Unearthed journal from nearly 100 years ago reveals secret lives of Sandside House residents at Reay
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An insight into a bygone Caithness era is revealed in a fascinating document dating from the 1920s. The Sandside Journal belongs to Thurso historian Alan McIvor and gives a glimpse of life experienced at Sandside House in Reay and around the estate almost a hundred years ago.
Mr McIvor, who has an extensive collection of local historical memorabilia, pointed out the estate had numerous owners, witnessed centuries of change and events, some being captured for posterity in the journal, which is covered by a scuffed leather folder with gilt lettering.
“While my family has ties to the estate, with both my grandparents and my mother having worked at Sandside House, I acquired the journal just several years ago from outside the county,” Mr McIvor said.
“It contains a wealth of historical details about the house, alongside photographs and documents that capture aspects of both private and public life once experienced there.”
He added: “I haven’t checked the accuracy of the historical information but assuming it is correct, then the work appears to have been meticulously researched and carefully put together. It includes contents such as hand-drawn illustrations, photographs, family trees relating to Sandside, press clippings, and various documents. This comprehensive approach to assembling the journal is certainly a testament to the efforts of the authors.”
Mr McIvor went on: “Some of the pages were a bit dirty, but I cleaned them using conservation materials which made a difference. It’s also a bit worn around the edges, but otherwise in fairly reasonable condition. It’s a nice piece of local history, and given the information contained within, it’s certainly worth preserving.”
The journal dates from 1927 and contains 84 pages of material, including handwritten notes, postcards, poems and family trees.
But it seems there may have been more than one volume as Mr McIvor found a front cover dating from September 1922 inside his copy from five years later. It has a hand-drawn picture of Hammielta, the pig, sitting outside the Cottage Byre. The reverse has the ink stamp Director of Education, Caithness, 15 April 1921.
“Unfortunately, there are no contents, but having Volume I, Number 4 written on the cover, it suggests there might have been other editions,” stated Mr McIvor.
An entry in the 1927 journal states that it is number three of the second volume and adds: “The Editors pride themselves on squeezing it all into less space than last year or the year before, and hope they have recorded as much fun and backchat as usual.”
The journal features a host of items on a range of topics, such as:
• A Sandside Prophecy
• The Chase of Sandside
• The Brigand Film 1927
• Things we want to know
• Some Historical Notes on the House of Sandside
• The Productions of the Sandside Band of Actors
• Picnics and Tours 1927
• Confessions of Famous People
• The Women’s Institute Entertainment
• Sporting News
Mr McIvor said: “It was a time when it was necessary to make your own entertainment, and these pages show what they achieved. Both social and private life seemed to be lived to the full. Reading through the pages an insight can be gleaned into the home-made entertainment at Sandside House and amateur productions performed there.
“A list of their productions shows the plays carried out from 1912 to 1927 on the estate and further afield, with the locations including Sandside’s front lawn, terrace, lower lawn, front hall, and the Cottage and Drill Hall at Reay recorded. In total, 55 plays were carried out with ‘more to come we hope’.”
He explained that it was the first Lord Reay who built a house at Sandside, nestled on what was once sprawling grounds. While the house prominently bears a date stone from 1751, it is thought parts of the structure may pre-date that era.
“The current building has had several additions over the years, added by various families who hosted many distinguished guests. One of these owners was Thomas Pilkington, who founded Reay Village Golf Club in 1893. The Pilkington family hailed from Lancashire and started the Pilkington glass-manufacturing company which is now owned by the Japanese Nippon Sheet Glass Company. The journal dates from the Pilkington era,” added Mr McIvor.
