The Orcadian Online - Review of the Year 2006

Review of the Year 2006

January

A dramatic end to the Ba’ season saw the Doonies crush a 15-game Uppie stronghold on the event in the New Year encounter.
Alex Findlater, 39, plunged into the icy waters of the Kirkwall Basin to claim victory.
It was a family affair in the New Year and Christmas Day Boys’ Ba’s, when Doonies, Christopher and Marcus Guthrie, 15 at the time, were believed to be the first twins to have won consecutive Ba’s.
Tragically, deaths due to alcohol reached an all-time high in the county.
Nine men and two women died in 2004 – the most recent statistics available – the first time the number of people killed by drink had reached double figures in the county.
Residents of Papa Westray told the rest of Orkney they had nothing to fear if nurses replaced isles-based doctors. But Papay nurse, Fiona McNab, warned NHS Orkney officials they needed to better highlight the excellence of nurses, if they wanted to change fierce public opposition to removing GPs from the outer isles.
Record numbers of visiting boats sailed in to Orkney during 2005, despite a year of poor summer weather. The total number of vessels was just over 500, a ten per cent increase on 2004.
Orkney Rugby Club officials began drawing up plans for a new clubhouse to replace the antiquated premises. It was said that new facilities would help boost the club’s corporate activities, as well as providing indoor training facilities.
Improvements will almost be inevitable to fire safety procedures at oil depots across the country, including Orkney, in light of the Buncefield blaze in the south of England.
Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service representative, John Donaldson, revealed that officers had been in touch with BP Fuels which owns a premises on Kirkwall’s Shore Street and the Flotta oil terminal, run by Talisman, to look at their fire safety procedures.
Assurances were given by health bosses that patients would be found a bed at Kirkwall’s Balfour Hospital, despite twice being full during January.
The amount of reported debt in Orkney topped the £1 million mark.

A tunnel to Shapinsay?
February

Plans for a tunnel to Shapinsay, costing up to £79 million, were branded as a “dead duck” by one councillor. Councillor Ian MacDonald described the whole idea of putting a tunnel between the Orkney Mainland and the island as nothing short of lunacy.
Farmers in Orkney received £11 million under the new single farm payment subsidy, according to figures.
Orkney became the first Scottish island community to adopt a new sporting scheme, designed to help develop the 135 clubs throughout the county.
One of Orkney’s health chiefs played down fears of avian flu. It was warned that while there would be major disruptions to life in the county if a flu pandemic struck, there was only likely to be a few deaths.
NHS Orkney’s consultant in pubic health medicine, Dr Ken Black, said a quarter of the county’s population — about 5,000 people — were likely to be affected by the human form of avian flu, if there was an outbreak.
“The major issue will not be the number of people dying, but the very large impact on society, the disruption.
“It will have a considerable impact upon services such as ferries and shops, buses, airports, the postman. If a quarter of the population is off sick, that will have a huge impact.”
Community-owned wind turbines could generate tens of thousands of pounds for the Orkney economy, folk heard at a public meeting in Gigha. Representatives of the Orkney Renewable Energy Forum, along with delegates from Eday, Stronsay, Sanday and North Ronaldsay, visited the west coast island for inspiration in how to get community-owned wind farms up and running.
The first batch of items to help street children in Bolivia was purchased with donations raised in Orkney. At that time, more than £5,000 had been gathered together thanks to the efforts of Stromness women, Barbara McVean and Jean Davidson.
Among the items bought were a water heater, tyres, plastic cups, nappy rash creams and more than 2,000 nappies.
Long, cold winters and low-paid jobs were blamed for the high level of fuel poverty in Orkney. According to a report, the county had the second-highest level of fuel poverty in Scotland.
But people in Orkney were also living healthier lives than anywhere else in Scotland, according to new research. The average Scot will be plagued by long-term illness at just 55 years of age, according to the information which highlighted the health inequalities between rich and poor regions.
A regional breakdown showed that the average health expectancy for Orcadian men was 64.9 — much higher than city counterparts in Glasgow, who fared worst at just 51.5.
Members of the Kirkwall lifeboat crew were commended for their part in the rescue of a Papay fishing boat in rough seas. It was during the rescue of the 20-metre, Banff-registered fishing boat, Aquarius, in December.
The first civil partnership ceremony in Orkney, between Anthony Gross and Mark Bitel, both from Edinburgh, was held in the Kirkwall Town Hall on Valentine’s Day.

