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View Full Version : What would you really like to see in Caithness.....?



justpassingthrough
28-Mar-03, 01:19
I've been thinking about what I would do if I won the lottery...... (I wish!!), and had the money to put something back into the community.

The first thing would be to provide a community centre type thing for Wick. Somewhere where people of all ages could drop in at all times of day, could be used for playgroups, coffee mornings, etc during the day and as a drop in/hang out place for older children at nights. I grew up in Inverness and our local centre really was the hub of the community, where Sunday Schools to discos were held, birthday parties, playgroups, indoor games nights, bingo etc etc. The list was endless. My mum also ran the kitchen for a while, serving really cheap decent meals, and only covering the overheads, no profit made. It really worked and still does. If I concentrated in trying to pull the older children off the streets on a night time, this would maybe make a tiny bit of difference to address the vandalism/drug problem in the town (dont tell me it aint happening, I hear enough crack). The centre would have to be quite central in the town, I was thinking the old picture house, and have the backing from local government and all other bodies.

Secondly, I would get a fleet of buses on the go, and offer a comfortable and reliable bus service ALL over the towns and the county. Wouldnt have any big ones that rattle and bounce all over the place, spurting diesel fumes, just the wee 20-odd seaters, that are warm and reliable and economical to run.

Lastly, I would buy John O'Groats Hotel and turn it into THE place that everybody wants to stay in when they visit Caithness. Such a shame that a splendid building like that is going to waste, anyway, it would give me an income to fund my top two ventures!!

Dont want much do I? What would you do?

Kenn
28-Mar-03, 02:55
It's great to find some-one who would put their time and energy into to trying to give a purpose to the area.I was saddened when we visited Wick in February to see what could be a great community in decline.I have also been following the debate on these boards about the problems with that town.
I an a mere "Sawsenak" "Sassenach" to you north of the border but surely there must be people up there that love the area and do not denigrate it at every opurtunity.I have seen the problems from a similiar perspective in my native county Cornwall and the struggle that we have had to realise our worth and identity.We are now looking to have our native language officially recognised and our traditions respected.
Caithness has a natural beauty and a light that any person with their eyes open would die for.It may be remote but that is one of it's attractions I just hope that the indigenous population can open their eyes to what is before them and not desert it.
If I win the lottery I know where I would choose to invest the funds and it would not be where I now live.
There are true folks in Caithness who are proud of their heritage and their lineage long may it continue .
By the way don't let too many tourists in we would hate to be caught up in a traffic jam!And when and if you get "The Groats" hotel up and running provided your tarif is no too expensive we'll be booking in

P
31-Mar-03, 14:33
I'm an incomer so my views of what should be here maybe radically different...but this I suppose is partly what I miss...

Cheap flights to all teh major internal airports.

Some good restauarants, no disrespect but the ones here at the moment are pretty awful!

Caithness NEEDS fastfood, mcdonalds or KFC, I might even settle for burger king if pushed!

A good industrial estate for all the new tourists that you just persuaded to come up here, clothing outlets, proper gift shops - you get the idea...

oooh...also - anyone who is from Thurso who slates Wick or vice-verca - that should be a capitol offence...

People like home comforts when they are away - the above may just help get a little of that much needed tourism...

The final thing of my much shortened list...a little advertising wouldn't go a miss - stop this Caithness - where? Wick - who? ...no-one south of Inverness knows Caithness exists...I was one of them!

Eneterpise companies that instead of building new offices for themselves spent a little money on developing the county...get some tourists in...get teh beaches used in teh summer would be a good start...we've got a massive eyesore that is dounreay - what about a centerparks dome - that wouldn't be any more of an eyesore - they should start trying to convince companies south of the border to operate up here!

Anyway...off to line up for my getting shot by teh locals :D

squidge
31-Mar-03, 22:53
I would like to see one of those Eden Project thingies

I would also like to see a dry ski slope

I also would like to see macdonalds or burger king - makes kiddies parties much less hassle

I also think that the avertising could be better. My mum saw some american tourists in Fort William last year, in one of the Woollen mill shops, buying Caithness Glass. They got chatting and my mum said she was off to Wick the next day to see me and they had a super factory shop there. The lady asked where that was and mum said "near to John O groats"
The lady told mum they had been up to JOhn O groats the day before and had stayed in Thurso but no one had said anything about a Caithness glass shop!!!!!!!!!!!! She callled her friend over and they were really not very happy about that.

I would like to see the John O Groat Hotel done and finished and doing really well.

I would like to see cheap air flights too

I would like to see cheaper petrol

thats all for now though i think

Anonymous
01-Apr-03, 05:40
Some good restauarants, no disrespect but the ones here at the moment are pretty awful!
Caithness NEEDS fastfood, mcdonalds or KFC, I might even settle for burger king if pushed!


