Raymond Stanger with his ba'

The Men's Ba' was donated by Jim Cromarty of Stenness who threw it up at 1pm. After a four hour battle, in which the Uppies dominated again, the ba' touched Mackinson's Corner just after 5pm.

Raymond, who is originally from Kirkwall, now lives in Dounby.

Click here for photographs.

A jubilant Robbie Innes after the Christmas Day Boys' Ba'

The first ba' game of the festive season went up on Christmas Day, with the Boys' Ba' going to uppie Robbie Innes.

Donated by Alan Monkman, the ba' was thrown up by Alan's daughter Jean at 10.30am. From Broad Street it made its way south to touch the uppie goal at Mackinson's Corner around 12.40pm.

It then took until around 1.15 pm for the Uppies' champion to be decided, but at the end of the contest Robbie Innes was awarded the ba'.

NHS Orkney confirm that absent chief executive will not return

NHS Orkney has confirmed that Judi Wellden will not be returning to her post as chief executive following a period of sick leave.

Mrs Wellden joined NHS Orkney in December, 1998. After six months absence due to illness, she returned to the helm in August, 2002 before going on sick-leave again in August 2003.

Interim chief executive Paul Martin will continue in the post until the health board considers the appointment of a new chief executive.

Housing scheme planned for Grainbank

Grainbank House, Kirkwall

The land surrounding Kirkwall's Grainbank House looks set to be transformed into a new housing development by a newly-formed company who have bought the property..

Westdawn Ltd is made up of two company directors Terry o' Hara, managing director of Andrew H. Wilson Electrical Ltd, and Alastair MacLeod of Alastair Macleod Independent Financial Advisers.

A development brief has been forwarded to the Orkney Islands Council for a proposed 148 housing plots. The 19th century house and walled gardens is to be resold.

Kidney patient must leave Orkney to save her life

An Orkney kidney patient is faced with a heartbreaking dilemma - move south for treatment or stay in the county and die.

Adeline Slater (59) was born in Sanday and lived in Orkney all her life. But since developing kidney trouble she had been told she now requires haemodialysis - a treatment only available at home when administered by a trained family member.

But having no such choice, Mrs Slater has added her voice to a campaign asking NHS Orkney to set up a haeomodialysis unit in Kirkwall and to train up nurses to carry out the treatment.

Kirkwall to host 2004 UHI lecture by Eden founder

Orkney is to host the prestigious UHI Annual Lecture in 2004. It will be presented by the man behind the hugely successful Eden Project, who believes a university for the Highlands and Islands will change lives.

Tim Smit, the co-founder and chief executive of the Eden Project in Cornwall, will present the lecture in the Pickaquoy Centre on September 11, 2004.

The 2004 lecture will be only the third UHI Annual Lecture. Previous lectures were presented in Inverness and Skye by Lord Puttnam of Queensgate CBE and President Mary McAleese of Ireland.

Minor injuries after three car accident in Finstown

Kirkwall police say the accident near the Atlantis Lodges, Finstown, at 12.20pm involved a Vauxhall Astra, Ford pick-up and a Renault Clio. As a result, the main Stromness - Kirkwall road was closed for a period of time.

A report is to be submitted to the procurator fiscal, a police spokesman added.

Harbour search after boat slips moorings

The Shetland Coastguard heliopter and Kirkwall lifeboat were launched to search for the owner of a white dory found drifting between Kirkwall pier and the Hatston slip at about 1.45pm by the Orkney Ferries boat Earl Thorfinn.

Kirkwall police Inspector David Miller said: “We tried to trace the owner of the boat, who was found safe and well. The boat had slipped its moorings.”

Northern Constabulary top police performance league

Northern Constabulary, including the Orkney police force, has again topped the bill for service performance.

The figures from Audit Scotland show that 89 per cent of people in the Highlands and Islands are satisfied with the service they receive from the police.

Inspector Miller said: "It is good new that we continune to have the confidence of the public. However, we can not become complacent and need to continue to work hard."

Weather conditions mar solstice sunset from Maeshowe

Maeshowe's entrance passage

The weather scuppered the viewing of the winter solstice sunset from Maeshowe on Tuesday, with low cloud and rain making for an unspectacular event.

The 5,000-year-old chambered cairn in Stenness is aligned so that the dying rays of the midwinter sun travel through the long entrance passage and strike the rear wall of the chamber.

But for those congregating to watch, and those viewing online, low cloud got in the way of the sun as it slipped behind the hills of Hoy.

See also: Maeshowe live webcams
Maeshowe and the Winter Solstice

Police vow to catch drink drivers

Two more drink drivers are to be reported to the procurator fiscal as part of the police's annual festive drink driving campaign.

A police spokesman reinforced the message to all driver not to drink and drive over Christmas and New Year and warned that police would catch offenders.

Executive are ignoring Orkney's funding pleas says MSP

The figures show that Shetland will receive £681 per person in 2004/05 and £694 in 2005/06 more than Orkney. The Western Isles will receive £724/£743 per head of population than Orkney.

"This settlement puts enormous pressure on Orkney Islands Council to provide high quality council services when funding levels, compared to other islands, are so low." she said.

Archive story: Disappointment over grant level

Police pleased with drug operation result

Police Inspector David Miller has praised the anti-drug efforts of Kirkwall's Fusion nightclub following a police operation on Sunday night.

During Sunday night's Judge Jules set, police carried out a number of random searches with the help of sniffer dogs. No illegal substances were found.

Inspector Miller said: "It is pleasing to see the co-operation and anti-drugs policy introduced by Fusion helping to maintain the good record of the club and Orkney."

Man in hospital following Orphir crash

A 20-year-old man was taken to Balfour Hospital on Friday following a road accident in Orphir.

The man's Citroen Saxo car was extensively damaged after leaving the road on Friday afternoon, coming to rest in a field.

Inspector David Miller said although the injured man was detained over the weekend he was not believed to be badly hurt.

Information sought over vehicle theft

Police are looking for information after a stolen car was crashed and abandoned into Kirkwall's Peerie Sea.

The green Volkswagen Golf was taken from Dounby about 11.30pm on Friday night. The extensively damaged vehicle was later recovered from the Peerie Sea.

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

Grampian TV have released details of a new series which will be broadcast in the New Year, called Unsolved: Getting away with murder.

The seven-part series will re-examine six unsolved murder cases throughout the north and north-east of Scotland, and will include the murder of Shamsudden Mahmood, who was shot dead in the Mumutaz Indian Restaurant in Kirkwall in 1994.

A team from Grampian TV were in Orkney earlier this year filming for the programme, which will include interviews with some of the people involved at the time, and a reconstruction of the event in the restaurant.

See also: The Mumutaz Murder