Nwicker60
14-Dec-11, 13:37
John O’ Groat Journal review: December 14, 2011
THE paper leads with the dramatic story of how a Caithness man was injured when the Inverness to Wick train derailed after crashing into a fallen tree yesterday afternoon. He was taken to Raigmore Hospital following the smash but his injuries are not thought to be serious. The ScotRail 1.59 train from Inverness collided with the tree on the line at Clachnaharry on the outskirts of the city, shortly after 2pm. The impact caused severe damage to one of the carriages. North of Scotland Newspapers reporter Alan Shields was a passenger on the train. He was returning from Aberdeen with his partner Keira Jones, who both live in Wick, after holidaying in the north-east and was sitting across from the injured gentleman who is in his mid-40s. Mr Shields (24) said the smash happened just five minutes into the journey. He said: “There is a long rip right through the carriage which was caused by the impact of the crash into the tree. The gentleman, who was sitting across from us who suffered injury was also from Wick, although I didn’t get his name. We were sitting in the front carriage of the train when it hit the tree which was lying on the line. The gentleman’s seat was twisted 180 degrees as a result and, although he didn’t fall off his seat, he was only half on. We were lucky that we were sitting at the other side of the carriage. I spoke to him to ask if he was okay and he was able to walk away, but he was taken to hospital as a precaution. Buses were arranged to take passengers to their destinations while the train was able to return to Inverness under its own power.
Also on page one...the story of the survival of a horse, whose stable was completely destroyed in winds of over 85 mph, has been described as “nothing short of a miracle”. Jane Paige has spoken of the horror moment she saw the stable had been ripped from its foundations and blown away with Buddy still inside, last Thursday. The wooden building at Caisteil an Tulach, near Halkirk, which was reinforced with concrete blocks, was torn away from the ground and driven 30 feet into another field with the horse dragged along with it. Twenty-eight-year-old Buddy also withstood the building, which contained his saddle and other equine equipment, flipping onto its roof.
INSIDE this week’s issue...hurricane-force winds closed schools, disrupted travel and caused thousands of pounds worth of damage in Caithness, and forecasters are warning locals it could happen all over again, as severe weather is set to hit the county on Friday. High winds which battered the Far North on Thursday, were the most destructive seen for years and this week, the Met Office confirmed a new weather system is set to bring more storms. Spokeswoman Alison Richards said a yellow alert has been issued for the county and warned that winds could reach similar speeds to those experienced last week.
THE funeral takes place tomorrow of a Caithness musician who was this week described the “the Godfather of rock music in the Highlands”. John (Fats) Sutherland, who came from Thurso but was based at the Lighthouse at Dunnet Head, died in hospital in Aberdeen, on Thursday after suffering a heart attack. He was 67. Many tributes have been paid to him since his death with one contemporary calling him “the single most influential rock musician that Caithness has produced”. Sutherland grew up in Thurso, and in his early teens was performing on stage. In the mid-1960s he was in a band called The Federals before joining The Aktual Fakts along with Stefan Kocemba, Robbie Manson and Dennis Thomson. Over the years, he also played with Zebidies Morgue, The Jam along with Graham Walker and John Gray, Gollum the Underdog and One Million People.
The £20 million redevelopment of Scrabster harbour is giving a boost to the local economy and helping to put the North at the forefront of the renewable revolution. That was the verdict of John Swinney, Scotland’s finance, employment and sustainable growth secretary during a visit to the port on Monday. He came to see the progress being made at the site and was impressed.
Under-threat classroom assistants in the Highlands will find out in February, if their jobs are to be saved, it has emerged. A Highland Council working group will predict how many posts will be required in a major shake-up of support for children in primary schools across the region. It comes almost a year after the local authority’s controversial plan to axe 344, mostly part-time classroom assistant jobs-the equivalent of 158 full-time posts-in a £1.5 million cost-cutting measure, sparked public outcry.
MINIMUM alcohol pricing will result in fairer competition for smaller businesses competing with large supermarkets, it has been claimed. Bin Ends manager Pamela Bremner said she would welcome new regulations from the Scottish Government to introduce a minimum price structure for outlets to sell drink to customers. Her views come after the Highland Licensing Board said it backed proposals to introduce the scheme in Scotland.
AN assurance given over the short-term future of the vet lab near Thurso has been described as “really good news”. Landward Caithness councillor and former NFU area president, Robert Coghill, welcomed an announcement that the Janetstown-based disease surveillance centre will be the subject of a public consultation and is to have its funding protected for the next three years.
DETERMINED to draw on the positives from the six-goal thriller at Victoria Park, manager Davie Kirkwood said that Academy’s performance showed how far the club has come since the start of the season. He said that he can’t pretend he isn’t disappointed not to have taken more from the game after having a two goal advantage so early in the match, which ended in a 3-3 draw. Academy have recruited a new coach, Rab Mulheron, formerly with Strathspey Thistle.