Now I may not have the culinary dexterity of Gordon Ramsay, but I somehow cant see the juxtaposition of these two comments.

mike.mckenzie
01-Apr-03, 09:35
I think its quite good getting away from the multinational food churners when I go to Wick. Who needs a shiny uniform building devoid of character and taste stuck in the middle of the town. Nah. I have one at the end of my road, see enough of them, ta.

P
01-Apr-03, 14:35
Some good restauarants, no disrespect but the ones here at the moment are pretty awful!
Caithness NEEDS fastfood, mcdonalds or KFC, I might even settle for burger king if pushed!


Now I may not have the culinary dexterity of Gordon Ramsay, but I somehow cant see the juxtaposition of these two comments.

Your culinary dexterity may not be that of Gordon Ramsey, he does use fast food outlets though. Lets not be selfish about this, we may not choose to eat in mcdonalds however it doesn't mean that it would be a bad thing for the town. The instant job creation would certainly be a bonus.


I think its quite good getting away from the multinational food churners when I go to Wick. Who needs a shiny uniform building devoid of character and taste stuck in the middle of the town. Nah. I have one at the end of my road, see enough of them, ta.

Indeed, you may see enough of them however the people who actually live here and the tourists that visit would I'm sure certainly like to see the characterless building in their hallowed streets.

Anonymous
01-Apr-03, 16:20
No problem with fast food outlets P - just thought that it did not fit in with you wanting a better standard of cuisine to eat. Sounds to me that what you need is a cook book mate :D

monkey
02-Apr-03, 23:11
What would I really like to see in Caithness? Hmmm..... well, I'd like to see MASEL in Caithness, even if just for a wee visit.

Really? There are no BK's or Mickey D's there? None?

Anonymous
03-Apr-03, 07:36
Changing the subject slightly, who knows why Burger King is called Hungry Jacks in Australia?

darklighter
03-Apr-03, 12:21
howzaboot a sealife centre kinda lek the one at north queensferry.

Anonymous
03-Apr-03, 14:36
Where you can point to the thing you want caught and cooked??

monkey
03-Apr-03, 23:37
BK doesn't allow you to "point and shoot" like Hungry Jack... mainly because there's nae part of a BK burger that was ever part of an animal you'd want to eat lol.

Loafer
07-Apr-03, 14:28
Forget Burger Kings, how about peace and happiness between us all, and an end to this Wick/Thurso divide??

Jed-aiiiiii
07-Apr-03, 21:31
The Sun? :eek:

Anonymous
08-Apr-03, 16:41
Friends wi a Wicker loafer!! I'd rather eat Houstons chips :D

Anonymous
08-Apr-03, 17:38
I'd like to see a folk club back in Thurso, like the one they used to have in Viewfirth, in the 70s. It was great -- well known folk singers and bands performed there on a regular basis! Tannahill Weavers, Runrig, Archie Fisher, Barbara Dickson, Jean Redpath, to name just a few. :cool:

Anonymous
09-Apr-03, 13:31
Not a great lover of Folk n Jazz ;)

I believe there was a folk club trying to re-establish itself in Thurso. The name I heard who was involved (amongst others ) was wee Jim Findlay - he works for Health Physics at Dounreay.

Anonymous
09-Apr-03, 15:18
That IS good news, KW14 Ultra! Thanks for the info! :)

Anonymous
09-Apr-03, 15:46
The Sun?
According to the met office chart, we got between 3 and 3.5 hrs of sunlight a day in the months January to March this year. This of course during a time of year when we only see around 7-9 hours of daylight.

Mabee not tanning weather but not too bad me thinks.

As for BK and MDs and all those other Junk food places, keep em, they bad, taste bad, look bad, do bad things to other people's environment, do bad things to our already annoying litter issues, are just plain bad.

Good rule of thumb, if yer cat wont eat it, neither should you.

Mind you, dont ask George, cause all she eats is chicken, mabee a KFC would sway her, but not me.

If its jobs thats needed, can we mabee have some skilled ones please, you know, the types of jobs that pay more than min-wage and require more than 2 hrs training. Mabee that'll help encourage the college to run some decent courses and give some of the younger generation a reason to stay here a while.


how about peace and happiness between us all, and an end to this Wick/Thurso divide??
I r'kon the divide is now only in the minds of those old enuf to remember it. Takes a bit of the sting out of it when you find yerself sounding out things to youngsters like "tee-in-a-bowl-ie" and they look at you like you just hurt yerself and start offering to call someone for you, a taxi mabee. I reckon you can put this down to the incredible popularity (in Wick) of the "Thursa Pie", how could anyone hold anything against a place with such an export?

Loafer
09-Apr-03, 17:26
Prince Charming
The folk club is called the "Wildcat" something or other, and I think are playing either this friday or a week on friday, I will suss oot ee details for you.

The Loafer

Anonymous
09-Apr-03, 19:05
Thanks Loafer, that's very kind of you! :D

P.C.