Wick Keeps The Events Coming - All Next Week Is Pipe Band Week
This years Pipe Band Week has been set to run from Saturday 4th July
2009 to Saturday 11th July 2009. Check the
What's On for details of all the events running every day. Apart
from wick Pipe Band Week. July is packed with events in Caithness
and also next weekend in Wick is the
Telford Weekend
29 June 2009
Caithness.org Stats Heading For The Stratosphere As Caithness.org has expanded in all directions we rarely have
time to bother counting the stats up. But Sunday 28th June saw a
phenomenal rise as visitors browsed the Wick Harbourfest, Canisbay Show
and Lybster Gala photos.
The stats for one day, yesterday 28th June 2009 exceeded our whole year
for 2002. 28 June 2009 Hits 1,422,214 Pages Viewed 546,015 Visitors 32,981 12 Months to 28 June 2009
Hits 301,802,364 Pages Viewed 79,459,964 Visitors 10,959,390 The annual trend on Caithness.org is for July and August to be the
really big months for traffic flows so it will be interesting to watch
as more gala photos flow on to the site. Interesting facts on the
stats are that the Forum/Message Boards now have over 2 million visitors
a year viewing almost 29 million pages. The Arts section had over
6 million page views and the Business Index had over 12 million page
views. The What's On section had almost 14 million page views.
So whether its advertising events in the What's On or selling items in
the Classified section, cars etc or getting your business noticed
Caithness.org is the place to be. We still offer many free
services for voluntary groups and free advertising for individuals
selling a whole range of items. Businesses get free pages in the
Caithness.org Business Index. Google has over 24,000 listings for
Caithness.org According to Ranking.com Caithness.org has over
12,000 sites linking to us. They also now rank us as number
127,360 in the world. May not seem much but we were 558,331 in
October last year so the improvement is huge. Since there are by some
estimates nearly 200 million web sites in the world we think our
numbering is great (although we have no way of verifying their stats)
We are ranked as
127th in the Travel/Destination rankings section and
that we are really pleased about - great news for our tourism industry.
For those of you who have forgotten how we used to look
Go Here to view older front pages stored in the Way Back
Machine.
Songs From Mamma Mia - Tonights concert At Thurso High
The Caithness and North Sutherland Children's Choir are rehearsing songs
from Mamma Mia for this years concert. Thurso High School Choir, The
Parents Choir, and various junior vocal soloists will be joining them
for an evening of entertainment on Monday 29 June at 7pm, Thurso High
School. Tickets can be purchased from The Highland Hospice (Thurso
branch) - £3 adult, £2 concessions.
Wick Harbourfest
Friday Evening - Herring Queen Ceremonies
49 - 60
61 - 64
1 - 12
13 - 24
25 - 36 37
- 48
Friday Evening's ceremonies for the Herring Queen a re-enactment of the
former Herring Queen ceremonies in Wick that ceased to be replaced many
years later by the crowning of the Wick Gala Queen. Friday evening
saw the crowning with a newly made replica of the Herring Queen crown
copied from the one now in the Wick Heritage centre. Ray Richard
(formerly Mackay) performed the ceremony crowning Lynsey Bremner 60
years after she herself was crowned.
Herring Queens From Earlier Days
HarbourFest Entry Charges
In response to a question from the Groat regarding the entry charges for
the HarbourFest this year, Gordon Doull, HarbourFest Chairman said “The
previous event was funded by a number of Government agencies, and so the
costs of the event were met by grants and we were able to offer free
admission. However, since then, the strategic priorities of the agencies
have changed and their focus has tightened. Consequently, this source of
funding is no longer available to us.
Wick Harbour Fest boat
trips - Saturday 27th June 10.00am - 6.00pm
Enjoy a short 20 minute cruise of Wick harbour, Wick bay, local bird
colony and caves.
All seats £8. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult (1 adult
per group is ok).
Children should be 4+ (they must fit into our available lifejackets).
Lifejackets and waterproofs provided.
To book your seat whilst at the festival just visit our booking office
next to the Coastguard Station.
For today only, minimum numbers do not apply. All trips are weather and
sea conditions permitting. Tel 01955 609200 Sunday 28th June 1.00pm - 5.00pm
Wick Harbour Fest boat trips to see the departing fleet - As above
Enjoy a short 20 minute cruise of Wick harbour, Wick bay as boats leave
the harbour, All seats £8....................
TUC
Occupational Health and Safety Awards
Award For Hugh Gunn, Social Work, Wick , (UNISON) Eight
members of staff with The Highland Council, who represent their trade
union colleagues in the workplace, have gained their TUC Occupational
Health and Safety Diploma, through a health and safety training scheme
sponsored by the Council and the TUC in association with Stow College,
Glasgow. The diploma represents the completion of 55 days of training at
the college and in the workplace and will help extend the promotion of
health, safety and wellbeing in the workplace.
Council
Safety Initiative Reduces Deaths On The Roads A road safety initiative aimed at young drivers in the Highlands is
helping to assist in the reduction of deaths and serious injuries
throughout the area. The Highland Council's Pass Plus scheme for young
drivers aged 17 - 25 years was introduced in 2002. Figures recently
produced by the Council have shown that since 2005, Pass Plus has seen a
significant increase in the number of people applying for the scheme with
704 young drivers completing the scheme. This has corresponded with a
downward trend in the number of injury accidents involving young drivers.
