Old Thirsa Piccys

[maddona]

Was born in 9 back shore street. Delighted to see this picture.
Great picturers altogether. keep up the good work.

[Buttercup]

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa235/thirsaloon/IMG_0855.jpg

There used to be 2 pathways running from the Castletown road down through this field (Policy Park) onto Sir Archibald Road. One of them ran down the edge of Policy Park. I think the "ends" of them are still visible in Sir Archibald Road between a couple of the houses and just beside the last house.

[thirsaloon]

There used to be 2 pathways running from the Castletown road down through this field (Policy Park) onto Sir Archibald Road. One of them ran down the edge of Policy Park. I think the "ends" of them are still visible in Sir Archibald Road between a couple of the houses and just beside the last house.

One is certainly still there, not sure about the other one, my memory fails me just now.......must be an age thing! :lol:

[thirsaloon]

Was born in 9 back shore street. Delighted to see this picture.
Great picturers altogether. keep up the good work.


Glad you like them Maddona, and a Back Shore Streeter to! Dont suppose you have any pic's of the area? Can always send me a pvt message if you want!

[Buttercup]

One is certainly still there, not sure about the other one, my memory fails me just now.......must be an age thing!

Don't know about an age thing, thirsaloon. Was speaking about it to my mam and she canna mind any. [lol] Not sure where the path nearest Thurso East came out but I'm now wondering if it just lead up through the trees and took you out onto the castle drive :confused I'm sure someone else is bound to mind them though.

[thirsaloon]

Don't know about an age thing, thirsaloon. Was speaking about it to my mam and she canna mind any. [lol] Not sure where the path nearest Thurso East came out but I'm now wondering if it just lead up through the trees and took you out onto the castle drive :confused I'm sure someone else is bound to mind them though.


There is defo one path, it has one of those iron curved gates like the ones at the mall, the frame work is there, cant remember if the gate is though. Cant think of a 2nd one though. The one I know is kinda over growen a bit with the hedges that run along side.

[booragtooner]

Before the houses were built in Sir Archibald Road there was a path through the shrubbery from the Castle - you entered by a door from the front of the Castle. This shrubbery was filled with shrubs (which I saw for the first time) and wild flowers. It was quite dense. You could slip out through the slits in the wall at the top of the brae from that side - in those days you were able to get through this narrow slits quite easily! The path led you round the back of the brickworks and ended with an opening and gate on to the road which is now Sir Archibald Road. The gate was just before you came to the first bungalow which was built there.

Don't know about an age thing, thirsaloon. Was speaking about it to my mam and she canna mind any. [lol] Not sure where the path nearest Thurso East came out but I'm now wondering if it just lead up through the trees and took you out onto the castle drive :confused I'm sure someone else is bound to mind them though.

[thirsaloon]

Jeepers, we have had over 30,000 views for this thread, thats pretty good going I would say. Well done us :lol:

[thirsaloon]

Was wondering if any of you sharp eyed folks could tell me who is the young lad in the below photograph. Its taken up at the top of Princess Street, the Railway Cottages are in the background which ran up Castlegreen Road. He is on Cardosi's Ice Cream bike. Would appreciate any help with who this is.


http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa235/thirsaloon/CardosiIcecream.jpg

[Sporran]

Could it be a young Richard or Raymond Cardosi, perhaps?

[rich]

Could it be one of the Gunn brothers - Neil (?) Gunn used to pedal a delivery bike from (I think) Shearer's butcher. Lived in Spring Park, I think.

[rich]

Disregard the last post. The lad with the bike is Neil Gardner. He had an elder brother Jimmie Gardner.
(I was ordering a coffee at Starbucks (Toronto) when the memory kicked in. (Nothing to do with the coffee)

[rich]

I have come a bit late to the auld piccies thread but I saw a query r from Rheghead re the County Stores.

The County Stores was always in Princes St. It was opened and operated by my mother and as the wife of a doctor and mother of three I dont know how she found the time but she did.

The County Stores was a commercialy shrewd venture. It opened more or less simultaneously with the construction of Dounreay so vast quantities of welly boots and donkey jackets were sold!

The County Stores also sold fishing tackle. This part of the business was directed by Sandy MacDonald who had a fishing store in Trail St. just across from the Miller Academy (west side) I believe my mother entered a partnership with Sandy and I have the impression that he actually ran the County Stores for a year or so before retiring.

I dont know if anyone in Thurso remembers Nellie MacKenzie (Miss Mackenzie to our family!)who worked with Sandy and accompanied him to the County Stores, which she seved in for, I imagine ,at least 30 years. She must have been in her 90s when she passed on.

She was a great friend of Dan Murray's.

The Queen Mother used to purchase fishing flies from the County Stores. Several times I was in the store when she arrived with an entourage of ladies in waiting and other courtiers. (I used to hide in the back room and leave the transactions to Nellie MacKanzie)

Eventually my parents retired and Michael Reid took over - for the life of me I cannot remember what he was selling (Bicycles????).

It was an interesting time and as a family we were never without cut rate Wellie boots.

[hell raizer]

i remember nellie well, dan murray was my grandad. i spent many an hour in the county stores

[silversurfer]

Now at some point a small shop selling shooting and fishing supplies opened in Sinclair Street just next to Woodbees but towards the Miller Academy. Can't remember if it was the same man who used to run the County Stores. Anyone remember?

[rich]

Yes, it was in Sinclair Street that Sandy Mac had his store. I got the street names wrong but the location correct. He may have run some sort of tackle businss there after the County Stores. and it was certainly in Sinclair St that he had his original store. Just down from Johnson's the Bakers

My brother Alexander ( Errogie) is the fisher in the family so he may have a clearer recollection.

[Bobinovich]

Would that have been the original Harper's fishing shop, which was bought over from Mr Harper (?) by the Pat & Graham Brooks and then moved to Betty Riddle's (?) old shop at the top of the arcade.

I'm sure someone else will confirm/correct the information & ?'s!!!

[theone]

Betty Riddles was THE toyshop to visit.

I loved that place in the 80's.

[theone]

Before and after shot of the corner of Olrig and Rotterdam Street. This should bring a few memories back. Remember let me know if you have any storys and memories relating to the piccys. Would be much appreciated.


http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa235/thirsaloon/junctionofolrigrotterdamstcolour1.jpg

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa235/thirsaloon/junctionofolrigrotterdamstcolour.jpg

The second photo here, there's no people, no cars, so why oh why does it just "feel" so 80's???!!!! Many memories.

[theone]

This is the best I have i'm afraid of Sutherlands Cottages which were at the back of McKays the butchers. Having said that its better than nothing at all!

You can see this was when they were being demolished. In the second photograph you will see the top of Tollemache House in the background just to help you get an idea of where they were in case any of you are a bit lost.



http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa235/thirsaloon/SutherlandCottages.jpg

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa235/thirsaloon/SutherlandCottagesb.jpg

When was this? Late 80's? I remember Reid's chipper before the flats were built around there.

[theone]

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa235/thirsaloon/IMG_0866.jpg

I never realised "The Aomics" were there before the council houses in mount Vernon.

Looks like Mill Road and Mowat Court are getting built here, not so much towards the Sutherland/Gunn Court end.

[Sporran]

Yes, it was in Sinclair Street that Sandy Mac had his store. I got the street names wrong but the location correct. He may have run some sort of tackle businss there after the County Stores. and it was certainly in Sinclair St that he had his original store. Just down from Johnson's the Bakers

My brother Alexander ( Errogie) is the fisher in the family so he may have a clearer recollection.

Rich, you must mean Simpson's the bakers. They were on Sinclair Street, next to the post office. Johnston's bakery is on Traill Street, across from where Anderson's the ironmongers and Hepworth's used to be.

[hell raizer]

the pie shop was next to the post office. the fishing tackle shop was next to the T A hall ......i think its been turned into a flat now
my cousin worked for sandy for a few years

[Bobinovich]

Rich, you must mean Simpson's the bakers. They were on Sinclair Street, next to the post office. Johnston's bakery is on Traill Street, across from where Anderson's the ironmongers and Hepworth's used to be.

Johnsons shop & cafe is on Traill Street but the actual bakery is at the end of Sinclair Street - just across from the library.

[Buttercup]

Now at some point a small shop selling shooting and fishing supplies opened in Sinclair Street just next to Woodbees but towards the Miller Academy. Can't remember if it was the same man who used to run the County Stores. Anyone remember?

Sandy Harper was in the TA Hall beside Woodbees (where "Wee Ones" is today)
But before that there was one at the other side of the TA Hall/Woodbees ~ Jack Robertson had a shop that sold fishing tackle etc. It was right next door to their house, his wife (Janette MacDonald) was a teacher at the Miller Academy.

[hell raizer]

thanks buttercup jack was his name.......im not very good with names, it must be old age :lol:

[Sporran]

the pie shop was next to the post office. the fishing tackle shop was next to the T A hall ......i think its been turned into a flat now
my cousin worked for sandy for a few years

Wasn't "The Pie Shop" the nickname for the bakers next to the post office? I said Simpson's the bakers in my previous post, but it might have been Sutherland's.

[hell raizer]

it was sutherlands who had the pie shop, and there pies were tasty ;)

[Sporran]

I have come a bit late to the auld piccies thread but I saw a query r from Rheghead re the County Stores.

The County Stores was always in Princes St. It was opened and operated by my mother and as the wife of a doctor and mother of three I dont know how she found the time but she did.

The County Stores was a commercialy shrewd venture. It opened more or less simultaneously with the construction of Dounreay so vast quantities of welly boots and donkey jackets were sold!

The County Stores also sold fishing tackle. This part of the business was directed by Sandy MacDonald who had a fishing store in Trail St. just across from the Miller Academy (west side) I believe my mother entered a partnership with Sandy and I have the impression that he actually ran the County Stores for a year or so before retiring.

I dont know if anyone in Thurso remembers Nellie MacKenzie (Miss Mackenzie to our family!)who worked with Sandy and accompanied him to the County Stores, which she seved in for, I imagine ,at least 30 years. She must have been in her 90s when she passed on.

She was a great friend of Dan Murray's.

The Queen Mother used to purchase fishing flies from the County Stores. Several times I was in the store when she arrived with an entourage of ladies in waiting and other courtiers. (I used to hide in the back room and leave the transactions to Nellie MacKanzie)

Eventually my parents retired and Michael Reid took over - for the life of me I cannot remember what he was selling (Bicycles????).

It was an interesting time and as a family we were never without cut rate Wellie boots.

Rich, I enjoyed reading your post. I have to admit I'd forgotten that your mum owned and operated the County Stores. My husband still has a balaclava that was purchased there 30 years ago! :) It was a Christmas gift from my brother, and I remember feeling a little amused at the time. Simply because my kid brother knew that my husband and I were to be moving to the tropics, a few months hence! However, when we moved to New England several years later, my husband got very good use out of the balaclava. As you know, the winters are long, cold and snowy there; much harsher than Caithness winters. The balaclava can also be rolled in such a way that it can be worn as a cap. I'm just glad that my husband's one is light grey, and not bright orange, like my brother's one! (Also bought at the County Stores). In fact these days, it blends right in with my husband's grey hair! :lol:

[Errogie]

Just trying to catch up on this thread which is like a run away train since I stopped dabbling in the org to follow outdoor pursuits during the greater part of what passed for summer.

