Orkney were narrowly beaten by visiting Fourth Division side Helensburgh on Saturday in their BT Cup third round rugby game in Kirkwall.

The final score was 29-22 to Helensburgh.

The last wishes of a widow to be buried alongside her husband were fulfilled on Saturday in the waters of Scapa Flow.

94-year old Mrs Dorothy Golding from Gosport, England, died last year but her husband, Bandmaster Arthur Golding, died when HMS Royal Oak was sunk in Scapa Flow on October 14 1939.

To coincide with Saturday's ceremony to commemorate the anniversary of the tragedy, a weighted casket containing Mrs Golding’s ashes was placed in the wreck by her grandson.

Mrs Golding’s nephew, Mr Brian Otway, also attended the wreath-laying ceremony and remembrance service over the wreck of the Royal Oak.

Tracey Jackson of Orkney Shellfish

A young Orkney entrepreneur - who exports live shellfish to some of the world’s top hotels and restaurants - has been named runner-up in a top award for leadership and management.

Tracey Jackson of St Margaret's Hope, was runner-up in the Business Growth Challenge, which is organised by Shell Livewire.

Tracey set up Orkney Shellfish over a year ago with her partner Robert Smith to supply live shellfish and grade A whitefish to award-winning restaurants, prestigious hotels, such as Gleneagles, and selected gourmets throughout Europe and the UK.

Tracey will now compete in the Champion of Champions weekend next month.

HMS Royal Oak

A multi-million pound operation to remove the oil from HMS Royal Oak was announced by the Royal Navy on Friday.

Ever since she was sunk by a German U-boat torpedo in 1939, the hull of the Royal Oak has been slowly deteriorating, allowing oil to leak into the waters of Scapa Flow.

However, the rate of leakage has greatly increased recently, and two Ministry of Defence officials told The Orcadian on Friday morning that they plan to begin removing the oil in January.

The first phase will involve removing the oil from the boiler room, where the majority of oil is believed to be coming from. This, they say, should buy some time before they attempt to remove the remaining oil - estimated at around 1,800 tonnes - in summer 2001.

Several of the trees in one of Orkney's most popular open spaces are dying, according to a local landscape architect.

Mr Michael Roberts, whose idea it was to plant the mature trees on the Kirk Green in front of the St Magnus Cathedral, has warned the council that the land drain on the green has been starving the trees of water for years.

Mr Roberts said that he had approached the council on a number of occasions to express his concerns on the matter.

A council spokesman said that senior officials were not currently aware of Mr Roberts' concerns. He added that they are very keen to meet with him to discuss the issue as soon as possible.

A book of condolence was opened in St Magnus Cathedral on Friday for members of the public to pay their respects to the late First Minister for Scotland, Donald Dewar.

The book was available for signing from midday.

Orkney's first Blues festival kicked off on Friday afternoon with a line-up of top bands scheduled to perform.

The three-day event was the idea of Stromness businessman Colin Sinclair who organised the festival to make up for what he feels is a lack of live music in Orkney.

So from 5pm on Friday through to Sunday, venues in Kirkwall and Stromness will play host to six different groups and artists, all with one thing in common - to entertain in the best blues tradition.

Further details...

A year of hard work by Firth Primary School pupils came to a climax on Wednesday when they presented their project at the Millennium Dome in Greenwich.

The pupils showed off their science and technology project, representing the whole of Scotland after winning a national competition in the summer.

Head teacher Mr John Moar said: "We are delighted to be going to the Dome and very proud to be representing Scotland."

Orkney MP, MSP and Deputy First Minister Jim Wallace has assumed the role of acting First Minister again following the death of Donald Dewar on Wednesday.

It was announced just after 2pm on Wednesday that the decision to turn off Mr Dewar's life support had been taken after consulting Mr Dewar's family. The cause of death was a brain haemorrhage.

Speaking after the announcement of Mr Dewar's death, Mr Wallace said: "All Scotland shares a deep sense of sadness and loss. Our country has lost a remarkable leader and lost a man of outstanding personal integrity."

He added: "Scotland is grieving today. It is a grief acutely shared by his friends and colleagues, but above all by his family - Marion and Ian. To them I give my heartfelt sympathy."

Speaking of Mr Dewar's death Orkney Islands Council convener, Councillor Hugh Halcro-Johnston said: " He was a friend of Orkney and he will be sorely missed."