In 1998, 275 young drivers were involved in injury accidents while in
2008, the corresponding figure was 145. In the corresponding period the
number of fatal accidents involving young drivers has fallen from 12 in
1998 to 6 in 2008.
500th
Request For Business Assistance
The Business information and advice service for the Highland and Moray
Councils which is delivered by The Highland Council's Enterprise Trust,
Highland Opportunity Limited, has just reached its first major milestone
today with at total of 500 requests for advice and assistance having been
received since the service started on 1st April. Enquiries to Business
Gateway have come via the national website
www.bgateway.com and the
national telephone number 0845 609 6611 and 30% of enquiries have come
from people visiting the walk-in shops in Inverness and Elgin where
business advisers are on hand to answer queries and provide information.
Of the 500 enquires, 63% are new business start up enquiries and 37% are
queries from existing businesses.
Where Can You Get Help With your business or start-up - Locally try these
places - Wick
Enterprise Centre
Highlands And Islands Enterprise
Banger Derby At Hill O Many Stanes - Sunday 28th June - 1.00pm - 5.00pm
Already 48 BANGERS have entered for the second annual Sanny O'Brien
memorial Banger Car Racing Derby to be held this SUNDAY 28TH JUNE at The
Hill O' Many Stanes, Hill of Clyth, Lybster. Principal organiser this year
is Duncan O'Brien from Staxigoe who has been delighted so far with the
response and entries. Last years winner, Alan O'Brien, will be taking part
and there will be a separate ladies only race. A collection for charity
will be held during the afternoon. Racing starts at 1 p.m. Outwith
Caithness, competitors have entered from as far away as Brora, Lairg,
Inverness, Glasgow and Ireland. Once again, heading the commentary team is
Willie Mackay, Oldhall, Watten assisted by his wife Glynis who has
gathered lots of information on the drivers and cars to keep the
spectators informed throughout the racing. Light refreshments will be
available on site.
21 June 2009
Sunset Brings A New Dawn For Wick Harbour
Full Size Photo
The transformation is almost complete - from fishing backwater to modern
marina. The Wick Harbour Authority have done a fantastic job to
bring together all the elements and worked hard over the past few weeks to
complete the marina that now has only a few finishing touches needed to
make it ready for the Wick
Harbourfest next weekend. The boats and yachts arriving will
see a huge change since they were last visiting two years ago. Even
as the new pontoons were being installed enquires for berths were
arriving. Working in partnership with other marinas in the north
including Orkney the aim is to make for a more pleasant trip for yachtsmen
sailing round the north of Scotland. The transformation is quite
amazing and even before most berths have boats in place suddenly Wick
Harbour has come alive again. Congratulations to the committee of
Wick Harbour Authority, Harbour Master and his team of men, funders and
all who have contributed. If looks are anything to go by this is a
huge success already. See you all at the Harbourfest for the revival
of the landing of the Herring Queen and other festivities next weekend.
Thinking about a berth for your boat - Better be quick. Click
HERE for detailsNew marina customers can get a 25% discount
on one year if booked before 30th June. See the web site for other
discounts....
Highland Fling With Massed Bands At Riverside Wick
20 June 2009
Wick Pipe Band 90th Anniversary - Saturday Evening
Video 2 Around
160 Pipers and drummers made up the massed bands at Wick Riverside on
Saturday night. More videos and lots of photos coming on Sunday.
Wick Pipe Band 90th Anniversary - Massed Bands At Wick Riverside
Tonight
The Wick Pipe Band was formed in 1919
The bands marched from the railway station to the Riverside park for an
evening performance
Participating bands:
Ardgay/Bonar Pipe Band; Caithness Juvenile Pipe Band; Happy Pipers,
Lucerne, Switzerland; Highland Pipes and Drums of Waldsee; Inverness RBLS
Pipes & Drums; Sutherland Caledonian Pipe Band ; Tain Pipe Band; Thurso
Pipe Band and Wick RBLS Pipe Band.
Highland Dancers from the Elise Lyall School of Dance.
The Royal Regiment of Scotland 4 Scots (Highlanders) Pipe Band
Wick Pipe Band 90th Anniversary - Massed Bands Today at 3.00pm and 7.00pm
Ardgay/Bonar Pipe Band; Caithness Juvenile Pipe Band; Happy Pipers,
Lucerne, Switzerland; Highland Pipes and Drums of Waldsee; Inverness RBLS
Pipes & Drums; Sutherland Caledonian Pipe Band ; Tain Pipe Band; Thurso
Pipe Band and Wick RBLS Pipe Band.
Highland Dancers from the Elise Lyall School of Dance.
