CAITHNESS.ORG HEADLINES ARCHIVE ::  October 2005

Scotland's Foremost Folk Band - Recently Been On TV and Gaining A Huge Reputation
The Unusual Suspects - At Wick Assembly Rooms  Friday 4 November 8.00pm

Eden Court is delighted to bring one of Scotland�s most incredible live acts, The Unusual Suspects, to Wick for a concert at the Assembly Rooms. The Unusual Suspects are a 22 piece �Folk Big Band� famed for their exciting performances: It's big, bold, brassy, and adventurous... Is this the best live folk orchestra Scotland ever saw? For further information on The Unusual Suspects please contact Eden Court Box Office on 01463 234234 or visit the websites www.eden-court.co.uk  and www.unusualsuspects.uk.com
 Scotsman On Unusual Suspects "If you witnessed this extraordinary performance, you can look back years from now and say: "I was there." Unforgettable."

Full Steam Ahead For New Ironing Service
A new Caithness business aims to offer a very welcome alternative for those tired of hours spent at the ironing board. Janet Crossley and Lorna Gunn from Watten have started �Press On�, which will offer a complete ironing service, including collection and delivery, throughout Caithness.  Before taking the plunge into starting their own business, Janet and Lorna did a lot of research into different ideas, and, as they both work full-time they were looking for something which they could do on a part-time basis, from home and with relatively low start up costs.  Having struck on the idea of an ironing service they tested the market by circulating a leaflet to homes to gauge what demand there might be. Encouraged by the positive response they received they decided to contact Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise (CASE) for advice and assistance on starting their business.

Unusual Pets Gallery - Another New Gallery In Pets Corner
Another new gallery for unusual pets is kicked off with this photo of three toed crab landed recently at Wick.  the third toe can be seen clearly on the left mandible and is fully functional - ouch.  Do you have an unusual or exotic pet to show in the new gallery?


 

National Free Concessionary Fares Scheme In Scotland
More than 20,000 Highland senior citizens and people with disabilities, who qualify for free concessionary travel in the Highlands, are being invited to register their interest in taking advantage of free bus travel throughout Scotland, with effect from 1 April next year.  The Scottish Executive, through its Improvement Service, is writing to everyone in Highland with a concessionary card over the next few weeks seeking verification of their details.  The first batch of letters arrived over the weekend and Council Service Points have been very busy dealing with enquiries from card holders as forms have to be verified by the Council or at a Post Office before being returned to the Improvement Service.

Pets Still Piling In With Plenty Of Variety


Send pet Photos For the Galleries To [email protected]

EARLY YEARS SERVICE: LOCAL SOLUTIONS FOR LOCAL ISSUES
The Highland Council has agreed to seek local solutions through local consultations to provide a sustainable network of quality early years services throughout the Highlands, which integrates child care with pre-school education in what is known as wraparound care. Members have promised that consultation with parents and providers of services in key communities will be completed by March of next year in time for parents to enrol their children for the school session starting in August. Local issues are to be discussed at area-based workshops involving elected members and other interested groups, who are asked to make proposals for local solutions. And a special seminar, hosted by the Joint Committee on Children and Young People but open to all elected members, is to be held to discuss the matter.

New Forum - Message Board Now In Place
the new message board has been set up and all of the old messages have been transferred across.  this change was necessary due to hacker problems at the server.  We hope you all find it as easy to use as the last set up.  The move has been made but there are quite a few tweaks still to come to get it the way we want it.  the Message Board has now got a URL as follows - http://forum.caithness.org  Update any links you have to it.  We will be updating our links to it as we go along and the drop down menu will be updated shortly.  Niall will be tweaking the system over the next few days and the front page links may take a little longer to put back in place.  Otherwise its business as usual again.

Does Anyone Have Information Or Photos?
Thurso Branch of The Church of the Latterday Saints are undertaking a project to research the family home of David O Mckay 9th President of the Church. The house is at Janetstown anyone who can provide information or has photographs of the building. Please contact Kenneth Miles [email protected]

Join Us On The Trip From Lairg To Lochinver Road - A837
 

this is the second longer part of the journey from Mound To Lochinver.  This section takes you from Lairg to Lochinver along the A837 - one of the emptiest routes in the UK.  Single track road for most of the way but in excellent condition with recent resurfacing works.  Driving along this road last week we hardly saw another vehicle on the move.  Fabulous day in the brilliant autumn weather with summer temperatures - amazing.

Big Change Coming To Caithness.org Forums
Caithness.org is having to change the Forum - Message Board set up.  The change will take place over the next few days.  Although we will try to achieve this without losing anything this may not be possible in every case.  If there is information or email address information you require please ensure you have it al copied out as soon as possible. the change is not of our choosing and the reasons are explained on the board.

Oil Related Ships At Scrabster

Another set of oil related photos showing ships at Scrabster that are increasingly using the port.

Caithness Rugby Team Notches Up Another Victory - Caithness 17 Lismore 9
Caithness is now in second place in the BT National League Division 3 They have the same record as leaders Falkirk with 7 wins and 1 lostFalkirk are well ahead on points scored.
Caithness Rugby Club Web Site

Staxigoe Hall Halloween Party On Saturday Night

We�re not Poles apart from you - Times Online
Since last May, Inverness has seen an influx of 3,000 Polish immigrants. Now the executive must help the cultures merge, writes Claire Sawers

Stroma Gathering 2005

Stroma Index

Emptyhouse Launch Tonight At Weigh Inn, Thurso
Sally Edwards and Katrina Scott - two of the North of Scotland�s finest and most original folk performers.  Combined with blues-influenced guitarist Charlie McIntosh they will launch their new CD - "Gone But Not Forgotten".  Get one tonight or at the Music shops in Wick or Thurso later.


 

Caithness Partnership - October Newsletter

HIGHLAND COUNCIL CARE HOMES IN THE HIGHLANDS
The Highland Council faces challenges in proving quality care services for older people in the Highlands.  Chairman of The Highland Council�s Housing and Social Work Committee, Councillor Margaret Davidson said:  �We want to provide the highest standard of care for our older people in the Highlands.  Currently the Council has 21 care homes, a number of which are not up to standard.  We are in the process of refurbishing four of these care homes and next year work will begin on another four, however, we cannot afford to bring all 21 care homes up to meet the Care Commission standards.�  It currently costs the Council approximately �200 more per person per week to provide care in Council care homes as compared with the cost of purchasing that care from the independent sector.

Yes We Have A New Zealand Kune Kune Piglet Right Here In Caithness - Pets Pouring In

Reay 1933
Sent by Katrina Kirkpatrick.  Katrina has also added another name to the 1948 photo

School Days Index

 

Caithness Rugby Club V Lismore Today At Millbank, Thurso
Following another win last week against Newton Stewart (the farthest south club in the League the Caithness men will be looking to keep up their great run.  Match starts at 3.00pm
Caithness now sits in second position in the league chasing Falkirk only two points ahead.  See Caithness RFC for more details and reports.  Well done so far to the Caithness Rugby Team on this tremendous run having only just moved up to this league from last season.

Pets Pile In - Dogs, Donkeys and Piano Playing Guinea Pig

Yes the Pets Corner is proving to be popular and more pet photos are coming in every day. Bill is trying to catch up after being away most of the week at various meetings.  Apologies to those folk who were earlier promised photos on but they are now up.  A server problem meant they could not go up before bill headed off on his travels.  More pet photos shortly.  Send others for inclusion to [email protected]   For now we are keeping it to Caithness pets but may open it later to expat Caithness pets.  If we open it to the whole world we will never get to them all.  Thanks to all who have sent in photos so far.  Missing Cat Spike Comes Home Injured - See Inside

The Road From Mound To Lairg - A839

Some fabulous weather this week in the north as elsewhere in the country.  A trip to Lochinver enabled us to get some great Autumn photos of the route showing the empty roads and a few views and places along the way.  This first batch is typical of the empty roads in the north after the summer is over.  Later Lairg to Lochinver will be added and show even more miles of empty countryside typical of Sutherland.  the last few days have been extremely warm and more like Summer than Autumn during the day we were there.

