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View Full Version : Fit's in 'e Groat 'e day?



Nwicker60
23-Nov-11, 17:32
John O' Groat Journal review: November 23, 2011

A CAITHNESS mother, who gave birth in a lay-by when she was being taken by ambulance to hospital in Inverness, described the experience as the worst of her life. Lee McPhee (32) and her 39-year-old husband, Gary, of Traill Street, in Castletown, are delighted everything turned out well and their daughter, Larissa, is none the worse for what was a traumatic ordeal. But the couple, who have six other children, say it could so easily have been different, they told the Courier in its front page story.

A £20 million redevelopment of Scrabster harbour, which could deliver a major boost for the local economy, has attracted new major funding support. A seven-figure sum from Clydesdale Bank, delivered as part of its Investing for Growth initiative, will assist Scrabster Harbour Trust with phase one of the project to redevelop the existing fish market pier to create a modern, multi-purpose, facility.

THE switching on of Wick’s Christmas lights will have a Viking shine to it this year. The annual event, which signals the start of the festive season, is taking place on Friday and will tie in with the celebration of the county’s Norse heritage-Da Doonie day. Christmas lights committee secretary, Doreen Turner, said this means there will be some extra special guests in Market Square. She said: “This year, we are lighting our Christmas tree at 7pm on Friday, in conjunction with the Da doonie Day procession. We will have representatives from the Viking squads and apparently the jarl from Lerwick, will come into the square at switch-on time.”

A LOCAL woman claims her learning-disabled brother is being bullied into moving to full-time nursery care, against his wishes. The Highland Council’s social work department has told Christine Sutherland that 64-year-old George Davis’s increasing health needs, mean he should be moved to a nursing home. Mrs Sutherland (61) said her brother wishes to remain in sheltered accommodation in Thurso and has alleged that officials are moving against that wish by exaggerating his health problems. She said her family are battling against a “wall of authority” and Mr Davis faces being pulled away from his Thurso home. The retired civil servant from Haster said the decision as to where her brother lives, has been taken out of their hands as just last week, a hospital nurse told her that Mr Davis would be going into full-time care.

THE quango in charge of cleaning up the UK’s civil reactor sites, has given the green light for the transfer of spent fuel from Dounreay to Sellafield in Cumbria. Anti-nuclear organisations are against the proposed rail haulage of the highly radioactive material, due to get under way next summer. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority okayed the plans to move loads from the former UKAEA reactor sites at Dounreay and Harwell for reprocessing at Sellafield. Friends of the Earth, Scotland has condemned the movements as unnecessary and exposing the public to unacceptable risks of an accident or sabotage in transit.

“THIS could be the greatest show of our lives”. So sang five teachers on Friday at Wick High School as Take That tribute act, Take This, took to the stage and encouraged the pupils to give generously to the BBC’s Children in Need appeal. And give generously they did, with the high school beating last year’s target and raising over £4000. History teacher Carrie Rathie, who helped the sixth-year organising committee, said the event was an unparalleled success.

FOURTEEN members of Thurso Amateur Swimming Club took part in Aberdeen Dolphin’s Mitchell Trophy staged recently at Inverness Aquadome. Many took the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the pool as it will also be the venue for the Scottish short course championships, next month. Events for the Mitchell Trophy were split into 10-12, 13-14 and over 15 age groups along with some open competitions. Thurso had six swimmers competing in the youngest age group.

AND finally... local florist Amanda Coghill, of Amanda’s Creative Florists, in Dempster Street, Wick, took a bronze award in the competition run by one of the most well-read flower magazines in the world, Fusion Flowers. Her bronze award was her third award in two years.