Police issued with stun guns
March

Children in Orkney enjoyed an early Easter holiday, as schools closed, with the first signs of winter on our doorstep. Temperatures dipped to a chilly -8C with the added wind-chill factor, as heavy snowfalls led to disruptions across the country.
The threat of strike action by bus drivers in Orkney over alleged safety issues was averted. Bosses at Rapson’s Coaches agreed to enter into talks with the Transport and General Workers Union, following claims that passenger safety was being jeopardised on all bus routes in the county.
Trained police officers in the county were issued with stun guns as a “less lethal” option to firearms. Although situations where armed police officers are required in the county are rare, two designated officers were trained in how to safely use the battery-operated device, which generates a high-voltage electrical current.
Farmers and meat companies were celebrating after the EU agreed to reopen the beef export market. For the first time since the BSE crisis forced a ban in 1996, British beef was able to be exported.
Orkney’s MSP, Jim Wallace, highlighted the county’s flawless safety record in ship-to-ship transfers.
Shocking new figures showed that more than 100 new cases of cancer are diagnosed in Orkney every year — and the figure is rising. Keith Farrer, NHS Orkney’s lead nurse for cancer and palliative care, revealed that the potentially killer disease was on the increase, with two people a week in the county told they have cancer.
As a result, a fourth NHS Orkney nurse was being trained in how to give chemotherapy treatment to patients at the local cancer unit, Macmillan House.
An Orkney fisherman had to endure a 27-hour journey to get to hospital. Ivor Rendall lost part of a finger in an accident on board the Westray-based, Keila, while fishing in deep water at Rockall — 240 miles west of the Butt of Lewis.
A local farmer said he was a virtual prisoner in his own home, after his croft was sealed off when it became the centre of the latest bird flu scare. Police and officials from the department of environment, food and rural affairs closed the area in Sandwick when more than 100 hens died. The area was later re-opened after being cleared.
The new smoking ban came into force without too much fuss. Smokers have largely adhered to the rules banning anyone from lighting up inside an enclosed public space.
Locals got the opportunity to get their hands on a piece of Torvhaug memorabilia, when the pub auctioned off some of its popular features.
Loganair chairman, Scott Grier, hosted a ceremony to mark the end of and era. From April 1, Gama Aviation took over the air ambulance contract, using helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft instead of the popular Islander aircraft.

