Nwicker60
18-Jun-14, 09:33
Caithness Courier headlines for June 18, 2014
NATURAL RETREATS has been accused of acting “like big bullies” over plans to expand its multi-million pound site at John O’ Groats. The accusation – strongly rebutted by the company yesterday – was made amid claims the expansion could result in the loss of car parking and restrict vehicles access at the tourist hotspot. Objectors also say it could lead to the removal of the iconic end-of-the-road roundabout, turn “the existing car park into a building site” and have a negative impact on nearby business.
A SHOW by a Caithness producer – hailed as a “watershed moment in Gaelic music and theatre – is set to play to around 10,000 people. Jim Sutherland’s production Children of the Smoke, which will tell the story of the Gaelic Diaspora, who left Scotland to travel across the world, is to be staged at Glasgow Green in six weeks. The
Thurso-born producer, based in Edinburgh, is putting the finishing touches to the 75-minute production which will be performed free of charge during the Commonwealth Games.
THE names for Wick’s two new primary schools were met with a lack of interest from some locals who question the need for change. The chosen names have, however, proved a hot topic among others who went to the schools and now have children or grandchildren going to them. Caithness civic leader Gail Ross, on Monday revealed the new primary to replace Pulteneytown and South is to be called Newton Park, while Noss is the name selected for the new primary to the north of the river which will replace North and Hillhead.
HIGHLAND MP Danny Alexander is calling on Police Scotland chief Constable Sir Stephen House to come to the Highlands and explain why he authorised officers to carry handguns on duty without giving the public any say in the matter. More than 400 police officers across Scotland were secretly authorised in April 2013, to carry handguns in holsters while on routine patrol. These include 30 in the Highlands and Islands of which 17 are based in the Inverness area.
A TEAM of leading scientists, engineers and academics sailed from Gills harbour to see at first-hand the fast-flowing waters above the seabed site of the UK’s first planned marine electricity power station. The three-mile round trip on board Williams Simpson’s workboat Boy James to the site of MeyGen Ltd’s planned tidal stream development in the Inner Sound, between Caithness and the island of Stroma, came at the end of a two-day conference in Thurso last week.
MORE than a 1000 people turned out for a fun-filled day to raise money for the local branch of the RNLI. Wick Lifeboat Harbour Day on Saturday was hailed as the most successful event yet and over £9000 has so far been collected for the crew members based at Wick Lifeboat Station. The money will help fund the operation of their vessel ,the Roy Barker 11, which provides vital support to those in trouble at sea.
THIRTEEN Keiss youngsters have returned from competing in the Greenpower Goblin Challenge, the culmination of a project which saw them build their own electric car. The P6 and P7 pupils travelled to Alford at the weekend in their specially supplied overalls from Subsea 7, to take part in the Scottish final of the competition. They were joined by Pennyland, Reay, Durness and Halkirk primaries who made the trip down to race against the 32 cars which were entered from schools around the north of Scotland.
A FINAL night full of choirs provided a memorable climax to the week-long Caithness Music Festival. It took the curtain down on the 60th anniversary festival which showcases the talents of schools and adult performers from throughout the county and beyond. Convener Trevor Williams was delighted with the response to Friday evening’s session in Thurso High School when the inter-age group finals of the junior verse-speaking and vocal solo competition were staged before the choirs took centre stage.
PREPARATIONS are under way for an exciting new exhibition which will feature three newly- conserved early medieval stone sculptures from Caithness. Polish-born conservator Karolina Allen has been working on the Pictish Watenan Stone, a cross-slab from Canisbay and a rune-inscribed stone from Old St Peter’s Church in Thurso, for the display in Caithness Horizons which opens on July 11.
TWO North Highland College UHI students have won apprentice awards. Twenty-two-year old Graeme Gray, who works for G Anderson Electrical Ltd, was the Stage 1 winner and 20-year-old Murray Macintosh who works for MLG Electrical, was the Stage 2 winner of the Apprentice of the Year awards for the North of Scotland.
THE 20 people who will be carrying the Commonwealth Games baton on the far north mainland stretch of its tour of Scotland, have been revealed. The Queen’s baton has travelled across the world to every nation taking part in the Glasgow games before arriving in Scotland at the weekend on the last leg of its journey to Celtic Park for the opening ceremony on July 23. It is set to arrive in Thurso on July 9 before heading to Orkney from Scrabster, to travel around the island on July 10.
