Triple launch for Science Festival programme

The Orkney International Science Festival launched its 2003 programme on Saturday - at events in Australia, Canada and Kirkwall.

Festival director Howie Firth was in New South Wales, Australia, while the Canadian venue is the inauguration of the new First Nations University of Canada.

The local leg of the triple launch took place at Orkney College, where principal, Dr Bill Ross, joined festival chairman Eoin Scott in getting this year's event off to a start.

This year's festival runs from August 28 to September 5.

Cameron defies odds to remain in Big Brother house

Orcadian housemate Cameron Stout has beaten the odds and remains in the Big Brother house.

On Friday night Cameron (32) survived the public vote which saw two people evicted. He remains with the six other housemates for at least another week.

Since the nominations were announced earlier this week, the national press were sure that the two Scottish housemates, Cameron and Glaswegian Federico, would be evicted. Instead, Federico received 40 per cent of the vote, with Jon also evicted after receiving 37 per cent of the national vote. Cameron received 23 per cent of the vote.

Fans brave the witching hour for long-awaited Harry Potter book

Craig and Jamie Maclennan, from Kirkwall, in The Orcadian Bookshop on Saturday

As midnight passed in Kirkwall on Saturday morning, books began flying off The Orcadian Bookshop shelves. But there was nothing supernatural about this event - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix went on sale in Orkney for the first time.

The bookshop opened its doors at 12.01am this morning to allow Harry Potter fans to snap up the eagerly awaited fifth installment of the magical series.

And the fans turned out in force, with 500 people queuing along Albert Street in the minutes leading to midnight.

Honorary knighthood for Sanday man

A Sanday resident received an honorary knighthood at a ceremony in Kirkwall on Friday afternoon.

At the ceremony in the OIC offices, Dr Stanley Johnson of Waterside, Sanday, accepted the Knight's Cross of the Order of Merit from the Consul General of the Republic of Poland.

Dr Johnson (78) has spent three months every year for the past 12 years teaching English unpaid at various Polish universities.

Dark Island is Scotland's champion beer again

The Orkney Brewery have scooped the Champion Beer of Scotland award again for their Dark Island ale.

The award was presented by Orkney MSP Jim Wallace at the Scottish Traditional Beer festival in Edinburgh on Thursday.

The Quoyloo brewery previously won the award in 2000, also for Dark Island.

St Magnus Festival under way

Orkney's annual midsummer festival of the arts, the St Magnus Festival, kicked off in Kirkwall on Friday night.

The festival, which, from advance ticket sales, looks set to be a record breaker, has been described as "outstanding, both in terms of content and performers."

The 27th St Magnus Festival runs until June 25.

Click here for official St Magnus Festival website.

Orkney skipper is first in M&S stock conservation scheme

Iain Harcus receiving his award.

Kirkwall skipper, Iain Harcus, has been named as the first fishing sector recipient of the Marks & Spencer unique Food Supplier Badge.

The conservation scheme aims to maximise haddock catches and reduce cod by-catch, thus helping protect future fishing stocks.

The award was presented a special ceremony this week on the Marks & Spencer stand at the Royal Highland Show.

North Isles sports go live on the World Wide Web

The annual North Isles sports took place yesterday, with competitors from the four neighbouring islands making their way to Stronsay for the event.

For those who couldn't make it out for the action, the results were posted live on the Internet as and when available. Click here to view..

North Isles Sports 2003 website

Marina pontoon contract awarded

Four companies submitted tenders for the final stage of the marina works - Solent Marine, Walcon, Varis Engineering and Orsta of Norway.

The marinas are expected to be handed over to Orkney Marinas Ltd in October.

Ivol trial adjourned to July

The trial of MS sufferer Biz Ivol, who is charged with supplying cannabis laced chocolate, has been adjourned until July 2.

Sheriff Scott Mackenzie heard evidence on Thursday from local drugs officer PC Mike Don as well as Mrs Ivol (55), who is further charged with possessing and growing cannabis.

The trial will be reconvened in the Pickaquoy Centre next month, where defence evidence from an expert witness on the medicinal use of cannabis is due to be heard.

Tourist Board invite comic to become Orkney ambassador

Orkney Tourist Board have sent an invite to camp comic Graham Norton to become an ambassador for the islands – despite his repeated jibes at Big Brother’s Cameron Stout and his homeland.

The invite follows the success of a visit by Big Brother 2 finalist Elizabeth Woodcock to Orkney in 2001.

Click here for full story.