This week's gales caused P&O Scottish Ferries to cancel the St Ola's usual 6am crossing from Scrabster to Stromness on Wednesday and Thursday.

So that she did not have to be berthed overnight at Scrabster, the ferry operated extra sailings at 5.45pm on Tuesday and Wednesday instead.

Stromness Community Council want to see the former fire station on Ferry Road in the town used as a bus shelter.

The idea was mooted after the community council received a letter from Highland and Islands Fire Brigade asking for views on the future use of the former fire station.

At Monday night's meeting of the community council members added that they would also want to be consulted about the design of the building's conversion.

An astonishing 35 per cent of Kirkwall Grammar School pupils now own a mobile phone and are happy to spend up to £40 a month on calls.

The figures come from a survey carried out by the schoolÕs newspaper, The Kirkwallian, who last year reported a total of 92 phones among pupils. But in the past 12 months a further 225 children have become mobile bringing the new total to 317.

According to the newspaper, a random survey of schoolage mobile phone users said they were quite happy to spend up to £40 a month on their calls, with "easy contact" and "use in emergencies" highlighted as the main reasons for owning one.

A visitor to Orkney gave a Stromness family a scare on Monday night after wandering into their house and asking if he could spend the night.

Police say the male, thought to be between 45 and 55 years old, entered the house on the Back Road, Stromness at about 8pm. He was unshaven, wearing a grey overcoat, cap, and spoke with an Aberdeen accent. He was last seen heading for the town centre after the occupants asked him to leave.

Police are keen to trace the man and anyone with any information to his identity should call Stromness police on 850222.

A Scottish Executive reporter is due to carry out an inspection of a proposed Orkney Sea Farms salmon farm site at Bring Deeps off Hoy next week.

The visit follows an inspection earlier this year by the Executive's central inquiries unit to assess a site in South Walls operated by Aquascot.

Objectors claim the salmon farms pose a threat to the environment.

Council convener, Councillor Hugh Halcro-Johnston, and chief executive, Mr Alistair Buchan, are heading to Italy this week, to take part in the General Assembly of the EU’s Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions.

Among the presentations at the three-day meeting in Florence, Shetland Islands Councillor Drew Ratter will be giving a talk on the proposed reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. He chairs the Conference’s Fisheries Intercom Group.

Hoy looks set to have its own theatre with work under way to convert the old North Walls school.

The ambitious venture is being carried out by the Gable End Theatre Company, a non-profit making group of local enthusiasts.

The theatre will allow the entertainment group to expand its programme of performances as well as attract visiting theatre groups, host musical events and possibly film shows.

Time is running out for anyone wishing to nominate local sports men and women for Orkney’s first ever sporting awards.

Organised by the Orkney Sports Development Group, the awards aim to recognise the achievements of top local sports performers over the past 12 months.

Trophies will be presented at a grand Sporting Awards Dinner in the Pickaquoy Centre on November 10.

The prefabricated tower sections and nacelle for the third new windmill on Burgar Hill arrived in Kirkwall from Denmark on Monday.

Because of weight restrictions on the Evie road, the parts will now follow a circuitous route to the Burgar Hill site via the Harray road through Dounby, Twatt and Swannay.

The generator should be erected on top of Burgar Hill by the end of the week – and producing electricity by the middle of next month.

Community leaders in Orkney have welcomed last Thursday's announcement that a new partnership of Caledonian MacBrayne and the Royal Bank of Scotland are the preferred bidders to operate the Orkney and Shetland ferry service from 2002.

Orkney MSP, Jim Wallace, described the announcement as “a very welcome development" but added that priority should be given to clarifying the position of the current ships’ crews and other P&O staff.

Speaking on behalf of Orkney Islands Council, transportation committee chairman Stephen Hagan said: “Should CalMac be confirmed as the successful bidder, the start of the new contract will spell the beginning of a new relationship between the Orkney community and a new ferry operator. We are certain that this would be a positive one.”

The local business community also welcomed the prospect of a new operator on the Northern Isles routes. Brian Kynoch, transport spokesman for Orkney Chamber of Commerce, commented: “Apart from a concern about the effect that the new freight service might have on existing operators, we feel that it gives us the chance to start afresh with a high level of service.”

Current operators, P&O Scottish Ferries, have said that they are “Very very disappointed” by the announcement and are “concerned for the future of our staff.”