent reported that on the occasion of the town’s holiday “the day’s proceedings were marred by a distressing accident which befell one of the excursionists, in the person of Mr Alex Inrig, who is well known in northern football circles”.
Mr Inrig had been spending the day in Brora, “and it appears that while taking a spin on Hewson's chair-o-planes Mr Inrig became unseated and, falling heavily to the ground, was hurt about the body.
“Despite his injuries he desired to return home, and at Brora entered a railway compartment wherein were four of his comrades from the Pentland FC who were en route to Thurso from Golspie.
“Observing that Mr Inrig was suffering great pain his companions insisted upon medical attention being procured, and at Helmsdale informed the guard and stationmaster of his plight.
“The train was delayed until Dr Macdonald arrived at the station and on examining Mr Inrig the doctor had him removed from the train and conveyed him by car to the Lawson Memorial Hospital, Golspie.”
Mr Inrig was later able to return to Thurso.
Elsewhere, members of Wick Town Council heard that an application had been submitted for a new cinema in Wick. The building was being planned for High Street “along and under the east side of Oag’s Lane”.
Boy rescued from drowning
From the Groat of July 12, 1974
A Wick woman had run several hundred yards from her home, jumped into the sea on the north side of the harbour and saved a lad from drowning.
Mrs Beattie, wife of Mr A Beattie, depute county clerk, had been alerted by her children who had heard cries for help, and she and her husband ran to the scene.
Nine-year-old Donald Ross had been fishing on the seaward side of the north pier when he slipped and fell into the water.
Two nearby anglers tried unsuccessfully to help him. Meantime his friend was shouting for help.
“Mrs Beattie clambered down the side of the pier and jumped to the boy’s aid. She caught and held him. Mr Beattie had secured a rope and hauled the boy to safety, then pulled up his wife.”
The tide was half in at the time of the rescue “which was effected at one of the most difficult and dangerous places at the harbour”.
Elsewhere, survivors of the war-time sinking of the Royal Oak in Scapa Flow were to make a return visit to Thurso “to meet the local people who had sheltered them in their homes after the disaster”.
The members of the Royal Naval Association would then go to Orkney for a memorial service for the 833 officers and men who were lost.
Jobs on the line
From the Groat of July 16, 1999
The jobs of 14 workers at a Caithness glazing firm were on the line after their company became snarled up in a messy contract wrangle.
Production at Hi Glaze’s Halkirk base had ground to a halt while directors made last-minute efforts to avoid having to pull the plug on the three-year-old business.
Hi Glaze had been used to supply windows for Inverness-based McGregor Construction in a council house improvement contract in Lochaber.
After being late with early deliveries, a situation which Hi Glaze said McGregor was made fully aware of, the company had supplied £16,000 worth of windows and had a further £8000 worth at its Bridge Street factory. But it had refused to supply any more as it had not been paid a penny by McGregor, which had since wound up the agreement.
The impasse left the firm with a healthy order book, a good track record for workmanship and a committed workforce but unable to function because of acute cash-flow problems.
The bank had refused to extend the overdraft and neither Highland Council nor the local enterprise company could provide a bridging loan.
Director Reg Brown said they had “just about exhausted every avenue”.
The Inverness firm maintained that Hi Glaze had cost it upwards of £20,000 because of its failure to meet delivery times and was withholding the payment of £16.000 as a result.