North Action Group Wind Up And Hand Over £2499 To Hospital North
Action Group (NAG) formed by members of the Caithness community to
fight the downgrading of the maternity unit at Caithness General Hospital
finally wound up and handed over the balance of their funds £2499 to the
League of Friends to spend on the maternity unit. The fight to save the
unit from the loss of obstetricians took two and a half years and was
finally won in June 2006. Members of North Action Group continued in
existence to monitor the situation in view of several previous attempts by
the health board to downgrade the Caithness maternity unit. Finally the
group have stood down.
The North Action Group pages
'Fairways'
Of Wick To Become 'The Linen Cupboard' The shopFairways previously run by Ernie Adams has been leased
to 'The Linen Cupboard' from Orkney. Trading under the new
management will commence from the beginning of May keeping a supply of
household goods and soft furnishings on the High Street in Wick.
Older People To Be Treated In the Community In Sutherland NHS
Highland is continuing to develop the range of services it provides in
Sutherland so that more people can be treated and cared for in their own
homes. The Cambusavie Unit, at the
Lawson Memorial Hospital, in Golspie,
was purpose built as a 30 bed long-term facility in 1989, when patients
were transferred from the old Cambusavie Hospital. Since then, it has
developed into a rehabilitation centre for older people from across
Sutherland and there are now no long-term patients. The number of beds was
reduced to 22 a few years ago for health and safety and staffing reasons.
The unit, which is consultant-led from Caithness General Hospital, now
provides stroke and other forms of rehabilitation. As patients' needs have
changed, bed occupancy at the Cambusavie Unit has declined and, on
average, only thirteen of the twenty two beds are used so eight will be
removed.
Bed
Reductions also at Broadford and Portree HospitalsAlso Here
Doorstep Sellers In Highland Capital - Be On Your Guard Consumers warned “Be on your guard” by Highland Council Trading
Standards
Highland Council Trading Standards are asking members of the public to be
vigilant following recent report about a double glazing doorstep selling
firm operating in the Inverness area. On Friday, last week, Highland
Council Trading Standards and Northern Constabulary visited a concerned
consumer’s home after receiving her call regarding selling practices of a
double glazing firm.
Talented
Musicians To Perform Evening of Music and Song Young musicians from primary and secondary schools across the
Highlands are busy preparing for a public concert which will take place in
the Black Isle Leisure Centre, Fortrose on Saturday 18 April. The evening
will feature performances by four of the Highland Regional Music Groups
including the Highland Youth String Orchestra, 'snas (the Regional ceilidh
band), the Highland Youth Pipe Band and the first public recital by the
recently formed Gaelic choir, Còisir G which is directed by former MOD
gold medallist Eilidh Mackenzie.
Deal reached over animal centre - BBC
An animal disease surveillance centre in Thurso run by the Scottish
Agricultural College (SAC) is to continue using staff from a local vets.
SAC said there had been "unsubstantiated rumours" about the future of the
service following the death of its manager Sandy Clark. In the interim,
college staff travelled from Inverness, Aberdeen and Perth to perform post
mortems. An agreement has been reached with vets at
D S
McGregor and Partners.
Help
For First Time Buyers A £60 million scheme offering a route into home ownership for first
time buyers starts today. The Open Market Shared Equity Pilot scheme is
being expanded from 10 council areas to the whole of Scotland. A
substantially increased budget of £60 million - up from £24 million - is
expected to help around 1500 households to buy through the scheme this
year. The scheme is part of the Scottish Government's Low-cost Initiative
for First Time Buyers, to help people on low to moderate incomes buy an
affordable home where that is sustainable for them.
New
Stroke Services Developed At Caithness General Caithness General Hospital in Wick has developed new services for
Stroke patients in the north and is one of the first Rural General
Hospital's in Scotland to be offering these treatments. The first of these
services, the Novel Rapid Access Neurovascular (TIA) service will start up
at the hospital on Thursday 2nd April. Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA -
often known as mini stroke) patients will be seen within 24 hours and
treated, not only will this save lives but it will also prevent further
strokes.
High
Societies Community Website Goes Live Clubs,
groups, organisations and societies in the Highlands can now register on
The Highland Council's new free community information website
www.high-societies.org
that was launched on Monday 30th March 2009 at Dingwall Library. Developed
by the Council's library service, High-Societies is designed to signpost
members of the public to essential contact information for not-for-profit
organisations and to their existing websites where appropriate. Councillor
Bill Fernie Chairman of The Highland Council's Education, Culture and
Sport Committee said: "This website brings together extremely useful
contact information and gives a very positive picture of all that is
happening in communities across the Highlands."
Caithness County Snooker Doubles Open
Saturday 18th of April 2009 in the Royal British Legion Thurso - 2.00pm start, may
run through to the 19th depending on numbers - £10 entry per team
Names to be in by 7pm on Friday 17th April to Derek Johnston on 0790 77 55 777
Draw to be made at 8pm in the Legion
Prize
bingo and football tournament being held in memory of Scott Mackenzie
From Scott's Sister Claire The prize bingo is being held in the Francis St Club on Tuesday 14th
April with various fantastic prizes, bottle stall and raffles. If anyone
wishes to donate anything to the raffle etc they can contact me on 07907
374 589 (please leave a message if I cant manage to answer and I will
contact you back) We are also holding a tournament day in the Bignold
Park in Wick on Sun 7th June. This is a junior tournament for all
youngsters throughout Caithness. This tournament will also have
refreshments and stalls etc. Details are still to be finalised. Monies
raised will be donated back into all participating Caithness junior
teams. Scott's life was football and we want to give some of the younger
boys out there the chances Scott had to develop his talent.