Farm isolated as bird flu scare hits county
April

Eday residents voted overwhelmingly in favour of plans to put up a community wind turbine on the island. At a public meeting, called by the island’s development trust, 34 people — almost half the population of Eday — voted in favour of the turbine.
Ambulance bosses failed to convince an audience of 150 people at a public meeting that the new emergency air service would effectively serve the community.
Orkney Islands Council published its first economic review in four years, highlighting depopulation in a number of areas in Orkney.
Some isles were badly affected by depopulation, including Flotta and Wyre, which had suffered the loss of more than 35 per cent of their respective populations between 1991 and 2001.
Orkney Islands councillors agreed to ask the public for ideas for a new Orkney flag. Members of OIC policy and resources committee agreed to invite suggestions from people in Orkney, as long as the design incorporated red.
Five swan corpses found at the Harray and Stenness Lochs were taken away for testing, within two days of confirmation of Britain’s first case of bird flu, detected in a swan found in Fife.
The prospect of an Orkney women’s football team came one step closer to reality, when a crowd of enthusiasts gathered at the Picky Centre to discuss the issue.
A record 18 clubs signed up to challenge 2006’s Parish Cup, sponsored by The Orcadian.
Orkney athlete Neil Gray, 20, led by example, captaining Stirling University to victory in the Scottish Universities championships in Grangemouth.
A special report in The Orcadian revealed that house prices in the county were rising by roughly £1000 per month, and that the supply of housing was not meeting the demand.
Two long-standing members of the Kirkwall British Legion branch, secretary Jim Monkman and treasurer Mally Johnston stood down amid a disagreement over the shared workload.
A difference of opinion within the 30-strong committee, and a lack of input from some members was said to be the cause of their decision for early retirement.
A broken incubator resulted in an RAF helicopter being called out to deal with an emergency with a premature baby, just three weeks after Gama Aviation officially took over the SAS contract from Loganair.
In the same week, a pensioner suffering from a broken neck criticised the Gama Aviation King Air ambulance, claiming he was left freezing on Kirkwall Airport’s runway for 45 minutes while staff operated lifting equipment to stretcher patients on.
It was revealed that chart-toppers Embrace would headline a brand new two-night concert, Magfest, run by the St Magnus Festival, in a bid to provide more entertainment for a younger audience.
The Proclaimers, The Saw Doctors, and Sandi Thom, who made number one in the UK charts soon after the announcement, were also on the bill.
Police in Orkney praised the town’s new CCTV system, saying that the 14 cameras dotted around Kirkwall had already helped them track and arrest one man since being switched on.
Scotland’s First Minister, Jack McConnell, and several fellow ministers attended the annual convention of the Highlands and Islands, held in Orkney for the third time in ten years. It was Finance Minister Tom McCabe’s first visit to the county.

Speeding continues to cause concern
May

Police and road safety campaigners hit out at speeding motorists who blatantly ignore warning road signs on a notorious stretch of road on the Orkney Mainland. Three motorists were caught and charged with doing 85mph or more on the Kirkwall to Stromness road at Tormiston.
The Orkney Blues Festival finally signed off for good, hosting a farewell gig with the legendary Albert Lee and Hogan’s Heroes, in Fusion.
A “forward-thinking” group was exploring the possibility of using a community wind turbine to generate cash to help pay the running costs of a proposed care home.
Residents of the linked South Isles said they were so desperate for a care facility to be built in the area that they were willing to consider radical new ideas to help Orkney Islands Council find money to run the proposed care home.
Rendall FC made a welcome return to A league football for the first time in 18 years.
A controlled explosion was carried out after emergency services were alerted to the finding of an old Second World War grenade, at a house which was being renovated.
Richard Walker, from Deerness, was demolishing an old barn at Little Halley when he found the grenade.
The new Kirkwall marina was officially opened on Wednesday, May 18, by Councillor Jim Sinclair.
Years of despair for a handful of Orkney families came to an end with the opening of a renal unit in Kirkwall’s Balfour Hospital.
Sanday-based composer, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies hit out at the lack of architectural merit of so-called kit houses being built on the island, likening them to “domestic mass-produced alien housing stock, on a most vulnerable and comparatively unspoilt island.”
Orkney was hailed a potential accident blackspot after half the heavy goods vehicles tested by inspectors in a crackdown were found not roadworthy.
Owners were warned to clean up their act by the vehicle inspectorate in Inverness — after 30 prohibition notices were handed out in just three days in the county.
The opening of two indoor riding centres in Orkney proved their worth, when a team from the county rode away with a first place at the Carnoustie games.
It was reported that more and more young people were choosing to stay in the county to study at Orkney College, as staff dealt with record numbers of applications for courses.
Firefighters conducted an exercise on Graemsay to reassure residents that if there was ever a fire, they would be safe. Concerns had been raised by people on the island, which had no real firefighting capabilities.
Discount airfares were introduced by Loganair, for Orkney residents. The long-awaited 40 per cent discount meant that prices for flights to Aberdeen would start at £70.

