In 1986 the Junior Golf Shetland Open was played at Dale Golf Course. Pictured (from back left) are the participants and trophy winners: Magnus Smith, Malcolm Jamieson, Scott Leask, David Kerr, Fraser Thomson, Campbell Jamieson -18 hole net winner – Michael Boxwell – 18 hole gross winner – David Groat, Tom Green, unknown, Lyn Simpson, Andrew Swannie – nine hole gross winner – Grant Wiseman, John Magnus Scollay – nine hole net winner – Robert Geddes and Scott Williamson. Photo: John Coutts
10 YEARS AGO
Eleven immigrants suspected of being in the country illegally were arrested when Home Office officials raided four takeaway restaurants.
All 11 detainees face possible eviction from the country, while their employers could be hit with steep financial penalties – as much as £20,000 per illegal worker. The manager at one of the takeaways told The Shetland Times he plans to fight the potential punishment.
Officers were working on tip-offs that all four businesses were employing immigration offenders. Staff at each location were questioned about their right to live and work in the UK.
A “victory for common sense” has been declared now the single emergency tug serving the whole of the UK has been saved from the axe – ending months of uncertainty.
Wednesday’s announcement by the Westminster government’s transport secretary, Robert Goodwill, that the Orkney-based Herakles would remain in place for five years finally brought much needed answers to those voicing concerns about maritime safety and pollution control.
Part of the aim now will be to keep the tug cost-effective. Under the terms of the deal, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) will seek to recover Herakles’ costs from the shipping industry wherever possible.
It aims, in the longer term, to explore opportunities for the vessel to take on “low risk” commercial work.
Lerwick-based consultant anaesthetist Catriona Barr had an exceedingly close encounter with an orca while she was returning from her swim to the point of the Knab.
In what is quite possibly the closest anyone has has got to an orca in the sea around Shetland, Dr Barr was within five or six feet of a huge bull male that swam beneath her for an inspection.
An orca can make short work of a 500lb grey seal or even a great white shark, so Dr Barr, clad in a black wetsuit, was understandably terrified when she saw the powerful, beautiful and menacing animal go past her in the water, its stark black and white colouring a sign that it is top of the food chain and has nothing to fear.
It may have been regarded as a flying visit, but a representative from the Air Training Corps (ATC) was in the isles 10 years ago for its 75th anniversary celebrations. Attending the event with Wing Commander Christine Copsey (centre) were members of the local Rafa branch (from left): Helen Johnson, Tom Bulley, George Johnson, Ian Fraser, Jim Nicolson, Jeanette Tait and Elizabeth Ratter. Photo: Ben Mullay
25 YEARS AGO
Shetland will host the Island Games in four years’ time. That is now official.
The announcement that the bid to stage the event in 2005 had been successful was made during the games at the Isle of Man on Wednesday morning.
The decision was taken at an Island Games Association (IGA) meeting in the Sefton Hotel, Douglas, on Tuesday afternoon, after Shetland’s case had been put by SIC vice-convener John Nicolson, assisted by Councillor Billy Stove and Sandra Simpson, chairwoman of Shetland Islands Games Association.
50 YEARS AGO
Shetland’s newest fishing boat, the Starina, was saved from sinking on Wednesday morning by the combined efforts of three purse netters, Antares, Wavecrest and Azalea.
Skipper David Anderson had tied up on Tuesday night in Lerwick with a big catch of sand eels and lay at the fishmarket with decks awash waiting to take the catch to the Heogan factory.
Early on Wednesday morning the crew realised that something was wrong, with the steel hulled vessel settling by the head.
The Antares took Starina in tow with the intention of beaching her since the cause of the leak was unknown and the pumps could not be used.
The first tow line broke and the boat started to sink more rapidly.
Wavecrest came alongside on her other side and between them Antares and Wavecrest literally held the sinking ship up with steel hawsters.
75 YEARS AGO
There was an unusually high proportion of illegitimate births registered in Lerwick during the past quarter – six of the total of sixty came under this category.
There were 32 male and 28 female babies, of which 55 were born in the annexe, three more in the Gilbert Bain Hospital , and only two at home.
There was one still birth.
Twenty-nine of the parents normally reside in Lerwick registration district, and the remaining 31 came from other parts of the county.
100 YEARS AGO
Fire at Olna Whaling Station – Beef Cooking, and Guano Factory Destroyed – A serious fire occurred at Olna Whaling Station, near Voe, Delting, on Thursday, the beef cooking and guano factory – the largest building on the station – being destroyed.
Though the fire took a rapid hold on the erection there was no injury to any of the staff, whose promptitude saved a much more serious loss to the Company.
The fire originated between 11 o’clock and noon in the mill, where dried beef and bone are ground for guano. It is quite a frequent occurrence for a fire to start in the mill through metal from the shells exploded in the whale and left in the beef, striking the wheels and causing sparks; but in general, these could be dealt with without difficulty before any damage was done.
This season, however, has been the best the Company have had, 166 whales having been landed up till Thursday, and the factory has been working practically night and day, while the building consisted mostly of timber, and with the dry weather that has prevailed recently, everything was dry and inflammable. Within three minutes of the commencement of the fire, the whole place was ablaze, and within half a minute, the hose, which are always in readiness for any accident of this kind, were playing on the building.
By concentrating the stream of water on the division between the oil refinery and the beef cooking factory, the staff managed to confine the fire to the one building, which comprises the beef cooking and guano factory, but there the destruction was complete, the loss being very considerable, particularly in the beef cooking plant.
There was a plentiful supply of water, which is led on from the loch to the station, where there is a 60lb pressure on the pipes.
The workmen at the station did everything possible to keep the fire under control, but with the great heat – the flames leapt to the height of the highest chimney stalk – they took considerable risks and were fortunate in that no one was injured in any way. To indicate the fierceness of the flames, it may be mentioned that the corrugated iron which roofed the building was twisted like pieces of paper, and a steel shaft was bent and twisted and one of the wheels on it broken. The fire was got under control about 1.30.
Fortunately there is some plant stored at Roeness Voe, and that is to be transported to Olna, where the Manager, Mr James Adie, hopes to get some of the plant in working order next week.
The accident has occurred at an unfortunate time, especially as the season promised to be a record one, and may mean that some score of men will have to be paid off, but every endeavour is to be made to keep the full staff working.