Stromness take first place in drama festival

Stromness Drama Club's production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern was announced the winner at the close of the drama festival on Friday night.

Birsay Drama Group were second, followed a second entry from Stromness Drama Club - Lone Star.

Full results

Westminster MP under the hammer

Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael went under the hammer on Saturday morning - one of the lots in a charity auction in Kirkwall.

Mr Carmichael responded to a plea for male slave to raise funds for the Blide Trust, offering to do a few hours housework for the highest bidders.

TV producers consider Balfour project

BBC television’s Beechgrove Garden producers were in Orkney last week, look at ideas for the forthcoming series in April.

NHS Orkney chaplains wrote to the programme asking if a site outside the chapel in the grounds of Kirkwall’s Balfour hospital could be considered as a community project.

They will know in a week whether or not they have been chosen.

Macdonald welcomes P&O extension

P&O Scottish Ferries will provide the lifeline ferry service for passengers and cars to Orkney and Shetland until September 30, the Scottish Executive confirmed on Friday.

Deputy Transport Minister, Mr Lewis Macdonald, welcomed the conclusion of negotiations, saying: “Today’s agreement provides continuity of service for the islands. I welcome the company’s co-operation in agreeing to extend its operations for a further six months until the new NorthLink contract starts.”

He added: “P&O Scottish Ferries have served the Northern Isles with distinction for many years. They clearly wish to continue that service until the very end of their contract period and I welcome their determination to do so.”

Orkney Brewery on winning form

Three beers brewed by the Orkney Brewery were on winning form at this year's competition run by the Small Independent Brewers Association.

Red MacGregor won the category for Best Bitter at the regional Scottish event held in Edinburgh, while Skullsplitter, and Dragonhead came third in two other categories.

The beers will now go through to the UK national finals, due to be held in Southport next Thursday.

P&O extension agreed

An agreement has finally been signed between P&O Scottish Ferries and the Scottish Executive for the ferry company to carry on running the Northern Isles services until the end of September.

The Orcadian revealed last month that talks were still taking place between the parties to finalise plans for a six-month extension to P&O’s contract, starting on April 1, as a result of a delayed decision on the new ferry service.

An official statement from the Executive is expected later today. New ferry operators NorthLink are due to start their services from October 1.

Scallop testing meeting in Kirkwall

A senior official from the Scottish Executive addressed a meeting in Kirkwall on Thursday night on the subject of scallop testing and a review of the method used for sampling shellfish.

Andrew Mackie, who is heading the review on behalf of the Food Standards Agency, was invited north to speak to members of the Orkney Shellfish Hygiene Forum. He was keen to hear local people’s views on the proposed changes.

MP backs seaman’s union campaign

Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael is supporting a call from seaman’s union NUMAST, for measures to encourage recruitment to the maritime industry.

After introducing a Commons motion in support of the call, he said: “This is a sector in which people from both Orkney and Shetland have traditionally found employment and the current state of the industry is therefore of considerable concern.”

He continued: “I am happy to support NUMAST’s campaign to boost recruitment in the maritime industry. If Britain can once again boast a highly trained, professional maritime industry this will dramatically improve the standards of safety and conditions onboard the ships using our ports and waters.”

The work of Orcadian writer George Mackay Brown is being exhibited along with a number of prints by eight well-known Scottish artists in an exhibition that opening at the Orkney Museum in Kirkwall this week.

The title of the collection, The Scottish Bestiary, will feature a collection of poetry and prose by George Mackay Brown, celebrating the birds and animals of Scotland, both real and imaginary.

£150,000 more may be needed to promote hub

Orkney Islands Council have agreed to invest £150,000 to promote the idea of a container hub in Scapa Flow. The promoters of the idea also believe that the next step will be to appoint a project leader.

Chairman of the council’s economic development committee, Councillor Jim Foubister, indicated that it might be necessary to spend another £150,000 on the project in the following year as well.

Full story

According to local farmers, supermarket domination has meant that they have no choice but to market Orkney prime cheddar through brokers, McLelland.

A straw poll of Orkney dairy farmers - who formed a co-operative to run Orkney Cheese in 1999 - revealed that, despite initial misgivings, they accepted that McLelland were the best people to promote Orkney’s prizewinning cheddar, and most agreed that to date the company were doing a good job.

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Four plead guilty to Torvhaug charges

Kirkwall Sheriff Court heard yesterday how Kirkwall's Torvhaug Inn was turned into the “Wild West” when five men burst through the doors, some brandishing broken pool cues.

Sheriff Colin Scott Mackenzie called for social inquiry and community service reports on four of the five men, after they changed their not guilty pleas to guilty just before going to trial today.

David Sutherland (23), Old Bakehouse, St Margaret’s Hope, admitted the full charge, while acting along with Colin Low, of assaulting Allan Besant, lashing out with cues, fighting, overturning furniture, breaking glasses, and committing a breach of the peace on November 26, 2000.

The other three, Ian Spence (37), The Cottage, Upper Scapa, St Ola, Jonathan Iain Gatt (21), 8 Thorfinn Place, St Margaret’s Hope, and Tony Steeple (20), Crowsnest, St Margaret’s Hope, pled guilty to the charge under deletion of the assault on Allan Besant, which was accepted by the Crown.

Kirkwall house floods for second time

Kirkwall Fire Brigade were called out to a house house in Junction Road again on Wednesday morning, after the premises flooded for the second time this week.

The fire brigade were previously called to the house shortly before midnight on Monday, where they used pumping equipment to remove the flood water.