Saturday 10.00am - Volunteers Wanted  - Meet A Lybster Post Office 10.00am
Latheron, Lybster and Clyth Community Council have a few spaces left for keen volunteers / residents in the Lybster / Latheron area who would like to assist a small community project this Saturday. 
The project is fully supported by the Highland Council Ranger Service and involves cutting some whin bushes on and near a coastal footpath between Forse and Lybster.  If anyone is interested in sparing a couple of hours this Saturday morning (better than taking your Missus shopping lads....!) we would be delighted to welcome you.  The work is not over strenuous and should only last a couple of hours.
If you are interested, please call 07717 176002 for further details or see you at Lybster Post Office at 10am - bring your garden shears /cutters and appropriate weather gear!!

Councils & Enterprise Companies Study Into Bio-Diesel In The North
A report has been published on Friday 28 October 2005 on a study undertaken by the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) Consultancy Division on the potential for a Biodiesel industry in the north and east of Scotland. The report was commissioned by a partnership comprising Aberdeenshire Council, Angus Council, Fife Council, The Highland Council, Moray Council, Perth & Kinross Council, Highlands & Islands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise Energy. A main aim of the study is to identify the means of optimising the value of the oilseed rape (OSR) crop to growers in the study area, which produces around 75% of the OSR grown in Scotland.

MEY SELECTIONS BRAND ON A FIRM FOOTING FOR FIRST THREE YEARS
The recently launched 'Mey Selections' brand has received a major boost with the announcement that the enterprise is to receive a three year financial support package from the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department (SEERAD). This significant funding contribution, running from 2005 - 2008, has been approved to cover beef and lamb marketing initiatives under SEERAD's Marketing Development Scheme to ensure the development of the brand will be supported by the best available marketing and commercial expertise. The news is a second significant step forward for the brand which looks set to boost the returns to beef and lamb producers in the counties of Caithness, Orkney, Ross-shire and Sutherland as a result of the offer from Sainsbury's to supply selected food stores.

Catching Up With More Caithness Pets As they Keep On Coming

Public Asked To Have Their Say On Highland Renewable Energy Strategy
The Highland Council is holding six public meetings to set out its stance on the future development of renewable energy resources across the Highlands and to invite views from the public.  The first meeting is being held at Lochaber House, Fort William on Tuesday 8 November and the last at the Averon Centre, Alness on Thursday 1 December. In between, meetings will be held at the Town House, Inverness on Tuesday 15 November; the Ross Institute, Halkirk on Tuesday 22 November; Portree Community Hall on Wednesday 23 November; and the Pittentrail Recreational Hall, Rogart, on Tuesday 29 November.  All meetings will start at 7 pm.  The Council has commissioned a number of reports to examine the potential for exploiting different forms of renewable energy (both on-shore and off-shore) in the context of various technical constraints and planning safeguards.

Youth Challenge 2006 Launched
The hunt has begun to find the Highlands and Islands' answer to Richard Branson.  The ICT Hothouse Youth Challenge 2006 is looking for young entrepreneurs with bright ideas.  The annual Challenge, launched this week, is supported by Highlands and Islands Enterprise and BT Scotland and invites teams of young people to submit their ideas for information technology and communications of the future.  The most promising ideas are then selected and the teams invited to pitch their ideas to a panel of experts. After a number of rounds the competition culminates with six teams being chosen to go forward to the Hothouse, an intensive week of team work and expert advice focusing on turning ideas into reality and producing working prototypes of the ICT gadgets of the future.

Miller Academy, Thurso  - HM Inspectors Latest Report On The School

From Shena McBeath the EnableLink Co-ordinator
I am the co-ordinator for a new project called ENABLElink which helps adults with learning disabilities to make new friends and increase their social skills within their communities. We are now looking for volunteers of all ages and interests who could spare a few hours a week to support a person with learning disabilities to experience the same social opportunities as other people.

�100,000 PROJECT IMPROVES WASTE WATER TREATMENT FOR HOUSES ON OUTSKIRTS OF WICK
Homes in the Newtonhill area of Wick are benefiting from a Scottish Water project worth approximately �100,000 which has resulted in their waste water being given an improved level of treatment. Until now 6 households discharged into a septic tank which was 40 years old and at capacity. Its final discharge was into a local ditch. This situation has now ended, benefiting the local environment.

Captain Slater's Monument on Holborn Head - G. Watson
Another From the Bulletins of Caithness Field Club  - October 1977
A fortune teller once forecast that Captain Slater would meet his end at 2 p.m. Over the years this prediction preyed on the Captain's mind and for a few weeks before his final accident, Thurso Town Clock was stopped each day after striking one and restarted just before three. This extraordinary measure was instigated by Dr. Laing who was the Captain's physician and an influential member of the Town Council.
Bulletins Listed To Date     Main Caithness Field Club Index

Venture awards Subsea 7 Goosander tieback - Oil & Gas Journal - More Good News For Caithness
Venture Production Plc has awarded Subsea 7 near Wick its first major EPIC (engineering, procurement, installation and construction) contract under their recently announced partnership agreement.  The contract, valued over $50 million, is for the installation of a tieback from the Goosander production well to the Kittiwake platform.

Rounding Up Those Pets

If you would like your Caithness pet included in the section email a photos to [email protected]

THURSO RECYCLING CENTRE TO OPEN
A new Recycling Centre at Janetstown near Thurso is due to be opened on Monday 7th November 2005. Funded by the Scottish Strategic Waste Fund, the Centre will employ 2 new members of staff to operate the facility which will be open 7 days a week.  Local firm, John Gunn & Son was contracted by the Council to build the new facility which took approximately 12 weeks to complete.  Householders will now be able to take cans, car batteries, cardboard, electrical appliances, engine oil, garden waste, gas cylinders, glass bottles and jars, paper, rubble & soil, scrap metal, textiles, tyres, white goods and wood to the site where separate containers and skips will be available to collect the material to be recycled. A special container will be provided for people to donate furniture and household goods to Homeaid Caithness for reuse.

Wick Traditional Music Workshops
The traditional music workshops have rapidly become a popular feature of the music scene in Caithness.  The chance to have lessons from the top musicians in celtic music and have an enjoyable day playing has encourage more people to come along.  If you are interested in the day to be held at Wick High School check out the web site where you can download an application form.   Photos From 2003 Workshop

Birth Choice UK - A Web Site With Maternity Information To Help Women Make Choices
The web site shown above was notified to the North Action Group for wider dissemination as contains lots of useful information about births and intervention rates at hospitals in Scotland.  It also has lists of questions that women might wish to ask when visiting units or doctors.  The stats show that intervention rates at Raigmore are quite high compared to other hospitals and no doubt there are reasons for this but North Action Group would like to know why more mothers in the Highlands should require intervention than elsewhere.  The caesarean rate is higher than the national average.  Links to this site will shortly be made on the North Action Group web site and the Eye On Health Services and in other places on Caithness.org to make it easy to find later.