This may have been covered already but Sandy Macdonald ran A.A. Macdonald's from what later became the inspiredly named County Stores when that administrative identity was still in existence. He wore a three piece tweed suit with plus fours and sold fishing tackle to the toffs and lesser mortals.

He was a very kindly elderly gentleman (well he seemed old to me) and I spent a lot of my time as a small boy in and out of the shop and once sold him our dog for four (old) pence. I would like to be able to look back and recount that this was the start of a career as a retail mogul but unfortunately sentiment and guilt made me take the family pet back again.

Sandy was the also factor to Commander Vinerwho owned the house of the Northern Gate on Dunnet Head where the Queen Mother holidayed with her lady in waiting Lady Viner until she bought her own pad at the Castle of Mey. I knew the name Commander Viner from a very age and eventually met him on his estate at Strath Kannaird just north of Ullapool in the 1980's. He had been a midshipman with George 4th.(?) in the first world war which was how the connnection between their wives developed. He was an extremely pleasnt old gent in his 90's and tragically was killed the following year when his vehicle overturned on the river bank, Viner Place in Ullapool is named after him.

After he sold his shop at 57 Princes Street Sandy Macdonald opened a replacement between Granny Gunn's house in Sinclair Street and the Drill Hall. Latterly it was run by his son in law Jack Robertson who was married to his daughter Jeanette who I think was a teacher. He did the bookings for the Angling Club on Beat 1, sold guns and rods and I think still had a connection with the house of the Northern Gate. Dan Murray was my hero and he used to take me fishing and helped me build my first rod. I also spent hours sitting unobtrusively in a corner of his Campbell Street workshop listening to the tales from old men who would drop in while flies were being tied and fishing rods assembled throughout the conversations.

Come 5 o' clock he would drive round to the County Stores in the Mini Traveller to run Nellie Mackenzie home to Springpark. There may have been a romantic connection there, both were pensioners at that time. Sometimes you hear a remark when you are young which goes over your head but the meaning pops back in much, much later. This happened at Campbell street when one ancient remarked about Nellie. "Well that may be one letter that's returned unopened" She was kindness itself and I kept in touch with her long after she finished work.

On the subject of elderly ladies tending shop in Thurso I do remember Miss Tulloch in Johnstone's bakery shop next to the Miller Academy who certainly seemed to be the oldest living thing I'd ever seen at that time. She was very slow and deliberate selecting and putting the butteries into the bags, blowing into each one to open them while I was meantime mesmerised by the loaf slicing machine which ran in a corner of the shop.

[unicorn]

Dan Murray was my great grandad :D sadly I didn't have the pleasure of meeting him, but I got all the old stories passed on over the years. I used to love sitting over a dram listening to all the old tales and looking over the old photo's and hearing stories of yesteryear it fascinated me.

[hell raizer]

ive got pictures of my grandad sitting in the corner making flies, also remember donald grant being at the factory. it brings back a lot of memories.

[Sporran]

Errogie, is the Granny Gunn you mention the same lady who taught English at Thurso High School?

[Errogie]

The very same Sporran.

In the spirit of truth and reconciliation I should also admit to the henious crime of one day shooting a starling of her chimney pot with my air rifle. It fell backwards down the lum into the fireplace and I still have this vivid vision of Granny Gunn opening the front door and hurling the soot and blood covered corpse out of the front door while from the other side of the street I hid the weapon behind my back and tried to look as innocent as was possible! To her credit as an English teacher I don't recall hearing any intemperate language at the time.

In those unenlightened times no one seemed to mind boys walking around with assorted weaponery, shooting the rooks out of the trees at Mina Villa and ranging up and down the Mall. But then Thurso was a frontier town in the fifties and sixties, eventually I was taken in hand by Dr. Deans and became quite a respectable marksman on the small bore range in the drill hall.

[Buttercup]

After he sold his shop at 57 Princes Street Sandy Macdonald opened a replacement between Granny Gunn's house in Sinclair Street and the Drill Hall. Latterly it was run by his son in law Jack Robertson who was married to his daughter Jeanette who I think was a teacher.

Granny Gunn lived in the John O'Groats area and was a teacher in the High School. It was Mrs Gunn (Mrs Addie Gunn) who lived there, she was a teacher at the Miller Academy.

[hell raizer]

i used to have granny gun for local background in the high school
i had the other granny gun in the miller academy......she stayed beside robertsons fishing tackle shop

[Sporran]

Granny Gunn lived in the John O'Groats area and was a teacher in the High School. It was Mrs Gunn (Mrs Addie Gunn) who lived there, she was a teacher at the Miller Academy.

When Granny Gunn was my English teacher at Thurso High School, she often mentioned that she was from Canisbay, in the John O'Groats area.

[Whitewater]

Buttercup is right, Grannie Gunn lived in the 'Groats' area, and Mrs Addie Gunn lived in Sinclair St. (Jock Gunn's mother)

What an interesting thread this has been, it has taken me so long to read through, and brought back many memories. My recollection of some of the locations and people are perhaps slightly different from some of the comments, but why worry , generally it has been interesting and correct, and I've been enlightened, I can only recall Rich having one younger brother but after a bit of thought I do recall the youngest.

Sorry I failed to remember you Eroggie. No offence meant, I tend to forget many thing now.

[thirsaloon]

The next three photographs I am posting here, are on behalf of booragtooner who very kindly asked me to add them to the forum.

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa235/thirsaloon/ThursoHarbour-1.jpg

[thirsaloon]

Hens feeding at Pennyland


http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa235/thirsaloon/HensatPennyland1930s.jpg

[thirsaloon]

Cottage at Burnside 1930's

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa235/thirsaloon/Burnside1930s.jpg

[thirsaloon]

Inside the Ship's Wheel shop

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa235/thirsaloon/insideShipsWheel.jpg

Below Alexander MacKidds Cycle shop on the corner of Traill Street and Mansons Lane.

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa235/thirsaloon/MacKiddsCycleShop.jpg

[Sairheed]

Have enjoyed all the inputs to this remarkable genre but was most impressed by that of Rich and his brother Errodgie (I think) - there's were pure early to late fifties recollections and mainly in line with my own.

( I can't for the life of me bring into view the wifie in the 'County Stores' but was she ginger haired?)

I recall them at school - I think Rich was on the class with my brother 'Pumper' - certainly remember their Father's surgery and the 'County Stores' next door.

The Org front page suggests a competition to name the 'Ice Cream' kid - Rich said it was Neil Gardiner whom I knew and who lived in the 'Railway Cottages' - why the doubt?

Fraternal greetings to the Sutherland boys - was there not a sister also?

[Errogie]

Hi Sairheed, I think you're remembering Jessie Mathieson who came after Nellie Mackenzie. Her son was David and is now retired from the police in Orkney and I believe living in Castletown.

It's probably back in the previous pages but I have vivid memories of Tommy Allan's grocery shop with the cardboard mobile fly scarers hanging from the ceiling and Cambell's tobaconists and sweetie shop both down from the Pentland.

Of course one of the problems with leaving a place and just returning sporadically is that your earlier memories become frozen in time and that includes those nostalgic smells!

[rich]

Sairheed

I remember Pumper well. And Denis Manson and Jock Gunn and BoBo Murray, and Tommy Stout, and I guess I could reel off most of the names in some of those old school pics.

My other brother Ron is a family doctor in Tasmania Australia. My sister Camilla lives in Warwickshire with several children and a horse or two.

There is no question but that you reach a stage in life and the doors crash in on you and there is your childhood overwhelming you.

I am interested in the class system. Not in any Marxist sense but from the school system. At age 5 you find yourself in this group of kids who are all strange to you - girls on one side, boys on the other - and that's the most important group of people you will ever meet - love 'em or hate 'em.

I wish I could bottle this stuff.

[thirsaloon]

The Org front page suggests a competition to name the 'Ice Cream' kid - Rich said it was Neil Gardiner whom I knew and who lived in the 'Railway Cottages' - why the doubt?



Hello Sairhead

Im afraid there is no competition for the photograph so Im hoping no one is expecting a prize! :lol:

I dont have doubt in what Rich said at all nor said so. I posted the photograph on this thread and sent an email asking if it could appear on the front page.

I had been trying to find out who this lad was for sometime, so just in case there was someone who may know but didnt check this thread I thought it may give me a better chance in finding out.

The picture went up on the front page 2 or 3 days after Rich had named him thats all.

[highlander]

Found an old diary dated 1962 thought i would put on some old shop adverts, I noticed that there are some places that have not been mentioned in this thread.

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f397/highlander1959/23thnov20071962diary009.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f397/highlander1959/23thnov20071962diary011.jpg

[highlander]

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f397/highlander1959/23thnov20071962diary016.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f397/highlander1959/23thnov20071962diary017.jpg

[highlander]

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f397/highlander1959/23thnov20071962diary021.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f397/highlander1959/23thnov20071962diary024.jpg

[highlander]

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f397/highlander1959/23thnov20071962diary023-1.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f397/highlander1959/23thnov20071962diary022.jpg

[Gleber2]

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f397/highlander1959/23thnov20071962diary016.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f397/highlander1959/23thnov20071962diary017.jpg
So many memories in that house. My earliest guitar sessions were with Stephan Kocemba and Jess was a second mother to me. Long gone now unfortunately. She was quite a lady.

[thirsaloon]

A collection of Thurso and Caithness characters

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa235/thirsaloon/ThursoandCaithnessCharacters.jpg

[thirsaloon]

First St. Ola in heavy seas

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa235/thirsaloon/StOla1.jpg

Second St. Ola

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa235/thirsaloon/StOla2.jpg

[Errogie]

Just spent some more time on this thread and picked up on a query about the old horse trough which sat on the edge of the road beside the bank at the botom of Olrig Street. I remember it as being of substantial iron construction painted green and siver and not in very good condition, and the water was pretty disgusting too.

My Dad was on the Town Council and I can remember hearing that there were regular heated debates about whether the town still needed a horse trough and would these new fangled motor cars really catch on. Anyway he apparently arranged for it to be quietly removed in the middle of the night and no one noticed that it was gone for some time and that was that. This would have been in the 1950's

Oh, and the photo with poultry is actually mainly made up of young geese which were probably hatched out by the large hen on the right of the picture. And I'd forgotten that Dan Murray always wore the bib and brace dungarees and flat cap he is shown with in the photos but by the time I knew him his fishing tackle making premises were in Campbell Street where there was always a boat or two and young St. John's or Loch Heilan trout fry in tanks which I'd helped him net and spawn at the end of the season before we returned them to their lochs of origin later in the year.

