Post Dounreay: What Would YOU Like To Do

[Tubthumper]

The County will suffer as the jobs disappear. Agencies are desparate to support people in retraining, business start-up and entrepeneurship.
If you could establish a business in Caithness, what would YOU like to do?

All dreams are ON, there are no criticisms.

[changilass]

I'd like to do the kids soft play that has been discussed elsewhere. There is one near my sisters in Northumberland, it has go carts outside for the older kids and its great fun, would also give somewhere to have kids parties without having the house wrecked and the dogs stressed :lol:

[webmannie]

I'd like to do the kids soft play that has been discussed elsewhere. There is one near my sisters in Northumberland, it has go carts outside for the older kids and its great fun, would also give somewhere to have kids parties without having the house wrecked and the dogs stressed :lol:

How many employees?

[changilass]

That would have to be lookind into with regards as to how busy it was likely to be, there are legal limits as to how many kids can be looked after by one adult for the birthday side of it.

You would need a few for the food side, someone on the desk, taking money and shoes and a few others for general supervision.

So I would guess at least 20 to start and possibly more if it took off well


Obviously you would need the place to be built and kitted out so some jobs would come from that as well.

[Jeemag_USA]

I would start up a traditional arts center, where people can learn music and dance and prose that once would have been commonplace in the north some 100 to 200 years ago, including set dancing and also would have workshops for Accordian, Fiddle, Whistle, Piano, Guitar, Borahn (excuse spelling) and any other related folk instrument, to encourage trad and contemporary folk incorporating rock and other forms of modern music. But as well as bringing back and keeping alive the stuff that the Irish still treasure so dearly, I would also include a manufacturing output of trditional instruments including drum, whistle, fiddle, accordian and guitar made in the Highlands by people in the Highlands. The idea would be to generate cultural interst in the area to encourage more tourism to stay in the north and set in place a thriving traditional music scene in every bar in every town or village, much like they have in the south of Ireland, where you can be booked or just come in and play for a beer and sit round the fire and show off your skills.

[changilass]

Thats a brilliant idea Jeemag, when you coming home to set it up??

[Jeemag_USA]

Thats a brilliant idea Jeemag, when you coming home to set it up??

After my whistle lessons ;)

I forgot to mention Mandolin and Banjo too, especially Banjo, how stupid of me. I am on the mandolin lessons the now too :D

[Yok Finney]

There are 2 great voyaging civilisations, the viking and the polynesian. From our point A to distant Hawaii I am convinced of the superior concept from the sail and paddle tribes. From paddles to propellors to marine grade aluminiums and modern marine diesels, we have the technology. I liked to ship, I bought the design. By Angelo Lavranos. Highland and Islands Entrerprise?plc should do likewise. Even if their only further activity were to frame it and hang it the walls of their new palatial HQs, it would be the best investment made in their entire existence.

Building ships is sine qua non to us viking-celtic pure-bred mongrols. We travel and we learn. Shipbuilding involves every known science and craft skills. Thurso College which arose as a by product of Dounreay should expand and teach them all.

The old Marine Hotel seems well placed for Jeemag's ideas. Or are we just going to let the building crumble and rot?

[golach]

Building ships is sine qua non to us viking-celtic pure-bred mongrols. We travel and we learn. Shipbuilding involves every known science and craft skills.
I disagree with this idea, Shipyards of every size are closing or have been closed down all around the coasts of Scotland. We used to be known as a country of ship builders, sadly no longer, I have sailed the world on ships built at Burntisland, Dundee, Aberdeen and the Clyde, alas no longer. Our new EU members are taking all our ship building from us.

[noodle]

The old Marine Hotel seems well placed for Jeemag's ideas. Or are we just going to let the building crumble and rot?

Do you mean the old Marine Inn in Thurso?

http://www.caithness.org/atoz/thurso/marineinn/index.htm

I heard somewhere a couple of months ago that someone was buying it. Or maybe I dreamt that.

[gunnlass]

I would like to start a Landmark style park in or near Dunnet Forest.

[changilass]

Thats another great idea Gunnlass, it would save a 2hr+ journey and also be good for tourism.

[gunnlass]

I like Jeemag's idea and I think the old Marine buidlings would be a cool site, there is also another building down in that area which would be lovely to see restored, the old smoke house, it's a shame nothing has been done but at least it's still standing. It would make a nice Thurso fishing scene museum I don't mean museum cause that sounds a bit stuffy but I can't think of the right word at the moment.

[quirbal]

What we need it what we won't get - some kind of R&D site or oil based industry.

Its all very well having craft and folk centres but these are mostly seasonal and will certainly not replace the jobs that are being lost at Dounreay.

People are already leaving for the bright lights further south and will continue to do so unless a real alternative is found.

[crayola]

I'd start an International Institute for Pagan Studies and affiliate it to UHI; the Marine Inn would be a fabulous host for it and Gleber2 would be invited to be first Chancellor.