The Black Stairs

[trinkie]

Oh no ! I wish I had not looked at that picture. What are they doing to the Black Stairs?
It is my favourite memory of Wick - a constant recurring dream.....now I know I will have nightmares.
Do they know what they are doing?

[brandy]

oh but they are going to put them back together! in one of the pics you can see where they saves the steps themselves! they are just making it better prettier and a lot safer.. *Grins* so no worries all that was there looks to be going back! just scary looking now! but its really good to see that the town is getting improvments!!! YIPPE!!! the money is going somewhere finally!

[katarina]

I wish they'd do someyhing with the salt cellars. In my mind I see stuffed coopers, making barrels, fisher lassies cleaning herring, and maybe a fisherman mending a net. There would be lighting all around and iron bars across the front to stop vandalism. A great tourist attraction don't you think?

[brandy]

thats a great idea..

[Bill Fernie]

The Salt Cellars may be rented ot the Wick Heritage Museum and turned into displays for the museum. Still some way to go but they are working on it.

[gravedigga]

oh but they are going to put them back together! in one of the pics you can see where they saves the steps themselves!

I thought by what brandy said they'd be putting the old ones back in - keep it traditional looking but it's new concrete blocks they're putting instead. Surely now we'll call it the grey stairs instead o the black stairs. . . . . . :lol:

[brandy]

hmmmm i thought that they were keeping them as well.. but guess i was wrong.. :( its not repair and preseverance if you totally replace them

[~~Tides~~]

GREY STAIRS!!!! [mad] [mad] [mad]

[trinkie]

What do you think Brandy - have you been down to keep an eye on the work as you promised?

I'm worried about the inscriptions - they are all over the place just now - it's not too tacky is it ?

George Brimms feels that the slate will darken - I do hope he's right.

I hope they put back the old hand rail - in years gone by it was always covered in fish scales , that was sort of comforting.

Keep watch,
SD

[dogman]

the good thing about the black, or grey, stairs is that there is a good pub at the top, and a good chippie at the bottom.

[trinkie]

Well, from the pictures this morning I have to say they are looking good. (Oh ye of little faith!)
What do you think from close range? I can see they are not that dark, but perhaps with weather and use they will eventually become as we used to love them.

I am pleased that so many folk cared enough to worry - just a little- about the facelift.
I bet the same thing happened many years ago when another facelift was in operation.

SD

[Zael]

Does anyone know why they were called the Black Stairs in the first place?

I have heard that they used to hang people at the top, could that be the reason rather than the colour of the stone?

They do look very black in the rain though. (and thats with the new stone)