[silversurfer]

Lovely seeing the old photo of the Ola loading cars. When I was a youngster I worked at Dunnets Garage and a gentleman from Orkney purchased a Reliant Robin 3 wheeler down south and had it shipped up to Thurso by lorry. He asked the garage to unload it and deliver it down to Scrabster to go on the Ola. The unloading was not without problems but was safely done and I was dispatched down to the boat with the car. Now this three wheeler caused them much head scratching about how they were going to load it as the usual method of wheel clamps would not work at the front. Eventually they decided to load the car last and do so by removing one set of clamps and replacing with a cargo net. So at the end of the normal loading I drove the car forward onto the cargo net, they fitted the clamps at the rear and started to lift the car onto the boat. You can imagine what happened next - all the fibreglass at the front broke and collapsed with the inward force when the net tightened. I was told to go away as it was now 'an insurance job'.
Would love to have seen the new owners face when he arrived to collect his new purchase!

[attielattie]

I've been looking at this thread for ages- it's just fascinating seeing the old pics and reliving memories. I seem to have lost all my photos of 70s Thurso - must have chucked them out...sadly. But I'll take another look.
Sorry if I'm repeating what other people have mentioned but here are a few memories of mine.
1961 ish - watching Pennyland School being built (I lived in Ravenshill Road) and starting Primary 1 when it first opened in 1962
County Stores - buying rubber snakes, spiders and other such treats
Collett's (Fraser's)- walking across the rough ground where there is now a path between the swing park and the shop - we used to call it the Bumpy Way and were not supposed to use it cos it was always full of puddles...needless to say we did
A favourite place to play was what we called "the logs" at the back of the naver Scout Hut where there were old logs and other scrap to muck about with. Getting frog spawn from ponds up on the moors
The chip shop on Durness Street - after a healthy walk on the beach with mates we would stop there and get those crispy bits out of the fryer for a penny - heart attack waiting to happen!
Bottom Joes - cafe and wasn't there a chip shop there too?
I can remember Downie's Drapers where you could buy jeans - but only if you were a boy, he would refuse to sell them to us girls
Craigie's Cafe and Ice Cream shop in the Arcade - mind his fierce dog?
Impact Boutique
That weird corsetry place - Spirella or something - on Olrig Street
Princess Boutique/Dry cleaners on Princes Street
Princes Cafe
There was a second hand type of shop for a while I think where Regency is now
Miller Calder's
Toff's Boutique (80's nostalgia now) on Princes Street
Gay's Boutique (was that what Tiffany's was called before?)
Joy's Boutique - is that now Bin Ends? Was Rumours hairdresser for a while
Howard's Cafe
What was that tobacconist/sweetie shop on the corner opposite the Royal? later became the Highland River Purification Board, now Pentarq or something
Hamish Cameron's - supplies of Pomagne bought here before Town hall dances - I think it was about 50p but enough to get a teenager p*ssed
Shearer's grocer - where Cards n Things is
I used to work in Noble's (when it was on the corner opposite the Central Cafe) during the school holidays in 1971
Anyway enough nostalgia for now don't want to ramble on toooo much!

[wifie]

Och Thirsaloon you have come up trumps again! I have told my children of cars being lifted on and off the Ola and they did not believe me and now you have provided me with photographic evidence - what a star!

[thirsaloon]

Och Thirsaloon you have come up trumps again! I have told my children of cars being lifted on and off the Ola and they did not believe me and now you have provided me with photographic evidence - what a star!


Jeepers wifie! Yer making me blush :D, glad to help though, now just you go and set those bairns of your right!! ;)

[thirsaloon]

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa235/thirsaloon/RailwayCottages.jpg

[thirsaloon]

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa235/thirsaloon/OldbuildingsThursoharbour.jpg

[Sporran]

I enjoyed seeing the photo of the railway cottages, thanks, thirsaloon! They're just as I remember them, with the flat roofed modern building just around the corner. Howard Bremner's West End Cafe was in one side of that building, when I was a pupil at Thurso High School. Once the cottages were demolished, I can't remember anything being built there in their place, though. Does anything stand there now?

[hell raizer]

theres was a bungalow built where the cottages were

[Sporran]

theres was a bungalow built where the cottages were

Do you know how long ago it was built, hell raizer?

[hell raizer]

hubby worked in the bungaow he says 1973- 74

[Sporran]

I've been looking at this thread for ages- it's just fascinating seeing the old pics and reliving memories. I seem to have lost all my photos of 70s Thurso - must have chucked them out...sadly. But I'll take another look.
Sorry if I'm repeating what other people have mentioned but here are a few memories of mine.
1961 ish - watching Pennyland School being built (I lived in Ravenshill Road) and starting Primary 1 when it first opened in 1962
County Stores - buying rubber snakes, spiders and other such treats
Collett's (Fraser's)- walking across the rough ground where there is now a path between the swing park and the shop - we used to call it the Bumpy Way and were not supposed to use it cos it was always full of puddles...needless to say we did
A favourite place to play was what we called "the logs" at the back of the naver Scout Hut where there were old logs and other scrap to muck about with. Getting frog spawn from ponds up on the moors
The chip shop on Durness Street - after a healthy walk on the beach with mates we would stop there and get those crispy bits out of the fryer for a penny - heart attack waiting to happen!
Bottom Joes - cafe and wasn't there a chip shop there too?
I can remember Downie's Drapers where you could buy jeans - but only if you were a boy, he would refuse to sell them to us girls
Craigie's Cafe and Ice Cream shop in the Arcade - mind his fierce dog?
Impact Boutique
That weird corsetry place - Spirella or something - on Olrig Street
Princess Boutique/Dry cleaners on Princes Street
Princes Cafe
There was a second hand type of shop for a while I think where Regency is now
Miller Calder's
Toff's Boutique (80's nostalgia now) on Princes Street
Gay's Boutique (was that what Tiffany's was called before?)
Joy's Boutique - is that now Bin Ends? Was Rumours hairdresser for a while
Howard's Cafe
What was that tobacconist/sweetie shop on the corner opposite the Royal? later became the Highland River Purification Board, now Pentarq or something
Hamish Cameron's - supplies of Pomagne bought here before Town hall dances - I think it was about 50p but enough to get a teenager p*ssed
Shearer's grocer - where Cards n Things is
I used to work in Noble's (when it was on the corner opposite the Central Cafe) during the school holidays in 1971
Anyway enough nostalgia for now don't want to ramble on toooo much!

It would be great if you do find your 70s photos of Thurso, attielattie!

I started Primary 3 at Pennyland School, when it first opened in 1962. It was so exciting going to a brand new modern school!

The County Stores is probably where my brothers bought their rubber snakes - I do remember them having a few!

Many's the time my mum would sent me to Collett's with a wee shopping list. I usually walked there from Rockwell Crescent via the top side of Pennyland Drive. Sometimes I'd go via Dirlot Place, through the garages to Strathmore Road, then onto Ravenshill Road, and finally back onto Pennyland Drive. I remember when the path to Collett's was just a dirt track too, then they finally laid a concrete slab path.

I forgot about the logs at the back of the Naver Scout Hut, till you mentioned them. One of my brothers went to Sea Scouts there. Both of my brothers enjoyed going up to the moors (often in wellies!), and they'd come back with frog spawn too, and sometimes newts.

The chip shop on Durness Street was Steven's, and the one next to Bottom Joe's (Cardosi's Cafe), was Brass the chipper.

I'm trying to remember where Spirella's was. Did they move into the old Central Drapery shop on Olrig Street?

The Princess Boutique/dry cleaners was run by Gwen Deans, who was Howard Bremner's sister. Howard ran the West End Cafe across from the railway station.

Wasn't Fiddler's toy and gift shop where Regency Jewellers is now, on Rotterdam Street?

I don't ever remember Tiffany's Boutique (next to the Royal Hotel) being called Gay's Boutique! :eek:

Joy's Boutique was on Princes Street, more or less across from the Hydro Board and the gravestone builders. I believe Gunn the jeweller was there at one time, too.

The tobacconist/sweetie shop across from the Royal was called The Corner Shop, I think.

I had an after school/summer holiday job at Shearer the grocers, around the same time you were working in Noble's, attielattie! :)

[Buttercup]

Don't remember "Gay's Botique" or "Spirella". :confused
Didn't Elizabeth's start off where the Central Drapery was?
Anastasia's was on the corner of Olrig Street and Princes Street, it was a great place for unusual gifts.
Jack's (mens outfitters) was in where Regency is before Fiddlers.

[attielattie]

Gay's Boutique sold posh woollens if I remember rightly. I'm sure that the old Fiddler's shop was a second hand place for a short while but I can't remember exactly when - all I can remember is taking comics in to swap for other things. I had completely forgotten about the Central Drapery, thanks for that one! Wasn't there a shop called Apparition there after that.
Remember when Bews Newsagent was Cardosi's?
One of my friends was looking at the pics with me and she reminded me of the following:
Gearbox Boutique - I think Janette's hairdressers is there now - Cowie Lane
Sutherland's Grocer - now the Highland Hospice shop

Wali Mohammed's draper shop on Princes Street
Durrans being where the Health Food Shop is now
Tilly's Cafe - used to be Sutherland's Bakery, I remember going into the fantastic old-fashioned tea-room for tea and meat pies (yum, they were the best!)
The Mainbrace
the Sheiling
The Station bar years ago when women were frowned on
The Marine
Off licence near the Comm (ok, ok, enough of the drinking haunts)
Isobel's and Audrey Ross hairdressers
Aberdeen Savings Bank - now Arcade Travel
Margaret's Boutique - was Buttress's drapery-type shop until recently
Miller's Shoe Shop - now Beauty shop, can't remember the right name
Harry Russell opticians in Tollemache House
Impact Boutique
Does anyone remember the Xmas showroom which one of the chemists had above (I think) Johnstone's shop?
My pal mentioned that there used to be a wee shop in Springpark - Towerhill Road area - now a house; she also says that there was a freezer shop and a wool shop where Howard's Cafe was
Sports emporium - just up from the Comm
The Pet Shop - now Hush
I think that's all for now, should do some work I suppose. Will keep trying to track down some pics.
I forgot to say thanks to Thirsaloon for all the hard work and interesting photos - what a star!

[attielattie]

Spirella Corsetry was next-door-but-one to that wee old church on Olrig Street - it was a private house on the corner of Rose Street (I think) and Olrig Street - opposite what was the Pet Shop/Christian Bookshop etc. I don't think it moved anywhere, just closed. Always sounded intriguing.
I hated working in Noble's - one of the other staff took a real dislike to me and would tell me to do things (wrongly as it turned out) then run to Mr Noble and say "look at what this stupid girl's done now" - then stand there looking smug. Grrr
I used to love going into Shearer's grocery - at one time they used to sell digestives with caramel chocolate on top. They were delicious.