Memories - 25 Years Of Bobby Coghills Music On 3 CD's
Ross Records are releasing three CDs featuring a total of seventy tracks of accordion, fiddle and pipe music recorded by the late Bobby Coghill. The series is entitled �Bobby Coghill � Memories� Volumes 1, 2 and 3.  The new CDs are compiled from recordings made by Bobby for Ross Records over a period of 25 years, starting with Bobby�s first LP �Far Fae Hame� and they also include the tunes from the videos �Come Over The Ord� and �Caithness Connections� where Bobby played a leading roll.  See All 3 CDS Here   Available from 4 November in local shops or order direct from Ross Records.

Caithness And Sutherland Enterprise - September Grants Approvals Listing

NHS HEROES IN CAITHNESS SHORTLISTED FOR SCOTTISH HEALTH AWARDS
Two Caithness health workers have been short-listed for the Scottish health awards. A diabetes specialist nurse in Caithness, who has revolutionised community diabetes services in the Highlands by bringing care to patients in more remote and rural areas has been short-listed for a high-profile honour at the this year's Scottish Health Awards. Pamela Campbell has taken the lead in developing the specialist diabetes care team at North Highland Community Health Partnership in Caithness.  Henrietta Simpson a domestic supervisor in Caithness has also been rewarded for the dedication and drive she has demonstrated in increasing staff morale at Caithness General Hospital and improving the hospital environment for patients in the wake of a tragic event.  In honour of her hard work and sunny attitude admired by staff and patients, Henrietta Simpson has been short-listed for the Support Workers' category at the Scottish Health Awards.  Congratulations to both ladies.

School Disco Revival On Bonfire Night 5 November In Thurso
This for those older folk with a wish to get back to the 70's and 80's discos.  This one is on bonfire night in Thurso. Starts at 9.00pm after the bonfire  Tickets from the organiser or Royal Hotel, Thurso.  ah to be young again.  The party never seems to end in Caithness.

 

 

Caithness Biodiversity Newsletter October 2005
Biodiversity is one of the �buzz� words that seems to pop up all the time these days. It simply means the "variety of life on earth�. This includes all living things, from the tiny garden ant to the giant redwood tree. You will find biodiversity everywhere, in window boxes and wild woods, in roadsides and rain forests, on seashores and snow fields. The concept is a relatively new perspective on the natural world and how we as humans relate to it, which has developed over the last couple of decades.  Catch up on a few of the Caithness biodiversity projects helping to keep the county's varied wildlife and natural habitats. - Main Biodiversity Index

PPP Schools  - Do You 'Know what Is Happening?
Public Private Partnerships are coming in to nearly all parts of Scotland.  But many people are worried about the implications for the schools  and aspects such as the loss of Green Spaces which in come places are being turned over to developers to build houses and other buildings on as part of the deal.  HWCAG (Holmhills Wood Community Park Action Group), based in South Lanarkshire have produced a comprehensive survey of PPP schools projects in Scotland and we have now published this inside. The survey was carried out during August-October 2005 through FOI requests for details of open space loss associated with PPP schools projects.  PPP is being used to finance many projects that would once have been paid for by public sector borrowing but now are being financed in partnership with the private sector. If you have any thoughts on PPP head for the Message Board

Pet Photos Flowing In

Latest In Pets Corner

Wow what a range of pets already - in today are a cat, two goats, a barn owl and a dog.  Send you photos for inclusion to [email protected]   for the moment we are keeping it to Caithness pets but if we may open it up and set up other sections for our surfers around the globe.  For now we have to keep the workload within our ability to process the photos.

Hire A Bouncy Castle From Staxigoe Hall For Events And Parties
The castle is available for hire within the hall at the cost of �20.00 for booking details contact Sybil on 01955 605417. 

 

 

A testing time for women's rugby as Miller eyes long-term success - The Scotsman
Lucy Miller who started her rugby career aged 8 in Thurso is making the headlines playing in Edinburgh.

Fountain At Wick Riverside Reopened

The fountain at Wick was reopened after a refurbishment and the addition of flood lighting to make a show at night.  the Wick Town Improvements committee had raised the money from the the Gala night and funding applications to the Lottery and help from the Coop and Highland Council.  Ashlie Cormack the Wick Gala Queen pulled a lever to get the things going and Ann Dunnet the lord Lieutenant said a few works about the fountain and revealed that nearly one hundred years ago it had been built by an earlier Wick Town Improvements Group.  Jan Banks the Wick Town Improvements chairman said she was pleased that things had worked out so well and that not only the fountain was back working but that they had also managed to build disabled access pathway to the fountain and improve paths and picnic tables nearby.  The Town Improvements group now have their eye on the possibility of lighting the main Wick Bridge and more work on the paths network on the riverside and improvements to the islands..

More Caithness Pets - This Group All Live Together
T
o get your pet in the galleries send photos to [email protected]

 

 

Pet Photos Begin To Trickle In
Pet photos are beginning to come in for the new galleries to enable you to see the range of pets that live in Caithness.  There are lots of pets around and Linda has sent in picture of her Great Dane on a day out in Sutherland and her daughters Buzzard at Rumster Forest.  No wonder folk love living in the north with plenty of space to take your big dog out or your pet buzzard for a few flights in the forests.  Great photos and you can send yours for the galleries to [email protected]

More Support For Maternity Campaign From The Weigh Inn Staff In Thurso
Support for the north Action Group's fight to save consultant led maternity and gynae services was given another boost by when John Fairweather, the management and staff of the Weigh Inn, Thurso held a raffle in aid of the North Action Group's Maternity Campaign. All prizes were kindly donated by the Weigh Inn and they raised �123.50. 24/7 badges are still available here and can be bought in the bar. Iain Ednie left and John Fairweather of the Weigh Inn are pictured here handing over the cheque to Karen Munro of North Action Group.
North Action Group are continuing to have regularly meetings to discuss the latest developments that are mainly surrounding the Maternity Action Team set up by NHS highland to try to find away forward.  NAG members are disappointed at the extremely slow progress pointing out the North Action Group was formed nearly two years ago in 2003 when the Calder report on Caithness General Maternity and Gynae services was published.  This is the third time in the past few years that the Health Board have reviewed the services with a view to downgrading and each time the Caithness and Sutherland populations have protested louder than the previous time.  The review process via the Maternity Action Team has been beset with problems from poor administration, badly timed meetings, lack of communication to sub group members and the departure of the temporary staff member appointed to run the the process of meetings and reports.  Meeting are back on track but there is still no end in site to the process. North Action Group members are as determined as ever to continue to campaign for the 24/7 cover not to be removed.  The NAG committee (Name was well chosen we think) would like to thank everyone from individuals,  local businesses, local voluntary groups and Highland Council for their continuing support in terms of donations and a wide range of other services from meeting rooms to paper and copying and much more.  Turn outs to public meetings have been excellent and no doubt there will be more to come.  Contact details for North Action Group can be found on the North Action Group web site or in the Eye On Maternity section on this web site.  Donations for the campaign can be sent to the chairman of North Action Group  - George Bruce.  Items for the web site on the maternity issue can be sent to the North Action Group Press Officer - Bill Fernie [email protected]

Report On Highland Group Badminton Competition From Shetland Today
Young Caithness badminton players mentioned in this article written for the Shetlanders. 

Bulldozers Begin To Prepare Site At Old Wick For New Housing Development
Wick seems to be finally getting its act together as yet another development gathers steam. M M Miller contractors have their machinery on site preparing the site at Old Wick for up to 70 new houses.  New Developments are coming fast in the past few months with Tulloch preparing to buy the old Fountain Forestry building at 14 Telford Street from Highland Council - agreed on 5 October. 14 Telford Street will be a �400,000 development to turn the building near the harbour into shops and office units for lease or sale.  The signs are all there that confidence is building for further developments in Wick in the near future.