Sunday Papers
Boost for huge Scots tide-power plan - The
Observer
.....plan's to host the world's largest tidal energy project have
moved a step closer after Norwegian renewables giant Statkraft joined
the consortium backing the £250m scheme. The project, which will create
over 700 jobs, is to build a large data centre powered by tidal energy,
in a remote area on the north Scotland coast dubbed the "Saudi Arabia of
tidal energy".......Tim Cornelius, chief executive of Atlantis Resources
Corporation, the firm behind the 150MW project in the Pentland Firth,
said tidal power for new data centres was the perfect solution.......The
Observer has learnt that a £1bn public-private funding body, the Energy
Technologies Institute (ETI), is allowing several multinationals to
secure exclusive licences to British renewable developers' innovations
in return for providing funding................
World War Two Tea Party
At Halkirk School Halkirk
School's Primary 7 class rounded off the term with a very successful
World War tea party on Thursday afternoon. Around 80 parents and friends
attended and were treated to tea, coffee and a selection of home baking. They also had the opportunity to browse the children's work which was
on display. The children then entertained them with a dance, which they
choreographed themselves to Glen Miller's 'In the Mood'. This was
followed by a play detailing the events of the war which included a
short version of Ready Steady Cook to explain rationing and an
accompanying slideshow. They finished off with a selection of wartime
songs. The afternoon ended with the drawing of the class' Easter hamper
raffle which they had organised to boost funds to pay for their
residential trip to Fairburn in June. A total of £1200 has now been
raised, well done to all the children for all their hard work.
Halkirk Primary School
Switch Off For
Earth Hour At 8.30pm Local Time
Millions of people around the world will be switching off their lights
for one hour to vote for Earth. Read more on the
site....................
Easter Fun in Ormlie
Ormlie Community Association will be running an Easter Workshop event in
Ormlie during the first week of the school holidays. On offer will be a
range of fun and creative arts and crafts workshops over a 3 day
period beginning on Tuesday 31st March through to Thursday 2nd April.
The Easter workshops will be held in the Ormlie Community Centre,
Henderson Street, Thurso. Morning sessions for the under nines will run
from 11.30 – 1pm, whilst the over nine sessions will be held in the
afternoon between 2pm – 3.30pm, cost is £1 per session. As in the past
Ormlie Community Association welcomes children and young people from
outwith the Ormlie estate and under fives can also attend but must be
accompanied by an adult. For more details contact Sue on 01847 891789 or
e-mail ormliecpp@tiscali.co.uk
Last Service At Bridge Street Church, Wick on Sunday 29th March at 11.30am -
All Invited The final service before the Bridge Street congregation merges with
the Old Parish to become Wick St Fergus. The congregation hope
that many of their friends from around the county will join them in
their last service ending a tradition of services since 1843 - an end of
a long era. The Rev Ronnie Johstone will conduct the final service to be
held in the church.
Enrolment At Wick Family Centre For August 09
Wick Family Centre is now enrolling for August 09. We have
funded places available for 3 year old children and non-funded places
for children 2 years 9 months. We offer a full, all day childcare
package (wraparound), which is a one of its kind provision, unique in
Caithness................
Making Waves Easter Holiday Club at Wick Family Centre
Making Waves Easter Holiday Club at Wick Family Centre is open from
Monday 30 March until Thursday 9 April, 8.30am to 5.30pm. Places are
available for half day and full day sessions. All costs include outings,
activities and snacks; please supply a packed lunch for each
child.............
Caithness Astronomy Group Presents Events For National Spring MoonWatch
Week Borgie
Forest Community Centre 1830-2130hrs, Thursday 2nd April '09
Wick Scout Hall (observing at Riverside Park)1830-2130hrs, Friday
3rd April '09
Thurso High School 1400-1600hrs and 1830-2130hrs Saturday 4th April
'09 Events will consist of astronomy talks (commencing 1915hrs), outdoor
observing through telescopes (weather permitting), interactive
workshops/exhibits and displays of astronomical material including the
opportunity to see genuine Moon Rocks and Meteorites. Looking for
something to do with the kids during the Holidays? Early evening
(1830-1915hrs) and afternoon sessions are particularly suited to younger
children – why not take them along?
Arts Groups -
Get Business Sponsorship And Double Your Money On Thursday, 26 March, the Justice Secretary, Kenny MacAskill,
celebrated successful arts and business partnerships at a reception at
Edinburgh Castle, hosted by Arts & Business Scotland. The partnerships
were supported by two Scottish Government match funding streams. New Arts
Sponsorship Grants encourage new or returning business sponsors and the
Cashback for Communities scheme which supports projects that tackle social
exclusion and anti-social behaviour among young people. See List Of Groups Who Obtained Business Sponsorship And Also The Grant
NHS Highland Looking For Volunteer Mums To Act As Peer Supporters
NHS Infant Feeding Advisors Karen Mackay and Janet Kellock are looking for
mothers in Caithness who are enthusiastic about breastfeeding and would
like to widen their knowledge and help others to breastfeed successfully.
The volunteers will be given the same training on breastfeeding as NHS
Highland midwives and health visitors. The 15 hour UNICEF training course
will be offered over 5 weeks (3 hours a week) and crèche facilities and
travelling expenses will be provided. Please contact Karen or Janet on
01463 704842 karen.mackay3@nhs.net
or janet.kellock@nhs.net for
further information if you would be interested in taking part.
25 March 2009
Calling all Early Birds - Discounted Tickets - Global Impact Conference Calling
all Early Birds - get your discounted tickets for this unique event - the
Scotland's Global Impact conference. Organisers of the flagship Homecoming
Scotland event, Scotland's Global Impact - how one small nation changed
the world! Buaidh Chruinneil na h-Alba - mar a dh'atharraich aon dùthaich
bheag an saoghal! are calling everyone interested in our nation's history
to take advantage of the fantastic Early Bird discount announced today for
this international conference celebrating Scotland's Year of Homecoming.
Tickets purchased prior to 31 May will be eligible for a substantial
discount of up to £50 on the standard cost of a three day ticket for this
gathering taking place at Eden Court Theatre, Inverness, from 22 - 24
October 2009.