[Buttercup]

Gay's Boutique sold posh woollens if I remember rightly. I'm sure that the old Fiddler's shop was a second hand place for a short while but I can't remember exactly when - all I can remember is taking comics in to swap for other things. I had completely forgotten about the Central Drapery, thanks for that one! Wasn't there a shop called Apparition there after that.
Remember when Bews Newsagent was Cardosi's?
One of my friends was looking at the pics with me and she reminded me of the following:
Gearbox Boutique - I think Janette's hairdressers is there now - Cowie Lane
Sutherland's Grocer - now the Highland Hospice shop

Wali Mohammed's draper shop on Princes Street
Durrans being where the Health Food Shop is now
Tilly's Cafe - used to be Sutherland's Bakery, I remember going into the fantastic old-fashioned tea-room for tea and meat pies (yum, they were the best!)
The Mainbrace
the Sheiling
The Station bar years ago when women were frowned on
The Marine
Off licence near the Comm (ok, ok, enough of the drinking haunts)
Isobel's and Audrey Ross hairdressers
Aberdeen Savings Bank - now Arcade Travel
Margaret's Boutique - was Buttress's drapery-type shop until recently
Miller's Shoe Shop - now Beauty shop, can't remember the right name
Harry Russell opticians in Tollemache House
Impact Boutique
Does anyone remember the Xmas showroom which one of the chemists had above (I think) Johnstone's shop?
My pal mentioned that there used to be a wee shop in Springpark - Towerhill Road area - now a house; she also says that there was a freezer shop and a wool shop where Howard's Cafe was
Sports emporium - just up from the Comm
The Pet Shop - now Hush
I think that's all for now, should do some work I suppose. Will keep trying to track down some pics.
I forgot to say thanks to Thirsaloon for all the hard work and interesting photos - what a star!



Miller's Shoe Shop was where Durran's is now.

[attielattie]

Silly me - of course it was!! :rolleyes: I can even picture it in my head - what was I thinking of? Old age creeping up fast......
My pal says she has loads of pics of 70s Thurso so am trying to persuade her to scan them in.

[trinkie]

Wonderful pictures, many thanks.

I cant make out the names of the Characters - could you give them to usplease. Someone has given me some info on a few of them I could eventually send in.

I understand my grandfather was Purser on the first St Ola - late 1890s would this be it ??

Many thanks
trinkie

[Lavenderblue2]

The Mainbrace
Margaret's Boutique - was Buttress's drapery-type shop until recently
Miller's Shoe Shop - now Beauty shop, can't remember the right name
Does anyone remember the Xmas showroom which one of the chemists had above (I think) Johnstone's shop?


That was a great list attielattie it brought back lots of memories. I can't place The Mainbrace - where about was it?
I'm sure I remember Rolland's Paintshop nearby Margaret's Boutique, Arcade Travel went into one of these shops before relocating to their present home.

Miller's shoe shop is now Durrans - Health & Beauty is in the corner shop previously occupied by Beauty Through Herbs and before that Shearer's the butcher.

The Christmas showroom belonged to Williamsons Chemist and it was above what is now the Aberdeen Savings Bank.

I agree with you - all credit to Thirsaloon for this fantastic thread.

LB

Sorry Buttercup - I see you have already mentioned Durrans

[Buttercup]

That was a great list attielattie it brought back lots of memories. I can't place The Mainbrace - where about was it?
I'm sure I remember Rolland's Paintshop nearby Margaret's Boutique, Arcade Travel went into one of these shops before relocating to their present home.

Miller's shoe shop is now Durrans - Health & Beauty is in the corner shop previously occupied by Beauty Through Herbs and before that Shearer's the butcher.

The Christmas showroom belonged to Williamsons Chemist and it was above what is now the Aberdeen Savings Bank.

I agree with you - all credit to Thirsaloon for this fantastic thread.

LB

Sorry Buttercup - I see you have already mentioned Durrans

No prob LB ~ all contributions eagerly read :lol:
MacGregor's Chemist also had a Christmas Showroom, I think it was the one attielattie was remembering. It was above Johnston's ~ you went in the door between Johnston's and McBeaths
Rolland's went into where Noble's was (where the Job Centre was until recently).

[Sporran]

I don't remember Williamson's chemist, but do remember the showroom above Johnston's the baker, and like Buttercup, I'm sure it was for MacGregor's the chemist across the street. Munro's, next to Miller Calders, had all their Christmas stuff on display on extra tables in their shop, if my memory serves me well. Peterkin's, which later became the Co-op chemist, had their Christmas showroom above their main shop. You went along the short, narrow alley between Jessie Allan's toy and gift shop and the chemist's, then up some stairs at the back.

The Mainbrace was the name of the Pentland Hotel's bar, I believe, (not to be confused with their cocktail lounge inside the hotel.) You went into the Mainbrace on West Church Street, with the door facing St Peter's and St Andrew's Church. Not that I was ever in the Mainbrace myself, only the cocktail lounge.

Attielattie, I'm wondering if you are getting Gay's Boutique mixed up with Joy's Boutique, as the latter did sell fairly upmarket knitwear. That was their specialty.

Does anyone remember when Durran's used to be on Princes Street? They were near the Shieling. Prior to that, they were down near Thurso Harbour, where the Ship's Chandler is or was.

[Buttercup]

I don't remember Williamson's chemist, but do remember the showroom above Johnston's the baker, and like Buttercup, I'm sure it was for MacGregor's the chemist across the street. Munro's, next to Miller Calders, had all their Christmas stuff on display on extra tables in their shop, if my memory serves me well. Peterkin's, which later became the Co-op chemist, had their Christmas showroom above their main shop. You went along the short, narrow alley between Jessie Allan's toy and gift shop and the chemist's, then up some stairs at the back.

The Mainbrace was the name of the Pentland Hotel's bar, I believe, (not to be confused with their cocktail lounge inside the hotel.) You went into the Mainbrace on West Church Street, with the door facing St Peter's and St Andrew's Church. Not that I was ever in the Mainbrace myself, only the cocktail lounge.

Attielattie, I'm wondering if you are getting Gay's Boutique mixed up with Joy's Boutique, as the latter did sell fairly upmarket knitwear. That was their specialty.

Does anyone remember when Durran's used to be on Princes Street? They were near the Shieling. Prior to that, they were down near Thurso Harbour, where the Ship's Chandler is or was.

Yes Sporran, Durran's were in where the Health Shop is in Princes Street, but before that they were along the riverside next to where the Slaughterhouse was.

[Sporran]

Yes Sporran, Durran's were in where the Health Shop is in Princes Street, but before that they were along the riverside next to where the Slaughterhouse was.

Buttercup, was the slaughterhouse in the riverside area between the main Thurso Bridge and the Ellan Bridge?

[Lavenderblue2]

I remember now MacGregor's Chemist having a showroom above Johnson's - I'd completely forgotten about that.

I know for the fact that Williamson's/Munro's Chemist's showroom was above the now TSB because I worked there! After the bank took over from Miller Calder's that room was no longer available so all Christmas goods were then displayed on extra tables in the shop.

It's great hearing about all these lost shops - wouldn't it be nice to just go back for a wee while to see it all again.

LB

[Buttercup]

Buttercup, was the slaughterhouse in the riverside area between the main Thurso Bridge and the Ellan Bridge?

Yes Sporran. The Slaughterhouse was between the Legion and Durrans.
LB. I do seem to distantly remember that other showroom ~ wasn't the Customs Office up there too?

[ThirsaYank]

Well, I was in the Mainbrace, a few times, way back in 1966. It was such a tiny wee place. There was a piper in there one day, and when he played in that little room -- wow, goosebumps like gooseberries. Thanks for bringing back that wonderful memory.

[thirsaloon]

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa235/thirsaloon/ThursoHighSchoolDiningRoom.jpg

[thirsaloon]

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa235/thirsaloon/TGala5.jpg

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa235/thirsaloon/TGala4.jpg

I dont know the dates for these Thurso Gala photographs (roughly 1950's -60's) but the orginal negatives were in London and owned by a producer who worked for ITV. She sent to me after I tracked down a photograph of her grandfather who she had never seen.

[thirsaloon]

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa235/thirsaloon/TGala2.jpg

[thirsaloon]

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa235/thirsaloon/TGala1.jpg

[attielattie]

I don't remember Williamson's chemist, but do remember the showroom above Johnston's the baker, and like Buttercup, I'm sure it was for MacGregor's the chemist across the street. Munro's, next to Miller Calders, had all their Christmas stuff on display on extra tables in their shop, if my memory serves me well. Peterkin's, which later became the Co-op chemist, had their Christmas showroom above their main shop. You went along the short, narrow alley between Jessie Allan's toy and gift shop and the chemist's, then up some stairs at the back.

The Mainbrace was the name of the Pentland Hotel's bar, I believe, (not to be confused with their cocktail lounge inside the hotel.) You went into the Mainbrace on West Church Street, with the door facing St Peter's and St Andrew's Church. Not that I was ever in the Mainbrace myself, only the cocktail lounge.

Attielattie, I'm wondering if you are getting Gay's Boutique mixed up with Joy's Boutique, as the latter did sell fairly upmarket knitwear. That was their specialty.

Does anyone remember when Durran's used to be on Princes Street? They were near the Shieling. Prior to that, they were down near Thurso Harbour, where the Ship's Chandler is or was.
I am going to ask my mum about the Gay's/Joy's thing tomorrow. I know, with such similar names, that some folk might think they're one and the same but I'm sure one of them was Tiffany's and the other was on Princes Street where Bin Ends is now - that was the one that had the posh knitwear. Will quiz mum tomorrow. Wish I could find some photos and make a proper contribution instead of wittering on.....:confused

[plasticjock]

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa235/thirsaloon/ThursoHighSchoolDiningRoom.jpg

Further to the THS Canteen pic from thirsaloon:

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/THS1966.jpg

[Buttercup]

I am going to ask my mum about the Gay's/Joy's thing tomorrow. I know, with such similar names, that some folk might think they're one and the same but I'm sure one of them was Tiffany's and the other was on Princes Street where Bin Ends is now - that was the one that had the posh knitwear. Will quiz mum tomorrow. Wish I could find some photos and make a proper contribution instead of wittering on.....:confused

Joy's Botique was where Pollard's is now.
Margaret MacKezie's was where Binn Ends is.

Plasticjock ~ can you put names to these Canteen Ladies? I recall some faces but not names.

[rich]

Tiffany's boutique was popularly knows as Mollie's Buttock.
I have no idea why except for the play on words: buttock/boutique.
But who was Mollie????
(It was a very trendy, expensive place - this would have been in the late 1960s)

[attielattie]

I was corrected by mum who told me that Joy's was where Pollard's is now. Thanks for reminding me about the shop that was in the Bin Ends bit - I had totally forgotten about it. Joy's was owned by Joy Gutteridge my mum says.
As for the dinner lady pic, isn't the middle one the scary supervisor lady -think she was called Pat - the one who used to shout at the kids and hit heads with a spoon!

[Swannie]

Think Tiffany's was between the betting shop and Royal Hotel on Traill Street.