The Royal Regiment of Scotland 4 Scots (Highlanders) Pipe Band
Wick Pipe Band 90th Anniversary - Friday Evening At Market Square
Latheron School Reunion - Get Your Tickets Soon To Help Catering
Arrangements
11 July 2009
The forthcoming Latheron school reunion has been found by readers of the
org from all over Europe and as far as Canada contact us to come to the
reunion! Please note all ticket sales, and enquiries to the treasurer Pat
Hendry, Newlands of Forse, Lybster, Caithness, KW3 6BX - Tel: 01593 741351
Email: pathendry@hotmail.com
cheques should be made payable to - Latheron Primary School Reunion
Committee. Cost of ticket £10
Tickets are going quick with interest from far and wide and we need the
numbers for catering in by the 6th July. Any other general inquiries
to my self at
loon@letheronwheel.freeserve.co.uk
19 June 2009
£14
Million For Major New Centres At Thurso NORTH OF SCOTLAND RAMPS UP MARINE ENERGY LEAD
The North of Scotland strengthened its reputation as the hub of the global
marine energy industry this week, with the announcement of £14m investment
for energy-related skills development and research projects. The projects
will be based at the North Highland College UHI in Thurso. Positioned
beside the Pentland Firth, one of Europe's principal marine energy
resources, the college will be developing a research project into marine
energy and the environment, a new Centre for Engineering Skills and a
Centre for Energy and the Environment. The Marine Renewable Energy and the Environment research programme (MaREE):
- In collaboration with the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS)
near Oban in Argyll, this £4m research project will be led by the
Environmental Research Institute-North Highland College and focus on
issues surrounding marine energy development in Scotland. Providing 17 FTE
jobs including six PhDs..... Centre for Energy and the Environment - Delivery of the MaREE
project will require expansion of the ERI's current premises. Consequently
a brand new campus building will be attached to North Highland College UHI.
It will also be used as a teaching facility offering post-graduate
qualifications such as MSc Environmental Management and Renewable Energy.
In addition it will provide space for the ERI's long-term growth options,
commercialisation and for spin-outs and small scale inward investment.
Cost - £3m..... Engineering Skills Centre: - Subject to planning approval this new
centre will work alongside the CfEE to deliver high class training
facilities both for the immediate need for decommissioning skills at the
Dounreay nuclear site, as well as those for future sustainable
development, focusing on marine renewable energy in particular. It will
become a hub of vocational skills for science and engineering developments
across the North. Applying an innovative and entrepreneurial model, it
will adopt a 50-week per annum 08.00 to 2100 timetable maximising
availability for companies and trainees throughout the north of Scotland.
Cost - £7m funded by NDA, SFC, ERDF and The Highland Council.........
Thomas Telford In The Highlands - 3rd - 5th July
A Weekend Based At Wick Exploring Thomas Telford's Work Thomas
Telford's hand in shaping Caithness architecture and particularly Wick is
taken for granted by locals who pass it every day. This weekend may
hold surprises for many at just how many places in the county can be
traced back to Telford. A range of packages from a weekend conference
packed with visits and events to walks and talks to daily walks. If
you have less time there is an exhibition on the Sunday and a full
exhibition at Berriedale Church Monday 7th July to Saturday 10th August
12.00 - 2.00pm supported by the Royal Commission on the ancient Historical
Monuments of Scotland. Also a one day exhibition on Sunday at
Mackays Hotel on Sunday 5th July - check inside for full details of
weekend and daily packages and events - something for everyone.
Armed Forces Day At Wick The Highland Youth Pipe Band came to Wick today to join the pipe band of
the
Highlanders, 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (4 SCOTS).
The regiment was formed in 1994 by the amalgamation of the Queen's Own
Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons) and The Gordon Highlanders. The
bands played at lunch time in the Market Square, Wick to an appreciative
crowd many of whom were unaware of the concert for Armed Forces Day.
MSP Jamie Stone said a few words of thanks to the forces and the bands.
There will be more piping in Wick tonight at Dempster Street as the army
band beats the retreat outside the TA Hall.
Pipe Band Concert At Market Square Wick For Armed
Forces Day
Wick Pipe Band - 90th Anniversary Weekend - Massed Bands - 19th -
21st June 8.00pm Friday 19th - Massed Bands At Market Square, Wick 3.00pm and 7.30pm Saturday 20th Massed Bands At Riverside, Wick
Participating bands: Ardgay/Bonar Pipe Band; Caithness Juvenile Pipe Band;
Happy Pipers, Lucerne, Switzerland; Highland Pipes and Drums of Waldsee;
Inverness RBLS Pipes & Drums; Sutherland Caledonian Pipe Band ; Tain Pipe
Band; Thurso Pipe Band and Wick RBLS Pipe Band. The Royal Regiment of
Scotland 4 Scots (Highlanders) Pipe Band and Highland Dancers from the
Elise Lyall School of Dance. 1.00pm Sunday 21st - Massed Bands At Dunrobin Castle, Golspie
Final Line Up Of Events For The Wick HarbourFest
- 26th - 28th June There
will be limited car parking on the North Pier, clearly signposted, and
when this is full, we ask drivers to use the on-street parking throughout
Pulteneytown, and walk to the harbour area. If there is still a demand for
parking, we will open a temporary car park in the Bignold Park, which will
then be clearly signposted and staffed. There will be signposted disabled
parking facilities for Friday evening and Saturday all day in the car
parks of the Wick Medical Centre and the adjacent Wick Swimming Pool car
park. A disabled shuttle bus will operate a return service to the harbour
from the car park for the duration of HarbourFest. All car parking is
free. Tickets for the Homecoming Ceilidh (£5 each) on Saturday evening in
the Assembly Rooms, are now available from the Ceilidh organiser (tel
01955 603080) Wick
HarbourFest Pages
TRANSFORM CAITHNESS - Get FREE Tickets At Caithness Horizons Hunter is a major new theatre event created and performed by 150
Thurso High School students and local people. This mysterious thriller
takes audiences on a surprising and magical evening journey through the
streets of Thurso. Winning duo of John Tiffany and Steven Hoggett (Black
Watch), who are working alongside a team of professional theatre artists
from the National Theatre of Scotland.