LEADER Funds Start To Filter Through Since the launch of the Highland LEADER Programme in excess of
£400,000 of funding has already been allocated to 27 successful local
projects and plans across the Highlands................In Caithness
£33,348 has been allocated towards three projects including £13,198 to
Dunbeath Heritage Centre for Dunbeath Fishings project exploring the local
history of fishings in Dunbeath including the renovation of the oldest
vernacular fishings building and new heritage displays. Leader is a
European programme aimed at enhancing rural communities through helping
those active in rural areas to consider the long term potential of their
area. Local Communities can apply for £10 million of funding available to
them over the next 5 years with a further £3 million available to assist
strategic Highland-wide projects.
Council Offers Home Improvement Grants The credit crunch may be biting but Highland Council has cash grants
available to assist with home improvements. Home improvement and repairs
grants are available to help people living in owner-occupied or privately
rented housing to meet the costs of having their homes improved, repaired
or adapted. Most grants are at the discretion of the Council and almost
all are means-tested. A small number of grants are, under certain
conditions, mandatory and the Council are obliged to approve these.
Discretionary improvement grants can be awarded for improvements to
existing houses to bring them up to the tolerable standard, e.g. by
installing bathroom facilities, dealing with structural instability, or
eradication of severe dampness. They may also be available to make houses
suitable for occupants with disabilities, e.g. level access showers,
ramps, stairlifts or purpose built extensions to accommodate a ground
floor bedroom or bathroom. More information from Environmental
Health Officers -
Contact List
Jumble Sale in the Ormlie Centre
Henderson Street, Thurso from 2 - 4 pm on Saturday 28 March 2009. There
will be a wide range of clothing and bric-a-brac along with a rail of
'designer' label clothing for ladies.
24 March 2009
Structural Survey On Dounreay Castle As Deterioration Noted Consulting
engineers Cruden Associates are carrying out a structural survey of the
16th century Dounreay Castle. The castle, which forms part of the estate
inherited by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, is in a ruinous
condition. Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd recently informed Historic
Scotland, the Government body with responsibility for building heritage,
of further deterioration in its condition.
Dounreay
Castle Index
Caithness Castles History Of Caithness By J T Calder - Work In Progress
2 Day Dry Stone Dying Course
A 2-day Dry Stone Dyking Course willbe held on a croft near Dunbeath. The
possible dates are 16th/17th May and/or 27th/28th June at a cost of £70
per person. The instructor will be Master Craftsman, Dave Goulder. For
more information and to book phone Augusta Hutt 01593 731459.
23 March 2009
The National Theatre of Scotland in Caithness National Theatre of Scotland returns to Caithness with two exciting
projects over the coming months. Hosted by The Highland Council, the
projects include the schools and community project 'Transform' and the
professional Ensemble touring group which is performing two excellent
productions. It is three years since the NToS kicked off with its various
'Home' projects, which included the 'Caithness Home' production, in
conjunction with Grey Coast Theatre, performed in the old Caithness Glass
Factory in Wick. Now in May and June the National Theatre Learn project
will be rolling out its 'Transform' residency project, which has run
successfully in other parts of the country, to Caithness. It will
culminate in performances in special venues in Thurso from 24 to 26 June.
TELEVISION DEBUT
FOR COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL
This year’s
Northern Nashville Country Music festival, taking place in
Caithness, will be broadcast on television for the first time ever, on BBC
ALBA. The Northern Nashville Country Music Festival taking place in
Halkirk, Caithness over the Easter weekend (10-12 April) will be recorded
by MNE Media for future broadcast on BBC ALBA. The Caithness event, now in
its 6th year will feature a wide range of International artists including
Michelle Wright (Canada), Frank Jansen and his Band (Holland), Heather
Myles (USA), Eamonn McCann (Ireland) as well as home-grown favourites
including The Jacks and Manson Grant and The Dynamos. Halkirk Indoor
Riding School is the venue for the Caithness event which will also include
the Thurso High School Band and Wick Youth Band.
Airson a' chiad uair riamh thèid Fèis Ceòl Dùthchail Ghallaibh a'
chraoladh air telebhisean am bliadhna sa. Tha BBC ALBA air dearbhadh gu
bheil iad gu bhith a' clàradh ceòl bhon Fhèis a bhios a' dol air adhart
ann an Halkirk thairis air àm na Càisg (10mh-12mh Giblean). Thid an
tachartas a' chlàradh le MNE Media airson BBC ALBA. Se Club Ceòl Dùthchail
Nashville Ghallaibh a bhios a' ruith na Fèise agus se seo an siathamh
bliadhna den Fhèis a tha a' tarruing luchd-coimhead, seinneadairean agus
luchd-cìuil as gach ceàrnaidh den t-saoghal. Bidh còmhlain a Canada, Na
Stàitean Aonaichte, an Òlaind, Èirinn agus Alba aig an Fhèis a bhios
cuideachd a' toirt cothrom dha luchd-cìuil ionadail mar Na Jacks agus
Manson Grant agus Na Dynamos. A bharrachd air na còmhlain ainmeil tha àite
cuideachd ann airson sgoilearan bho Àrd Sgoil Inbhir Theorsa agus Còmhlan
Òigridh Inbhir Uige. 2009 Festival
Programme
Bayview Care Workers Champion Dementia and Palliative Care in Highland Two senior social care workers at Highland Council's Bayview House
Resource Centre in Thurso have recently successfully completed a training
course to develop their skills in palliative care with older people and
older people with dementia. The course which was titled 'Beyond Barriers'
was a project funded by the Scottish Government, and run in partnership
with the Care Commission and Alzheimer Scotland.
22 March 2009
Wick Swimmers
At Scottish Schools Swimming Championships Following
the Highland schools qualifying event in Inverness, 5 Wick swimmers had
qualified for the Scottish finals held recently in the 50m pool at
Tollcross Leisure centre in Glasgow. This will be the venue for the
swimming events during the 2014 Commonwealth games and was a great
experience for the young Wick swimmers. Unfortunately two of the swimmers
Stephanie Webster and Cameron Tait were unable to attend due to illness.