THE paper leads with the dramatic story of how a Caithness man was injured when the Inverness to Wick train derailed after crashing into a fallen tree yesterday afternoon. He was taken to Raigmore Hospital following the smash but his injuries are not thought to be serious. The ScotRail 1.59 train from Inverness collided with the tree on the line at Clachnaharry on the outskirts of the city, shortly after 2pm. The impact caused severe damage to one of the carriages. North of Scotland Newspapers reporter Alan Shields was a passenger on the train. He was returning from Aberdeen with his partner Keira Jones, who both live in Wick, after holidaying in the north-east and was sitting across from the injured gentleman who is in his mid-40s. Mr Shields (24) said the smash happened just five minutes into the journey. He said: “There is a long rip right through the carriage which was caused by the impact of the crash into the tree. The gentleman, who was sitting across from us who suffered injury was also from Wick, although I didn’t get his name. We were sitting in the front carriage of the train when it hit the tree which was lying on the line. The gentleman’s seat was twisted 180 degrees as a result and, although he didn’t fall off his seat, he was only half on. We were lucky that we were sitting at the other side of the carriage. I spoke to him to ask if he was okay and he was able to walk away, but he was taken to hospital as a precaution. Buses were arranged to take passengers to their destinations while the train was able to return to Inverness under its own power.
Also on page one...the story of the survival of a horse, whose stable was completely destroyed in winds of over 85 mph, has been described as “nothing short of a miracle”. Jane Paige has spoken of the horror moment she saw the stable had been ripped from its foundations and blown away with Buddy still inside, last Thursday. The wooden building at Caisteil an Tulach, near Halkirk, which was reinforced with concrete blocks, was torn away from the ground and driven 30 feet into another field with the horse dragged along with it. Twenty-eight-year-old Buddy also withstood the building, which contained his saddle and other equine equipment, flipping onto its roof.
INSIDE this week’s issue...hurricane-force winds closed schools, disrupted travel and caused thousands of pounds worth of damage in Caithness, and forecasters are warning locals it could happen all over again, as severe weather is set to hit the county on Friday. High winds which battered the Far North on Thursday, were the most destructive seen for years and this week, the Met Office confirmed a new weather system is set to bring more storms. Spokeswoman Alison Richards said a yellow alert has been issued for the county and warned that winds could reach similar speeds to those experienced last week.
THE funeral takes place tomorrow of a Caithness musician who was this week described the “the Godfather of rock music in the Highlands”. John (Fats) Sutherland, who came from Thurso but was based at the Lighthouse at Dunnet Head, died in hospital in Aberdeen, on Thursday after suffering a heart attack. He was 67. Many tributes have been paid to him since his death with one contemporary calling him “the single most influential rock musician that Caithness has produced”. Sutherland grew up in Thurso, and in his early teens was performing on stage. In the mid-1960s he was in a band called The Federals before joining The Aktual Fakts along with Stefan Kocemba, Robbie Manson and Dennis Thomson. Over the years, he also played with Zebidies Morgue, The Jam along with Graham Walker and John Gray, Gollum the Underdog and One Million People.
The £20 million redevelopment of Scrabster harbour is giving a boost to the local economy and helping to put the North at the forefront of the renewable revolution. That was the verdict of John Swinney, Scotland’s finance, employment and sustainable growth secretary during a visit to the port on Monday. He came to see the progress being made at the site and was impressed.
Under-threat classroom assistants in the Highlands will find out in February, if their jobs are to be saved, it has emerged. A Highland Council working group will predict how many posts will be required in a major shake-up of support for children in primary schools across the region. It comes almost a year after the local authority’s controversial plan to axe 344, mostly part-time classroom assistant jobs-the equivalent of 158 full-time posts-in a £1.5 million cost-cutting measure, sparked public outcry.
MINIMUM alcohol pricing will result in fairer competition for smaller businesses competing with large supermarkets, it has been claimed. Bin Ends manager Pamela Bremner said she would welcome new regulations from the Scottish Government to introduce a minimum price structure for outlets to sell drink to customers. Her views come after the Highland Licensing Board said it backed proposals to introduce the scheme in Scotland.
AN assurance given over the short-term future of the vet lab near Thurso has been described as “really good news”. Landward Caithness councillor and former NFU area president, Robert Coghill, welcomed an announcement that the Janetstown-based disease surveillance centre will be the subject of a public consultation and is to have its funding protected for the next three years.
DETERMINED to draw on the positives from the six-goal thriller at Victoria Park, manager Davie Kirkwood said that Academy’s performance showed how far the club has come since the start of the season. He said that he can’t pretend he isn’t disappointed not to have taken more from the game after having a two goal advantage so early in the match, which ended in a 3-3 draw. Academy have recruited a new coach, Rab Mulheron, formerly with Strathspey Thistle.