FREE Tickets NOW available from: Caithness Horizons [AT] Thurso Town
Hall
By Phone: 01847 896508 also
www.thebooth.co.uk (£1 booking fee applies)
National Theatre of Scotland Learn in association with Frantic Assembly
in partnership with Highland Council and with additional funding from
Highland Leader and Highland Culture Fund Sponsored by ScottishPower and
supported by Determined to Succeed presents: TRANSFORM CAITHNESS
Another Winner From The Caithness Music Festival Halkirk School claimed both blue riband trophies at the traditional
finale of Caithness Music Festival. Euan Munro and Isla Cartwright
took the honours in the inter-class verse speaking and the vocal solo
respectively. Ten year old Euan from Scotscalder was the youngest
of the eight group class winners in the verse speaking competition.
Wick Harbour Being Transformed As New Marina Takes Shape
As the first boats moved into place on the new marina being constructed
within Wick Harbour you could begin to get a feel for the transformation
that is taking place. Even before it is finished - and it is only
days away from completion - there is already a buzz about the harbour.
The race is on to have it all completed in plenty of time for the
Wick Harbourfest that begins on
26th June and runs over the whole weekend. Fishing may be mainly
gone with mainly only small shellfish boats left plying their trade.
A new future is certainly dawning as Wick Harbour at last begins
to see its way out of the doldrums. Enquiries for berths on the new
marina are coming in all the time and many boats will shortly be tying
up in Wick as their new home port. Competitively priced and in
line with other harbours such as Kirkwall in Orkney the new marina will
add another port of call for small boats and yachts taking trips around
our northern waters. Various discounts are on offer from the Wick
Harbour Authority for all boat and yacht owners who sign up before 30th
June 2009 so if interested don't delay and contact
Wick Marina
soon
Biodiversity Partnership To Help Local Groups
The Highland Biodiversity Partnership has just launched an Agreement
setting out its aims and working procedures, which has been signed by
all 30 members. The Partnership was set up to provide guidance and
support to a network of local biodiversity groups, and make progress on
the key strategic biodiversity issues in Highland. Funding has been
secured to help the Partnership's network of local groups undertake
wildlife projects across the Highlands. Over the next three years,
£100,000 will be spent on a capacity building project to help local
biodiversity groups in Caithness, Sutherland, Wester Ross, Ross &
Cromarty (East), Skye & Lochalsh, Lochaber, and Inverness & Nairn.
Coach Trip To See The Musical "Annie" - Book Your Places Now
Pulteneytown People's Project has arranged a coach trip to Inverness to
see a matinee performance of the popular musical "Annie" at Eden Court
Theatre on Thursday 23rd July. The cost is £35 for an adult and £30 for a
child (under 14), and price includes the coach, show and a 2-course meal
at the Shandwick Inn on the return journey. For further information or to
book a place contact Julie or Tracey at Pulteneytown People's Project on
01955 606950. Spaces are limited - book early to avoid disappointment!
14 June 2009
Caithness & Sutherland Vintage Vehicle and Machinery Rally - 40th
Anniversary
1 - 12
13 - 24
25 - 36
The Vintage Vehicle Rally to celebrate 40 years of the Caithness &
Sutherland Vintage Vehicle Club was held at John O'Groats today and
despite the wet weather was attended by a large crowd. At one point
the organisers had run out of entry tickets at the gate having sold over
1500. - More photos to come..... CSVVC
The Landmark Trust Launches Major Fund-Raising Campaign To Save Berriedale
Cottages The
Landmark Trust is a building preservation trust established to
rescue historic and architecturally interesting buildings and their
surroundings from neglect. The trust is charity and raises funds
through donations. they then rent out the buildings they restore as
holiday homes to help pay for future upkeep. In 40 years The
Landmark Trust has rescued more than 200 buildings in the UK. The
trust have set an ambitious target of £600,000 for the restoration of the
Berriedale cottages but have already got £88,000 in the fund. Anyone
can donate to the project by several different means.
The Shore Cottages project at Berriedale is bound to be of
interest to anyone interested in Caithness Heritage. The cottages
are part of the fishing history of the county and
a short film can be seen on the Landmark Trust web site. The
cottages were brought to the attention of the Landmark Trust by retired
history teacher David Brennan a native of Caithness and they quote part of
his letter to them in one of their brochures now being distributed.
David said, "The Shore Cottages at Berriedale have formed a backdrop to so
many happy memories over the years. I was devastated to see how derelict
they had become. Can you save them?"