NATURAL RETREATS has been accused of acting “like big bullies” over plans to expand its multi-million pound site at John O’ Groats. The accusation – strongly rebutted by the company yesterday – was made amid claims the expansion could result in the loss of car parking and restrict vehicles access at the tourist hotspot. Objectors also say it could lead to the removal of the iconic end-of-the-road roundabout, turn “the existing car park into a building site” and have a negative impact on nearby business.
A SHOW by a Caithness producer – hailed as a “watershed moment in Gaelic music and theatre – is set to play to around 10,000 people. Jim Sutherland’s production Children of the Smoke, which will tell the story of the Gaelic Diaspora, who left Scotland to travel across the world, is to be staged at Glasgow Green in six weeks. The
Thurso-born producer, based in Edinburgh, is putting the finishing touches to the 75-minute production which will be performed free of charge during the Commonwealth Games.
THE names for Wick’s two new primary schools were met with a lack of interest from some locals who question the need for change. The chosen names have, however, proved a hot topic among others who went to the schools and now have children or grandchildren going to them. Caithness civic leader Gail Ross, on Monday revealed the new primary to replace Pulteneytown and South is to be called Newton Park, while Noss is the name selected for the new primary to the north of the river which will replace North and Hillhead.
HIGHLAND MP Danny Alexander is calling on Police Scotland chief Constable Sir Stephen House to come to the Highlands and explain why he authorised officers to carry handguns on duty without giving the public any say in the matter. More than 400 police officers across Scotland were secretly authorised in April 2013, to carry handguns in holsters while on routine patrol. These include 30 in the Highlands and Islands of which 17 are based in the Inverness area.
A TEAM of leading scientists, engineers and academics sailed from Gills harbour to see at first-hand the fast-flowing waters above the seabed site of the UK’s first planned marine electricity power station. The three-mile round trip on board Williams Simpson’s workboat Boy James to the site of MeyGen Ltd’s planned tidal stream development in the Inner Sound, between Caithness and the island of Stroma, came at the end of a two-day conference in Thurso last week.
MORE than a 1000 people turned out for a fun-filled day to raise money for the local branch of the RNLI. Wick Lifeboat Harbour Day on Saturday was hailed as the most successful event yet and over £9000 has so far been collected for the crew members based at Wick Lifeboat Station. The money will help fund the operation of their vessel ,the Roy Barker 11, which provides vital support to those in trouble at sea.
THIRTEEN Keiss youngsters have returned from competing in the Greenpower Goblin Challenge, the culmination of a project which saw them build their own electric car. The P6 and P7 pupils travelled to Alford at the weekend in their specially supplied overalls from Subsea 7, to take part in the Scottish final of the competition. They were joined by Pennyland, Reay, Durness and Halkirk primaries who made the trip down to race against the 32 cars which were entered from schools around the north of Scotland.
A FINAL night full of choirs provided a memorable climax to the week-long Caithness Music Festival. It took the curtain down on the 60th anniversary festival which showcases the talents of schools and adult performers from throughout the county and beyond. Convener Trevor Williams was delighted with the response to Friday evening’s session in Thurso High School when the inter-age group finals of the junior verse-speaking and vocal solo competition were staged before the choirs took centre stage.
PREPARATIONS are under way for an exciting new exhibition which will feature three newly- conserved early medieval stone sculptures from Caithness. Polish-born conservator Karolina Allen has been working on the Pictish Watenan Stone, a cross-slab from Canisbay and a rune-inscribed stone from Old St Peter’s Church in Thurso, for the display in Caithness Horizons which opens on July 11.
TWO North Highland College UHI students have won apprentice awards. Twenty-two-year old Graeme Gray, who works for G Anderson Electrical Ltd, was the Stage 1 winner and 20-year-old Murray Macintosh who works for MLG Electrical, was the Stage 2 winner of the Apprentice of the Year awards for the North of Scotland.
THE 20 people who will be carrying the Commonwealth Games baton on the far north mainland stretch of its tour of Scotland, have been revealed. The Queen’s baton has travelled across the world to every nation taking part in the Glasgow games before arriving in Scotland at the weekend on the last leg of its journey to Celtic Park for the opening ceremony on July 23. It is set to arrive in Thurso on July 9 before heading to Orkney from Scrabster, to travel around the island on July 10.