That left Shannon Mackenzie and Fraser Tait from Pulteneytown Academy and
Jordan Munro representing Hillhead. All three were in the 12 and under age
group where the top 20 swimmers at each stroke were drawn in two heats of
10. Both Shannon and Fraser qualified for the final in the girls and boys
breaststroke respectively and then had to wait until the end of the
morning session for their finals.....Well done to all Wick's young
swimmers from Caithness.org
21 March 2009
Last Ever Open Day At Bridge Street Church In Wick Today
An era is coming to an end as the Bridge Street church in Wick reaches the
final events before the congregation closes their doors for the last time
at the end of March. An exhibition of documents about the people and
events of the church since its opening in 1843. In addition the
usual teas and cakes were on offer on what was for many a sad day. A
film show was playing all day remembering past events at the church.
Music and singing provided entertainment but perhaps most it was the
reminiscences of Wickers on a bright Saturday the brought it home that
this really was the end of an era. The church saw one of its busiest
ever open days and in case anyone missed the exhibition it will be on show
again on Tuesday 24th March 11.30am - 3.00pm. The last Communion
Service takes place on Sunday 22 March at 11.30am and the final service
ever will take place on Sunday 29th at 11.30am. The congregation
have extended an invitation to everyone to the final service on Sunday
29th. The Rev Ronnie Johstone will conduct the final service to be
held in the church. The Bridge Street church congregation will unite
with Wick Old church to become Wick St Fergus - Church of Scotland
Door To Door Charity Clothing Collection Hits Caithness
Beware Of Leaflets Dropping Through Your Door Leaflets are being delivered to homes in Caithness from a company
well-known on the Internet for their activities. One of our readers
has pointed out that the company putting out leaflets has been outed on
the web in other parts of the country. See HERE
and
HEREand
currently being debated in our Forum. Better take it to the
local charity shop and locally organised thrift sales
High Life at
Macdonald Aviemore Highland Resort Members of The Highland Council’s High Life leisure access scheme will
now have access to swimming and leisure facilities in Aviemore thanks to a
partnership between the Council and Macdonald Aviemore Highland Resort.
From Wednesday 1st April, locals and people from throughout the Highlands
who have High Life membership will be able to use the Resort’s swimming
pool with flume, sauna, steam room and spa pool. In addition, temporary
access to the existing soft play area will be provided as part of High
Life until the Resort develops new soft play facilities in its leisure
facility foyer.
Join High Life
A Scottish Potato Breeders
Harvest By Jack Dunnet BSc (Agric), Phd, MIBiol, FRAgS, MBE
Eight years ago Jack Dunnet published his first book on potato breeding - 'A Scottish Potato
Breeder's Harvest' (Hardcover) The update is being published as
A Scottish Potato Breeders
Harvest (Part Two)(Pdf). Dr
Dunnet has gathered some further thoughts and papers and kindly allowed
Caithness.org to offer this freely on the web site. Many of you may not have thought that
there might be another way of feeding the world's burgeoning population
other than by grain based foods but Dr Dunnet offers another direction
that may indeed prove very useful to many countries. Dr Dunnet's
contribution to world food production is well known in academic circles
and more about his work can be seen on the web site of
Caithness Potato Breeders Ltd
Indoor 5-A-Side
Football Youth Club Tournament An
indoor 5-A-side football Youth Club tournament last Saturday organised by
Keiss Baptist Church Youth Club came to a dramatic conclusion with a
'Golden Goal' play-off to decide the winner. Primary school age teams from
Keiss, Wick and Canisbay Youth clubs competed in the tournament which was
played at the Wick High School Games Hall. The tournament was played in a
league format with each team playing each other once. In the last game
Keiss scored with virtually the last kick of the game to beat Wick 'A' 2 -
1 and force a 3 way play off between Keiss, Wick 'A' and Wick 'B' who were
all tied on the same points.
Extension To Council Job Evaluation Appeals Deadline The deadline for Highland Council staff to submit appeals against
their job evaluation outcomes has been extended for one month until 8 May,
2009 by the Council's Modernising Employment Sub Committee. Members of the
committee heard that there had been requests from some staff and the trade
unions to extend the appeal date of 10 April 2009. At the latest regular
meeting with the trade unions on 10 March 2009, the trade unions requested
an extension of at least 4 weeks. The Sub-Committee agreed to this request
to enable staff more time to complete their appeals, reflecting the fact
that schools will be breaking for Easter holidays shortly.
The Highland
Junior Golf Championships The
Highland Junior Golf Championships held at Spey Valley Golf Course,
Aviemore will benefit from financial support from North Highland College -
UHI for this year’s event on Thursday 15th October 2009. Willie MacKay,
Highland’s Junior Golf Development Officer, welcomed the agreement as the
Golf Management college degree students, based at the North Highland
College Dornoch campus, have been assisting with the running of the event
for a few years. With entry to the championships being open to all under
18’s from Highland, Moray, Western Isles, Orkney & Shetland the link with
North Highland College – UHI provides benefits for both parties.
Previous participants in the event have entered the Golf Management
programme with us in Dornoch and there are places available for 2009
entry.” Entry forms for the competition will be issued to all Golf Clubs
and Secondary Schools in the areas in August 2009.
Caithness May Get Energy From Waste Plant
Proposals for a joint waste management strategy between Highland and Moray
Councils have been given the green light by members of The Highland
Council's TEC Services Committee. embers approved a development option
providing locally based solutions for dealing with waste. The chosen
option comprises the development of three efficient recovery of energy
from waste (EfW) plants in Highland, one in Moray and in-vessel composting
(IVC). The Highland EfW plants would be located at Caithness, Skye and
Inverness. In-vessel composting plants would be located in Lochaber,
Caithness and Inverness.
