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Thurso pupil earns prize in name of Labour stalwart Arthur Yates





Callum Prideaux has been awarded the Arthur Yates Memorial Shield at a presentation which took place at Thurso High School.

The prize – now in its 21st year – is given to the student judged to be the best at Modern Studies. Depute rector Craig Omand nominated Callum as the 2024 winner in memory of Thurso Labour stalwart, Arthur Yates.

From left: Depute rector Craig Omand, winner Callum Prideaux, and local Labour members John Deighan, whose son Marc won it in 2016, and Alistair MacIvor.
From left: Depute rector Craig Omand, winner Callum Prideaux, and local Labour members John Deighan, whose son Marc won it in 2016, and Alistair MacIvor.

Callum received the shield, which he keeps for a year, along with a certificate and an Amazon voucher. The trophy and voucher were donated by local Labour party members.

Arthur Yates was a successful Dounreay nuclear scientist who moved to Caithness from his native Orkney.

Roger Saxon of the Thurso Labour party described him as “a contented family man with a wife and three children” but in his spare time he was passionate about politics at a trade union and local Labour party level.

“In each of these fields he held major posts organising and directing the efforts for the benefit of the workers.

“Over thirty years involvement with the Labour party, he held senior posts in both his local Thurso branch and the Caithness and Sutherland constituency. He was twice an election agent and was a delegate to Labour party and STUC conferences and was the driving force behind the Trades Union Council in Thurso for many years.

“Arthur worked tirelessly as constituency secretary. That he was dedicated goes without saying, for 20 years he nurtured local politics and was recognised by all as a stalwart for the Labour party.”

He died in March 2003 and local Labour members wanted to commemorate his life, so the idea of an award for educational achievement in a politics-related subject was born as a fitting tribute to him.

Some of the past winners have gone on to become teachers, lawyers and vets.

The Arthur Yates Memorial Shield winners are: 2004 Andrew Douglas; 2005 Laura Taylor; 2006 Clare Mackie; 2007 Heather Morris; 2008 Debbie Ginniver; 2009 Matthew Clyne; 2010 Louise Usher; 2011 Aileen Banks and Sophia Nestor; 2012 Paul Ferrier; 2013 Michael Stone; 2014 Megan Mackay; 2015 Meegan Anderson; 2016 Marc Deighan; 2017 Declan Gunn; 2018 Chloe Trueman; 2019 Niall Sinclair; 2020 Fara Donald; 2021 Katie Chambers; 2022 Caitlin Gunn; 2023 Charlize McPhee.


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