Just before midnight on Monday, July 9, 1917, the HMS Vanguard suddenly blew up, killing more than 800 men.

Indeed, from detailed scrutiny of naval records and war graves, it is now believed that the loss of HMS Vanguard resulted in a greater loss of life than the sinking of HMS Royal Oak in Scapa Flow by a German submarine, U-47, some 22 years later.

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Dounby played host to one of Orkney’s largest ever gatherings of young pipers and drummers at the weekend.

Six pipe bands – two of which travelled over from Caithness – put on a parade at the Dounby School grounds on Saturday night.

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From Taransay to South Ronaldsay – Orkney’s newest residents, former Castaways Trevor Kearon and Trish Prater began turning their dreams to reality on Sunday.

The couple – who have been living in the Isle of Man since they took part in the BBC’s programme Castaway, two years ago – have left the rat race behind them for the tranquillity of South Ronaldsay.

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The pipe organ in Kirkwall’s East Church is off to a new home where it will be given a new lease of life.

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A former Orkney teacher is appealing for help in getting 14 boxes of sporting equipment shipped out to people in Tanzania to help them achieve a better standard of life.

Rev Jeanette Forsyth, who now works as a Scottish Episcopal missionary, is a trustee of the Scottish charity, the Chipukizi wa Yesu Trust, who run a number of projects in Tanzania.

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When experimental archaeologist Jacqui Wood was asked to recreate a replica of the Orkney Hood – a 2,000-year-old cape found in the East Mainland – she predicted that new discoveries would be made about the ancient garment.

She was right, and her educated guesswork paid off with new insights tumbling out of the sky as the replica hood slowly took shape.

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So that's what the birdieman does . . .

In this, the first of a series of short articles, Eric Meek hopes to provide an introduction to the work of the RSPB in Orkney.

Why does the Society have an Orkney presence? What does their day-to-day work involve? What issues do they get involved in?

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Reminder of early aviation hangs in new air gateway

Taking pride of place in the departure lounge of Kirkwall’s new departure lounge, the painting – entitled “Air Road to the Isles”, after a book written by Captain Ted Fresson himself - depicts Orkney’s first airfield at Wideford during its heyday in the mid thirties.

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Sounds will be set in stone

Those interested in what their voice sounds like amplified by a chambered tomb might be interested in an event taking place at the end of the month.

Human Voices - Ancient Stones is a master class voice workshop with Professor Kristin Linklater and David Burbidge to be held at the St Magnus Centre and inside Maeshowe on the evening of Wednesday, May 29.

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Westray man Bill Harcus - now 90 years old - served on the corvette HMS Samphire during World War Two, protecting the vital convoys to and from the UK. Here, he recounts the events of Convoy HG 79 in December 1941, and a final encounter with one of the men responsible for the sinking of the warship Royal Oak in Scapa Flow at the outset of the war.

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The pipes and drums bring a touch of tartan to New York

Amazing scenes of tartan-clad pipe bands marching through the streets of New York failed to set a new world record – but will go down in Scots and American history as a massive fundraiser for cancer charities – and is partly due to the efforts of an Orkney-man.

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Land of Oz is smitten by the Wrigley Sisters

Jan Nay reports on Australia's love affair with Orkney's musical duo.

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Article 'demolishes' legends surrounding Orkney Earl's voyage to the New World.

“Henry Sinclair, an earl of Orkney of the late fifteenth century, didn’t go to America.”

So begins Brian Smith’s article in Volume Two of the New Orkney Antiquarian Journal. And for anyone interested in Orcadian history this definitive investigation into the legend has been a long time coming – conclusively proving that the alleged 1398 Atlantic crossing by Henry Sinclair is nothing more than creative fiction and interpretation.

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Local workmen have uncovered part of what is believed to be a medieval cemetery in Stromness.

The site contains around 30 skeleton remains, a lot of which were cut up during the creation of the access road.

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St Magnus Festival unveils its 2002 programme

This year’s St Magnus Festival will be a “truly international festival” according to the event’s director, Mrs Glenys Hughes.

Speaking at the launch of the brochure for this year’s programme, Mrs Hughes explained that the international flavour would come from the Grand Union Orchestra who were returning to Orkney after a period of almost 20 years, and who had members from Chile, the Caribbean, Bangladesh and Uruguay among other places.

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The monastic community on Papa Stronsay has just been granted an official coat of arms.

Father Michael Mary from the Golgotha Monastery on the island explained that the Transalpine Redemptorist Order, to which they belong, had its own coat of arms, but that they wanted to have a distinctly separate one for Papa Stronsay.

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