Energy Saving Measures Could Light The Way For Council
Research by Highland Council lighting experts has shown that potential
energy savings could be achieved over time by converting street lighting
in the Highlands from existing sodium lanterns to white light lanterns
with dimming facilities. A desk top exercise was carried out by the
Council's TEC Services on a typical residential housing area with 160, 6
metre high lighting columns fitted with 100w high pressure sodium
lanterns. Calculations showed that converting the 100w sodium lanterns to
60w white light units and introducing pre-timed dimming switches would
allow the lanterns to be dimmed by 25% during 1am and 5am when traffic and
pedestrian activity is low.
20 March 2009
Wick Bridge Street Church Closes Shortly
Final Open Day Exhibition of Wick Bridge Street Church - Sat 21st March
10.30am - 4.00pm Before the Bridge Street church closes they are holding their last
ever exhibition devoted to the church itself covering the period 1843 -
2009. There will also be flower display, Baking stall, Music and
teas. Get along and support them in their last ever open day before
they merge with the Parish Church.
17 March 2009
BDMLR
Celebrates Its 21st Birthday and Over 3000 Call-outs 2009
sees the UKs leading and largest voluntary marine mammal rescue team
celebrating it 21st Birthday this year and its achievement of responding
to over 3000 call-outs. Over 1200 of these call-outs have been responded
to since British
Divers Marine Life Rescue was sprung into the media spot light in
2006 when a whale swan up the River Thames. BDMLR has responded to over
2460 seal call-outs and over 540 cetacean (whales, dolphins and porpoises)
call-outs as well as 8 sharks, 14 turtles and 35 call-outs involving
seabirds. Many of these call-outs have involved multiple animals like the
Sea Empress Oil Spill where BDMLR medics helped rescue over 250 oiled
birds in just two weeks. This is an amazing response for a small charity
which trains volunteer marine mammal medics.
Highland
Council to support Team Highland at Special Olympics Members of The Highland Council’s Education, Culture and Sport
Committee have approved a grant of £10,000 to Highland Disability Sport.
The funding will support an 80-strong team of athletes to participate at
the Special Olympics National Summer Games in Leicester 25th - 31st July
2009. Chairman of The Highland Council’s Education, Culture and Sport
Committee Councillor Bill Fernie said: “This is an excellent opportunity
to support our top athletes in the Highlands. I am delighted that we can
provide funding towards their participation at the Special Olympics in
Leicester. I wish them great success and hope to see some medals coming
back home.” Team Highland will be competing in 8 sports; swimming,
football, athletics, bowls, golf, boccia, badminton and ten pin. Each
sport has a head coach and support team and athletes come from throughout
the Highland Council area.
Young Musicians
Prepare For Celebratory Concert Eighty Musicians with the Highland Regional Youth Orchestra are busy
preparing for their performance in the Empire Theatre of Eden Court which
takes place on Saturday 21 March. The concert, which is part of the
celebrations to mark the 20th anniversary of Regional Music Groups in the
Highlands, will have an ambitious programme including Arnold's Tam
O'Shanter Overture, Fantasia on Greensleeves composed by Vaughan Williams
and Prokofiev's Lieutenant Kijè Suite. Over the last two decades thousands
of young musicians have trained and performed with the local authority's
Regional Music Groups, continuing to provide entertainment and
music-making of the highest standards.
Convener's Concern at Withdrawal of Highland Postbus The Convener of The Highland Council Councillor Sandy Park has
expressed his deep concerns at the recent decision by Royal Mail to
withdraw five of the seven postbus services which serve some of the most
remote and fragile areas within the Highlands. In a letter to Adam Crozier,
Chief Executive, of the Royal Mail Group, Councillor Park says the post
buses, which have served these areas for many years, are excellent
examples of shared services, and provide a joint solution for mail
delivery and local transport in some of our most remote areas......Royal
Mail has given notice that the following five services will cease on 16
April. They are Thurso - Tongue; Bettyhill - Thurso; Diabeg - Achnasheen;
Applecross - Torridon and Shieldaig - Strathcarron.
Significant fall in number of new Highland homes built in 2008 A report published by The Highland Council shows that a progressive
fall in the number of housing completions in 2008 highlights the
increasing impact of the current recession on the housing market. In 2008,
1,471 new houses were completed; a 19% decrease on the 2007 figure of
1,806 new homes. This is the first significant drop in the housing
completions in the Highlands since 2001. The pattern of housing
completions during 2008 shows a progressive reduction in the number of
completions in each of the final three quarters of the year.
Local
businesses to explore opportunities for Gaelic
Businesses will later this week have the chance to win up to £1,000
towards bilingual marketing and advertising when Inverness hosts a seminar
on Gaelic and business. The seminar, 'Gaelic - an economic opportunity for
the Highlands and Islands', will be held on Friday March 20 and will host
businesses such as the Glen Coe Ski Centre, Highland Airways and Crown
Vets (in Inverness) on how Gaelic has helped their business through its
use on company signs, websites, marketing, and amongst staff. The day is
free to attend and will be chaired by BBC broadcaster Mark Stephen and
discussions will be conducted through English.
Companaidhean faighinn eýlas air buannachd na Gýidhlig
Gheibh companaidhean aig deireadh na seachdainne cothrom suas gu ý1,000 a
choisinn mu choinneamh margaidheachd is sanasanchd aig seminar mu
Ghýidhlig ann an gnýomhachas. Theid an t-seminar, 'Gýidhlig - Na Buannachd
Eaconomach don Ghýidhealtachd?', a chumail Dihaoine an 20mh latha dhen
Mhýrt, le oraidean is eile bhon a leithid Ionad-Sgithidh Ghleann Comhann,
Highland Airways agus Bheataichean a' Chruin (Inbhir Nis) mu dheidhinn mar
a tha a' Ghýidhlig a' cur ris na gnýomhachasan aca le bhi ga cleachdach
air soidhnichean, lýraich-lýn agus am measg luchd-obrach. Tha an latha an
asgaidh agus se Mark Stephen, craoladair aig a' BhBC, neach-cathrach na
co-labhairt.