Caithness is very lucky to have been selected by such a prestigious
organisation as the Landmark Trust and in years to come will surely
help put Berriedale on the map for visitors to Caithness. These
links will be placed in the
Berriedale
section of the A - Z
to let folk click through in coming months and years to watch the progress
of this great project.
12 June 2009
Last Day At Caithness Music Festival 2009
Bill could only make the last afternoon at the Caithness Music Festival
this year due to his council commitments during the week so if anyone
would like to add any photos they took send them to
bill@caithness.org and they will
be added to the gallery.
Glass Courses At Lybster - With Northlands Creative Glass Box Casting Class - Two day class, suitable for beginners or
those wishing to advance their skills
25th & 26th June 2009 - Tutor: Patty Niemann - 10am - 4pm - £120 Introduction to Kiln Forming - Two day class - 27th & 28th June
2009
Tutor: Patty Niemann - 10am - 4pm - £120 Glass Engraving With a Difference - Two day class on glass
engraving and sandblasting
27th & 28th June 2009 - Tutor: Denis Mann - 10am - 4.30pm - £75 Kilnforming for Kids - Two day class for children age 9 - 17 - 6th
& 7th August 2009
Tutor: Joanna Garrett - 10am - 4pm - £30 per day/ £50 for both days Northlands
Glass
New Boat Tours Commence
On Sunday 14th June - Wick to Lybster Return
Thrilling, Exhilirating, Exciting - See Marine Life Close Up - Get Inside
The Caves Caithness
Seacoast starts a new exciting service on Sunday. Wick to Lybster
offers the chance to go for a one hour trip to Lybster taking in the
cliffs and entering the caves. Trip on offer will be Wick to Lybster
Adult £25/Child £18 or Lybster to Wick for the same price. There
will be a 30 minute tour from Lybster for Adult £15/Child £10. Or a
complete tour Wick to Lybster and then return an hour each way with a one
hour stopover at Lybster giving time for snack and drinks at Waterlines
visitor centre. This trip is Adult £40/child £30. Now and the next
few weeks is the ideal time to see the Caithness coastal cliffs as they
teaming with seabirds raising young. For example the east coast is
currently home to tens of thousands of nesting birds with puffins well in
evidence in the past couple of weeks. In the last few days in addition to
the usual seals dolphins have been seen by people on their trips.
But there is always the chance of seeing whales and other sea creatures.
Last Two Days Of Halkirk Gala
Tonight Friday 12th is Sports Night with Clay Pigeon shooting, Football
and Children's Races. You can enter teams for the football on the
night and all races are open to all comers so get the kids some exercise
and head for Halkirk tonight.
Saturday 12th sees the Children's Fancy Dress at 11.00am and the Gala
Crowning ceremony starting at 6.30pm with pipe band. See the programme for
other events. Friday, 11th June 2009 Sports Night at the Recreation Park
11 June 2009
Highlands And Islands
Fire And Rescue Service Launch New Web Site
The website has been developed to provide visitors to the site with
information in a clear, concise and consistent format. As well as a new
look for the site, there are many upgrades and enhancements including
improved and simple navigation throughout the site and improved search
facilities which includes the search of content contained inside uploaded
PDF documents. The home page will update on a regular basis to display the
3 most recent incidents attended and the 3 most recent news items for
information, and a photo gallery has been included to update the images
displayed on each page, each time the page is accessed. The incident page
has been improved to allow the selection of specific dates or stations who
have attended incidents. A new news section has been included to keep
visitors up to date with information and activities, which will also
appear in the relevant station pages, as well as a new item on the site.
Details Of Pentland Firth Bids Announced
Following the closure on 15 May 2009 of the deadline for pre-qualified
companies seeking leases for wave and tidal energy projects in the
Pentland Firth strategic area, The Crown Estate is pleased to announce it
has received multiple bids for each of the lease types and all capacities
made available for the world's first large scale commercial wave and tidal
energy leasing round. The number and range of both bidders and
applications emphasises the importance of the Pentland Firth strategic
area to the emerging wave and tidal sector. Preliminary information on the
bids received is now available: The Crown Estate received a total of 42
applications from 20 bidders for wave and tidal energy leases. These
applications range from 10 MW demonstration sites all the way up to the
highest band of 200-300 MW commercial sites.
Award-winning
Caithness Talent Showcased At Gray's Degree Show 2009 Linzi
Sutherland (21) from Caithness, who is also a Gray's student, has been
nominated for the coveted Scottish Fashion Awards Graduate of the Year
accolade and sits alongside five of the best Scotland has to offer in
terms of emerging talent for the fashion design industry. Linzi, who is
about to graduate with a degree in Textiles and Surface Design, has firmly
established herself as a talented creative during her time at Robert
Gordon University. The casual clothing collection she has developed for
her final year project is inspired by a statement made by Coco Chanel;
'Fashion is architecture', combining exuberant digital prints with
origami-like cloth shapes to make her garments striking and very unique.