Fears voiced over new air ambulance service
June

It was reported that councillors cost taxpayers in Orkney £425,000 in allowances and expenses during the previous year.
Two much-needed housing developments at the Meadows and Wellington Street, in Kirkwall, looked set to become a reality, thanks to a £300,000 windfall from Communities Scotland. The cash was to be used to alleviate sewerage problems which had plagued the town in recent years, unlocking the development potential.
Stromness publicans pulled together to organise an event to replace the Orkney Blues Festival, held for the last time in 2005. The new event, the ‘Stromness Blues Weekend’ was pencilled in for September.
Orkney Folk Festival chairman, Johnny Mowat finally stepped down from the committee, having been involved right from the beginning. He was replaced by Bob Gibbon.
Kirkwall Grammar School pupil, Jim Cook, from South Ronaldsay, made the under-19 Great Britain Octopush Squad, joining Orkney girls Sarah Gall and Kirsty Brown, who made the ladies team a month before.
Actor Chris Chittel, who plays Eric Pollard in the soap Emmerdale, revealed plans to climb the Old Man of Hoy, for cancer charity UCAN.
An unwelcome guest lurking under a kitchen towel shocked a new home-owner when she moved from Holm to Kirkwall. Pam Rendall couldn’t believe her eyes when she found a Californian king snake hiding on the breakfast bar.
The snake, ‘Houdini,’ belonged to former house-owner, Simon Rendall, and had gone AWOL in the winter.
Kirkwall residents hit out at the lack of consultation by Orkney Islands Council over proposals to build a number of roundabouts in the town, and the pedestrianisation of Broad Street.
An off-duty firefighter was hailed a hero after rescuing a Stromness pensioner from his smoke-filled kitchen.
An explosion in Ian Garson’s house, on Franklin Road, left him close to being overcome by the fumes, but when Dave Jessiman was alerted by a passer-by, he entered the house, switched everything off and led him out to safety.
A critically-ill Orkney man was told he couldn’t be airlifted to hospital in Aberdeen because the new purpose-built air ambulance plane could not carry people over 6ft tall.
Paul Shearer, who is 6ft 4in, had been told he had only survived a road accident because of his size. He was eventually “jostled” on to the aircraft. A spokesman for the Scottish Air Ambulance said he was “mystified” by the claims.
Dance organisers in Orkney were accused of “trying to make a fast buck,” and failing to take responsibilities for drunk teenagers.
PC Dave Dawson, community safety officer, warned that heads would roll if a youngster ended up seriously injured at one of the events. He pointed out that one or two children were hospitalised every time there was a “country” dance in the county.
Veteran Orkney athlete, Norman McLennan, beat the pain barrier to finish third in one of Scotland’s toughest races, the West Highland Way.
Two thousand five hundred people passed through the doors of the new Lidl store in Kirkwall, on its opening day, on June 22.
Pupils in Orkney schools were among the best behaved in the country.
Information from Orkney Islands Council stated there were just 21 reported instances of violence and aggression by pupils against teachers and school staff, between 2000 and 2005.
Nine-year-old Kelly Moar was awarded the Orkney Rotary Club’s young person of the year award. Despite having had major heart surgery twice herself, Kelly had become invaluable to her mum Tracy, helping her to care for her older brother who has severe cerebral palsy.
Speeding motorists along the main Kirkwall to Stromness road continued to plague the county, highlighted here by Councillor Andrew Drever, of the road safety partnership.
Big brother really is watching you. CCTVcameras went live in Kirkwall. Monitoring them are PCSusan Fraser and OICcommunity safety officer Ivan Taylor.

