Orkney Archive - get dusty

A safe haven

2012-01-28T16:18:00.000Z

Stromness pier, c.1900, photographed by R.H. Robertson

With the news of the proposed development of the site of Coplands Dock, adjacent to Stromness, we've been looking at the history of pier development in the town .

The bay at Stromness has long been recognised as a safe natural harbour for shipping. The Rev. William Clouston wrote, in 1794, that “although it is small, this is one of the safest harbours to be found along the north coast of Scotland”. The harbour had the necessary depth of water to accommodate large vessels, but lacked an adequate deep water pier, essential for the economic growth of the town.

The minutes of the Stromness Harbour Commissioners (S17/1) give a detailed account of the processes involved in the construction of the pier. In May 1877 the trustees were considering three possible sites. They examined the possibility of extending an existing structure, described as the “warehouse pier”, but after further consideration decided to purchase a parcel of land from the Commercial Bank, whose office was situated in what is now Stromness Town House. After some negotiation, which included a stipulation that the trustees opened an account with the bank, a parcel of land was duly purchased, including 101 feet (30.78 metres) of the waterfront. The pier was to be built at the southern end of the site. The specification issued by the trustees was for a stone built pier, breadth 30 feet (9 metres), stretching straight out from the shore, with a wooden “head” which would stretch to the north, but this was soon changed to make the head stretch south.

The Orkney Herald of 14 November 1877 carried a report that “there is every possibility of the construction of the new pier going ahead”. This was, stated the newspaper, despite the objections of a small number of locals, “objections the triviality of which could only match their selfishness”! In February of 1878 advertisements for a contractor appeared in a number of newspapers, with James Drever from Shapinsay eventually being chosen to build the stone section. Later on, the firm of A & K MacDonald accepted the contract to construct the wooden head section.

The construction work, from the time of the awarding of the contract, took approximately fifteen months to complete, and at a meeting of the trustees, held on 2 June 1879, they were informed that the pier was now “fit for the reception of vessels”. The trustees had already appointed a new harbour master, Mr. Terras, to oversee the new venture. He was to be paid £20 per annum, plus 5% of all rates collected at the pier over the amount of £200.

The pier was extended in 1900, and the photograph shows the steamer St. Ola leaving the pier after that time. Since then it has been further extended and improved on a number of occasions over the years, including the addition of an ice plant and a further extension in the 1990s.

Weird Punishment of the Week

2012-01-17T16:17:00.000Z

As I was reading through a folder from the Ernest Marwick Collection, I stumbled on this weird form of punishment in North Faray.

It's certainly one of the strangest punishments I've read about, but I'll be on the look out now for more. If you've got any to share I'd love to hear about them.

Archive Reference: D31/2/4 no. 69
For information on the window tax try this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Window_tax

Rock the boat

2012-01-09T14:29:00.001Z

On this day in 1909 Ernest Shackleton, leading the Nimrod Expedition to the South Pole, planted the British flag 97 nautical miles from the South Pole, the furthest South anyone had ever reached at that time.

It was on a later Shackleton expedition to Antarctica, in 1921, that Orcadian Norman Erland Mooney was appointed as cabin boy on board the Quest. Norman was one of two boy scouts chosen from over 1000 to accompany the expedition, the other boy coming from Aberdeen. Unfortunately the ship did not have an easy voyage, encountering heavy gales as they left England which continued throughout the first leg of the journey through the Bay of Biscay to Lisbon. Suffering severely from seasickness the initial word was that 16 year old Mooney would leave the ship there and return home but the plucky (some might say completely crazy!) youngster stayed on board for the next leg to Madeira. But the seas got worse and on reaching Madeira the doctor decided that enough was enough and sent Norman home. Shackleton himself sent Norman's parents a telegram declaring "regret necessary action solely in boys interest, he was always willing".

D49/1/3 - Telegram from Sir Ernest Shackleton to Mr. and Mrs. John Mooney, Kirkwall

This wasn't the end of Norman Mooney's adventurous ways. In 1929 he passed the Colonial Survey examination and received an appointment in Nigeria as a mining surveyor.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-04T09:46:00.000Z

Orkney is shrouded in such heavy clouds that it could almost be night and there's another gale on the way, and I was awake far earlier this morning than seemed natural. But never mind, it's a new year so lets all gird our loins and look forward to the coming year. Happy new year to you all.

This time we're looking back a hundred years to 1912. This photograph shows a team of bankers from that year, found in collection D30 - Papers of Mary Robertson Sinclair.

I imagine this team would have been highly successful as any balls put in their net by their opponents would have taken three to five days to appear on the scoreboard.

Oh, what a night

2011-12-10T10:05:00.001Z

Things got a bit breezy on Thursday night, and not just for us in Orkney but, it seems, for most of the country. You'll be happy to know, reader, that your favourite archive has not suffered any damage and that our water sooking up pillows did not have to be deployed.