Preparing For Another Neil Gunn Weekend At Dunbeath
Next month Dunbeath Heritage Centre is hosting another weekend of events entitled Light in the North to celebrate the anniversary of Neil M. Gunn's birthday on 8th November.

Vision of the future for Highlands - The Herald
A VISION of the future for the Highlands was unveiled yesterday by the chairman of Highlands and Islands Enterprise.  William Roe put forward his proposals to the 50th Ramsay Garden Seminar in Edinburgh.

Caithness Glass Factory Acquire By New Park & Tulloch

The former Caithness Glass factory gets a new lease of life with the announcement today that a joint venture company New Park Tulloch have acquired the property.  A formal launch of this the latest venture in Caithness takes place later today.  This following a number of new developments points to an upturn in the fortunes of the Caithness business scene.  New Park already run the properties at the former American base and Tulloch is looking to a �20 million development complex at Upper Dounreay Farm including hotels, a swimming pool and self-catering apartments and other businesses.

North Coast Jazz Band At The Redwood Again
The North Coast Jazz Band are having another go at the Redwood, Thurso on Saturday 29th October from 2-5.  Why not make date and go along and help to keep the only regular jazz gig in the county going.

First Meeting Of Caithness Socio Economic Strategy Group
The Caithness Socio-Economic Strategy Group held its first working meeting on Friday 14th October.
The future economic well being of the north will depend on there being a clear strategy to develop alternative economic activity over the years of Dounreay�s decommissioning. There are many agencies and departments of government who have varied responsibilities for delivering this but it is clear to all concerned that a common, agreed, strategy is vital if their work is to be effective.

Caithness.org Pets Corner for Fun And Help
A new section  - Pets corner will gather together information and photos of pets in Caithness.  The section will feature photos of pets so send in photos of your pet if you live in Caithness.  To help with the number of pets who go missing we have also set up a missing pets photo gallery to keep all the photos of missing pets in one place and make them easer to find if you think you have an animal that is lost or strayed.  If your pet goes missing we will add a photo to the gallery for others to check and look out for the missing animal.  Send any photos or pet stories to [email protected]   Check out the new Barney Gallery

Tritium Users Group Meeting At Dounreay
Dounreay recently hosted the fifth meeting of the Tritium User Group (TUG), a forum for the exchange of information on topics of common interest to the UK Tritium community.  Representatives from UKAEA Dounreay, UKAEA Windscale, AEA Technology, BNFL Magnox, NPL, Rutherford, AWE Aldermaston, BNFL Sellafield, NNC, GE Healthcare, BNFL Chapelcross, UKAEA (JET), MoD-DPA and RWE attend the meeting. UKAEA Dounreay's involvement in the Tritium User Group has provided direct support in the tritium removal from steel researches into heating and smelting and setting up a tritium laboratory.

Last Two Days Sees Rapid Progress At Wick's New Shopping Complex

Phones and Internet Access To East Caithness Cut Off After Morrisons Break The Cable
A digger cut the cable to the north today at Berriedale.  The accident happened at about 11.30am during road works. Normal service was resumed at just after 7.30pm after a team from BT had carried out repairs to the cable for Caithness

Dounreay waste pit clean up moves forward with planning application - Nuclear Engineering Int
Last week on the planning application with photos

Caithness Knitters Make It On To National Hand Knitters Web Site
A bit more fame for the ladies from Caithness and the Highlands who took part in the National Knitting week event at John O'Groats recently.  Photos from Caithness.org have been carried on to the UK Hand Knitting Web site  We hope to get some photos of the Lands End ladies who competed against the north to knit a jumper from a fleece.  Click Here to see what it was all about.

Cant Cook Won't Cook At Keiss
A great night was had by all at Keiss Hall to raise funds in order to obtain a new village hall as the old hall is now falling down. One of the latest events to be held was a can't cook won't cook with local villagers Chick Sutherland and Robbie Begg. Alison Mc Donald and her son Calum staged the show using Pampered Chef utensils.  Keiss villages tried the results and voted on who was the best.  Chick believes he is the new Floyd in the kitchen. James Davidson was relegated to the dishes.  Looks like it was a fun night all round.

Wick Fountain To Be Reopened On Saturday
Wick Town Improvements have invited the Lord Lieutenant Ann Dunnet to officially reopen the Wick fountain after many years of it being off.  The fountain is the centrepiece of the whole project that has involved new paths and a lot of work around the fountain area putting in disable access paths and flood lighting.  The opening will take place on Saturday a3.00pm and everyone is invited to be there.  The Wick Town Improvements group have invited the residents of the Riverside Home which is nearby in Bridge Street as their guests.

Two More Vehicles Commonly Seen In Caithness
Another two vehicles commonly seen in Caithness.  One is the Reliance security vehicle that transports prisoners to and from the court in Wick and the other one of many Horse transportation vehicles taking horses to competitions and other events.

 

Another Missing Cat - Have You Seen Spike?
Spike has been missing from Upper Larel Farm for the past few weeks and may have wandered off and got lost.  If you have seen this tabby cat get in touch and we will pass on the details.  Due to the number of missing animals being notified to us we will shortly set up a photo gallery specifically for missing animals to make it easier to check if you find one and it has been sent in here.

 

Dunnet Forestry Trust - Log Sales, Saturday 22nd October from 10 am to 1pm.
And monthly through the winter. Splits �2 per bag, Rounds �35/cu m, Logs �25/cu m. Jumping poles etc, prices on application.  Why not help the forest trust and stack up for the winter at the same time.

Pole recruits bridge dentist gap  - BBC

Fear for maternity services in the Western Isles - North Tonight Grampian TV
There are fears that essential maternity services in the Western Isles may be facing cuts.  Proposals to reduce cover could lead to some pregnant women being flown off the island to give birth at a mainland hospital.  Western Isles Hospital in Stornoway is just the latest health service to face cuts.  The board have �1.4 million deficit.

Glassblowing At Dounreay, Caithness
Although, sadly, no longer in existence, many will be familiar with the setting up of the Caithness Glass Company in 1961, less will be aware that glassworking existed in the county several years beforehand. In September 1956 Caithness saw the arrival of the first glassblower at UKAEA Dounreay.


 

NEW PARTICLE DETECTION TECHNOLOGY TRIAL
A laboratory-based trial of different monitoring systems for detecting particles on beaches near Dounreay has been launched at UKAEA�s Harwell site.  Alternative technologies offered by six different companies from the UK and USA are being tested for their sensitivity towards buried point sources on a simulated beach environment over a period of seven weeks in September and October 2005.

 

New & Existing Low Active Drain Connected
As part of the enabling works required for the shaft isolation project, approximately 150metres of the Dounreay�s low active drain (LAD) adjacent to the shaft had to be diverted. At the end of September the tie-ins operation to connect the old and new LAD were carried out and the system commissioned. The LAD diversion required the creation of a new reinforced concrete duct, some 158 metres long, containing stainless steel pipework and secondary containment.  Over two days approximately 30 UKAEA and contractor staff worked together to complete many of the intricate parts of the project, linking the new to the existing LAD. Due to the nature of the work staff were required to wear airline suits and all operations were carried out within a radiological containment called EREC

The Caithness Partnership Updates
Just added newsletters and details of the Community Regeneration Fund

Fresh safety alert at Dounreay - BBC

Old Photo Leads To More information On Mackays Dance Band
An early photo sent in by one of our readers a couple of years back has led to the band getting in touch with information on what has been happening to them.  Starting in 1957 they are still playing with new generations in the line up.  Recently they played at Auckengill Hall and Jim Mackay has sent in a couple of photos from that gig to go with a short history he has written.