Joint venture aims for £2 million tourism boost

Viking Island Holidays - a tourism venture set up by the Orkney and Shetland tourist boards and NorthLink Ferries - is to appoint a new business manager to progress the project.

Orkney Tourist Board chief executive Mrs Barbara Foulkes said they hoped the venture would boost tourism by £2 million over three years and attract 7,000 new visitors to the Northern Isles.

Final say on Local Plan

Orkney Islands Council have published the finalised draft local plan for Orkney.

The plan, which was approved by the council in December 2001, takes account of public views expressed following the publication of the consultative draft.

Copies of the new draft will be automatically sent to those who responded to the consultative draft and can also be accessed via the council’s website, www.orkney.gov.uk or by contacting the council’s forward planning offices on 01856 888750.

Lord Advocate agrees to consider two fiscals for Northern Isles

Orkney could be in line for its own procurator fiscal instead of sharing the service with Shetland.

Scotland’s Lord Advocate, Colin Boyd, has agreed to give consideration for two fiscals when Crown Office resources become available.

He gave the undertaking to Orkney MSP, Jim Wallace, and Shetland MSP, Tavish Scott, after a meeting on Tuesday.

Janitor fined after Georgian fighting challenge

A school hostel janitor was fined £150 at Kirkwall Sheriff Court on Tuesday, after admitting challenging people to fight in a Kirkwall bar and carrying a knife.

The court heard that Timothy Walker, Torness, Kirkwall, had asked two people in the Georgian Bar to fight with him. The police were called and found Walker to be in possession of a folding lock knife.

Drama Festival under way

The Orkney Drama Festival kicked off in Kirkwall on Tuesday night and runs until Friday

The festival, part of the Scottish Community Drama Association, features ten competitive plays performed by amateur dramatic groups from across Orkney.

This year's adjudicator is Mr Michael Emans, artistic director of Rapture Theatre.

More details, including running order.

Easter opening for Tomb of the Eagles interpretation centre

An interpretation centre is being added to the Tomb of the Eagles in South Ronaldsay in a bid to heighten the experience for visitors.

Built around 3,000 BC, the Isbister chamber tomb – best known as the Tomb of the Eagles – is a popular South Ronaldsay tourist attraction and the new centre will incorporate a small shop selling refreshments and local crafts.

The new centre is hoped to be opened at Easter.

Monday's heavy rain coupled with melting snow from the weekend brought flooding to several parts of the county.

As well as affecting roads, properties in Birsay, Stenness and Kirkwall were affected, with Kirkwall Fire Brigade using pumping equipment at a house in Junction Road.

Also in Kirkwall, the Pickaquoy Centre's boilerhouse was also hit and the Orkney Rugby Club was badly flooded with all floors still under water yesterday morning.

MSPs discuss procurator fiscal provision for Northern Isles today

Orkney could soon have its own procurator fiscal instead of sharing the service with Shetland.

An increased workload for the current fiscal, Ms Sue Foard, who travels between the two islands, led to a meeting to discuss the issues between MSP’s Jim Wallace and Tavish Scott and Scotland’s Lord Advocate, Colin Boyd, in Edinburgh today.

The MSPs say the best option is for two fiscals, or at very least better support for the current procurator fiscal.

Surprise top ten world ranking for Sichel

Sanday’s international ultra distance runner William Sichel has entered the top ten world ranking for the first time.

His personal best performance of 87.90 miles in last August’s Boston Games 12-hour track race was the ninth best in the world last year.

William's next target is to defend his Basle International 24-hour Road Race title on May 4-5. Before then he may race in either the National 100km Championships on April 7, or the Speyside 50km trail race on April 14.

Five Orkney companies off to Murrayfield trade fair

Five Orkney food and drink companies are off to Edinburgh later this week, attending a national trade fair in Edinburgh on Thursday.

Orkney Brewery, Orkney Creamery, Orkney Herring, Orkney Preserves and Stockan & Gardens are among 28 companies from the Highlands and Islands who have signed up for the “meet the buyer” event at the Murrayfield rugby stadium.

The event, organised by Highlands and Islands Enterprise, is targeting speciality buyers from the top end of the food and catering industry.

The future of inshore fishing around Orkney is to be discussed at a public meeting in Kirkwall next month.

Industry representatives are being invited to give their views on the way ahead including the idea of introducing a regulating order for Orkney waters.

The public meeting, which is taking place at the Pickaquoy Centre at 7.30pm on Friday, March 8, will be chaired by Councillor Jim Foubister, chairman of the OIC’s economic development committee.

Rugby boys notch up another victory

Orkney Rugby Club's First XV beat Banff 28-5 on Saturday, their latest fixture in the BT National Division Five North League.

After travelling down to Banff on Friday night, three tries from Al Watson and one from Roger Hall secured Orkney a bonus point.

Torvhaug assault trial - tommorrow

Ian Spence (37), David Sutherland (23), Jonathan Iain Gatt (21) and Tony Steeple have all plead not guilty to the charge.

Easter start for tours of Cathedral upper floors?

Looking towards the West Window from the Crossing in St Magnus Cathedral.

Guided tours of the St Magnus Cathedral upper floors could be underway by Easter, a year after the service was originally hoped to start.

Insurance and health and safety issues delayed the launch, but with all requirements now satisfied, it is hoped tours can begin in time for the 2002 tourist season.

It is planned to take small groups of up to five people at a time to see around the upper levels and access the parapet of the spire for a panoramic view of Kirkwall.