GMB's house up for sale

The former home of celebrated Orkney writer George Mackay Brown is to go up for sale.

The two-bedroomed flat at 3 Mayburn Court in Stromness has stood empty since the writer and poet's death in 1996.

See also: People of the 20th Century - George Mackay Brown

Court hears witness had no choice but to ask for cannabis chocolate

John Murray of Dalgety Bay, Fife, claimed that MS sufferer Biz Ivol of Herston, South Ronaldsay - who is on trial for allegedly supplying, growing and possessing cannabis - had not asked for any payment for the chocolate.

The trial, before Sheriff Colin Scott Mackenzie, was continued on Thursday.

An islands councillor has launched an attack on the system for appointing members to promoted posts on the OIC, describing it as a "corrupted method" which smacked of "jobs for the boys."

Councillor Alistair Gordon voiced his concern after declining to be nominated as vice-chairman of the OIC's licensing sub-committee.

He said he was “unhappy” at the “cut and dried way” in which the committee chairmanships and vice-chairs had been appointed.

Click here for more details

Biz remains defiant as media focus on Orkney cannabis trial

MS sufferer Biz Ivol remained defiant on Wednesday, minutes before her high profile trial was due to begin in Kirkwall's Pickaquoy centre.

The trial started slightly later than scheduled and was watched by members of the national media, who have been arriving in Orkney over the past few days.

Mrs Ivol is charged with supplying, possessing and growing cannabis - a drug she says helps alleviate the painful symptoms of multiple sclerosis.

Picky Millennium cash bid fails

The plans for the centre included the construction of an indoor carpet bowls arena, squash courts and a number of new changing rooms.

The Commission gave no specific grounds for not awarding funds to the £2.7 million application, other than to state that "the application was less attractive than others before them".

Archive story: Picky expansion investigated in light of cash grant news

Public vote will decide if Cameron stays in Big Brother house

Orcadian Cameron Stout is one of the three Big Brother housemates up for eviction this week.

But his chances of staying are looking slim - after the public votes are counted, two of the three nominees will be evicted on Friday night.

At present, the favourite for eviction is Glaswegian Federico, but this leaves Cameron up against Jon - the survivor of three week's nominations and the bookies' favourite to stay in the house.

Click here for the official Big Brother Website

NorthLink provide travelling support for festival musicians

NorthLink are providing free travel for the instruments and musicians of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, who are travelling to Orkney for the St Magnus Festival.

The ferry company have also announced that they will be offering discounted rates for other performers.

NorthLink's Elaine Tulloch explained: "When we devised our sponsorship programme for the year, we were very keen to support events that benefit the local communities within the areas we serve and the St Magnus Festival certain does so."

Conducting course is St Magnus Festival first

The St Magnus Festival conducting course in Kirkwall earlier today.

A ten day conducting course in Kirkwall is under way this week as part of this year's St Magnus Festival.

The course is being directed by renowned conductor Martyn Brabbins, and will see students' work culminating in performances with the BBC Philharmonic and the BT Scottish Ensemble.

This year's St Magnus Festival begins on Friday evening.

Click here for St Magnus Festival website.

Postal commission head north

Concerns about the the future of the postal services will be aired at a public meeting in Orkney next week.

Held by Postcomm, the Postal Services Commission, it is the first time Postcomm have come so far north.

The public meeting in Orkney will be held at 7pm in the Orkney Hotel in Kirkwall next Wednesday when the commissioners expect to have a range of topics raised, including postal charges, delivery delays and the plight of rural post offices.

'Hib' booster jabs

Around 500 children in Orkney are being offered a booster vaccine in the coming weeks in a bid to curtail the rising numbers of youngsters affected by Hib - Haemmophilus influenza type B.

The bulk of the jabs will be administered to children belonging to Kirkwall's Scapa Medical Group and Skerryvore practices at a special clinic in the Pickaquoy Centre on Wednesday.

Police hunt vandals after weekend damage

Vandals are being targeted by police after a spate of vandalism in Kirkwall over the weekend.

Various items were damaged in the spree, which is thought to have taken place on Saturday night and into Sunday morning.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Kirkwall police on 872241.

UHI funding aims to elevate science festival to international event

Money from the University of the Highlands and Islands Millennium Institute (UHI) will go towards promoting the Science Festival as an international event, and will see the festival renamed the "Orkney International Science Festival".

This year's festival runs from August 28 to September 5, with the programme being launched this Saturday at events in Orkney, Australia and Canada.

2001