There was a shop called Kay's which sold knitwear on Rotterdam Street, where Graham Begg's is now but you had to go up a stair which was between the now Graham Begg' and the wee shop on the corner. Prior to that it was a Henderson's hairdresser

[plasticjock]

Local P.C. waiting for the rush-hour to end so he can go and get a cuppa.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/TraillStreet1961b.jpg

[plasticjock]

Some local ads from the 60's

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ThursoAds13.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ThursoAds12.jpg

[plasticjock]

Some more local ads from the 60's

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ThursoAds11.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ThursoAds10.jpg

[plasticjock]

Pennyland House 1960

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/PennylandHouse1961.jpg

[plasticjock]

Some more local ads from the 60's

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ThursoAds05.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ThursoAds14.jpg

[plasticjock]

Plasticjock ~ can you put names to these Canteen Ladies? I recall some faces but not names.[/QUOTE]

The lady on the far right was Johan Bryson. The lady third from the right MAY have been a Margaret Gunn but I can't guarantee that's correct.

[plasticjock]

Elland Bridge 1966

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/EllanBridge1961.jpg

[plasticjock]

Some more local ads............

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ThursoAds06.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ThursoAds07.jpg

[plasticjock]

More........

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ThursoAds04.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ThursoAds01.jpg

[plasticjock]

Robert Dick's gaff...........

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/RobertDicksHouse1961.jpg

[Sporran]

Thank you so much for that super batch of photos and local adverts, plasticjock! I thoroughly enjoyed looking at them all! :)

Can you or anyone else jog my memory and tell me whereabouts K Sutherland was on Princes Street? (Post number 592 advert).

[plasticjock]

Scrabster Harbour.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Scrabsterharbour1961.jpg

[plasticjock]

Thank you so much for that super batch of photos and local adverts, plasticjock! I thoroughly enjoyed looking at them all! :)


Got a few more left to post..................

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ThursoMap1961.jpg

[Buttercup]

Thank you so much for that super batch of photos and local adverts, plasticjock! I thoroughly enjoyed looking at them all! :)

Can you or anyone else jog my memory and tell me whereabouts K Sutherland was on Princes Street? (Post number 592 advert).
You probably knew it as Tommy Allan's, Sporran. At one time it was where part of the Pentland Hotel is now, but latterly is was across the road next to Black's (later Ferrier's)

[Sporran]

Ah yes, I remember where Tommy Allan's was, Buttercup! :) When they moved across the street next to Black's, was it where the furniture shop was? (Mackenzie's, I think.)

[plasticjock]

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ThursoAds02.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ThursoAds03.jpg

[plasticjock]

Crowd gathers to watch bus pass through Traill Street.

"Guidnesss! Weel the treffik nivver ennnd?"

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/TraillStreet1961a.jpg


Kiosk closed temporarily due to lack of local gossip.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Kiosk1961.jpg

[thirsaloon]

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa235/thirsaloon/PuzziesWedding.jpg


Puzzies Wedding in Thurso, he got married on the 31st August 1951. Im sure some of you will remember him and the event.

[thirsaloon]

Another face that some of you will remember. Peggy Soo at the Top Co-Op in Princes Street.

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa235/thirsaloon/PeggySooatTopCo-op.jpg

[hell raizer]

i remember peggy soo, ive got a picture of her somewhere

[thirsaloon]

i remember peggy soo, ive got a picture of her somewhere


She died long before my time. Im sure I have a date for when she passed away.


Would like to see your of her picture hell raizer! :D

[Buttercup]

Ah yes, I remember where Tommy Allan's was, Buttercup! :) When they moved across the street next to Black's, was it where the furniture shop was? (Mackenzie's, I think.)
Black's, which became Ferrier's, was between Tommy Allan's and MacKenzie's furniture shop.

[Buttercup]

Got a few more left to post..................

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ThursoMap1961.jpg
Strange how that map shows Mount Pleasant School but John Kennedy Drive is not there. I'm sure they were both built about the same time. :confused And note that the Boating Pond has become a Bathing Pond!

[The Pepsi Challenge]

Crowd gathers to watch bus pass through Traill Street.

"Guidnesss! Weel the treffik nivver ennnd?"

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/TraillStreet1961a.jpg


Kiosk closed temporarily due to lack of local gossip.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Kiosk1961.jpg


My God! What a splendid photograph of the Bandstand. How pretty it looks. Did you know it was taken down as a "town improvement"?

[hell raizer]

She died long before my time. Im sure I have a date for when she passed away.


Would like to see your of her picture hell raizer! :D
ive got a few old pictures but dont know how to download them :~(

[Metalattakk]

My God! What a splendid photograph of the Bandstand. How pretty it looks. Did you know it was taken down as a "town improvement"?

Aye, but it wasn't quite as splendid when they decided to take it away. In the end its removal did indeed improve the town.

[Sporran]

My God! What a splendid photograph of the Bandstand. How pretty it looks. Did you know it was taken down as a "town improvement"?

That is indeed a splendid photo of the Bandstand, and it's just as I remember it! :)




Aye, but it wasn't quite as splendid when they decided to take it away. In the end its removal did indeed improve the town.

I seem to recollect it was taken down around 1975 or 76, but don't remember it being in a state of disrepair at the time. I was sad to see it go! :(

[Sporran]

Strange how that map shows Mount Pleasant School but John Kennedy Drive is not there. I'm sure they were both built about the same time. :confused

I was thinking the exact same thing, Buttercup! Mount Pleasant School was built around the mid 60's. Certainly after Pennyland School was built in 1962, but before 1967. The American housing in John Kennedy Drive was built somewhere in the early to mid 60s.

[Buttercup]

I was thinking the exact same thing, Buttercup! Mount Pleasant School was built around the mid 60's. Certainly after Pennyland School was built in 1962, but before 1967. The American housing in John Kennedy Drive was built somewhere in the early to mid 60s.

Mount Pleasant opened with the new school year in the summer of 1966.

[poppett]

Mansons grocery shop, what memories.........Loose tea, sugar and salt weighed and put into brown paper bags........ Carrier bags made of brown paper with string handles.....Huntley and Palmers biscuits in glass topped tins where you picked your own selection..........Butter in a churn made into pats with paddles by Mr Manson........Cheese in a hugh truckle cut with proper wire cheese cutters as required and a taste before buying if desired........Bacon sliced as required, likewise cold meat, their gammon with breadcrumb dressing was a particular favourite.........I can almost smell it.........Thanks for the memory.

[Metalattakk]

I was thinking the exact same thing, Buttercup! Mount Pleasant School was built around the mid 60's. Certainly after Pennyland School was built in 1962, but before 1967. The American housing in John Kennedy Drive was built somewhere in the early to mid 60s.


Mount Pleasant opened with the new school year in the summer of 1966.

Well the properties of the hosted image say that the image name is 'ThursoMap1961.jpg'. :eek:

So it seems someone is wrong. Hell, maybe everyone is wrong!!

[plasticjock]

Hi all,
The pictures I posted recently come from a Thurso Guide published in 1966. Should have made that clear sooner. Sorry.

These are the last of the adverts:

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ThursoAds08.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ThursoAds09.jpg

[thirsaloon]

ive got a few old pictures but dont know how to download them :~(


I can email you instructions if you want ?

[Sporran]

I remember most of the places in that last batch of adverts. But I can only vaguely recollect the A M McEwan confectioner and tobacconist on Olrig Street. Was it located somewhere between St Andrew's Church and the old Police Station? Next to a pet shop, perhaps? Then there's J MacLeod, grocer, fruiterer and confectioner at 31 High Street. Was that in the Arcade?

[Metalattakk]

Then there's J MacLeod, grocer, fruiterer and confectioner at 31 High Street. Was that in the Arcade?

Aye, 31 High Street is the first shop in the arcade - used to be Turnbull Sports for a while in the early '90s, now taken over by Suleman Makhouli. Someone from Halkirk had it before it was Turnbull's, though I can't quite remember who.

[hell raizer]

I remember most of the places in that last batch of adverts. But I can only vaguely recollect the A M McEwan confectioner and tobacconist on Olrig Street. Was it located somewhere between St Andrew's Church and the old Police Station? Next to a pet shop, perhaps? Then there's J MacLeod, grocer, fruiterer and confectioner at 31 High Street. Was that in the Arcade?
i knew it as Duthies, it was where the pet shop was. it was a great shop to go into when you were a bairn :)

[hell raizer]

[quote=thirsaloon;312552]I can email you instructions if you want ?
ok. will give it a try at the weekend

[Sporran]

Thanks for your replies, Metalattakk and hell raizer. I am looking forward to seeing your old pictures of Thurso, when you get around to posting them, hell raizer! :)

Back to plasticjock's 1966 map of Thurso. I must have been wrong about the John Kennedy housing being built in the early to mid 60s. But I know it was certainly there by 1970 or 71, as I remember babysitting for some Americans who lived there then. The houses had been in existence for at least a couple of years by that time.

I also noticed that Thurso swimming pool at Millbank is not on the map. I learned to swim there when it was first opened, and that must have been in 1967 or 68.

There is a group of unidentified buildings on the map, across from the high school and near Ormlie Drive and Ormlie Hill. Was that a farmhouse and accompanying buildings back in 1966? I seem to remember that being there, and if so, does it still exist?

[Swannie]

Billy Manson from Halkirk also had the sports shop in the Arcade

[Swannie]

Tommy Allan's shop eventually ended up where the Hospice Shop is now

[Buttercup]

There is a group of unidentified buildings on the map, across from the high school and near Ormlie Drive and Ormlie Hill. Was that a farmhouse and accompanying buildings back in 1966? I seem to remember that being there, and if so, does it still exist?

The farm and buildings were demolished a few years ago and new housing has been built there and named Farmacres.

[Lavenderblue2]

Aye, 31 High Street is the first shop in the arcade - used to be Turnbull Sports for a while in the early '90s, now taken over by Suleman Makhouli. Someone from Halkirk had it before it was Turnbull's, though I can't quite remember who.

I am sure that Dawn Souter had a fashion shop in that shop for a short while - does anybody else remember that?

[Moi x]

There is a group of unidentified buildings on the map, across from the high school and near Ormlie Drive and Ormlie Hill. Was that a farmhouse and accompanying buildings back in 1966? I seem to remember that being there, and if so, does it still exist?My mum says it was the glove factory.

Correction, she's had another look at the map and it's not the glove factory. That was further up Ormlie Road and had its own access road. She thinks they were farm buildings but she's not sure.

[Metalattakk]

Billy Manson from Halkirk also had the sports shop in the Arcade
Cheers for that. Still doesn't ring a bell, though, but I guess I have to take your word for it. Thanks again!


The farm and buildings were demolished a few years ago and new housing has been built there and named Farmacres.

Aye, it was stables for a while wasn't it, and recently converted to flats?


I am sure that Dawn Souter had a fashion shop in that shop for a short while - does anybody else remember that?
That would make sense, as the paper shop next door was owned by the Soutars too.