Ormlie Community Association Shortlisted For Dynamic Award
The search to find the winners of this year's Dynamic Place Awards, the only awards in Scotland that recognise the country's leading design, innovation and regeneration projects, has taken a leap forward with the announcement of this year's shortlist of entries.  The awards judges have reduced the list of nearly 100 entries down to 26 projects. Judges are currently visiting each of the remaining contenders to identify the winners in the three award categories; Built Environment, Community Development and Connections.  Ormlie Community Association (OCA) has been shortlisted for the Community Development category.  The Association was formed by residents of a housing estate in Thurso to work in partnership with the public and private sector to improve the well-being of the area.

Highland Airports Reports 10% Passenger Growth in Second Quarter
Total air passenger numbers in the Highlands and Islands have increased by 9.8% in the past six months, according to figures released today by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited.  HIAL�s 10 airports handled 612,740 passengers from 1 April to the end of September compared with 558,024 in 2004/05. Nine of the company�s 10 airports have increased their passengers in the past six months with only Islay showing a small drop of just over 100 passengers over the period.  Wick was up 3.2% on last years total to date.

Highland 2007 Major Events
Highland 2007 today announced event details forming part of the programme for the year long celebration of Highland culture in 2007.  A world class events programme spanning the entire year of 2007 from January through to December will raise the profile of the Highlands on an international stage.

HOUSING SURVEY FOR SOUTH-EAST CAITHNESS
During October every household in the two Community Council areas that make up the south-east Caithness Initiative at the Edge area will be given the opportunity to take part in a housing survey to establish the housing needs and views of the people who live there.  The Highlands Small Communities Housing Trust (HSCHT) has been asked to carry out the survey by the south-east Caithness Initiative at the Edge Area Steering Group, Dunbeath and Berriedale Community Council and Latheron� Lybster and Clyth Community Council. Every household in south-east Caithness will receive a questionnaire from the HSCHT, the results from which are expected to provide a much clearer understanding of the different kinds of housing problems being experienced locally.

Quality Was The Watch Word At Cattle Dressing Elimination
Caithness Young Farmers held their District Cattle Dressing competition at Caithness Livestock centre on 15th October 2005. Leading the way were James Barnetson and Stewart Mackay of Bower YFC. Former winners of the National competition at Junior level, the lads were runaway winners at Saturday's event and will now represent Caithness at the North Region qualifier at Dingwall on Saturday. Another team from Bower, William Barnetson and Neil Brims, were victorious in the Junior competition They will also compete in Dingwall. The runners-up in the Junior competition were Alan Macleod and Alistair Budge of Halkirk YFC. The official judge, Gordon Douglas, commented on the excellent quality displayed by all teams. The cattle were given by Mr Colin Mackay, Westburn, Murkle.

Achvarasdal Woodland Walk
Achavarasdal has a woodland walk surrounding the Care Home.  the wood is managed by the Achvarasdal Woodland Management Group and as part of Highland Archaeology fortnight recently took a party round the wood.  A mature wood it has a good collection of tree species, lots of fungi and flowers at different times.  Ferns are abundant and a wide range of plants can be found amongst the old and new trees.  The wood has a number of features of interest including a broch, standing stones (now fallen) and a wall that goes runs in various directions within the wood although no one is sure how old it is or what its purpose was.  The iron fixture from an old wind mill is to be seen lying in the grounds pointing to an earlier wind period.  The area once briefly had an iron ore mine.  If you go down to the woods in Caithness you never know what you might see.

Walk - Wick To Altimarlach

As part of highland Archaeology fortnight the Rangers organised a walk from Wick to Altimarlach the site of the last clan battle in Scotland between the Campbells of Glen Orchy and the Sinclairs of Keiss.  A beautiful day took the walkers a couple of miles up river to the site  (three hours there and back with a stop for lunch)  Along the Wick river plenty of birds to spot and views of the old croft at Cruives , the Fairy Hillock cairn and great views back to Wick and out into the Caithness countryside.  The reed beds are died back at this time of the year making the approach easier than in summer although Altimarlach can be reached from the Sibster road.  Care needs to be taken as the site is on farmland with cattle in nearby fields that need to be crossed.  See Altimarlach in the A - Z for link to the history.

Proposed Reunion for Achreamie School
Some former pupils of Achreamie School would like to have a school reunion next year. Would anyone who is interested contact [email protected]  or telephone 01847821633 mobile 07714217628

Good news! Blackie the cat is home!!!
It looks like he was shut in somewhere and is none the worse for his ordeal.
Have You Seen Blackie? - Cat Missing From Mey Terrace - Pennyland Area of Thurso
Blackie a friendly young cat who went missing from the Mey Terrace/Pennyland area of Thurso. He has a heart murmur so there are concerns about his well-being.  Email any sightings and we will pass them on.
 


 

A Touch Of The Tropics At Caithness Floral Art Club
Irene Parker from Northumberland brought a touch of the Tropics to Caithness when she demonstrated at the October meeting of the Caithness Floral Art Club. Her title Flower Passion allowed her to choose a selection of exotic blooms. Cymbidium and dendrobium orchids, heliconia, anthuriums and mini gerberas were combined with Shamrock chrysanthemums, Montenegro lilies, alstromeria, roses, carnations, lilies, dyed grevilla leaves and bold shaped foliage to make some stunning arrangements. Among her inspirations were a visit to Japan, Indian saris and Gaugin�s Polynesian paintings.

THE BEWITCHED CAITHNESS CROFT - A Weird Mystery of Last Century By D. B. Miller
From the October 1977 Bulletin of Caithness Field Club
From time to time one reads in the public press reports of what are known as poltergeist manifestations by which all kinds of household utensils and other objects fly about seemingly of their own volition. Modern scientists tell us that these manifestations mostly seem to occur when there is a young female adolescent present. Be that as it may, extremely uncanny happenings occurred one hundred and forty one years ago this month at a croft house about two kilometres up the strath of Latheronwheel.

New Sub Post Office Mobile Services Being Tested In Caithness
This is the new mobile sub post office vehicle being tested in Caithness.  If the new service is successful it might be rolled into other areas where sub post offices are closing down due to the changes brought about by new technology and changes in banking and payments.  Loss making sub post offices have been closing down all over the country and as subsidies are being withdrawn many more may have to close.  The new mobile vehicle seen here may be one answer to the problem. At present the post offices that have been replace are Keiss, Reiss, Mey, Auckengill and Thrumster.

CNOC NA MARANAICH - A Megalithic Summer Solstice Observatory
this item from the October 1977 edition of the Caithness Field Club bulleting by Leslie Myatt looked at the intriguing question of whether our ancestors used a standing stone at Dunbeath to calculate the summer solstice as far backs as 1590 BC.  October 1977 Index  More Bulletin Articles  Field Club Index

Vintage Ploughing Match At West Greenland Farm Near Castletown    Results Here
 

Rugby - Caithness Win Against Hawick YM ----  Caithness 29 Hawick YM 8

Plenty of action at Millbank on a sunny Saturday afternoon kept the crowd interested.  The Hawick team were no push-overs and took the game on hard.  A bit to lippy for the referee who had the yellow card out.  Caithness built the score steadily and looked the better organised team with Hawick only narrowly missing some extra points from time to time but were unable to finish some runs without getting caught.  When close to the Caithness line ion the second half the well organised defence was able to hold them back.

