the old caithness photo.

[jacko]

Dunno where to ask this , but in the old Caithness photo, is the woman in the front row Bessie Leith ???
Looks like it s something to do with the harbour or the Merchant Navy. ?.

[sids]

I'd say that's before her time, or at least before her middle age. She must have been born around the turn of the 20th century.

The photo:

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh236/tritonthrasher/image_zps292e215b.jpg (http://s257.photobucket.com/user/tritonthrasher/media/image_zps292e215b.jpg.html)

[pat]

photo has been taken outside - look just behind where the feet of the chairs are it is an outside step and that is certainly NOT Bessie Leith, long before her time.
The pillars and doors are a very notable feature but cannot think where they may be, looks like a church entrance of maybe doors of Thurso East or some such building of substantial note. The pillars look like red sandstone and have at least 4 steps to doors.
Come on someone must recognise the columns and doors, then we can get down to the people (which I think are just after WW1 maybe early 20s due to lady's clothes and adornments).

[south view 7]

Is that not a lifeboat crew at the back as they have RNLI on their ganseys.

[pat]

Agree with you South View 7 they have RNLI on their ganseys - where do they have pillars and steps like these as an entrance, the doors are remarkable too but may have changed and ironwork removed.

[Bill Fernie]

I think it is St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall which I have been passed many times in years gone by. Check it out at http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Kirkwall_Kathedrale_Portal.jpg
t (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Kirkwall_Kathedrale_Portal.jpg)he decoration on the doors and pillars look right.

[Bill Fernie]

A bit further thinking suggested to me that the man in the middle was the provost of Kirkwall going by the chain and I found the same chain on a photo from 1950 in Orkney Communities web site at http://www.orkneycommunities.co.uk/imagelibrary/picture/number16839.asp

[pat]

Many thanks Bill, memory is a strange thing, never works when you see the obvious.


Now just to find out when and who the picture are - come in Orcadian your services are required!

[secrets in symmetry]

The pillars look like red sandstone and have at least 4 steps to doors.I think Bill's right, and it is indeed St Magnus in Kirkwall.

How on earth did you work out that the pillars were red sandstone from a black and white photo? I'm impressed....

Great thread jacko! :cool:

[Bill Fernie]

It was the doors pattern and the pillars rather than the sandstone colour that I recalled as I took photos of the doorway. I think Pat maybe deduced that sandstone is used in a few church entrances.

[pat]

the pillars do not look like granite or pale sandstone and they were of such a dark colour conformity and the sharpness of the carving of the pillars all pointed to red sandstone - I was thinking more of Buckie, Lossiemouth, Macduff areas than going north!

[secrets in symmetry]

the pillars do not look like granite or pale sandstone and they were of such a dark colour conformity and the sharpness of the carving of the pillars all pointed to red sandstone - I was thinking more of Buckie, Lossiemouth, Macduff areas than going north!I see what you mean about the colour conformity of the pillars. Great call!

[Big Gaz]

Heres a pic of the cathedral and it shows just how red the sandstone is

http://www.orkneycommunities.co.uk/imagelibrary/picture/number425.asp

[sassylass]

The clothing style looks like 1930's to me, the woman's dress, hat, and shoes in particular.

[Mr Z]

The crew being awarded in 1936 for saving 41 men of a French trawler

[Mr Z]

This is the crew of the Longhope lifeboat " Thomas McCunn" who rescued 41 men from the French Grand Banks trawler "Neptunia",which was wrecked on the tail of Brims on 21st. Feb. 1936. They were in Kirkwall receiving awards for this service. Coxwain Billy Dass was awarded the R.N.L.I. bronze medal and a silver medal from the French government and the remainder of the crew were awarded bronze medals from the French Government. Also in the picture is the former coxwain Jake Swanson, who was awarded the R.N.L.I. long service vellum. Jake joined the crew when he was 14 years old and was coxwain for 34 years, 28 of those years under sail.
Back row. George Johnston( Bowman), Bob(Sodger)Johnston(crew),Bob(engineer)Johnston(me chanic), Jocky Robertson(crew), Billy Dass(coxwain), John Norquay(crew), Jake Swanson(retired coxwain), Eric Mowat(assistant mechanic), Sinclair Mowat(2nd. coxwain).

Front row. Doctor John Foubister, Longhope; Wm. Heddle, clerk to the Lieutenancy and Vice Consul for France; Mr A Baikie, Lord Lieutenant of Orkney & Zetland; Mr. John M. Slater, Provost of Kirkwall; Mrs. Baikie; Mr J Storer Clouston O.B.E.Convenor of Orkney; Mr William Sutherland, Secratary, Longhope lifeboat.

This picture was taken in October 1936.

[pat]

Thank you very much Mr Z for solving this puzzling photo.