My mum says it was the glove factory.

Correction, she's had another look at the map and it's not the glove factory. That was further up Ormlie Road and had its own access road. She thinks they were farm buildings but she's not sure.

Aye, the glove factory was further up the road towards the hospital, where the Viking Bowl is now.

[Moi x]

Thanks Metalattakk, I'll tell her in the morning.

Moi x

[plasticjock]

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Esplanade1961.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ThursoBridge1961.jpg

[Metalattakk]

Thanks Metalattakk, I'll tell her in the morning.

Moi x

Hang on, I'm having second thoughts about the placement of the Glove Factory. :eek:
Can anyone else add some info? Not 100% sure it was exactly where the Bowling Alley is now.

[nannydip]

The old glove factory is now part of the Viking Bowl.

[Swannie]

Yes Glove Factory (Templemans) was there where Viking Bowl is now. Probably building demolished and Viking Bowl was rebuilt. Glove Factory originally started in Drill Hall in Sinclair Street, Thurso

[Metalattakk]

Ok, cheers for the confirmation. Happy that my memory isn't completely faded. :)

[ThirsaYank]

I know for sure that the Yanks were there in 65 cuz that's when I got to Thurso and I went to parties up on "Snob Hill". Actually it was called "Snob Hill" by us lowlifes down the hill in Burnside in the 70s. Just a loving jest of course. I'm pretty sure it had been there for a little while. Of course the base wasn't comissioned until 63.

[theone]

Yes Glove Factory (Templemans) was there where Viking Bowl is now. Probably building demolished and Viking Bowl was rebuilt. Glove Factory originally started in Drill Hall in Sinclair Street, Thurso

Building wasn't demolished, just added to.

[Sporran]

Plasticjock, are your photos of Thurso beach and the one looking down Sir George's Street both from the 1966 Thurso guide?

[plasticjock]

Plasticjock, are your photos of Thurso beach and the one looking down Sir George's Street both from the 1966 Thurso guide?

Hi Sporran, yes they are.
Here is the final picture from the brochure:
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/TownHall1961.jpg

[south view 7]

late 50s early 60s.anyone know who the girls are.http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u217/southview7/b0108.jpg

[Bill Fernie]

Thirsaloon told me today he has had an accident with the photos for this thread accidentally deleting them from his Photobucket acount where they are drawn from.

A while ago when I noticed this thread expanding rapidly I thought it would be an idea to save the section in case of such an accident or other mishap. I saved all the pages up to page 21 but have not been back to make similar saving. However it means that I have all the photos from pages 1 to 21 of this thread and have begun creating galleries on Caithness.org and repalcing the file name to draw them back in from Caithness.org rather than from Photobucket. See http://www.caithness.org/earlypictures/photogallery/index.php?gallery=18&start=0

It will take me while but I will gradually replace all the photos missing up to page 21.

If anyone else saved the pages from 22 to 27 I could also add these in or if Thirsaloon wants to email me the missing photos for those page I can add them later.

See Page one - I have not got the second photo and it must have been missing for another reason when I did my big saving exercise.

Phew

Bill Fernie

[booragtooner]

Thirsaloon told me today he has had an accident with the photos for this thread accidentally deleting them from his Photobucket acount where they are drawn from.

A while ago when I noticed this thread expanding rapidly I thought it would be an idea to save the section in case of such an accident or other mishap. I saved all the pages up to page 21 but have not been back to make similar saving. However it means that I have all the photos from pages 1 to 21 of this thread and have begun creating galleries on Caithness.org and repalcing the file name to draw them back in from Caithness.org rather than from Photobucket. See http://www.caithness.org/earlypictures/photogallery/index.php?gallery=18&start=0 (http://forum.caithness.org/go.php?url=http://www.caithness.org/earlypictures/photogallery/index.php?gallery=18&start=0)

It will take me while but I will gradually replace all the photos missing up to page 21.

If anyone else saved the pages from 22 to 27 I could also add these in or if Thirsaloon wants to email me the missing photos for those page I can add them later.

See Page one - I have not got the second photo and it must have been missing for another reason when I did my big saving exercise.

Phew

Bill Fernie

I have the second photo copied but am not sure how to send it on to you, if you still need it. Regards.

[Bill Fernie]

I have the second photo copied but am not sure how to send it on to you, if you still need it. Regards.

Just email it to bill@caithness.org - thanks

[Casey]

Here's a few I've just found, that I don't think have been posted before Thirsaloons pics vanished.
Thurso Castle 1934
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v695/Casey2901/002.jpg


Thurso 1934
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v695/Casey2901/001.jpg

[Bobinovich]

Great old ariel views there Casey, Thurso looks strangely small from up there.

[Sporran]

Wow, those aerial views are fabulous, Casey! It's fascinating to see how Thurso looked in 1934, pre Glebe and Dounreay housing! :cool: Also lovely to see Thurso Castle in its former glory. Thanks for sharing! :)

[Buttercup]

Where've you got to Thirsaloon? We're beginning to suffer withdrawal symptoms! ;)
Surely someone's got some old pics they can post.:lol:

[Dusty]

Here's a few I've just found, that I don't think have been posted before Thirsaloons pics vanished.
Thurso Castle 1934

Thurso 1934
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v695/Casey2901/001.jpg

I was wondering if the buildings lying at an angle to the top of east and west Church Street are the start of Bayview Terrace or are they something else?

[plasticjock]

Salvation Army women & childrens outing from the Thurso Citadel, possibly late 20's. One of the charabancs has a Station Hotel board on it. My great-granny, Betty Munro is in the front row, far right. The destination unknown but was perhaps Wick.
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ScanImage03.jpg

[plasticjock]

2nd Thurso Swifts from 1912, I think. Joe Cardosi (manager? coach?) (middle left).

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ScanImage06.jpg

I also have a 1914 picture which will be posted soon.

[trinkie]

Thank you for the pictures.
I must say the Salvation Army Outing is one of the nicest photos I have seen !
How smart they all look with their beautiful hats !
Do you have names for all of the people ? I may be wrong, but I dont think that's the Wick Citadel.... to me it's more like the Thurso one, down by the shore.
Perhaps Wick folk up to Thurso for the Day on a Station Hotel charabanc ?

Many thanks
Trinkie

[plasticjock]

Thank you for the pictures.
I must say the Salvation Army Outing is one of the nicest photos I have seen !
How smart they all look with their beautiful hats !
Do you have names for all of the people ? I may be wrong, but I dont think that's the Wick Citadel.... to me it's more like the Thurso one, down by the shore.
Perhaps Wick folk up to Thurso for the Day on a Station Hotel charabanc ?

Many thanks
Trinkie

Well Trinkie, unfortunately I have no names for any of the people except my great-granny who lived in Durness Street in Thurso, and yes, it is the Thurso Citadel. I will alter the information on my original posting to make this clearer. Thanks for your reply.

[Lavenderblue2]

More great photos Plasticjock - looking at the S/A one and wondering who looks like who in the present day - the lady in the middle front holding the wee boys hand could be a Sinclair as in Don Sinclair Shoe shop's family - she certainly has a look of them.

Looking forward to seeing more.

LB

[Sporran]

More great photos Plasticjock - looking at the S/A one and wondering who looks like who in the present day - the lady in the middle front holding the wee boys hand could be a Sinclair as in Don Sinclair Shoe shop's family - she certainly has a look of them.

Looking forward to seeing more.

LB

I agree with you, Lavenderblue2! :) And I wonder if the wee boy is Don Sinclair senior?

Thanks so much for adding more super photos to this thread, Plasticjock! You always manage to come up with some real gems! :cool:

[plasticjock]

Thanks for the comments....I'm sure there are some genealogists looking in who may be able to identify faces and let us know. PM me if anyone would like a larger scanned picture.

Meanwhile here the other Swifts picture and no doubt most of those pictured ended up in the Navy or the trenches only a short time later. Joe Cardosi is sitting centre in the top pic and far right in the lower pic.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ScanImage05.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ScanImage01.jpg

I have some more Thurso pictures in the pipeline.

[Buttercup]

Salvation Army women & childrens outing from the Thurso Citadel, possibly late 20's. One of the charabancs has a Station Hotel board on it. My great-granny, Betty Munro is in the front row, far right. The destination unknown but was perhaps Wick.


The bloke sitting on top of the coach with the bairn on his knee looks awful like John Sinclair (the late Provost and Lord Lieutenant) :confused

[Sporran]

The bloke sitting on top of the coach with the bairn on his knee looks awful like John Sinclair (the late Provost and Lord Lieutenant) :confused

I think so too, Buttercup! :)

[plasticjock]

Here's a close-up.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/SA003.jpg

[Buttercup]

Here's a close-up.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/SA003.jpg

Yip, still think it's him - he was an outstanding character and very involved with the Salvation Army.

[plasticjock]

Pre-WW2......looking down from Mount Pleasant, I should think.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ScanImage007.jpg

[plasticjock]

From a postcard. Beach around mid- to late-60's.
Don't remember the water being THAT blue.....

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ScanImage011.jpg

[Bobinovich]

You're right about it being too blue PJ - I think your scanner/scanner settings may be a bit out :D. Maybe one of our Photoshop users can adjust the colours to something more natural and repost.

[plasticjock]

You're right about it being too blue PJ - I think your scanner/scanner settings may be a bit out :D. Maybe one of our Photoshop users can adjust the colours to something more natural and repost.

No, that's exactly as it appears on the postcard.
I did fiddle around with the image but in the end just uploaded it as it was.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ScanImage011block.jpg

[gollach]

No, that's exactly as it appears on the postcard.

I've seen that card somewhere before, the colours are very intense on it.

[Deemac]

At Bobinovich's request here is a modified version. Sorry original is fairly poor so this version isn't much better.

http://img361.imageshack.us/img361/3372/thursobeachorg1mh0.jpg

[plasticjock]

1930's Princes Street, looking down towards Olrig Street.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ScanImage02.jpg

[Gleber2]

Salvation Army women & childrens outing from the Thurso Citadel, possibly late 20's. One of the charabancs has a Station Hotel board on it. My great-granny, Betty Munro is in the front row, far right. The destination unknown but was perhaps Wick.
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ScanImage03.jpg
The man on the extreme right of this shot looks very like my grandfather, Ben Squires, who played the big drum in the Army band. He came here from the Isle of Man.

[plasticjock]

Well...virtually everything on the postcards is 'Old Thurso'.

Some scans from an old Burgh Booklet issued in '57, I think.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ScanImage8011.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ScanImage8010.jpg

[plasticjock]

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ScanImage8009.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ScanImage8014.jpg

[plasticjock]

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ScanImage8013.jpg


Gala procession Traill Street.
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ScanImage8016.jpg

[plasticjock]

Olrig Playing Fields, Beach Road.
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ScanImage8015.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ScanImage8017.jpg

[Ricco]

Olrig Playing Fields, Beach Road.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ScanImage8017.jpg

Good grief! My ol' house isn't there - not even the road. :eek:

[plasticjock]

The man on the extreme right of this shot looks very like my grandfather, Ben Squires, who played the big drum in the Army band. He came here from the Isle of Man.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ScanImage1.jpg
My memory is a bit foggy Gleber2, but wasn't Ben married to a lady from the Far East?
I seem to remember they lived on Mount Pleasant's Royal Terrace in the sixties....of course, I could be very wrong....it happens a lot these days.