COUNTRYSIDE VOLUNTEERS HELP OUT AT NORTH SCHOOL WILDLIFE GARDEN
The school grounds of North Primary, Wick turned into a gardening frenzy last Sunday when a group of 10 volunteers turned out to assist planting in the wildlife area of the school. The wildlife garden has been on-going for three years and has involved a range of projects such as planting broadleaf trees, wildflower plugs and flowering shrubs, constructing a wooden sheltering fence, building a raised flower bed, and provision of seating and picnic tables around the school. Sunday's volunteers planted a range of flowering shrubs including honey suckle, buddlia and flowering currant. The shrubs hope to bring some colour to the garden and attract a range of insects such as butterflies and bees into the area.

Mey Selections Beef And Lamb Launched At Sainsbury�s
Today beef and lamb from the area surrounding the late Queen Mother�s Caithness Residence, The Castle of Mey, goes on sale in Sainsbury�s supermarket. The Mey Selections label is backed by The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay and the packaging features his watercolour painting of the Castle.  Mey Selections� beef and lamb is sourced from the the Highlands in the most northerly part of Britain�s mainland, north of Inverness and extending al the way to John O�Groats in Caithness. Mey Selections is part of the North Highlands Initiative (NHI) a scheme founded by The Prince. HRH, who has long been a champion of small farmers founded the NHI to benefit farmers, crofters, tourism and local businesses in the North Highlands. The initiative aims to raise the profile of the area and help improve farmers� income.
Highland meat fit for prince heads for England -The Herald

Dan Mackenzie Celebrated 65th Birthday In Thurso
Last weekend saw Dan Mackenzie celebrate his 65th birthday with family and friends at the Viewfirth Club in Thurso.  The taxi was pretty big but it at least it would not have had a meter running.

 

Lotto Rolls North To See Caithness Food For Thought Project
The Big Lottery rolled North into Caithness last week when they came to visit a new project which they are supporting right here in the county. Caithness Food for Thought based in Wick and at their growing site at Spittal were the focus of their trip. The Big Lottery and Grampian and Highland Health Board contingent were very impressed by what they saw and tasted.  This new project has several aspects including growing food and crating training and placements for range of people locally.

Pulteneytown People Pick Up Tools For Prospective Employment In Retail Developments
A new fund aimed at assisting regeneration of the Pulteneytown area of Wick will help see fifteen local people trained over the next three months (October to December) in the 'Principles of Retail'.  A ten week course has been set up by North Highland College with Scottish Executive Community Regeneration Funding, and targeted primarily at unemployed people living in the Pulteneytown area of Wick. Having completed the course, the students will be better equipped to gain work in the new retail developments coming to Wick - Argos, Homebase and Tesco. The course is also being supported by Jobcentre Plus.

Free Flu Jab Campaign For Elderly And At Risk Groups
The Scottish Executive annual winter flu and pneumococcal immunisation campaign is underway with an appeal to everyone aged 65 or over and other vulnerable groups to get vaccinated as a matter of priority.

Halkirk A Team Win Caithness Young Farmers Sheep Dressing Competition
The Halkirk boys clipped to victory to win this years Caithness District Young Farmers' Sheep Dressing competition. Halkirk A which consisted of Bryan Sinclair and Kenneth Sutherland will now go forward to the National Finals to be held in Perth on 5th November. Joining them will be a team from Bower Yoiung Farmers, brothers James and William Barnetson who were runners-up. In third palce was another team from Halkirk, Alan Macleod and Alistair Budge. The event was held by kind permission of Aberdeen & Northern Marts, at Quoybrae. The sheep were provided by Mr Ian Campbell, Todholes with the official judge, Bill Manson from Skaill.

Kevin Sutherland From Latheronwheel - Number One Young Chef In Scotland
Kevin Sutherland from Latheronwheel has shown he has great skills in the cooking department.  He was placed second in  the UK Young Chef Young Waiter 2005 competition in London.  Kevin has worked in the Balmoral Hotel for the last two years. Kevin's mother, Anne, works in the Portland Arms Hotel in Lybster.

 

UKAEA SEEKS PLANNING PERMISSION TO ISOLATE DOUNREAY WASTE SHAFT
Shaft Saga Moves To Long Final Phases With New Methods and Technology

The Dounreay team and contractors Ritchie's are pushing the boundaries of engineering and scientific knowledge as they apply for planning permission to surround the Shaft where a variety of contaminated materials were originally disposed of.  The technology is well known in the mining industry but is being put to a new use in the current situation. Once the huge jacket consisting of the surrounding rock filled with grouting materials is completed retrieval of the contents of the shaft will begin.  Test bores are underway with core samples near the shaft area giving essential information on the surrounding rock structure.  Eventually the material will be removed by remotely controlled robots and trolleys.  Local people are being employed in all phases of the work by Ritchie's who won the contract.  The platform construction phase will commence in a few months after planning permission is granted.  The initial phase may take up to three years with possibly several years following to deal with the materials from the shaft.

Knitting Challenge - World's Fastest Knitter
Just in are photos of the world's fastest knitter Hazel Tindall at  John O'Groats on Wednesday and a photos of the the jumper after the Highland Group won the race to knit it from the fleece.

 

 

Knitting Challenge  - North Of Scotland Team Wins The Challenge
A competition to see which end of the country could make jumper from a fleece was run at John O'Groats and Lands End.  Members of the Highland Spinners Guild took up the challenge to make a jumper from hand spun wool starting with a fleece.  Teams of carders, spinners and knitters spent the day in the race to complete a jumper to set a set size. The competition was run today as it was National Knitting Week.  The North Of Scotland team won the competition.  An unusual feature of the event was the video link up provided by a team from Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise to promote Broadband that is just arriving in the John O'Groats area.

Caithness Field Club Bulletin  - October 1977
Once again thanks to Janet Mackenzie for preparing the articles from the originals for the web site.
HISTORIC CASTLES AND FAMILIES OF THE NORTH 6. Forse Castle - The Sutherlands of Forse
PARLIAMO THIRSA
HYBRIDS IN THE CAITHNESS FLORA
BALIGILL REVISITED
The remaining articles in this bulletin will follow later.  Main Field Club Bulletins Index

Caithnophobic Websites - by Mike Clark
Search engines are great when you know what you�re looking for. The one thing search engines cannot do successfully, is find sites which exclude what you�re looking for. Which means websites purporting to promote Scotland, be they in the fields of travel, history, environment or any other, and which ignore Caithness, don�t come up when you search for Caithness. And they don�t come up when you try �not Caithness�. They remain anonymous............
After you read Mike's item put your thoughts on the Message Board

John O'Groats From The Air
More views of John O'Groats from above.  Does anyone know what the foundations on the left of the first picture were for?

 

 

Threat Of Rising River Levels Overnight - 21 Flood Warnings - but none in Caithness So Far
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) currently has 1 Flood Warning and 21 Flood Watches in force. River levels are high and will remain high in many areas throughout Scotland. More rain is forecast for the next 24 hours. SEPA is advising that the threat of flooding in many parts of Scotland is likely to remain for the foreseeable future. SEPA hydrologists are monitoring weather forecasts and river levels around the clock and will issue further advice through Floodline. Anyone concerned should call the service on 0845 988 1188 or log onto www.sepa.org.uk/flooding

Latest Girnigoe Castle Photos

More photos of Girnigoe Castle from the air showing the scaffolding still in place as work was continuing throughout the summer.  Many thanks to Brian Finch for these photos.
Girnigoe Castle Index  Aerial Photos Of Caithness Castles  Castles Main Index  Other Aerial Photos

Wick Harbour and Parts Of Wick From The Air

List For Businesses That Do Home Deliveries
This list will help to let everyone know who does home deliveries in Caithness.  If your business delivers then let us know to add to the listing.  Mackays butchers in Thurso is first in..

Latest Volunteering Opportunities From Volunteering Highland

Wick Harbour 20 September & 8 October

Latest group of photos of Wick Harbour and it is interesting to see the changes from photos taken just two or three years ago.

