News Archive - November 2000

Extracts from The Caithness Courier 1866
Some details from the first edition of the Courier.

Andrew Geddes Bain
Born 11 June 1797 to become a Road Engineer, Explorer and Geologist.  A famous Caithnessian in South Africa.

Thomas Telford's Parliamentary Churches
Highland Churches from 1843.  Only a couple in Caithness but interesting details on their origins.

Dirlot Castle
The Cheynes, Gunns, Sutherlands and Mackays connections with this Caithness castle.

Invertebrates And the Pollution of Rivers

Reay Petrol Pumps Today
We missed the old mechanical pumps by 8 months.  New digital ones have replaced them.  Ah well progress.  We may have a lead on an old mechanical one.  Watch this space.  More Reay Pictures.

Excavation Reports Relating to Caithness
This is a handy list from L J Myers in the 1980 Caithness Field Club bulletin.  People often ask what has been excavated in the county - well now you can look it up.

Wick Community Council Election Hiccup
Caithness local community council elections join Florida with Ballot problems.  It seems ballot papers were sent out to houses not in the electoral area for the election.  What are we doing?  Yes.  Doing it all again but then it is only 5000 or so voters.   At least it is all happening immediately and the lawyers won't get a look in.  Gala float ideas yet - anyone? anyone?

Santa Busy in Caithness
Santa is lined up for several places over the coming weeks.  Check out where in our growing Christmas Page

People First Latest

Give Blood
Caithness.Org will now be advertising dates and times for giving blood in the north.  Both Caithness and Sutherland times and venues will be shown.

Latheron Village Hall
Handover date set and Dance Band booked for opening Celidh.  The first dance in the new hall will be one to remember.

Child Protection Policy
From April 2001 all groups involving children who use premises supported by Highland Council must have a Child Protection Policy.  A useful guide to the requirements from the Highland Child Protection Committee is reproduced here with contacts for further information.  All parents and people dealing with children should be aware of the policy and guidelines.

Buttercups in Caithness

Extracts From Reports by the Inspector of Nuisances to the Commissioners of Police Thurso
Some problems in 1873.

More Pictures of Sinclair and Girnigoe Castles
With links to other local web sites with pictures and information

Pictures of Wick's Christmas Lights Switch On
One of the busiest days in Wick as the crowds turned out to see the biggest stretches of lights ever in Wick.  Many streets have had the lights extended into them.  All the way out on the South Road, Argyle Square, all the town centre, the harbour, Scalesburn, Dempster Street, Thurso Road and several others.  The lighting committee have excelled their previous efforts.  Well Done to them all.

More Free Online Courses

Debts Pile Up In Holiday Periods
Caithness.Org has collected some advice on debts so if you have loans, credit cards or other forms of debt or are considering using them to finance Christmas - think twice and then again.  See our Debt Advice links page before being tempted this year.  Citizen's Advice offices are getting more people coming to them with multiple debt problems every year.  So keep your pennies in the bank and they might become pounds.

The Stone Rows of Caithness and Sutherland
Information on the distribution of these mysterious rows in the north.

Environmental News added to Links
Updating environmental news keeping you up to date with some of the news.

Historic Castles and Families of the North - The Sinclairs of Keiss
Here is the first of the 1980 articles.

Christmas Page
More additions today.

Caithness Aberdeen Supporters
This group regularly run buses to football games.  So if you are interested check it out.

Field Club
Janet Mackenzie from Thurso has volunteered to help scan and prepare pages for the site.  This will allow us to put up the earlier bulletins quicker.  Many thanks Janet.
The latest items in are -
Survey of an Unrecorded Stone Setting Near Broubster
The Boulder Clay of Caithness
See North See South - 
A botanists comparison of Caithness and Orkney.

Thurso Youth Club
There are several youth clubs in towns in Caithness.  Plenty of activities for young people at Thurso.  Wick is undergoing a big upgrade and pictures coming soon.

Nature and Environment
A new section to draw together subjects under this heading.  Sanna has started off by getting together some information on trees and Forestry in Caithness.

Thurso Castle Pictures

Latheron Hall
Latest Pictures of progress on new hall.

All St@r Factory
Thurso has lots of entertainment.  In addition to the Viking Bowl for the ten-pin bowling the company has recently added a new cinema.

1934 Team East End boys FC

Heathfield - Thurso
This new housing development on the edge of Thurso is well underway.  New roads have been built and the houses under construction reflect the upturn in jobs in the town recently.  The new houses are opposite the Dunbar Hospital.

Nurseries
We have had Play Groups listed for some time and are now beginning to list Nurseries.  Anyone involved with these groups is welcome to send us details for inclusion on the web site .  The listings are FREE.  A page with full details and pictures can be included.  Just contact bill@caithness.org.    The first one in is Three Bears in Thurso.

