Planning a trip back to Thurso

[mattymags]

Good Afternoon evryone, this is my first post and I would like to ask a few questions. I lived in Thurso from 1984 through 1987, my father was stationed at the Navy base there. I have a lot of fond memories about Thurso and am planning a vacation next year that will bring me back that way for a couple of days. I was nine years old when I moved there and we lived in base housing. I think it was called Burnside???? I was trying to remember what school I had attended, and while looking through the site, Pennyland rings a bell. I know that it was up a big hill from where we lived. I was wondering if someone could point me to a map of Thurso. The second question I had was, if you could be in Thurso for a couple of days, when would you be there?

I fully understand the weather situation, as it was quite a culture shock. When I was nine we moved there from sunny Southern California, where it was 75 and sunny all year round. A little bit of a difference from the weather we experienced in Thurso. Thanks for the help and I look forward to reading through this forum.

[Fantoosh]

hey, yeah would have been Burnside, was it on the way to Scrabster? Pennyland is also the school that is up from Burnside.

Im not sure about your question asking what day would be the best to be here. Depends on what u like doing??


It also might not be as cold as it was then because we havent even really had snow yet this winter, really dont know whats happening. :lol:


Hope that helps xxxxx

[mattymags]

A couple of things I would like to do while I am there....

Play a few rounds of golf, and go to a football match, still in the planning stages now but anyone know how hard it is to score a ticket to a Glasgow Rangers match???

[Sporran]

Good Afternoon evryone, this is my first post and I would like to ask a few questions. I lived in Thurso from 1984 through 1987, my father was stationed at the Navy base there. I have a lot of fond memories about Thurso and am planning a vacation next year that will bring me back that way for a couple of days. I was nine years old when I moved there and we lived in base housing. I think it was called Burnside???? I was trying to remember what school I had attended, and while looking through the site, Pennyland rings a bell. I know that it was up a big hill from where we lived. I was wondering if someone could point me to a map of Thurso. The second question I had was, if you could be in Thurso for a couple of days, when would you be there?

I fully understand the weather situation, as it was quite a culture shock. When I was nine we moved there from sunny Southern California, where it was 75 and sunny all year round. A little bit of a difference from the weather we experienced in Thurso. Thanks for the help and I look forward to reading through this forum.

Mattymags, the base housing you lived at is called Upper Burnside, and it's behind the Weigh Inn Motel. It is all now privately owned housing. I lived in that base housing in the late 70s, when the houses were first built. I'm from Thurso myself, married to an American who was stationed there at the time. As you probably know, the US Navy bases at Forss and Murkle were closed in the 90s. The base at Forss has been converted to a business and technology park within the past few years, and I am happy to say that all or most of the original navy buildings still remain, and were not demolished. They were simply renovated for their current purpose. You will find a link to an aerial map of it here (http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=58.606045~-3.686401&style=h&lvl=16). This pictorial Virtual Earth map is excellent, and you'll be able to look up Thurso on it as well.

The school you went to was Pennyland Primary School, located on Trostan Road. I was a pupil there myself, right from the day it first opened in 1962! :) You would have walked up the hill on Castlegreen Road to get there from Upper Burnside.

[mattymags]

Sporran,
Thanks for the reply, You know that walk was something that I remember vividly. I had never felt wind that strong, Walking down that hill almost perpindicular to the ground because of the wind coming off of the bay. I still tell people about the wind over there and they don't believe me. If we get 35 mph wind gusts people start freaking out, I try to tell them and they just don't understand.

[Sporran]

Sporran,

Thanks for the reply, You know that walk was something that I remember vividly. I had never felt wind that strong, Walking down that hill almost perpindicular to the ground because of the wind coming off of the bay. I still tell people about the wind over there and they don't believe me. If we get 35 mph wind gusts people start freaking out, I try to tell them and they just don't understand.

Mattymags,

I know what you mean! :lol: I live in Virginia now, just about 5 or 6 miles from the ocean. At times, we do get some strong, cold winds coming in from the sea here. But they are nothing, and I mean NOTHING like the infamous Caithness gales! They certainly blew away any sleep from your eyes in the morning! :eek:

[mattymags]

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[Fran]

i think the best time to visit thurso would be during gala week.....lots to see and do, good weather, and a nice atmosphere in the town. i lived in thurso when the american base was at forss and Scapa House in Castlegreen road was home to the american sailors. I loved the way they always said "have a nice day".i was at the base a few times when the americans were there.

[Sporran]

Fran, when did the American sailors live at Scapa House? In the 70s, the single sailors lived in the barracks at the US base at Forss. I thought it was only single Royal Navy sailors who lived at Scapa House.

[flash]

Thats correct sporran, Scapa House was for Royal Navy personnel. The single Americans were accomodated at Forss or they privately rented locally

[molly]

Hi,
I remember staying at upper burnside avenue from summer 1986 for a few years. I child-minded a little girl Melissa and her young brother. Lots of happy memories of that time. I child-minded two young children in John Kennedy Drive as well from 1984 to 1986. Visited the American Base a few times and was invited along to the bowling where i played in the league.

[mattymags]

Molly,
Well those would have been the years that I was there. Where was John Kennedy drive at? How old were you then? I was nine when I moved to Thurso, and have a little brother who was 5 at the time. Two out of place blond hair, blue eyed Californian boys, we stood out like a sore thumb.

[Penelope Pitstop]

Hi Mattymags

Have you thought about taking a look at the www.friendsreunited.co.uk (http://www.friendsreunited.co.uk) website to see if you can find any of your old school chums??

[mattymags]

Penelope

Well I am not even sure I can remember full names. It has been 20 years and peoples names and faces are very fuzzy. I am going to give it a shot though. Thanks

[molly]

My friend child-minded two blond boys at upper burnside drive. they were call Brandon and Travis. aged about 2 and a baby at the time of 1984