Wick councillors support local firm, Dounreay jobs failed to materialise and Distillery venture hailed
LOOKING BACK: News from the John O’Groat Journal of yesteryear
Councillors’ support for local firm
From the Groat of June 12, 1925
A “lively discussion” had taken place at a meeting of the Caithness Education Authority after some local councillors took the unusual step of arguing against offering a contract for school books and stationery to the lowest bidder.
A subcommittee of the authority had recommended that the contract be awarded to Grant Educational Company Ltd of Glasgow, as opposed to local supplier Arthur Bruce of Wick.
These companies were the only two to tender for the contract and it was expected that the lowest bid would win.
However, Mr Clyne questioned why they should be supporting a Glasgow company when “it ought to be possible to place the contract in local hands”.
He found support from Mr Miller, who said the difference in the price was “only about £50” and he moved as an amendment that the contract go to Mr Bruce.
He said that Mr Bruce was the “only bookseller in Caithness with the courage to compete” and pointed out that companies outside of Caithness sometimes “delayed” their deliveries.
With the meeting split on the best way forward, an alternative amendment was proposed that the contract be divided, with the stationery aspect being offered to Mr Bruce and the supply of books going to the south firm, and this was agreed.
Jobs failed to materialise
From the Groat of June 13, 1975
The career prospects of young men hoping to become apprentices may have been jeopardised because Dounreay authorities “ditched them” after they had “waited in hope of being taken on for eight months”.
Local MP Robert Maclennan had taken up the cudgels on behalf of some of the boys who had applied for apprenticeship places in what was to be a Christmas intake, and for which they had been interviewed in September 1974.
Some had even undergone medical and security checks and, according to the MP, “thus felt they had good reason to believe they might be accepted”.
In fact, no apprentices started work at Christmas and some of the boys had to wait for eight months before being informed of their failure to be accepted.
Mr Maclennan said that as a result they “might have great difficulty in obtaining apprenticeships elsewhere on account of their ages”.
When asked whether he thought there was a good explanation for the eight-month wait, a Dounreay spokesman replied that “he was sure there was, but he was not prepared to say” as he was awaiting instructions from London.
Elsewhere, it was revealed that the cost of shoring up the county offices in Wick would be £30,000.
The Market Square offices were “slowly sinking” because the foundations were situated on “made-up ground”.
Distillery venture hailed
From the Groat of June 16, 2000
The newly opened visitor centre at Pulteney Distillery in Wick had been hailed as an “excellent facility for the area”.
The Caithness area convener, Councillor John Rosie, speaking as chairman of the local licensing board, welcomed the new addition to the distillery which produced Old Pulteney whisky.
The £40,000 visitor centre had been officially opened by the well-known Irish professional golfer Ronan Rafferty.
The following day the Highland Licensing Board in Caithness had granted the centre an off-sales licence to allow it to sell bottled whisky.
It had been stressed at the meeting that the centre was aimed at the tourist trade and was not intended to compete with nearby local traders.
Councillor Jim Oag had welcomed the development saying that “Pulteneytown needs something like this”.
Elsewhere, five areas of Caithness were among 90 in Scotland which had been identified for Europe’s highest nature protection designation.
Scottish Natural Heritage was to begin consultations on the proposals to seek Special Area of Conservation status for the Caithness and Sutherland peatlands, the River Thurso, Berriedale and Langwell waters, east Caithness cliffs and Loch of Wester.
Meanwhile, local MSP Jamie Stone wanted the Scottish Parliament to apologise for the Highland Clearances.
Mr Stone was confident that he would secure cross-party support for his motion which was intended to support proposals to develop a Clearance memorial and visitor centre at Helmsdale.