Homebase Girders Going In Fast At Wick
The race for the consumer pound is going on apace as the new Homebase complex pushes on.  There must be a deadline as they have been seen working under floodlights in the evenings.  Meantime more woe for Wick drivers as work starts tomorrow for ten weeks on badly needed upgrade work on the road from wick to Toft.  After months of more and more bumps from the new waste water pipes going in let's hope the upgrade is good one with no hitches.

Grocery Home Delivery War To Break Out Shortly In Caithness
Somerfields Stores In Caithness Gear Up To Take Your Groceries Home
Somerfields look set to compete head on with the Co-op in the Home Delivery stakes as competition to get your groceries delivered.  The Coop has been offering free deliver for two years.
Somerfields new vehicles will be in operation as soon as training and safety issues are approved. Like the Coop delivery will be free for all purchases in excess of �25.  The area of delivery is yet to be decided but is likely to be seven or eight miles from town centres.  Maybe small shops should bring back the delivery boy as customers certainly seem keen on the Coop home delivery.  Eco friendly bikes taking home the goods might appeal to modern customers.  Any small shops out there still offering home delivery?  Let us know and we will list you here on the web site FREE to assist potential customers.

Let's Do The Show Right Here - BBC Radio Show Made In Wick Last Night

The BBC Radio "Show Lets Do The Show Right Here" was at the Assembly Rooms, Wick last night recording their show with Michelle McManus of Pop Idol fame appearing in the second half.  Local Wick children and young people performed and things were kept swinging along with the host of the programme Bryan Burnett.  He interviewed Elsie Cormack and sue Jane Taylor who are helping to raise funds for the community Memorial Garden to remember the children killed at Bank Row during the war.  The radio show allows local groups to raise funds from the show and to keep all the proceeds for the particular cause.  last night Michelle McManus added her own personal donation of �250 to make a grand total of �2600 from last night towards an eventual target of �150,000.  The group are confident they will raise all the money and will continue to come up with more ideas to reach their goal.  Architect George Harper has been appointed to draw up plans.  A full house last night enjoyed the evening.
"Let's Do The Show Right Here" - BBC  The programme at Wick will go out in January
For more information on what it is all about go to Community Memorial Garden

Even More Thurso Streets
High Street                 Bank Street               Swanson Street

More Thurso Streets
Caledonian Place         Durness Street           Freswick Gardens        Market Street

Thurso Streets  Thurso Index

Caithness Ruby Club Explodes In First Round Of The BT Cup - Caithness 123 Jordanhill 0
Congratulations To Caithness Rugby Club who have already shown great form since moving up a league this season and already lying in third place.  The Caithness team seem able to keep their game up to high levels from start to finish and play for the whole match.  Some earlier scores looked amazing to move them up a league.  The first round of the BT cup looks as if it has laid down a challenge to all the other teams.  Better watch out guys they will be plotting and planning hard to meet you in the next rounds.  Well done to everyone.  Caithness Rugby Club

The Esplanade, Thurso - Including Pentland Crescent

Thurso Streets  Thurso Index

Free Church , Helmsdale
The Free Church in Helmsdale was built in 1892 and can hold up to 1200 people.  the church was up for sale last year at offers over �75,000 but we do not know if it is still on the market.  A schedule is still available on the agents web site so it may be still if anyone would like to buy a very large church.

The Road North From Inverness To Caithness - A862 - The Old Route
Want to relax on the drive north and south From Inverness to Caithness then go back to the old route on the A862.  Takes a bit longer but you can slow down you can enjoy very quiet roads and great scenery with views over the the Beauly Firth.  So forget that mad dash to the Kessock Bridge in the rush hour - yuck. We will be adding more to this new section and a few side trips in coming years.

Caledonian Canal At Inverness
The Caledonian Canal is 96.6km (60 miles) in length of which 35.4km (22 miles) is man made. The Caledonian Canal goes from Inverness to Fort William.  Harnessing the waters of Loch Ness it is a great waterway of the world.  Set in the highland scenery it makes for one of the best sailing routes in the UK.
 

Who Is My Councillor, MP, MSP or MEP?
We have just added a link to Write To Them in the Political Index.  All you need to do is enter your postcode and you are offered a selection of all of your political representatives at all levels with a handy form to write your letter.  No stamps, no paper no envelopes and its FREE.

Murky Morning Weather Cleared and Now Sunny In Caithness

Golspie Health Centre
This modern building may not be noticed unless you stop at the car park in Golspie and look towards the school.  The Health Centre is  bright modern building delivering range of health services to the community.

 

 

Brora Station                                                       More Brora Photos

Here in Caithness we all moan about the slow trip north from Inverness by rail but as a scenic trip it must rate as one of the best in the UK.  The ever changing hills with purple heather, the deer rising beside the track in winter, the varied bird life, passing through the north Highland towns and villages and the snow in winter.

Lybster Senior Citizen's Auction Sale in the Portland Arms
Saturday 8 October at 7.30pm.

Latest News Letter From Pulteneytown Academy School, Wick

Thurso in Bloom - Page Updated

North School Class Visits The Wick Recycling Centre
North School children had a visit to the recently opened recycling centre at Wick.  They did not have far to go as the centre is only a few hundred metres from the school.  This is the first generation to see the Highlands take recycling seriously with new recycling centres opening all over the Highlands.


 

The Last Auction Sale At Watten Last Friday
The last auction was held last Friday at the sale room at Watten as the proprietor is giving up to concentrate on removals.  The usual fascinating mix of items was up for grabs including a couple of large wall pictures that we think may once have graced the walls of the Rendesvous Restaurant in Wick unless you know better.  A sale to sell of bit and bobs will be held shortly.

Reay Cubs Visit Dounreay
The Reay Cub Scouts most recent outing was to the Dounreay Visitor Centre on the evening of Wednesday 5th October 2005. Dounreay's award winning visitor centre opened especially on Wednesday evening for the 8 to 10.5 year olds.  At the visitor centre, the Cubs learned about home fire safety from Dounreay Fire Brigade's station officer Willie Robertson. Follow discussions about the need for smoke detectors, testing them, home fire safety plans, etc the cubs went outside the visitor centre and had the opportunity to use fire extinguishers for real.

Highly Talented Singer And Musician Coming To Wick
Clive Gregson, who is a well respected singer/songwriter is coming up to do a solo gig at Mackays Hotel on the 12th of November. Ticket prices are �8 and will be available, this weekend, in both Wick and Thurso Music Shops. Born and raised in Manchester, England, Clive is an accomplished singer, musician and record producer. His start in the music business was as the leader of Any Trouble, a band that made five albums and performed hundreds of gigs but which broke up at the end of 1984.

BBC To Record "Let's do the Show Right Here" In Assembly Rooms, Wick
The South School Choir and Wick Youth Club are amongst several groups performing this Saturday evening, 8th October 2005 as a follow up from the �Past, Present and Future� concert held in September. The concert will be recorded by BBC Radio Scotland and transmitted in January 2006. The children will be performing with the Pop Idol star, Michelle McManus for the finale and they also have an earlier slot to sing their WW2 medley.  Tickets for the show are available from the Music shop, Wick.

HIGHLAND AND ISLANDS AUTHORITIES BEGIN PATHFINDER BROADBAND PROCUREMENT
A �70 million project to introduce broadband technology into schools, libraries and offices in the Highlands and Islands moved forward this week. An advert has been placed in the Official Journal of the European Union seeking the interest of contractors to install broadband in all targeted locations by mid 2008. The project is being led by The Highland Council, in partnership with councils in Argyll and Bute, Moray, Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles who aim to award the contract by the middle of next year.

