A look back at events of 2004

May

• Shocking news gripped the county at the start of May, when it was reported that NHS Orkney had dealt with its first case of HIV. The patient could not be identified due to patient confidentiality and it was therefore difficult to confirm if he or she was an Orkney resident or a visitor.
  
  Although Shetland authorities had been dealing with cases for the last four years, this was a first for Orkney which had been one of the only areas left in Scotland to be unaffected by the disease.
• May was once again greeted by thousands of fans of the ever popular Orkney Folk Festival. In its 22nd year, the event was hailed as another great success.
  One of the most notable performers at this year's event was Diarmaid Flemming and his special collaboration of Irish musicians.
  
  He praised the festival as one of the best around. "It's better than many other festivals. We have a very high quality in a smaller setting, and it's much more relaxed."
• A blueprint for the future of Orkney housing was launched at the start of May.
  
  A new OIC local housing strategy recognised that the county's residents have rights to affordable, quality, private, and public sector housing wherever they live.
• OIC officials welcomed the news that they were to receive a £3 million windfall for the county's housing. Poorer people, the elderly and those with disabilities in the outer isles were set to benefit from a free "handyman" service.
• Kirkwall airport claimed that there would be fewer delays due to bad weather, thanks to new equipment put in place in mid-May. A £1.6 million instrument landing system (ILS) was finally operational after a long series of delays. The system, which involved constructing a forest of masts in fields near the airport, gives pilots a minimum decision height of 200 feet for approaches to Kirkwall airport.
• The Orkney Childcare Partnership started a major drive to recruit more childminders, due to a "chronic" shortage in the county.
  
  Adrian Williams, assistant director for children and families with Orkney Islands Council, said: "At one time, the care commission's application process and regulations were overly demanding and complicating, but they have now been simplified and there is also a great deal more support and advice available to people interested in being childminders."
• Orkney welcomed Rangers manager Alex McLeish in May, when he told fans his biggest regret was that he had no silverware to bring with him. He flew to the county to meet the Orkney True Blues supporters club at the Lynnfield Hotel. Orkney True Blues boast more than 200 members and his visit offered some consolation for the team's disastrous season.