[dancingtaz13]

Does anyone have any pictures of "the Auld Pieshop" in Sinclair street? I'm quite interested in how this looked.

[plasticjock]

Friday September 1st 1922.
Services march-past through Traill Street (stretching as far as Rotterdam Street, at least) for the unveiling and dedication of the Great War (1914 - 1919) Memorial at Sir John's Square.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-TraillSt1922.jpg

[Chobbersjnr]

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ScanImage1.jpg
My memory is a bit foggy Gleber2, but wasn't Ben married to a lady from the Far East?
I seem to remember they lived on Mount Pleasant's Royal Terrace in the sixties....of course, I could be very wrong....it happens a lot these days.
The Ben Squires you refer to was married to Golach's auntie and was my uncle. They lived in Royal Terrace. My aunt Peggy looked exotic but came from this area. My grandfather, Ben Sqires also, died in 1945.
Gosh, I didn't realise that Chobbersjnr was logged on and not me. Sorry; Gleber2

[plasticjock]

The Ben Squires you refer to was married to Golach's auntie and was my uncle. They lived in Royal Terrace. My aunt Peggy looked exotic but came from this area. My grandfather, Ben Sqires also, died in 1945.

Peggy Squires...of course! She was a friend to my Mum back in the fifties and sixties. I seem to remember Ben passed away around the mid-sixties.
Thanks for the info.

[tenabowla]

Was Ben Squires the grandad of Benjy Mackenzie e plumber from Springpark, I seem to remember his grannie was Peggy Squires a real character.

[Gleber2]

Was Ben Squires the grandad of Benjy Mackenzie e plumber from Springpark, I seem to remember his grannie was Peggy Squires a real character.
Indeed.:D She was my favourite Auntie.

[booragtooner]

:) Hello folks, I have really enjoyed the recent photographs - they bring back memories, as usual. Particularly liked the photo of the seine net boats in the harbour. Didn't they look good? The harbour was always busy, if the tide was right. It was a good place to go to, especially when there was high tide and the waves were splashing over the 'pointie' and you could 'time' the waves over the narrow wall next to the (then) big hole - which would get filled up with water.

[golach]

Indeed.:D She was my favourite Auntie.
Canna be your favourite Aunt........coz she was mine [lol]

[Gleber2]

Canna be your favourite Aunt........coz she was mine [lol]
Chist because ye're owlder than me.:Razz

[plasticjock]

Spotted this picture postcard on eBay:
1/2
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-Parade1900s_1.jpg

[plasticjock]

Spotted this picture postcard on eBay:
2/2
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-Parade1900s_2.jpg

I have been puzzling about the date of these cards (seemingly taken from a floor above, what became, Cardosi's on the corner of Olrig Street) and the reason for the parade.
Judging by the clothing I think it is too late for Victorian times. But by the stiff-legged gait of those on the march I am thinking it may have been the memorial parade for the death of Edward VII in 1910. Any other orgers have an opinion?

[plasticjock]

Here's another:
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-TraillSt1960s.jpg

[dellwak]

Someone tell me what street Shearers was on, I can't place it.
Got a memory like a sieve, must be getting old.

[Buttercup]

Someone tell me what street Shearers was on, I can't place it.
Got a memory like a sieve, must be getting old.

Probably better know as Fred Shearers it was in Rotterdam Street. (Where Mackay's is now)

[dellwak]

Oh yea!!
Now I recognise it.
Thanks Buttercup.

[Loafer]

Spotted this picture postcard on eBay:
2/2
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-Parade1900s_2.jpg

I have been puzzling about the date of these cards (seemingly taken from a floor above, what became, Cardosi's on the corner of Olrig Street) and the reason for the parade.
Judging by the clothing I think it is too late for Victorian times. But by the stiff-legged gait of those on the march I am thinking it may have been the memorial parade for the death of Edward VII in 1910. Any other orgers have an opinion?

You may be right, but I'm not sure about that. Looks like the Freemasons doing what used to be an annual march through the town to church. Not sure when the Thurso lodge stopped it. I believe Lodge John O'Groat in Castletown still carry out this once a year. Any other orgers have more details/ideas??

The Loafer

[plasticjock]

You may be right, but I'm not sure about that. Looks like the Freemasons doing what used to be an annual march through the town to church. Not sure when the Thurso lodge stopped it. I believe Lodge John O'Groat in Castletown still carry out this once a year. Any other orgers have more details/ideas??

The Loafer

Thanks Loafer....I thought that initially but the pictures are in sequence,note the gals hanging out of the windows above Shearers. The masons would appear to be way the back of a long parade.

[Loafer]

Thanks Loafer....I thought that initially but the pictures are in sequence,note the gals hanging out of the windows above Shearers. The masons would appear to be way the back of a long parade.

Hi PJ

Sorry, maybe I didna read or look at it properly, one of my weak points!!! It could well have been what you originally said. The Freemasons do swear some sort of alligance to the king/queen so it could be feasible that the death of the king was being marked.

The Loafer

[angie]

hi when i look at the majority of the pics it says that they have been moved or deleted does any1 know where to :(

Thx

[Buttercup]

hi when i look at the majority of the pics it says that they have been moved or deleted does any1 know where to :(

Thx

Bill's post #645 on page 33 of this thread should help explain it.

[darkie@dreamtilt.com.au]

Thirsaloon told me today he has had an accident with the photos for this thread accidentally deleting them from his Photobucket acount where they are drawn from.

A while ago when I noticed this thread expanding rapidly I thought it would be an idea to save the section in case of such an accident or other mishap. I saved all the pages up to page 21 but have not been back to make similar saving. However it means that I have all the photos from pages 1 to 21 of this thread and have begun creating galleries on Caithness.org and repalcing the file name to draw them back in from Caithness.org rather than from Photobucket. See http://www.caithness.org/earlypictures/photogallery/index.php?gallery=18&start=0

It will take me while but I will gradually replace all the photos missing up to page 21.

If anyone else saved the pages from 22 to 27 I could also add these in or if Thirsaloon wants to email me the missing photos for those page I can add them later.

See Page one - I have not got the second photo and it must have been missing for another reason when I did my big saving exercise.

Phew

Bill Fernie
Dont know if your still interested Bill but found a file on my old computer that has 188 of thursaloon's pics on it,to many to email 17MB,but if you wanted I could burn a disk and shoot it over slow mail,ether to yourself or thursaloon,if interester get in touch,it would be no trouble,I get a great deal of pleasure from Thursaloon's thread Regards Robin

[Casey]

Just seen a few old postcards on ebay including this one of a treasure hunt.
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll76/tjones18_1/thurso/thurso31-2.jpg

[plasticjock]

I'm posting a series of photographs that were in an album published by Russell & Leslie of Traill Street. The album, entitled 'Photographic View Album of Thurso & Vicinity', was published in 1903.
The pictures are on matt paper and are attached to loose-leaf pages held together with (faded) red string.
Versions of most of these have been posted in Old Thursa Piccies.
What is different about these pictures, most of which have appeared on postcards or in books about Thurso, is the sharpness of detail that is visible on the original prints and captured during scanning at 1200 pixels. Some of it is lost when posted to an image hosting service. If anyone would like a large image scan of any of the pictures, please pm me.
Here are the first two:
Victoria Walk circa 1900
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-VictoriaWalkcirca1900.jpg
Scrabster Harbour circa 1900
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-Scrabstercirca1900.jpg

[plasticjock]

Esplanade circa 1900
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-Esplanadecirca1900.jpg
Braal Castle, Halkirk circa 1900
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-BraalCastleHalkirkcirca1900.jpg

[plasticjock]

Clett Rock circa 1900 note the boat coming round from the right and also the sedamentary rock formation detail. No wonder flagging was a major industry in the area.
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-ClettRockcirca1900.jpg
Thurso from the South circa 1900
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-FromSouthWest.jpg

[plasticjock]

Thurso town from Springpark circa 1900
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-FromSpringparkcirca1900.jpg
Janet Street and the Mall circa 1900
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-JanetStreetandMallcirca1900.jpg

[plasticjock]

Olrig Street circa 1900
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-OlrigStreetcirca1900.jpg

Scrabster Bay circa 1900
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-ScrabsterandBaycirca1900.jpg

[plasticjock]

Princes Street circa 1900 note Gair's Temperance Hotel on the far right.
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-PrincesStreetcirca1900.jpg
Sir John's Square circa 1900 Visible is the wheel marks of a horse drawn cart where the driver has taken his horse to the water trough.
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-TownSquarecirca1900.jpg

[plasticjock]

Traill Street circa 1900. Love the stylised shop-sign of a flexed arm holding a big key above Anderson's store in the one-storey building on the near left.
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-TraillStreetcirca1900.jpg
Thurso Castle circa 1900
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-Castlecirca1900.jpg

[Buttercup]

Thanks plasticjock. Nice to see the old thread being revived. :D

[Sporran]

I'm posting a series of photographs that were in an album published by Russell & Leslie of Traill Street. The album, entitled 'Photographic View Album of Thurso & Vicinity', was published in 1903.
The pictures are on matt paper and are attached to loose-leaf pages held together with (faded) red string.
Versions of most of these have been posted in Old Thursa Piccies.
What is different about these pictures, most of which have appeared on postcards or in books about Thurso, is the sharpness of detail that is visible on the original prints and captured during scanning at 1200 pixels. Some of it is lost when posted to an image hosting service. If anyone would like a large image scan of any of the pictures, please pm me.


What an absolutely fabulous series of photos, Plasticjock! :D The sharpness of detail is amazing, and superior to anything I've seen in Thurso photos from that era.

I'm wondering if that is Viewfirth and the Castlegreen Manse (Green Acre?) on the hill in the photo looking towards the town from Springpark. Also Viewfirth on the hill again, maybe, in the photo of the bay taken from just above Holborn Head Lighthouse. The white building on the right must surely be Scrabster House, is it not?

Many thanks for keeping this thread alive with your wonderful pictorial contributions, Plasticjock! :)

With much appreciation,

Sporran

[Buttercup]

What an absolutely fabulous series of photos, Plasticjock! :D The sharpness of detail is amazing, and superior to anything I've seen in Thurso photos from that era.

I'm wondering if that is Viewfirth and the Castlegreen Manse (Green Acre?) on the hill in the photo looking towards the town from Springpark. Also Viewfirth on the hill again, maybe, in the photo of the bay taken from just above Holborn Head Lighthouse. The white building on the right must surely be Scrabster House, is it not?

