Willie's Thames trip a once-in-a-lifetime experience

DESCRIBING it as one of the most momentous occasions of his life, a Caithness man is still coming down to earth after being part of the diamond jubilee celebrations.Deputy lord-lieutenant Willie Watt said sailing with hundreds of boats on the Thames to mark the 60th year of Queen Elizabeth’s reign was a tremendous honour.Representing Lord-Lieutenant of Caithness Anne Dunnett at the event, Mr Watt was a crew member of the NB Barrogill, owned by Paul and Helen Garfield, who lived in Castletown before moving to England.The chairman of the Wick Harbour Authority was one of thousands of people aboard more than 1000 vessels which sailed from Hammersmith Bridge to Tower Bridge on Sunday.Speaking to the Caithness Courier afterwards he said there were very few moments in his life which could match the thrill he had experienced."Despite the downpour that everyone had to endure in London, there was nothing that could dampen anyone’s spirits on the day," he said."I’ve never seen so many different boats assembled in the same place and I doubt that I will ever see the likes of it again."The organisation to get such a vast flotilla on the Thames was a mammoth task, but it was conducted like a military operation and the organisation was impeccable."Mr Watt (52) is believed to be the only person living in Caithness who took part in the event. He was aboard the Barrogill in section eight of the parade along with 45 other narrow boats.Although not all the vessels were able to complete the journey, Mr Watt’s boat was one of the 670 which did cover the entire route and helped set a new world record for the most number of boats in a parade.He added: "We were on the river for a very long time but even so late at night, we still received a huge round of applause from hundreds of people."The whole city was alive and it was definitely one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences that I doubt I will ever be part of again."It was a privilege to represent Caithness to pay tribute to a woman who only I could describe as amazing. To do the job that she has done for so long and do it so well is a testament to her abilities and loyalties."Meanwhile, a light to commemorate the jubilee could be seen across the county as the Far North joined thousands of locations in the UK with its own glowing tribute on Monday night.A specially constructed beacon was lifted to the summit of Morven. It was intended that it be lit to coincide with the Queen lighting the beacon at the Tower of London, but the automatic timer switched it on one minute early.Deputy lord-lieutenant Jock Campbell was responsible for the project in conjunction with the Welbeck Estate at Berriedale, which made arrangements for the beacon to be taken to the top of the mountain.He said it was a momentous occasion for the whole of the country and it was fitting that Caithness took part in the celebration."The lens that is being used is the same kind that is used to beam out light from lighthouses and together with a battery arrangement it flashed throughout the night," he said.

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