Devastating floods will live long in the memory
October

Thursday, October 26, is a date which will live long in the memory as the day when floods brought much of the county to a standstill.
Heavy rain, high tides and winds gusting up to 70mph caused chaos, with roads and schools closed, ferries cancelled and hundreds of homes without power.
More than half the average monthly rainfall fell in just one 24-hour period.
In Kirkwall, there was widespread flooding, with Junction Road transformed into a virtual river and the Willow Burn turned from a normally placid stream into a raging torrent.
In Hoy, there was a narrow escape for a school bus which just missed being washed away when the Mill Burn bridge collapsed.
There was flooding in Stromness and boats in the town’s marina were battered by the storm.
Landslides were recording in parts of the county. In Rendall, about an acre of Milldoe hill and the hill at Queenamidda were ripped away in two landslides, while others were reported between Mid hill and South Rusky hill, in Orphir.
Ironically, there was a threat to water supplies when the Kirbister waterworks was flooded by six feet of water, which short-circuited the electrics.
As supplies ran down and residents were asked to conserve water, staff worked round the clock to pump out the flood and get the plant up and running again.
Then, as the flood began to subside, a huge mopping-up exercise began, with both householders and the business community counting the cost of the floods to their homes and stock.
The month had begun with the launch of a fundraising campaign by a group of parents who had benefited from the accommodation available to folk from the islands at Aberdeen Royal Maternity Hospital.
The campaign, which has already raised thousands, aims to help pay for the refurbishment of the facilities.
Janette Park, is one of those parents who have made use of the facilities, and explained: “It is a godsend to many families who find themselves having to go to Aberdeen.”
With thoughts beginning to turn to next May’s local elections, The Orcadian reported on one-off severance payments of up to £20,000 for councillors who choose to step down at the election. Funded by the Scottish Executive, officials say the payments are designed to attract new blood into the council chamber.
What to do about traffic in Kirkwall? That’s a subject which has been occupying the minds of officials at School Place for some time, and were cause for a public meeting. Pedestrianisation and one-way systems have all been put forward, and have, predictably, met with a mixed response.
Mid-month saw a red letter day on Longhope, as the new state-of-the-art lifeboat, the Helen Comrie, came home.
Costing £2.5million, the Tamar class vessel is the 12th Longhope lifeboat. Coxswain Kevin Kirkpatrick described her as “more user-friendly” than her predecessor.
Moving from sea to air, Loganair announced it was planning to switch to bigger aircraft to serve Orkney, but officials insisted this was due to increasing passenger numbers, not because of the reliability of the existing Saab 340 planes.
However, just a week later, an in-depth review of the company’s operations was ordered, following what Loganair chairman Scott Grier described as an “embarrassing bad run” of flight delays and cancellations.
Mr Grier said he was just as frustrated as passengers with problems which had kept planes on the ground.

Such a great place to live!
November

The future of GP cover on Rousay came under the spotlight in early November, after news came to light that the isle’s doctor Garry Mearns had been suspended from practising by the General Medical Council, until April, 2008.
The reasons were not made public and this led to residents claiming they had been kept in the dark about what had been going on.
However, there were claims the island was split in its support for the GP, with some folk coming out in support of Dr Mearns, speaking of a straightforward and well-liked man, while others were not so supportive.
Remaining on Rousay, one of Orkney’s oldest residents, Dr Helen Firth, celebrated her 102nd birthday. Still registered as a doctor with the GMC, she said it may finally be time to consider retirement!
Perhaps the quality of life has something to do with Dr Firth’s longevity. This was a subject which hit the headlines following a Channel 4 programme which listed Orkney as the sixth-best place to live in the UK — and the only place in Scotland to be listed.
This led to claims that the county could face an influx of the “good life” brigade, looking to escape the rat race south and relocate north.
While the quality of life in the county may be among the best in the UK, it doesn't mean there aren’t problems.
During November, concerns about the quality of the air ambulance service since its switch from Loganair earlier the year continued to be voiced, while the problem of how best to provide care for the elderly prompted South Ronaldsay councilor, Cyril Annal, to walk out of a council meeting during a debate on the development of new care homes.
The actions of quick-thinking teenager, Kevin Gray, saved the life of an elderly neighbour, Pete Sparkes, who had slipped and fallen into a pond when Kevin — who was on his way round to help with grass cutting — jumped in to help him out.
This selfless act earned the KGS student an award from the Royal Humane Society, which he received at a special presentation from Lord Lieutenant George Marwick.
“There is no way to describe what he has done — he is simply wonderful,” said Pete's wife, Margaret.
Honours of another kind were distributed in November when the achievements of the county's sportsmen and women were recognised.
And it was a good night for the ladies, with the senior sportsperson of the year award going to athlete Doris Leonard and the junior prize going to Karen Wood.
There was a special award from the Orkney Islands Games Association to Alan Clouston, who, now retired from council, had been one of the leading lights in Orkney's entry into the games.
There was also a special award to Sanday-based ultra-distance runner William Sichel, from Orkney Islands Council recog nizing his contribution to sport in Orkney.
It was an exceptionally good month for William, who manages to fit in a column for The Orcadian between events. Taking part in his first six-day running event in Monaco, he recorded a world’s best performance, covering 478.6 miles - equivalent to more than 18 marathons - during the event’s duration.
“Stunned and flabbergasted,” was how he described his efforts. Not surprising, given that he had come back from being 50 miles behind the leader, to run further than anyone else in a similar event this year and complete more miles in the second half of the race than in the first.