Spòrs Mòr Event
For Gaelic Medium Pupils
The Highland Council is working in partnership with Comunn na Gàidhlig, to
develop a national pilot event, Spòrs Mòr, for Primary 6 Gaelic Medium
Education (GME) pupils. The event, which will take place in Stirling on
the 11 and 12 May, aims to be fun, non-competitive and provide the
opportunity for pupils to meet with other Gaelic Medium pupils from other
schools throughout Scotland. A total of 80 young people are expected to
attend. Spòrs Mòr will form part of the Curriculum for Excellence and is
funded by Bòrd na Gàidhlig - the National Gaelic Agency, Comunn na
Gàidhlig (CnaG), The Highland Council with support from Fèisean nan
Gàidheal. Spòrs Mòr Do
Sgoilearan Tro Mheadhan Na Gàidhlig
Tha Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd ag obair còmhla ri Comann na Gàidhlig gus
pìleat nàiseanta, Spòrs Mòr, a leasachadh do sgoilearan ann an Clas 6 ann
am Foghlam tro Mheadhan na Gàidhlig (FMG). Thèid seo air adhart ann an
Sruighle air 11mh is 12ra Cèitean, agus bidh e spòrsail is gun
cho-fharpaisean. Bheir e cothrom do sgoilearan coinneachadh ri sgoilearan
eile tro Mheadhan na Gàidhlig à sgoiltean air feadh Alba. Tha dùil gun
cruinnich 80 neach òg.
15 March 2009
Caithness
Diving Club Is Growing - Would You Like To Join Them? Caithness
Diving Club, based in Thurso, has been providing club facilities,
equipment and a focus for recreational, scuba diving around the north of
Scotland for approximately 40 years. The club has about 40 members who
dive regularly throughout the year at various dive sites around Caithness
and North Sutherland coasts. The club is expanding the use of it’s 6.5m
fully equipped RIB, Hagar, by having it moored in the new Wick Harbour
marina for the summer months. This will make evening boat dives more
readily organized and will see the club reaching sites not accessible from
the shore. The club is always looking for new members.
The Gunging By 1st Dunnet Cubs Raised Over £700 For Red Nose Day
Well done to 1st Dunnet Cubs in raising over £700 for
Red Nose Day.
By the end of the telethon on Friday night the total had reached a record
breaking £57,809,938 ($80,685,482) and this even in the current recession.
To see what they do with the money or to apply for a grant go to
Comic Relief
14 March 2009
Was Darwin Right? - Wick Baptist Church on Tuesday 17th March at 7.30pm John Mackay the International director of Creation Research will be
giving a talk at Wick Baptist Church, Dempster Street, Wick on Tuesday
17th March at 7.30pm. He covers many subjects under the heading "Was
Darwin Right"? This year marks 200 years since the birth of Charles Darwin
and 150 years since Origin of the Species was published. Australian born
John, whose family origins are from Tongue, is qualified as a school
teacher and has further qualifications in geology and archaeology. He
argues that the biblical perspective of creation holds up against modern
scientific methods and will answer questions from any interested
enquirers. All are welcome to this fascinating talk and question and
answer time. Admission is free and a range of reading and other
material will be on sale. For further details contact; Wick Baptist Church
Secretary, Mr Willie Miller, 01955 605826.
Wick Harbourfest Stalls –
Applications Now Open! Stall
pitches at the Wick HarbourFest on Saturday 27th June are now available
for reservation. The HarbourFest Committee are keen to encourage community
groups, charities and local organisations to take advantage of this widely
supported community event. The Harbourfest weekend in 2007 attracted over
twenty community groups who raised over £20,000 selling a wide range of
local products, arts and crafts, and food. Local baking, freshly baked
scones and pancakes proved very popular, and local delicacies such as
kippers met a keen demand throughout the day.
2007 Harbourfest Photos
The 2009 Wick Harbourfest is one of the Highland Homecoming events in
Caithness. Download Stall Pitch Application Form
Minisoft and TIC From Wick Aim To Impress Techno Judges Minisoft
and TIC from Wick are just two of 16 teams getting ready for the next
stage of the annual Youth Challenge in the Highlands and Islands. The
competition helps to encourage young people become entrepreneurial by
focusing on ideas in the information, communications and technology
sector. This year a record 156 teams entered, comprising 599 individual
team members and judging started just before Christmas. Then 33 teams were
invited to take part in a First Pitch at the end of January. The children
used video conferencing (VC) links, demonstrating technology in action, to
pitch their entries to a panel of judges. Good Luck From
Caithness.org to both teams........
13 March 2009
Another Great Book Sale At
St John's Church, Moray Street, Wick Sat
21st March
Due to continued requests, St. John's church, Moray St., Pulteneytown,
Wick, is holding a book sale on Saturday 21st March from 10 am until 3 pm.
The book sale will be in the church hall (half way up the south side of
Moray Street from the main road), with signs outside on the pavement to
direct you. Organiser Gordon Johnson said: “We have recently had many
donations of excellent condition books, but we are keeping our
prices low to sell more books. People thus get a book bargain, and
the church gets extra income.” He said, “Children's books are 20p each,
adult novels (hardback and paperback) all 40p, and adult factual books at
60p. We can this time offer some old maps (UK & France) at 20p. each, and
Mills & Boon
romances at a bargain 10p each. We also have an excellent stock of videos
– films and TV series in particular- plus cds and dvds, all at 50p. each.
“ He concluded, “All proceeds go to the church's building repair fund,
with renovation of the stained glass windows our current funding target –
the work should start soon - so you can improve our windows by purchasing
a bargain book. Once the window renovations are complete, we are
considering opening the church for visits by the community to view them.”
Crossroads Raffle and Coffee Morning
"Crossroads Caring Scotland - Caithness" is celebrating 21 years of
"caring for carers in the local community".