Linzi explained: "I have been inspired by architecture since I was a small
child and my designs focus on the manipulation of materials into
three-dimensional forms. I started off by designing colourful digital
prints inspired by my photography of buildings, such as the Scottish
parliament, before manipulating these fabrics and embellishing entire
garments with shapes I also made up out of the cloth. Silks and satins
have a sparkle and shine reminiscent to that of the surface of modern
buildings and my pieces have been designed to have 'attitude'. I have
produced statement catwalk pieces to present alongside design solutions
for the ready-to-wear market and I think my collection has the 'wow'
factor - it is not afraid to be seen!".................
Help Lay a
Mile Of Pennies In Lybster On Saturday For RNLI
Lybster Branch of RNLI Lifeboats are having a fundraising event on
Saturday (13th June) in the village square. Can you help raise a mile of
pennies? Pennies being laid down from 9am onwards (earlier than stated in
'whats on' section) Also baking stall and raffle. If you can, please come
along and help the lifeboats go the extra mile.
Success of Council's Trainee and Apprentice Scheme The
number of trainees and apprentices employed by The Highland Council is
already exceeding the target of 200 set by the Administration for March
2011. Members of the Council's Resources Committee were told on Wednesday
that 203 trainees and apprentices are now on the Council's books and this
number is expected to rise to 231 by the end of next year. At present, the
Council's employs 47 full time and 2 summer trainees, 28 apprentices, 18
graduate trainees and 108 probationer teachers and work will continue to
develop more opportunities for young people. In total, the Council employs
824 staff under the age of 25.
Rythmic
Gymnastics 2009 Display The
Rhythmic Gymnastics section of Caithness Gymnastics Club recently held
their 3rd annual display evening, to which parents, family and friends
were invited. The members of the section performed a wide variety of group
routines to a very appreciative audience. Diane Gibson (Club Rhythmic
Coach), Julia Mulvey, Gemma Wares, Sine Hamilton and Jane Sinclair
(assistant coaches) coach the rhythmic gymnasts at Thurso High School gym
once a week, with the club being the only one in the Highland region
offering Rhythmic Gymnastics. Gemma and Sine recently passed their
assistant coach exam and this is the first time that they have
choreographed routines.
Six
New PHD Opportunities - 3 At ERI Thurso and 3 At Oban
SuperGen Marine Energy Research Consortium
The UHI Millennium institute is the ‘emergent university of the Highlands
and Islands’. Through funding secured from Highlands and Islands
Enterprise and the European Regional Development Fund, the UHI is
delighted to offer six new PhD positions at two of its academic partners,
the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) in Oban and the
Environmental Research Institute at North Highland College in Thurso.
All programmes will benefit from affiliation to the SuperGen Marine Energy
Research ConsortiumSix projects (three at each organisation) will be
supported from the following:................more
Wick Swimming Pool Will Close For Maintenance - Monday 15th of June
for two weeks.
Guided Walks With The Rangers Puffin along to Melvich - Wednesday 17th June 2 – 5pm
Join the ranger and enjoy a great view of the largest local puffin colony
with hundreds of puffins. Following this we shall walk along the coastal
hill back to Melvich Bay looking at sea birds, wildflowers and hopefully
some whales or dolphins. Meet at the roadside parking area by the
Caithness boundary sign between Melvich and Reay, grid reference NC 921645
at 2pm. (A vehicle is needed to return drivers from Melvich – please ring
if you can help). Portskerra sea watch - Friday 19th June. 5 – 7pm.
Bring your binoculars and help the ranger look for whales or dolphins from
the headland at Portskerra near Melvich. Learn about and hopefully witness
some of the species regularly encountered along this stretch of the north
coast. Telescopes provided. Very weather dependent – phone to check if
unsure.
Meet at Portskerra Harbour (not the pier) grid ref NC 878664 at 5pm.
Walks/events free but donations are very welcome. No dogs!
Further details – Paul Castle North Sutherland Ranger 01941 521884 Ranger Walks 2009 Pdf
Valuable Staue of Mercury Stolen From
Dunroboin Castle At Golspie POLICE
in Golspie are appealing for information after a large garden statue was
stolen from Dunrobin Castle gardens, the home of Lord Strathnaver of
Sutherland.
The statue, which is approx 6ft and weighs approx 440kg, is a high value
item, believed to worth somewhere in the region of between £20,000 to
£30,000. The incident took place sometime between 15:30 on Tuesday 9 June
and 14:00 on Wednesday 10 June 2009 and was stolen from the walled garden.
Police say the statue is a bronze sculpture of the Roman god Mercury and
depicts a nude male standing on one leg with his right arm stretched
skywards and holding a caduceus in his left hand. It is perched on top of
an upward looking head which is blowing, representing Mercury riding the
wind. He also has wings on his heels and head.................Dunrobin
Castle Photos
The Luis Palau
Festival Tour - St Georges Park,Thurso - 13th June 4.00 - 9.00pm - FREE The
Luis Palau Festivals that are held around the world are usually only held
in big cities with tens or even hundreds of thousands attending, but with
the support from over 100 congregations and organisations from around the
Highlands, the Festival is coming here. The main event will be in
Inverness from the 17th to 20th of June. This includes FREE concerts with
many top bands, displays of extreme sports and lots of FREE activities for
families. Luis Palau himself will be sharing a message of 'Hope for today'
during the event. Check out
www.highlandfestival.org for further details of the Highland
Festival. The Festival on tour comes to Thurso on Saturday the 13th of
June at Sir George’s Park (The Dammies). There will be lots of activities
for families including a 5-a-side football competition for under7s,
Archery, Bouncy castle, races, etc – ALL FREE. There will also be a FREE
display from a professional extreme sports team using skateboards and BMX
bikes. They will be performing a variety of stunts and jumps using various
ramps. There will also be a FREE concert with a band called ‘thebandwithnoname’.
