Thurso fur and feather demise brings cash boost for local groups
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THE demise of a long-standing community group has brought a windfall for three good causes operating in Caithness.
Thurso Ornithological Society – better known as the fur and feather club – had been going for 117 years, holding an annual show with up to 450 entries on display consisting of poultry, pigeons, cage birds, rabbits, cats, dogs and ferrets.
In its early days the show was held in the Miller Calder Hall on New Year’s Day. Later it was held at various venues, mainly Thurso Town Hall, until Caithness Horizons took over the building and was unable to accommodate it.
Shows were then set up at Quoybrae and later Castletown Drill Hall, the last show being held in 2016.
The show required a lot of commitment and hard work. Due to ill health and lack of support in organising the show, the committee members have taken the difficult decision to call it a day.
They have divided the money in their account and donated it to the RNLI, the SSPCA and KWK9 Rescue.
Cheques for £521.62 each were presented to Dougie Munro, Thurso RNLI coxswain; Barry and Lysette Butler, with Jake, of KWK9; and Jimmy Gunn of the SSPCA. They were handed over by society president Alec Cannop, secretary Marlene Cannop, their granddaughter Katie McIntosh and treasurer David Alexander.