Railways in Caithness
Thurso Station pictures added to section in the A to Z.

Thurso High School
A few pictures of the school.

Miller Academy School pictures

Mount Pleasant School pictures

Kids Links
We may not announce them on the front page here every time but the Kids Links are growing.  We are adding new sections of links under their own separate category headings.  Just added today is a list of Puzzles and Brainteasers, Inventors & Inventions web sites.

People First - Caithness
A new group of People first was recently set up in Caithness.  The group established by and for people with a learning difficulty will allow people to come together for meetings to get their views heard and to socialise.  They are looking for a volunteer to help support their efforts.

Breadalbane Crescent Pictures

Wick
Brown Place, Upper Dunbar Street, Beaufoy Street added to the pictures in this section.

Church Pictures
More pictures of local churches - Pulteneytown and Thrumster, Baptist - WickFree Church - Wick

More Pictures in Photo Features
Included today are pictures from Lyth, Lyth Arts Centre, Skitten, Skitten War Memorial, Reiss streets, village hall and Post Office.

Thrumster
Pictures in various sections on Thrumster - Primary School,  War Memorial, Church

Wick and Lybster Light Railway
A new page to bring together pictures of the Wick & Lybster Light Railway.  As they come to hand we will enter the new ones in this section.

Remembrance - Wick
Big crowds turned out on a sunny day for the services and parades in Wick.

East End Club Pictures
Over the coming months we will bring you pictures of the East End Boys Club from earlier years.  This is the 1922 the founding team one of whom died on the Jarvis Bay. Also on are 1933 and 1947. Other clubs can send in photos for the pages.

Caithness Field Club First Bulletin 1973
With a huge range of articles on many topics the Caithness Field Club bulletins had only a very small circulation.  The Field Club and Caithness.Org are pleased to begin publishing the whole series once again.

Mey
One of the smaller villages in Caithness made famous by the Castle of Mey purchased many years ago by the Queen Mother who comes every year for a holiday in the summer

Make Money For Christmas
Almost no one has yet tried to sell things on the Message Board.  This is one of the easiest ways to sell your unwanted bits and pieces and its FREE.  If you live in Caithness or Sutherland (to start with) you can advertise any items for sale (only private individuals).  Just use the Message Board.  We will sub divide it into categories when we see what is popular.  Turn those unwanted items into cash now on Caithness.Org.  Its easy and its FREE.  We reserve the right to remove unsuitable ads.

More pictures in Dempster Street

Additions to Bower Pictures

Another Stac

Keiss Cemetery

Lanes in Wick

More Castletown

Castletown Indoor Bowling
A few pictures from the 24 hours sponsored bowls marathon.  The participants raised £900 for new equipment.

Caithness Weather
Caithness Weather changes dramatically.  A new page to draw together over the coming months the sheer variety.  Check out the sunsets, the wind and a rare tornado.

Sinclair & Girnigoe Castles
A number of views of the castles recently given to us by a regular visitor to the county.  These make great addition to the growing numbers of pictures in our Castle Pages

Coast of Caithness
Caithness has a long coastline for a small county.  The Pentland Firth on the north and the North Sea on the East.  Steeped in sea history and dotted with small coves and harbours.  Check out these views.

A to Z of Caithness
More pictures are going into the A to Z section every week.  We are now creating sections to bring together other aspects of the county that we know there is an interest in or have been requested.  Some recent additions are Statues & Monuments, Cemeteries, Railways, Coast of Caithness, Stacs & Cliffs.  For higher views check out  Morven and Maiden Pap   All of these will be added to as the pictures become available.  If anyone would like to send us pictures please get in touch.   Just started Country Houses in Caithness

Nursing Homes in Caithness
There are a number of Nursing Homes in the county and this page will gradually be increased until all of them are shown.

Grizzly Park, Wick
A few views of the park and some streets nearby.  The park was set up by young people a few years ago on waste ground.

North Highland Archive Newsletter
The latest newsletter for the October December period from NHA highlights the SHOPPE Exhibition to be held 23rd to 27th November in Free Martyrs church Hall in Malcolm Street.  check Newsletter for more details.  All about the old Shoppe's in Wick.

Fund Raising News from UK Fundraising
The latest links on many aspects of finding for charitable groups.

Caithness Christmas Notices
Send in your notices to get free advertising for your events.  This is free to all voluntary and non-profit groups.

Pipe Delivery to Wick
The Shetland Trader landing pipes for the yard at Wester on a fine day at the harbour.

Pentland Housing Autumn Newsletter
Check it out for Care and Repair and Rural Home Ownership Grants and more.

Latheron Village Hall
Another update picture on progress at the new hall.

Protests at Wick Pool
Protestors against new rules take to the streets to show their disagreement.

 

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