To raise funds so that we can continue to provide respite to carers, we
are running an Annual Raffle with £210 as first prize (sponsored by
Dounreay Charities Fund). Other prizes include vouchers for Harpsdale
Fisheries, Old Pulteney Whisky, Voucher for Pentland Hotel, Food Hamper,
Porcelain Vase to name a few. Tickets cost £1, and are available from
local shops, or from the office based at the Business Centre in Scrabster.
The annual raffle will be drawn at a coffee morning to be held in the
Royal British Legion, Thurso on 23 May 2009.
End
Of Plutonium Criticality Cell Marks Another Step In Decommissioning A
stump of concrete and steel is all that remains standing of one Britain's
most historic nuclear research facilities from the 1950s. Demolition
contractor John Gunn is in the final stages of clearing away the
reinforced shield that once surrounded the plutonium criticality cell
pressure vessel. It is the fourth and final cell to be demolished from the
era of criticality research at Dounreay in the 1950s and 1960s.
Earlier At
Dounreay UKAEA
History - The First Fifty Years
Disability Arts Arrives in Caithness Lybster
based visual artist Lydia Popowich is embarking on an ambitious new
project supported by the Scottish Arts Council National Lottery Fund which
will introduce the concept of disability arts to Northern Scotland.
Disability arts is defined as any arts activity that is about how disabled
people see the world and how the world sees disabled people. It is
essential to ensuring disabled people are equally represented in our
culture and do not suffer from discrimination in everyday life.
10 March 2009
Caithness Celtic Supporters' Club Bus availability for the next games
The next buses are:-
versus Hamilton (League) on 04/04/09 - 15.00pm kick-off. &;
versus Aberdeen (League) on 18/04/09 - 15.00pm kick-off.
Bus leaving Wick Safeways @ 05:00 and Thurso Skinandis @ 05:30.
Senior = £30 and Junior = £20.
Contact, Stevie King = stephen@sking30.wanadoo.co.uk
Official website - http://ebigh.com/1888 St Patrick's night Hooley on Saturday the 21st of March 2009 in the
Weigh Inn Thurso
Live music by THE WAKES (Glasgow Irish folk'n roll band)
Band starts 8.00pm DJ & half time sports quiz
Tickets £10 available from the Weigh Inn or ring 07724411629 / 07793882967
9 March 2009
7th
Caithness International Science Festival Yes
its time for the 7th Caithness Science Festival and once again there is
plenty to get young folk interested. Three evening sessions are open
to the public in addition to the events taking place for pupils via their
schools.
8 March 2009
Grand Mr & Mrs Competitions and Charity Auction
This Saturday 14th MARCH see another ongoing fundraising event to
raise funds for the visit of the ROYAL NATIONAL MOD to CAITHNESS in 2010
with a GRAND MR and MRS COMPETITION in MACKAYS HOTEL WICK supported
by a CHARITY AUCTION. The fun gets underway at 7.30pm compered by
Willie Mackay, Oldhall assisted by his wife Glynis who will introduce the
following WICK couples, well known business man JOCKY SUTHERLAND and his
wife CATHY, retired librarian DAVID MORRISION and his wife EDNA, acting
WICK GALA CHAIRPERSON LORNA ROSS and her husband ERNIE along with MoD
representatives PAT KIERAN and his wife ANNE from REAY and vice convener
of the MOD stewards committee PAULINE BAIN and her husband JOHN from
Spittal There will also be a surprise couple appearing. Admission is only
£4.Adults £2.50 Concession. There will be a Raffle on the night and an
AUCTION during the interval of jewellery ,meal vouchers, malt whisky,
sportswear, wine, etc... So come along and enjoy the fun this SATURDAY
14TH MARCH.
Captured Moments - Slides Of Old Thurso For Diabetes UK – Caithness
Branch Charity Evening Alan
McIvor will be giving his first public slide show in over two years at the
Royal British Legion, Thurso. The illustrated talk on Thursday 12th March,
7:30pm will feature various images of Thurso throughout the years from
Alan’s collection. Admission is £3.00 and all proceeds go towards the
Caithness Branch of Diabetes UK.
Caithness Motox
- Great Day At Ravenshill A
fantastic day to be had at Ravenshill on Sunday the 1st of March for
Caithness Motocross Club annual Funday. Lots of new faces as well as the
old faithfuls, beautiful sunshine and the track was surprisingly dry
considering the weather. Twenty eight competitors took part in various
categories providing the spectators with some exhilarating riding. Check
out the website at
www.caithnessmotox.co.uk Photos More Photos
HERE
DUNNET FOREST -
VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED!
Volunteers wanted to help plant fruit and flowering bushes and to erect
bird and bat boxes in the forest. If you would like to help, please come
along on Saturday 28 March, 10.30am at the main car park. Please bring a
spade if you can. PLEASE ring Jean Barnett on 01847 851353 nearer the time
for more information as the planting will depend on the weather.
In The
Photography Section The photography section is where Caithness.org Forum members share
their photos and new ones are entered every day. This is one of the
fastest growing section on the web site. There are now over 1400
threads with thousands of photos of Caithness and the north and also many
other topics and places. If you have some great photos it is easy to
share them and forum members are always willing to give advice on taking
pictures. If you live in Caithness you can join the
Thurso Camera Club.
The Moon From Caithness
Great photos of the moon and a link to let you know the names of craters
etc
Seals Versus Seagulls An
unusual confrontation caught in pictures.
Black and
White Photos Over
the past few weeks forum members have been adding examples of their black
and white photos and producing some stunning images.
Do you have any old Caithness photos. If so why
not scan them and them to the section.
Wick
and Thurso
have their own specific sections and they have grown into amazing
collections of earlier times.
7 March 2009
Thurkus Delivering Fertiliser At Wick On
a dreich day in Caithness the cargo ship Thurkus was delivering
fertiliser. Built in 1991, length 81m breadth 12m, Dead weight
3284MT, Registered in Poland,
Well Done To Red Nose Day Sponsored Dancers Morag
Mackay (7) and Arran Swan (8) organised a non stop sponsor dance for an
hour. They were helped by Cameron Mackay (11) who acted as DJ for them.