Private cash for new grammar school
December

In the cold, dark December days, thoughts often turn to the weeks and months ahead, and in North Ronaldsay, a storm was brewing over how many ferries should visit the island during the summer.
Councillors had initially turned down a recommendation to start a second midweek sailing, in addition to the weekly Friday service, saying it would cost the cash-strapped authority an extra £7,500 and claiming other isles would have to settle for a lesser service.
This caused a storm of protest among North Ronaldsay's residents, and led to the council reconsidering its decision, following the intervention of Councillor Bob Sclater at the full council meeting.
A special meeting was convened, and as we enter the new year, the issue has still to be resolved, with more consultations with North Ronaldsay’s North Isles neighbours to take place.
Back on the Mainland, and hot on the heels of the Executive’s backing for a scheme using private cash to pay for a new Kirkwall Grammar School, halls of residence and Stromness Primary, health officials said they were keen to explore this avenue as a way to developing their services — including a new hospital to replace the Balfour.
The weather was back in the news, as more storms led to damage on the second barrier. Several hundred metres of crash barriers, on both sides of the causeway, simply crumpled under the weight of storm water.
Repairs are expected to take up to six months, with traffic restrictions to be put in place during the coming weeks.
There was good news for the county’s farmers, with the news that agreement had been reached on the finance for new lairage facilities at the Hatston terminal.
The animal pens will cost £825,000, some £300,000 more than was originally envisaged, and the Executive has agreed to cover the increase.
Prototypes of the new containers should be available for assessment early in the new year, with decisions on design and quantity by April.
Livestock shipments have been traditionally carried out from the Kirkwall pier, but due to changing legislation, the available lairage facilities have been deemed unsuitable.
The move to Hatston pier, to take industrial marine traffic out of Kirkwall, prompted the desire to provide specially-built containers.
On the sporting front, the county’s rugby and hockey teams scored notable successes in national competitions.
Orkney RFC progressed to the fourth round of the National Cup with an excellent come back win over higher-ranked Hillfoots, and were rewarded with a home tie against Premiership 1 side Aberdeen Grammar School Former Pupils.
The hockey team played their way to a 3-0 win over Quasar, after an army of helpers turned out to help get the Picky pitch playable.
The team will now face an away trip to Livingston and West Lothian on March 11.
And finally, (as they say on News at Ten) are we all forgetting what Christmas is really about? One Birsay minister thinks so. The Rev Alec Renshaw says: “Nowadays, Christmas stats in October and it’s all about presents and spending hundreds of pounds on each child.
“Sometimes, the church also forgets what Christmas is about.”
The Open Episcopal Church rector would be opening his door this Christmas Day to anyone who might be alone or in need of a bit of company, and already had 14 people who had said they would be calling.
“We have done this quietly every year, but this year we decided to put an advert in the newspaper,” he said.