Old Wick Photos

**south view 7** · 09-Jul-07, 18:17

who rembers the"boaties"on the river

**south view 7** · 09-Jul-07, 18:28

picture house on left.

**south view 7** · 09-Jul-07, 18:47

**trinkie** · 09-Jul-07, 19:38

Betty and Thirsoloon - both have submitted a picture of the Fountain foundations by the river, with 'Meredith Hotel' in the background.
That is now MacKay's Hotel, and at the corner of the street facing us is Ebenezer Street, recently said to be the shortest street in the country !
I suppose no more than 40 inches appx.

There will be a link to it here on caithness.org

**trinkie** · 09-Jul-07, 19:52

Lavenderblue2 - I'm going to take a wild guess at this - so please correct me if I'm wrong.
I wondered about that building too, then found this snippet.....

"In the Market Place were the Stocks. Almost in front of it, close to the Cross of Wick, stood the town pump - a square stone erection - the centre of interest on special days when bonfires were lit. On the weekly Market Day, mutton was hung around it for sale, and thither buyers and sellers foregathered. The prisoners were said to play pranks on the worthy people assembling round the pump, by throwing out, through the prison window, strings with hooks attached which said hooks gripped the hats and wigs and sometimes the mutton, of the douce gentlemen attending the Market.."
by John Horne.

Could this be it? What do you think? I dont know when the picture was taken or when the square building was taken down.
I hope someone will enlighten us.

Trinkie

PS another wild thought - I think the prison was near the Tolbooth at that time. ..... Isn't that Tolbooth Lane running up from what is now Woolworths ?

**south view 7** · 09-Jul-07, 20:16

The fountain on opening day.

**Lavenderblue2** · 09-Jul-07, 20:35

Originally Posted by trinkie

Lavenderblue2 - I'm going to take a wild guess at this - so please correct me if I'm wrong.
I wondered about that building too, then found this snippet.....

"In the Market Place were the Stocks. Almost in front of it, close to the Cross of Wick, stood the town pump - a square stone erection - the centre of interest on special days when bonfires were lit. On the weekly Market Day, mutton was hung around it for sale, and thither buyers and sellers foregathered. The prisoners were said to play pranks on the worthy people assembling round the pump, by throwing out, through the prison window, strings with hooks attached which said hooks gripped the hats and wigs and sometimes the mutton, of the douce gentlemen attending the Market.."
by John Horne.

Could this be it? What do you think? I dont know when the picture was taken or when the square building was taken down.
I hope someone will enlighten us.

Trinkie

PS another wild thought - I think the prison was near the Tolbooth at that time. ..... Isn't that Tolbooth Lane running up from what is now Woolworths ?

I think the 'town pump' sounds right Trinkie - what an interesting description John Horne gave of it.

Thank you for that you're a mine of information.

LB

**thirsaloon** · 09-Jul-07, 20:58

**thirsaloon** · 09-Jul-07, 21:00

**thirsaloon** · 09-Jul-07, 21:02

**thirsaloon** · 09-Jul-07, 21:04

**thirsaloon** · 09-Jul-07, 21:06

**thirsaloon** · 09-Jul-07, 21:09

**thirsaloon** · 09-Jul-07, 21:11

Thats the end of my Wick photographs for just now folks, hope there was few that took your interest and different compared to the usual ones that are seen.

**trinkie** · 10-Jul-07, 07:43

Thank you very much Thirsaloon, that really boosted the Wick photo section, now I hope some others will send in their favourites !

The last coloured photo you submitted - looking down Bridge Street, really tells a story seeing so many folk walking there. Nowadays with people in cars you seldom see them out walking in such numbers. At that time there would have been more 'Good Mornings' and raising of hats !

Trinkie

**trinkie** · 10-Jul-07, 07:50

Sitting here - Luddite as I am - I wonder if someone would volunteer to put photos on the Thread for those of us who are not too sure about it - and in spite of numerous helpful instructions are still too thick to comprehend what you take to be a very simple task ? I speak for myself of course.

Thanking you in anticipation
Trinkie

**Sporran** · 10-Jul-07, 17:22

Originally Posted by Lavenderblue2

I am posting the following on behalf of Trinkie. LB

I love this old photo, taken by Johnston just outside the Studio in Market Place.
An old Soldier walking from Edinburgh to Land's End via Wick, with all his belongings in his cart.
This picture reminds me of the Old Soldier William Wordsworth writes about in The Prelude - as a young boy he too met such a man. Wm Wordsworth plucks up courage to speak to this old fellow. The soldier responds to his greeting -

"Slowly from his resting place
He rose, and with a lean and wasted arm
In measured gesture lifted to his head,
Returned my salutation."

On their return from War, many soldiers found themselves homeless and unable to settle, so they packed a few things and started to walk, living in the open, sleeping under the hedgerows and eating what they could find ! I wonder if this old fellow ever made it to Land's End.
The name of the side of his cart is R.Carlisle

Trinkie

I love this old photo too - there's something quite haunting about it. The youth of the children, in contrast to the age of the old soldier, the slight haze in the background. So sad that many soldiers found themselves in this situation after the Great War! Yet there's still a look of undefeated determination in the aged soldier's eye. I'm sure he had many a tale to tell!

The shorter handle below his left hand appears to say "2,000 miles" - the length of his proposed journey, I assume. I hope he made it as well, God bless him!