The girls organised the event themselves and have raised £45 for Red Nose
Day. They send thanks to those who donated money to their event. Red
Nose Day this year takes place on 13 March. Red Nose Day web
site
Radio Remedy Lyrics Quiz 2009 - Answers and Winner
The winning entry to this years Radio Remedy Lyrics Quiz was drawn on 7
March in the Radio Remedy Studio at Caithness General Hospital by Jamie
Stone MSP. The winner was Bruce Cormack who receives a £20 shopping
voucher. Bruce also won the competition in 2007. Radio Remedy
is run by volunteers and supplies music and messages to patients in the
hospital. Organisers thank all who participated this year and those
who continue to support Radio Remedy throughout the year by fundraising,
getting proactive with them and those who act as vendors for their Annual
Lyric Quiz. Roll on February 2010. Contact them via the
Radio Remedy web site
Caithness In the Surf Frame Again As O'Neill Launches Cold Water Classic
Series
O'Neill puts the spotlight on five classic surfing areas in cold water
areas and Caithness is once again one of the places for surfers to gain
points. Caithness is included under the Highland Open banner along
with Santa Cruz and new events in Tasmania, South Africa and Canada.
The first events kicks off in Tasmania later this month and then heads for
Caithness for the Highland Open in May when Thurso will once again be
taken over by the surfing world for a week or so.
Surf Section
Why Caithness? Well Take A Look At Guy Out Past Dunnet Recently For
a better view click Full Size
Careers
Convention At Thurso High - Wednesday 4 March - 6.00pm - 8.00pm People
living in Caithness are being offered expert advice and information on
taking the next step in their careers. The Careers Convention will be held
on Wednesday 4th March 2009 in Thurso High School, and will offer people
of all age's comprehensive information on careers, employment, training
and education. The event, organised by Careers Scotland in Thurso, will
bring universities, colleges, training providers and employers all under
one roof. More than 40 organisations and businesses will be at the event
which will run from 6.00pm to 8.30pm. Pupils from Wick, Thurso and Farr
High Schools are expected to attend, and people from the wider community
are invited to the event including parents/carers and adults who are
looking for ideas and support.
Road closed after 'serious' crash - BBC (11.05am)
Emergency services have been dealing with what police described as a
serious road crash on the A9 near Halkirk in Caithness. The collision
happened between the junctions to the B874 and A882.
Working
together for the North Highland water environment
Protecting and enhancing the natural waters of the North Highland area is
a huge task involving many organisations and communities, and Scotland's
environment watchdog is urging all those with an interest to get involved.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is asking interested
local communities and businesses to read the draft River basin management
plans (RBMP) and Local area management plans (AMP) and feed back whether
they think the plans are comprehensive enough, how they can help to
achieve the aims of the plans, and how we can all work together to achieve
them.
Seater
Landfill Site Closed For Two Weekends - End Of March Please note that the above facility (and the access road thereto) will
be closed on the following dates due to essential maintenance on the
access road:-
2.00pm Friday 20th March to 8.00am Monday 23rd March
2.00pm Friday 27th March to 8.00am Monday 30th March
The recycling centres at Wick and Thurso will be open on all of these
dates between 11am and 4.00pm for householders to deposit their waste and
recyclate
As You Like It - At
The Mill Theatre, Thurso Thurso
Players are busy gearing up for their latest production and, with an
onstage cast of 21 along with an offstage support team of 20, it is
proving to be a quite a considerable undertaking. Directed by Denise Imrie,
'As You Like It', is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare written
between 1598 and1600 and first published in the folio of 1623. The work
was based upon the novel 'Rosalynde' by Thomas Lodge. The
performance runs at the Mill Theatre from Wednesday 25th to Friday 27th
March at 7.30pm each evening.
Surplus Tables and Chairs Free For Uplifting
A selection of tables and chairs for free collection from the Council
Caravan Site in Smith Terrace, Thurso. Someone will be at the Site for
them to be collected from 10am - 12 on Saturday 7th March.
2 March 2009
Council
Reinforces the Hazards of Dog Fouling
The Highland Council is continuing its campaign to raise awareness of the
dangers of dog fouling and is reminding owners that they can face a fixed
penalty for not picking up their dogs mess. Education and Enforcement
Officer Peter Taylor said: "Dog fouling is both unsightly, unpleasant and
a potential health hazard. Dogs commonly carry a parasite worm called
Toxacara whose eggs are passed out with the faeces in to the soil. These
eggs can last in the ground for up to two years, long after any outward
sign of the fouling has gone, with each infected deposit containing up too
two million eggs. The most common form of Toxocariasis is the covert type
which has mild symptoms or may have no symptoms at all. Symptoms of this
type of infection can be fever, cough, wheezing, headache and difficulty
sleeping."
Deal Or No Deal- Friday 6th March At Royal
British Legion, Thurso The Caithness Branch of ENABLE for people with a learning disability
continue with their fund raising activities this coming Friday 6TH March
when they stage a DEAL OR NO DEAL in the Royal British Legion THURSO, Cash
prizes are to be won, Admission is £5, for Adults, £3.for Children which
includes a light supper The event which is compered by Willie Mackay gets
under way at 7.30pm
Caithness
Amateur Radio Society AGM AGM this Wednesday Night 4 March in The Nehercliffe hotel, Wick at
7.00pm and a good turnout of radio amateurs and anybody interested in
radio is requested please to help support the club.
1 March 2009
Videos From Caithness and
The North
A selection of the many videos on the web now available from and about
Caithness and the north gathered into one listing. We add others as
we find them.
Alan
McIvor will be giving his first public slide show in over two years at the
Royal British Legion, Thurso. The illustrated talk on Thursday 12th March,
7:30pm will feature various images of Thurso throughout the years from
Alan’s collection. Admission is £3.00 and all proceeds go towards the
Caithness Branch of Diabetes UK.