Their music style consists of a variety of 'nu metal, hip hop, rap, grime
and crunk rock'. Also at the event will be Jose Zayas from the USA who is
an international speaker. Jose will be bringing a good news message later
in the evening. Jose is an excellent communicator and has spoken to over 1
million people on 5 continents from presidents and parliaments to the
poorest of the poor in war-torn Sudan. Sports events start at 1.00pm -
Click Here For
Full Programme of events and what food to donate for this cause.
Renewable Energy Projects in Caithness Open to General Public
as Part Of Scottish Renewables Festival 2009 The Highlands and Islands of Scotland is set to play a major part in
the first Scottish Renewables Festival, offering people in the region a
unique opportunity to see renewable energy in action this Saturday 13 and
Sunday 14 June 2009. A range of events are planned across the Highlands
and Islands during the weekend, including a special screening of climate
change film The Age of Stupid at Caithness Horizons in Thurso and a unique
chance to visit Forss Wind Farm turbines in Caithness.
8 June 2009
North Highland
Archive Outreach Sessions at Caithness Horizons - Next Session 10th June The
North Highland Archive (Caithness) is based in Wick Library. For the
summer months, archivist Gail Inglis will be hosting a monthly session at
Caithness Horizons in Thurso, enabling those on the west side of the
county to dip into the vast resource. Caithness Horizons Education and
Community Officer, Christine Russell, urges people to take advantage of
the rare opportunity to see valuable local documents outside their usual
archive environment.
European Elections - Highland Results
The Highland result of the Election to the Scotland Region of the European
Parliament is as follows:-
British National Party - 979
Christian Party "Proclaiming Christ's Lordship" - 1,485 Conservative Party - 6,728
Jury Team - 275 Liberal Democrats - 14,550
No2EU: Yes to Democracy - 361
Scottish Green Party - 3,806 Scottish National Party (SNP) - 14,393
Scottish Socialist Party - 336
Socialist Labour Party - 596 The Labour Party - 5,325
UK Independence Party - 3,458
Duncan Robertson - 414
Rejected votes - 218
Total votes cast - 52,924
% Turn out 30.8% Full European Results At The BBC
7 June 2009
Wick Marina Making Fast Progress
It has been all go over the past couple of weeks as pontoons arrive at
Wick Harbour. the race is on to have the marina usable by the time
of Wick Harbourfest which
runs 26 - 28th June. There has been strong interest in renting
permanent berths in the marina with many places already booked. For more
information go to
Wick
Harbour Marina
'Everybody Online - Caithness' 'Everybody Online - Caithness', the first project of its kind in the
Highlands, is being launched to allow locals who have never had the chance
to use the internet to discover what it can do. The project being funded
by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), with the support of BT
Scotland, is run by a national charity 'Citizens Online' and aims to use
technology to help communities counter social disadvantage.
Caithness Shears 2009 - The Closing Stages Of The Open Competition
Caithness Shears Competition 2009 - Afternoon
Winners of the four competitions were -
Intermediate Sandy Douglas, Seniors Andrew Bailey, Open Grant Lundie,
Juniors Alex Munro
The Judges
The Fleece Girls 50
competitors battled it out for a share of the £1800 of prize money
and numerous other prizes at the second Caithness Shears
competition. This years the competition was a qualifier for
other national events helping to increase the entry. As a
result the competitors sheared over 500 sheep that farmers had
worked to keep dry over the past few wet days. Stamina and
speed were required as the day went on and times dropped to under
one minute per sheep for top shearers in the final where 13 sheep
were sheered per competitor. Local shearers competed against men
from other parts of Scotland and Australiia and New Zealand.
After the successful day it looks like the fixture is set to stay as
an annual event.
Caithness Shears 2009 Competition Underway At Quoybrae
Caithness Shears the most northerly mainland shearing competition is
currently underway and these photos were taken at the early morning
heats. The competition which has attracted shearers from
several countries as well as locals from the framing community.
Prize money has been substantially increased this year leading to
almost double the number of competitors. This competition is
also a qualifier gaining points for entrants to the big national
shearing competitions. The competition runs all day at the
Quoybrae centre near Watten until about 4.00pm when the winners
should be known. Food and drink are available.
The competition is organised by The Caithness Shearing Association.
3 June 2009
ICT Youth
Challenge Finalists Visit Laurandy Centre & Caithness FM On
Monday the 25th of May, the ICT Youth Challenge finalists from Wick
High School, Tomi Baikie, John Coghill, Declan Mackay and Donnchadh
Pellow visited the Laurandy centre in Wick. The Laurandy Centre
offers day care services to elderly people in the community. The purpose of the visit was to present their product to
the clients, and interview the manager, in order to gain an insight into
how and if elderly people would use the KiS Tablet – a touchscreen tablet
computer with a simple user interface, designed primarily to help elderly
people in their daily lives.
