A look back at events of 2003

August

• A pilot was hailed a hero after he guided an aircraft to the ground, following mid-air engine failure. A Balfour Hospital surgeon praised Captain Malcolm Hempsell for keeping his cool during the emergency at 6,500ft.
• An Orkney motorcyclist was killed early in August when his bike collided with a bus in Holm. Ian Kelday Leslie, 26, an off-shore worker, died when his bike and a coach collided at the south end of the number one Churchill Barrier.
• The first weekend in August was described by some sporting coaches as the most successful weekend in the history of Orkney athletics. Sprinters Neil Gray and Nigel Thomson both put in ”outstanding” performances while representing their countries in different sporting events. Nigel, representing Great Britain, reached the final stages of the World Fire and Police Championships in Barcelona, and earned himself the title of 400m World Fire-Fighter Champion.
  
  Meanwhile, 17-year-old Neil captained Scotland to first place at the Celtic Games in Northern Ireland, and recorded a new record time of three minutes 19 seconds in the four x 400 relay.
• Hundreds of angling enthusiasts were welcomed to the county this month, when a major fishing event came to town. The European Line Class and Boat Championships attracted about 160 anglers and their families.
• In August Holm lifted the Parish Cup football trophy for the first time in 50 years after beating St Ola 2-1 in a close final at the Pickaquoy Centre. Strikers John Dearness and Alan Stevenson scored the goals that mattered, while St Ola defender Paul Kemp netted the consolation for St Ola.
• Two quick-thinking Kirkwall boys were hailed as heroes by creel fisherman Bryan Newlands, after their shouting and banging alerted him to a fire in his kitchen. Ross Bruce and Garry Bruce, both 16 at the time of the incident, shouted and banged on Mr Newlands’s window when they spotted him asleep on his sofa, as smoke spewed from his home in Whitechapel, Kirkwall.
• Orkney MSP Jim Wallace led calls for the voting age to be lowered from 18 to 16. Mr Wallace said he had “long held the view” that 16-year-olds should have the right to take part in the voting process.
• The order of monks living on Papa Stronsay bought a new ferry to bring in building materials for their new monastery in August. The small ro-ro vessel Eilean Bhearnaraigh was purchased from the Western Islands Council.
• It was announced this month that NHS Orkney chief executive Mrs Judi Wellden was on indefinite sick leave. Chief executive of Highland Primary Care NHS Trust, Mr Paul Martin, was later appointed interim chief executive.
• More than 2,000 lined the pier in Stromness to welcome Big Brother hero Cameron Stout back home. The 32-year-old sailed home to a hero’s welcome on board NorthLink’s Hamnavoe.
• Four illegal immigrants – believed to have been working in Kirkwall’s Eastern Spice and Indian Garden restaurants – were arrested in August.The incident occurred in the same week that Orkney was identified by the National Criminal Intelligence Service as an easy entry point to the UK for foreign nationals.
• Hundreds of people backed calls for CCTV cameras to be installed in Kirkwall to combat vandalism. Nearly 400 people logged on to an online poll launched by The Orcadian, with 85 per cent voting in favour of installing cameras.