Local cinema and music stalwart dies

Orkney businessman, musician and photographer Dougie Shearer has died at the age of 89.

Mr Shearer was born at 43 Albert Street in Kirkwall, where he lived until his death on Saturday. He grew up with the cinema, his grandfather, D.B. Peace running the Albert Kinema, before handing it over to Dougie to manage.

Mr Shearer, who played the fiddle for more than 40 years in local productions and taught music at Kirkwall Grammar School and several rural schools, played a role in the opening of the Phoenix Cinema, which closed down several years ago.

Dougie’s talent for photography was recently documented in a compilation book, People & Places.