A look back at events of 2003

April

• Radioactive waste was shipped out of Orkney for the first time ever this month, from Flotta oil terminal, for processing at the Sellafield nuclear plant. Before now, it had been transported out of the county by lorries. However, there was no need for Orkney residents to worry as the material was ten times less radioactive than a luminous watch.
• The Hamnavoe Restaurant in Stromness came under new ownership this month, when Chris and Shelagh Thomas sold the property to Neil and Sarah Taylor. Neil, a chef of 23 years, employed at the Stromness Hotel, said he was looking to introduce an international flavour to some dishes, while still retaining local, fresh ingredients.
• A suspected Stone Age settlement was uncovered at Ness of Brodgar at Stenness – but reburied until a decision was made as to what to do with it. Beverley Ballin-Smith, project manager with the Glasgow University archaeological research division, discovered the site, which is believed to be from around the same era as Skara Brae.
• Preparations began for the elections to the Scottish Parliament on May 1. Labour finally announced their last minute candidate for the Orkney seat, when Richard Meade was declared their representative. But the young candidate soon attracted criticism, when it was discovered that he had never visited Orkney.
  
  It was later revealed that his selection was agreed over the phone, before news broke out that he used to work for Tory leader William Hague..
• A dead sperm whale was washed ashore on Sanday this month. The 57-foot carcase was discovered at the Bay of Sandquoy, and soon attracted complaints from Sanday residents because of the foul smell.
• Orkney’s lack of emergency housing was exposed this month, as it emerged that some homeless people were being put up in a £65 a night hotel. The 50 emergency properties throughout the county were not enough to avoid the expensive measure of staying in a hotel, OIC’s assistant director of housing explained.
  
  He also cited staff shortages in the housng department as a major factor.
  
• The opening of Kirkwall’s second nightclub Fusion sold out in three hours, as people flocked to buy tickets for Judge Jules. The 500 available went quickly, but Neil Stevenson, club owner, said he could have sold considerably more, with lots of inquiries even after the originals sold out.
• An obsessed birds' egg collector, who filmed himself stealing rare birds’ eggs in Orkney, was jailed this month. A four-month sentence was given to Anthony Higham of Cheshire, who was one of the most prolific egg collectors in Britain. He stole eggs in Hoy in 1993.
• One of the largest private collections of ornaments ever started to be auctioned off this month – continuing over the next two years.
  Allan and Jean Taylor, of Wellington Street, Kirkwall, built up the 5,000 pieces over 50 years, but decided to sell the items, after discovering they had no more space to store them.
• NorthLink’s £28 million vessel Hamnavoe finally came into service this month, after languishing in Leith for six months. The ship could not be put into service untilt work on the piers in Stromness and Scrabster was completed. A three-hour cruise on board the ferry around Scapa Flow and Hoy raised £3,685 for the RNLI, in addition to proceeds from the bar and raffles.
• The monks on Papa Stronsay announced this month that they were planning to purchase Housebay on Stronsay – one of the North Isles’ largest farms.
  
  The monks also announced their intentions to convert the 540-acre farm from a beef farm to a dairy one, allowing them to expand on their cheese-making business.