A look back at events of 2003

June

• It was announced this month that the NorthLink ferry Hrossey was to be taken out of service for eight days during the height of the summer season for urgent repairs.
• Cameron Stout had an eventful month in the Big Brother house. After avoiding nomination for two weeks, he looked a cert to go after being put up for the public vote along with cult hero Jon and ladies’ favourite Federico.
• Drama unfolded in the Kirkwall Basin, after a Kirkwall lifeboat member ended up saving the life of a man who had fallen in. Kevin Tullock dived in the water after Bruce Donaldson fell in. Mr Donaldson was wearing chest waders, which made it near impossible to stand up. Mr Tullock was out with a colleague in the lifeboat’s inflatable craft, when he saw Bruce fall in, prompting the saving.
• Advertising signs that had been up for a couple of weeks, on the gable end of D.H. Gorn for the women’s clothing shop Klaize fell foul of planning regulations, and councillors ordered them to be taken down. The adverts went against strict rules regarding Kirkwall’s status as a conservation area, and there were no ‘exceptional circumstances’ that meant they could stay there.
• The Hoy Half Marathon took place in near perfect conditions, with 84 contestants eventually running or walking the 13-mile route, after problems with the bus to Rackwick. Edinburgh hill runner Adam Ward claimed his sixth successive win in the men’s race, with Lorna Leslie gaining victory in the ladies’ event. Kevin Pepper won the quarter marathon.
• The original Phoenix cinema was saved – temporarily – from demolition this month after councillors deferred a decision on its future. They felt that the building’s prime central location made it unsuitable for the proposed women’s refuge, and recommended that the Orkney Housing Association and Orkney Women’s Aid look at other sites.
• Tourists caused mayhem at an Orphir house during a stopover visit to Orkney. The German visitors invaded Stan Pyke’s house and grounds in Orphir, clambering over his balcony to get a better view of Scapa Flow. They also picked flowers, trampled over other blooms, and even urinated against his walls.
• The trial of Biz Ivol got under way at a specially convened court at the Picky Centre. Mrs Ivol freely admitted growing, using and supplying cannabis, but denied she was guilty of any crime. The MS sufferer pled not guilty, and said “I do not feel guilty for using a God-given natural plant to help myself and to help other people in the same boat as me”. The trial was adjourned until July 2.
• Orkney’s Island Games adventure began in mid-June, as the group of athletes and officials jetted off to Guernsey for the tenth competition. Twenty three island communities took part in 15 different sports, with a total of 76 Orcadian competitors travelling to Guernsey, 68 of them athletes. It turned out to be a bit of a disappointing event for the Orkney contingent, who failed to beat their total of four medals in the 2001 Isle of Man games, scooping just one bronze throughout the entire tournament.
• Harry Potter fever hit Orkney this month with the release of the fifth book in the series. The Orcadian Bookshop opened at 12.01am, with more than 500 fans lining up outside, waiting for their copies – not a bad feat considering that was half the number of eager fans that lined up outside book giants Waterstone’s in Glasgow the same night.