Council Invests £1 million in Community Transport Projects
The importance of good transport services in rural communities has
been recognised by Highland Councillors with an allocation of
£1,004,000 worth of grants over the next two years to community
transport projects. A total of 23 community groups in the Highlands
will benefit from the allocation agreed by the Council's Transport
Environmental and Community Services Committee........Caithness
Voluntary Group is receiving £123,907 towards the costs of running
three vehicles, which cover Wick, Thurso and rural
Caithness........Other two-year grants awarded are as
follows:-...... Wick and East Caithness Community Transport,
£10,716; Helmsdale and District Community Bus Association: £8,745.
Caithness Chamber Of Commerce BUSINESS NETWORKING BREAKFAST TOWN REGENERATION
MONDAY 15 JUNE 2009 CAITHNESS HORIZONS, THURSO 7.30am – 9.30am Presentation
by Andy Kennedy Stirling City Centre Manager & Chair of Scotland’s
Association of Town Centre Management ATCM is Europe`s largest
membership organisation dedicated to helping town and city centres
realise their natural roles both as prosperous locations for
business and investment, and as focal points for vibrant, inclusive
communities. Come along & hear how other town centres in Scotland
have realised their potential. Make the most of your Chamber
membership with some valuable business networking. Meet up with
other members, share business knowledge and interests, strengthen
current business relationships and establish new ones. To book your
place simply complete the booking form return it with your payment.
Book Form
Caithness Chamber of Commerce Web Site
Fire At Protected Area Gives SNH and Police Cause For Concern Significant
fire damage has been caused to Dunnet Head, a Site of Special
Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to its cliff habitat and nesting
seabirds, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) can now confirm. The fire
burnt for several days in mid April 2009. SNH staff have visited the
site and determined the fire resulted in damage to more than a
quarter of the SSSI. Maritime heath and cliff top habitats have been
badly damaged in the April blaze. These are slow-growing habitats
which are found in a limited area along the cliff tops. The habitats
support unusual plants such as spring squill and Scottish primrose.
A stretch of around five kilometres of the west coast of Dunnet Head
from just south of The Neback in the north to Rowrash in the south
was burned. The area of cliff top affected is reckoned to be 750
hectares.
Groats Win At Dunnet - Press & Journal
Pentland United lost their grip of the Highland Amateur Cup when
they were beaten 2-1 by second-round opponents Wick Groats at Dunnet.
1 June 2009
Could You Be A First Responder And Save Lives?
Paula Dempsey works for the Scottish Ambulance Service (S.A.S.) and
is trying to increase the number of First Responder Groups In The
North Paula said, "I am trying to pull together a group of
volunteers for First Responder Schemes, 1 in Dunbeath and another in
Lybster. I do have several people now wishing to get involved but
would like to have considerably more as we hope to be available
24/7." The scheme is supported by the S.A.S. and would mean
that when an emergency call comes into the service, the nearest
ambulance is sent on it's way. A Responder in the area would then be
contacted and asked to attend, probably arriving before the
ambulance. The Responder would be able try to assist a person and
maintain their breathing until a paramedic arrives. All equipment is
supplied and also training, which is continuously maintained. There
are 37 schemes running in the North of Scotland and many more
throughout the rest of the country. In Thurso there is a scheme that
has been running for quite some time which has been successful,
however they would also benefit from additional volunteers. If you
have a few hours to spare then get in touch with Paula.
For Dunbeath and Lybster
pauladempsey@nhs.net or 07833483778 or for Thurso
assyntwillie@aol.com
North
Highland Connections - Shakespeare Season
North Highland Connections is proud to offer a rare opportunity to
see two of Shakespeare's greatest plays in performance at Ullapool.
The performances are a direct result of the formal partnership which
we have with the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama, and we
intend to offer many more manifestations of this partnership in the
future months and years. Theatre presentations have featured
strongly in our programme this year; this will be the third theatre
tour we have promoted since March, and there is much more to come!
Plans are also in place for further residencies by musicians from
RSAMD, as well as more performances in our 'Young Artistes' series.
We are also supporting the 'Connections' programme at Ullapool in
August, and planning to sponsor the Iain Dall Young Pipers
Competition at Gairloch, in September. Make a weekend of it
and stay over -
Where?
Try The Ceilidh PlaceUllapool B & B's
Harbour
Fest T-Shirts Now Available - Get Yours Now and Wear It To The Fest 2009
T-Shirt Modelled by Lynsey Bremner the 2009 Herring Queen
The Tee shirts are £9.99 each and available from :
Wick and Pulteneytown Post Offices
The Blythswood Shop, Bridge Street, Wick
H B Reid's Pharmacy and perfumery, High Street, Wick
Poltney News, Dempster Street, Wick.
Small – 36” – 38” - Medium – 38” – 40” - Large – 42” – 44” - Extra
Large – 46” – 48”
Please Note: Limited Supply When they’re gone, they’re gone Wick Harbour Fest Index
- Get To Wick For 26th, 27th and 28th June for Wick Harbourfest