Access Forum Underway
A Local Access Forum in Caithness is bringing together all parties with an interest in developing and managing access to the outdoors. It is an advisory body working to promote dialogue and understanding, developing a consensus and promoting a co-operative approach to access to the countryside and inland waters. The 14 members of the Forum represent user groups, communities, land managers, agencies and The Highland Council. Members will contribute in many ways by sharing information and ideas, discussing issues and problems and suggesting solutions and recommending priorities for action to the Council.

Planning Permission Given For Three Wind Turbines At Flex Hill
The Caithness Committee for Planning, Development, Europe and Tourism granted permission for three wind turbines at Flex Hill, Bilbster at their meeting on Monday.  Councillors visited the site and saw where the turbines would be sited and saw for themselves the view back to the turbines at the Causewaymire that can be seen in two of the photos in the latest photos gallery.  SNH may take their objection to a public enquiry via the Scottish Executive.

Celebrate National Bookstart Day on Friday 7th October 2005
If you go down to your library today, you'll be sure of a big surprise! Hundreds of libraries up and down the country are getting involved in National Bookstart Day on Friday 7th October.  With events from Lerwick to Land's End, everyone will be joining in with rhymes, stories and songs, to celebrate the ongoing success of Bookstart in the UK - a world leader in gifting free books to babies. In Caithness there will be a Family Day in Thurso Library on Saturday, October 8th from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm.

Caithness Canine Club Donation Helps Guide Dogs
Guide Dogs for the Blind would like to thank the Caithness Canine Club for their generous donation of �50 which was part of their profits from a dog show held in Wick on Sat 3 Sept 2005. Caithness Canine Club

Decision on new reactors �must be made within a year� - The Herald

Is Dounreay A Pawn In Labour Plans To Oust MP John Thurso & MSP Jamie Stone?
Blair adviser: attack LibDems by building a new nuclear power station at Dounreay
- Sunday Herald
John McTernan � Tony Blair�s director of political operations � suggested the move as part of an orchestrated Labour attack on the LibDems in the run-up to the 2007 Holyrood elections. He said the plan would boost the chances of First Minister Jack McConnell�s party winning Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, the seat that is home to Dounreay and which is held by the LibDems.

Three Artists In Residence Wanted For Caithness Project
An innovative project by Northlands Creative Glass and Lyth Arts Centre offers the opportunity to 3 artists to work in Caithness.  The aim of the residency is to give a collaborative voice to Caithness young and old in recording and creating artworks on local heritage. The artists will work together on the community project for 50% of their time and 50% on the development of their own work.  A fee of �7,800 is payable per artist in addition to free accommodation, travel expenses and a materials budget for the artists� own work.  More Information Here

Latest Progress At Wick's New Shopping Centre Complex

Developers are keeping the drystane walling and renewing sections of it along the front of the new complex in keeping with the walling in the area.  The completion time for the buildings is in February and after that shop fitting will be carried out.  The centre located next to Lidl's on the South Road will have seven shops.

STAFF EQUIPPED FOR NEW CHALLENGES IN HOME CARE
More than 1,000 home carers and support staff in Highland are being given new guidance and training to enable them to provide a much wider range of services to older people who require support in their own homes. Over the coming weeks, frontline staff of The Highland Council's Social Work Service will be advised of a new more comprehensive and accessible set of procedures for care at home, which are aimed at developing the skills of this vital workforce. The procedures set out the nationally set standards, which need to be achieved and procedures for meeting them. More than 3,000 people in The Highland Council area receive services in their own homes, which help to keep them independent and in many cases prevents them moving into residential care.

Lieurary Reunion Photos
The Lieurary Reunion took place on 23 July 2005.

 

 

Charles: I�ll use influence to halt turbines - Times Online
Local anti-wind farm campaigner Stuart Young has written to Prince Charles.

What�s in a name? Gaels call for Scotland to be stripped to Alba - Times Online
JACK McConnell is being asked to back a bid to put Alba, the Gaelic word for Scotland, on the back of the national football strip, writes Jonathan Lessware.   Does anyone else agree with Alba being put on the Scotttish Football strip - Put your thoughts ideas on the message board

Residents furious as salmon farm gets go-ahead with Crown Estate�s blessing
Residents Don't Want It, Highland Council Refused Planning but Scottish Executive over-rules and grants permission with Crown Estate having the final say - Should the Scottish Executive be able to over-rule local democracy?

North Primary School, Wick - Best Primary School Loo In UK
COUNCIL SCOOPS SEVEN NATIONAL AWARDS IN LOO OF THE YEAR AWARDS
The Highland Council has scooped seven national category awards at the 2005 Loo of the Year Awards, held on Tuesday during the World Toilet Summit in Belfast. In addition, the council was one of only six councils in the UK to win a standards of excellence award for having more than five five-star toilets in its entry.

Conference Delegates Visit Dounreay
Dounreay recently played host to delegates from ICEM05 International Conference on Environmental Remediation and Radioactive Waste Management. During their visit, they were given a guided tour of site and WRACS before following on to the facilities at Janetstown. The purpose of their visit was to gain first hand experience of the site remediation and waste management being undertaken at Dounreay. Pictured from left to right - Frank Dennis, Environmental Project Manager and ICEM05 delegates.

Baobab Ivoirien MV 10  - Ivory Coast
Douglas Brownie is at present onboard this vessel offshore of the Ivory Coast or Cote D'Ivoire to give it its correct French name. The vessel left the shipyard in Singapore late December of last year and was almost directly over the epicentre of the boxing day Tsunami when it happened but apparently felt very little. First oil was produced on the 9th of August this year with the vessel offloading approximately 1 million barrels of oil to a tanker about a month later. The vessel has the capability to hold close on 2.5 million barrels of oil.  If you have not seen the growing OIL related photo galleries Click Here to see where some Caithness folk earn their living around the globe.

New Cementation Waste Handling Facility
The construction of the new Dounreay Cementation Plant Waste Handling Facility is continuing to make good progress. Balfour Beatty who are constructing the waste-handling facility valued in excess of �10 million, has constructed the shielded operational area and are now completing the construction of drum transfer corridor. The drum transfer corridor is approximately 20m long x 5m wide x 5m high and has concrete walls and roof 1200mm thick. This is due for completion by end of October 2005.

Council Receives Application for Beauly to Denny TRANSMISSION Line
Highland Council's Planning and Development Service has (Friday, 30 September 2005) received an Environmental Impact Assessment and Section 37 Application from Scottish & Southern Energy plc regarding the proposals for an electricity transmission line from Beauly to Denny.
The receipt of the application is the latest stage in planning process of the proposed developments to upgrade the Beauly to Denny transmission line.  Why is this of interest to Caithness you might ask?  The answer lies in the possibility of a transmission line linking to Beauly from Dounreay.  Any proposal coming forward for pylons nearly twice the height of any seen around at present is bound to be controversial.

Caithness Breast Care Group - Meeting In Thurso
Thursday 6 October 2005 - 10.30am - Pentland Hotel, Thurso
The group invite anyone affected by breast cancer to an open meeting with breast nurses and members.

Martin Coghill and Nicola Dow Got Married
Congratulations to Martin and Nicola who got married in August.  Martin Coghill, formerly of Stemster Mains, married Nicola Dow in the Crutherland House Hotel, near Strathaven, Lanarkshire on 1 August 2005.  They both now live in North Ayrshire.
Wedding Index

If anyone has a Caithness connection we are happy to post photos in the wedding galleries.
 

Wild salmon stocks leap by 40%  - Scotsman
Good news for anglers - let's hope it continues for another few years.

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