Many thanks for keeping this thread alive with your wonderful pictorial contributions, Plasticjock! :)

With much appreciation,

Sporran

I may be wrong but I think the white building is too far over to be Scrabster House, the only place I can think of is Pennyland Farm, but would agree to the other being Viewfirth.
I would say about the other photo, that the building to the left with the house front facing you is Castlegreen Manse and the other slightly to the right of it is Viewfirth.

[Sporran]

Now that I've had another look, Buttercup, I agree that the white building is too far over to the Thurso side to be Scrabster House. It could well be Pennyland Farm, as you suggest. As regards the other photo - yes, it was the one facing us on the left that I thought was probably the Castlegreen Manse, with Viewfirth being the one slightly to the right of it.

[wifie]

Fantasic pics plasticjock - thanks for sharing! Great to see more being added to this fabulous thread. Must have another really good look for more details like the arm and key sign - thanks for pointing it out!

[plasticjock]

Fantasic pics plasticjock - thanks for sharing! Great to see more being added to this fabulous thread. Must have another really good look for more details like the arm and key sign - thanks for pointing it out!


Thanks wifie. Here is a pic, I can't remember where I downloaded it from (it was somewhere on the messageboard, thanks to the original poster), of the shop adjacent to Andersons.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-TraillSt-CairnieChemist.jpg

[plasticjock]

Here are the remaining pics from the 'Photographic View Album of Thurso & Vicinity'.

Thurso Castle from the Lodge circa 1900
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-ThursoCastlefromLodgecirca19.jpg

The Deil's Brig circa 1900....there's someone perched on top.
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-TheDeilsBrigcirca1900.jpg

[plasticjock]

Old St Peter's Kirk circa 1900
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-OldKirkcirca1900.jpg

The Miller Academy circa 1900
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-MillerAcademycirca1900.jpg

The John O'Groat Hotel circa 1900
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-JohnOGroatHotelcirca1900.jpg

[plasticjock]

Here are a couple of enlargements of the early morning residents of the
Sir John's Square image studiously watching the cameraman taking his picture.
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ScanImage008b.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ScanImage08.jpg

[plasticjock]

Olrig Street circa 1900
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-OlrigStreetcirca1900.jpg


Are they selling hot potatoes or peanuts or something similar?
There is a dog by the kerb with his head inside a box or bag as well.
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ScanImage09.jpg

[plasticjock]

Would anybody like to hazard a guess as the what the white line across Olrig Street was for?
Was it a boundary line for the cattle-drovers or street traders?
Perhaps it is a line from the street lamp to guide people across the street in the dark.
I'm intrigued.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ScanImage10.jpg

[plasticjock]

Would anybody like to hazard a guess as the what the white line across Olrig Street was for?
Was it a boundary line for the cattle-drovers or street traders?
Perhaps it is a line from the street lamp to guide people across the street in the dark.
I'm intrigued.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ScanImage10.jpg

Here is a picture from the late Henrietta Munro's wonderful book, 'Pictures of Old Thurso and District' (out-of-print, but it's well worth getting hold of a copy), and it shows the bottom end of Olrig Street with the junction of Rotterdam Street at roughly the same period as the picture I posted which would appear to have been taken from the upper right-hand window of Shearer's.
What is noticeable in this picture is that there is another white line across the street from Cardosi's corner.
I'm even more intrigued.
Any ideas....anyone?
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-RotterdamSt1900s-1.jpg

[Kenn]

Thank youi plasticjock at least I now know what Thurso castle looked like when it had a roof!

[wifie]

Any chance of an enlargement of the young chappie wi the basket outside Cairnies plasticjock? Sounds daft but he looks awful familiar and I am wondering if he is a distant relative.

[plasticjock]

Any chance of an enlargement of the young chappie wi the basket outside Cairnies plasticjock? Sounds daft but he looks awful familiar and I am wondering if he is a distant relative.

Unfortunately, the picture I re-posted is the size you saw on my posting, unless someone has a larger scan of the original?. As I enlarge the picture it becomes quite 'blocky'.
I have 'enhanced' the picture and the section you requested using Jpeg Image Enhancer v1.0 and this was the best I could get.

First...the posted picture, enhanced and enlarged:
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-TraillSt-CairnieChemistbmp.jpg

And then a cropped enlargement of the delivery boy:
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ddcairniecrop.jpg

[wifie]

Thanks for tryin pj - is spookily familiar tho - must do some investigating!

[Tighsonas4]

there is not even one pic i can get up each one says its been moved
someone at work seems to have a problem too [lol] tony

[Buttercup]

there is not even one pic i can get up each one says its been moved
someone at work seems to have a problem too [lol] tony

(A copy of the post I made on page 35): Bill's post #645 on page 33 of this thread should help explain it.

[thirsaloon]

Here is a picture from the late Henrietta Munro's wonderful book, 'Pictures of Old Thurso and District' (out-of-print, but it's well worth getting hold of a copy), and it shows the bottom end of Olrig Street with the junction of Rotterdam Street at roughly the same period as the picture I posted which would appear to have been taken from the upper right-hand window of Shearer's.
What is noticeable in this picture is that there is another white line across the street from Cardosi's corner.
I'm even more intrigued.
Any ideas....anyone?
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-RotterdamSt1900s-1.jpg

Hello everyone, my first visit here since a wee while. Glad to see the thread is still going strong! In answer to your question the white line is flagstone paving, I have other photographs where you can see it more clearly.

There was one further up Traill Street as well. I presume it helped folk keep their feet clean (plus the bottem of womens long skirts) when the streets were not tarred like today.

[kwbrown111]

Thanks for the tip on 'Pictures of Old Thurso and District' . managing to get a copy from Amazon. Please keep adding new photos

[hell raizer]

nice to see you back thirsaloon, looking forward to seeing some more pictures :)

[Buttercup]

Glad your back thirsaloon ~ we're all eagerly awaiting more of your pics and info. :D

[trinkie]

Welcome back Thirsaloon, you have been missed

You are such a valued member of this community.

Trinkie

[Sporran]

Delighted to see you're back, Thirsaloon, and like Oliver, I'm asking for more!

[plasticjock]

Hello everyone, my first visit here since a wee while. Glad to see the thread is still going strong! In answer to your question the white line is flagstone paving, I have other photographs where you can see it more clearly.

There was one further up Traill Street as well. I presume it helped folk keep their feet clean (plus the bottem of womens long skirts) when the streets were not tarred like today.

Thanks for that thirsaloon. Clears the mystery up nicely.

[plasticjock]

Thurso 'fishwifies' 1925.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-1925-FishSellers.jpg

Thurso fishwife 1925.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-1925-FishSeller.jpg

George Bernard Shaw coming out of the Post Office. Thurso 1925.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-1925-GBScomingoutofPO.jpg

[plasticjock]

1910 Election Meeting, Town Hall Square. (from eBay)

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/01.jpg

Dividing the Catch. (A slightly different one from that previously posted on the forum, but featuring mostly the same locals).

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-Fshermen1910_2.jpg

[plasticjock]

The Lodge, Thurso Castle 1925.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-CastleLodge.jpg

Cutting peat, Thurso 1925.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-1925-CuttingPeat.jpg

[trinkie]

More wonderful pictures ! Many thanks, they are fantastic.

Trinkie

[Buttercup]

Some nice "new" pictures there plasticjock ~ you've taking over from thirsaloon! :lol: Interesting, thanks for sharing.

[plasticjock]

Thanks....I wish there were more picture posters, though.

Here is the other two pictures I have of the 'Dividing the Catch' sequence.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-1920-DealingOutTheCatch2.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-1920-DealingOutTheCatch1.jpg

[plasticjock]

(believed to be) Thurso Royal British Legion Club Commitee 1966

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ThursoLegionCommitee1967.jpg

(believed to be) Thurso Royal British Legion Club Official Opening 1967

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ThursoLegionOpening1967.jpg

[booragtoon]

Thank you plasticjock for the interesting photos. Brought back memories of standing in the Town Hall square waiting for the results. We were allowed to stay up late that night! There always was an air of excitement.

Also remember seeing the fishermen dividing some of the fish which they had caught and held back for themselves. One man would stand with his back to the others and another man would point to the various heaps of fish on the quay and the man with his back turned would say a name.

I just remember the women selling the fish - at that time they used to stand at the top of Meadow Lane (beside the well). They had to wait until their men came in with the catch and then go out and sell it. It must have been a very hard life.

[thirsaloon]

(believed to be) Thurso Royal British Legion Club Commitee 1966

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/ThursoLegionCommitee1967.jpg



That is the Legion meeting as you mentioned in the Town Hall, im not sure about the other one in your post. I have somewhere the plans for the building of the legion. Forgot about them until I seen this post.

[Buttercup]

Re: The legion committee .
Many of these faces are familiar but, try as I might, I just can't put names to more than a couple of them. Surely someone must know them. :confused

[hell raizer]

buttercup i can put names to a few of them, davie oag, donald gunn, billy angus, jack findlater, william swanson, were not sure about first one on back row it could be andrew bryson. maybe someone else knows who the rest are :confused

[Buttercup]

Thanks hell raizer. I did pick out Davie Oag, Don Gunn and Wm Swanson but it's front right, and back 2nd right that I'm really puzzling over. :confused

[hell raizer]

hi buttercup, hubby couldn't place them either and he's usually pretty hot when it comes to photo's from that time. maybe there not locals :~(

[plasticjock]

Thurso Beach 1925. Unusual, but lovely picture, taken from the watter.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-1925-Beachfromthewatter.jpg

Thurso Bridge, same year.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-1925-Bridgeatlowebb.jpg


from Herbert Sinclair's book 'Caithness 1925-1926'

[plasticjock]

Coloured postcard circa 1900.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Thurso-VictoriaWalkcirca1900_2.jpg

[Swannie]

Hi Buttercup

Some more names:

Front row: ? Darmady; DK Sutherland; Mr Murray (Manager Royal Bank Scotland); Wm Swanson and ?

Back row: far right possibly
Donald Dyer

[booragtoon]

Have been told that the fishwife on her own was Bella Leed.

The fishwives group - as far as remembered - first left Aggie Reid, ?, Ella Reid (Sinclair), Ellen Reid, ?.

It's great having these pictures.

[booragtoon]

Hope that I can add some names - Back row - 1st left Andrew Bryson, 2nd David Oag, 3rd D. Gunn, 4th ?, 5th ?, 6th ?

Front row - 1st left ?, 2nd left ?, 3rd left Mr Murray, Banker, 4th left Wm Swanson, 5th ?, 6th ?

[plasticjock]

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i122/manowar_photos/thurso/Legion673.jpg

So what we've got so far is, l to r:
Back Row: 1) *Andrew Bryson (entertainments), 2) *David Oag, 3) *Donnie Gunn, 4) ??[possibly a Mr Leslie], 5) *William (Bill) Dundas, 6) *William (Billy) Angus.

Front Row: 1) ? Darmady, 2) *Jack Findlater, 3) ? Murray, 4) *William (Flappie) Swanson, 5) *Colin Thompson (treasurer)



*=confirmed