John O’ Groat Journal review: August 3, 2012

EIGHT
months ago, Greg Shearer’s world fell apart after being told he had leukaemia. Tomorrow, he will be travelling to Inverness, not for hospital treatment but as part of the Wick Groats team taking on Avoch in the Highland Amateur Cup, at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium. The short space of time it has taken the 22-year-old from Wick, to return to playing competitive football has been described as remarkable by his friends and family. But, for Greg, he is just glad to be involved in the sport he loves after fearing he wouldn’t play again.

FISHERMEN’S
cottages, given a new lease of life as holiday lets thanks to a public appeal, are set to welcome their first guests next week. The Landmark Trust has completed its £600,000 refurbishment of The Shore Cottages at Berriedale, which had been derelict for almost 60 years. The charity bought the buildings in 2008 after raising enough money to turn them into holiday homes for tourists, and guarantee their long-term future.

THE
loss of a £100,000 Highland Council contract for respite care in the far north was a blow to Crossroads Caithness. Eight of its staff transferred to the Edinburgh-based Carr Gomm which provides respite care through the local authority. But, although Crossroads Caithness now only has eight carers instead of 16 and operates on a smaller scale, it still has a key role to play in helping carers, according to assistant service manager Erinn Mackay.

THE
number of passengers who used the Gills and John O’ Groats ferries to Orkney last year, exceeded those using the Scrabster service, for what is thought to be the first time. Figures from Orkney Islands Council reveal that in 2011, 45,000 people sailed on the Pentland Venture with 101,000 on the Pentalina and over 130,000 on the Hamnavoe. The combined statistics for the Gills and Groats ferries gives a total of 146,000 – 16,000 more than Scrabster.

“MORE pennies are welcome”...that’s the cry from Wick Gala Committee as events continue to run to plan. Chairwoman Donna Plowman told the Groat she was delighted when a couple turned up on her doorstep to hand in a donation of spare change on Wednesday after missing the parade at the weekend because of the rain.

RESIDENTS i
n Wick, who have been plagued by flooding problems for years, claim new measures to prevent drainage overflow, have failed and are calling for money to be spent to solve the problem. Heavy downpours on Saturday afternoon resulted in drains being unable to cope on South Road, as water entered the gardens of nearby properties. This was despite 20 new gullies being fitted earlier this year to help address the problem of flooding in the road which has been an issue for years.. Now, fed up locals are calling on TranServe Scotland and Highland Council to help resolve the problem once and for all.

FAR
north trucking enthusiasts are hitting the road next week in a bid to visit every lifeboat station in the Emerald Isle to raise money for the RNLI and the Sperrin Cancer Unit in Londonerry. Dan Mackenzie and his wife Dolina from Barrock are looking to build on last year’s successful charity run from John O’ Groats to Lands End, by taking their American Peterbilt truck to more than 40 lifeboat stations in Ireland, both north and south, this month.

THE
2012/13 Highland League season gets underway tomorrow and Wick Academy manager Davie Kirkwood is quietly confident that it will see the Scorries to take flight. The first match takes Academy to Seafield Park in Grantown-on-Spey to take on Strathspey Thistle. Academy finished eighth last year compare to the Strath’s second bottom finishing, but on more than one occasion, Wick have failed to take the scalp of a lower-placed side. However, a successful pre-season campaign will stand Wick in good stead.