Thurso speed limit setback, Facelift for Bridge Street and Honour for Isabella Fortuna
Speed limit setback
From the Groat of December 12, 1924
Roads in Thurso were not dangerous enough to warrant the imposition of a speed limit.
Members of the town council had previously written to the Ministry of Transport for permission to introduce a 10 mph limit within the area bounded by the railway station, Gillock Park and Thurso East tolls.
However, in a reply to councillors, the ministry stated that the policy underlying the introduction of a speed limit had been dealt with at considerable length in section 9 of the Motor Car Act 1923 and that area speed limits could not be granted unless “special dangers were known to exist”.
If the council desired to press ahead with a speed limit, it would have to show “the exceptional circumstances” and supply evidence such as gradients of roads, particulars of driving prosecutions and details of accidents.
Provost Anderson maintained that the danger point was at the post office where four roads met and where there was “practically a blind corner”. He explained that he had witnessed some near misses.
However, Bailie Munro pointed out that, whatever the potential for collisions, “we have never had any accidents” and he thought it was “hopeless to take any further action”.
At the same meeting, members agreed not to evict tenants from the town’s “ruinous houses” because they had no alternative accommodation to offer them.
Facelift for Bridge Street
From the Groat of December 13, 1974
Wick could be given a much-needed facelift if plans to celebrate European Architectural Year 1975 were to go ahead.
Following an approach by the county planning department and the county clerk, Wick Town Council had agreed in principle to support the idea of a clean-up of the buildings lining Bridge Street. This was to involve cleaning of the town hall, the court building, hotel, bank and various shops on both sides of the street.
But it was the owners themselves who would have to foot the bill, not the ratepayers.
Provost WG Mowat supported the suggestion and said that as a trader in the street he was “extremely willing to participate”.
However, he said it was up to the town council to lead the way by having the town hall cleaned up. He added that it was “largely a matter of finding the money to do the job” but it would be very worthwhile.
He noted that an architect specialising in the restoration of old buildings would have to be found to act as an adviser to the council.
Meanwhile, councillors were told that modernisation of just 30 of the burgh’s 423 pre-war houses would cost more than £70,000.
The project was expected to start the following summer, with contractors putting in new toilet fittings, stripping kitchens, installing off-peak heating, completing interior and external decorating and laying new water mains.
Honour for Isabella Fortuna
From the Groat of December 17, 1999
An honour had been conferred upon a unique boat that had been built in the 19th century.
The Isabella Fortuna had been accredited as a Historic Vessel of Great Britain and joined such illustrious names as Lord Nelson’s HMS Victory, the Cutty Sark, HMS Belfast and the Great Britain, which had been refloated by James Bremner of Keiss after she ran ashore in Ireland.
The news had delighted the Wick Society, whose members rebuilt the Isabella Fortuna after acquiring the boat in 1997.
Society chairman Iain Sutherland described the award as a “fantastic achievement” and said that as far as he knew it was the first time a Caithness vessel had been honoured in this way.
“This will give us great prestige in historic vessel circles and it means that we are in there with the best of them,” he said. “People were coming to Wick to see the Isabella Fortuna before but will probably come now in greater numbers.”
The boat was one of only three surviving sailing Fifies, and the only one to have been built in the 19th century.
Mr Sutherland said: “We are the only historic society to have rebuilt a boat with no grant aid and at a fraction of the cost of other similar projects.”
The Wick Society had spent £15,000 on the project compared with the £600,000 and £800,000 price tags for the restoration of the other two Fifies.