We're used to a bit of wind in Orkney (yes, I know there's a joke there but I'm going to ignore it on the grounds of good taste) but sometimes, even here, we're not quite prepared for its severity.

Here's a photograph of Whitehall village on the island of Stronsay during a combination of high tide and gales. I'm not sure about the date but it looks fairly recent.

The worst weather, or at least the weather with the worst consequences, was encountered in 1952 and 1953 and is still spoken about today, and made headlines around the world. On both occasions hurricane force winds battered the islands and caused untold damage. In the storm of 1952 over 1000 domestic and 2000 agricultural buildings were wrecked or severely damaged. And then almost exactly a year later it all happened again!

This photograph shows some of the damage caused to Shore Street in Kirkwall. Hundreds of metres of the road along the front were washed away by the force of the waves.

All we need is snow now and I can tell you all about the blizzards of 1955 when people in the West Mainland had to have supplies delivered by lifeboat!

We've made The Times!! (other national newspapers are available)

2011-12-02T10:20:00.001Z

The Times Newspaper features an article today about Orkney Archive receiving the first batch of papers of George Mackay Brown on permanent loan. We're very excited about this acquisition and are very grateful to Archie and Elizabeth Bevan for agreeing that it is important to keep the papers of such a famous and revered writer in Orkney.

The twenty one boxes contain manuscripts, short stories, plays and more, including some rarer or unpublished works. The initial cataloguing of the papers has been carried out by University of Glasgow Postgraduate research student in Scottish Literature Linden Bicket (seen in the centre of the photograph, with Assistant Archivist Lucy and Archie Bevan) who was awarded a British Academy Small Grant to carry out the work.

We will soon make a list of the collection available on our web page. Linden has flown south for the winter but will return in April 2012 to resume cataloguing of the next batch.

Fisherman's Blues

2011-11-19T08:00:00.000Z

Fishing boat Keith Hall ashore at Birsay, 27 November 1921

Photographed by Tom Kent

The fishing boat Keith Hall had an eventful life before finally running aground at Birsay. Originally a German registered vessel named Darmstadt, she was captured during the First World War, taken into the Royal Navy, renamed Carbosin and fitted with a gun. She served with the Navy until October 1920, when she was sold to her new owners in Aberdeen and registered as a line fishing boat.

On 19 November 1921 the ten man crew of the Keith Hall had just completed a successful fishing trip to the seas around the Faroe Islands and were heading for home a little after seven in the evening. They were making good time until they ran into a bank of fog. Blinded by the dense fog, they were pulled off course by a strong tide and, as a result, ran aground on the north coast of Birsay at about half past five in the evening of Sunday 20 November.

A telegram was sent to Stromness asking for the urgent assistance of the lifeboat and the rocket brigade. As it was Sunday and Stromness being a hotbed of religious fervour both crews were attending a service in Stromness Parish Church when they received the summons for help. Much excitement ensued in the town, as the lifeboat men rushed off to the boat, still dressed in their Sunday best, and the rocket brigade crew hurried off to find motor transport to take themselves and their equipment to Birsay.

The rocket brigade won the race and were first to arrive at the scene, where they discovered the Keith Hall aground at the entrance to Skipi Geo. On investigation they found that the crew had already abandoned the fishing boat to its fate and were still at sea in a small boat. The lifeboat arrived and, looking around, detected a dim light out to sea. This turned out to be the missing crew, who were keeping well away from the shore.
Sadly one crew member drowned.

There was something of a tradition in the islands that wrecks were considered fair game for scavengers. And so it was with the Keith Hall. This resulted in a group of young men finding themselves in front of the sheriff in February 1922, charged with removing “various articles” from the wreck. The court heard that on the night in question, the same night as the above photograph was taken, a huge crowd descended on the Birsay shore from the surrounding districts. “Great numbers” went aboard the wreck and souvenirs were removed in large quantities. It was claimed by the defending solicitor that no malice was intended and that “use and wont” was the prevailing custom. The young men had, in fact, returned all the items that they had removed.

Unfortunately, for the men, the sheriff was not swayed by this argument. One was fined £30-10s with the option of spending eighteen days in prison, while all the rest were fined £3 or fifteen days imprisonment. All the fines were paid.

Food for Thought

2011-11-18T12:02:00.001Z

We're very excited! An Orkney Archive recipe book is currently featuring on the Scottish Council on Archives: Archives Awareness Campaign for 2011: the Edible Archive. Here are the lovely posters to prove it:

The recipe book reference number is D14/7/1. Other recipes featured in the book include: "To make Wafars"; "To Colour a Pigg"; and the delightful sounding, "A Half a Calves Head". Enjoy!

Orkney Remembering

2011-11-11T10:56:00.000Z

Prime Minister David Lloyd George announced on 11 November 1918 that an armistice had been signed with Germany at five o’clock that morning. All hostilities were to cease at eleven o’clock that same morning. The Great War was over.

The first indication of this momentous news in Kirkwall was made public at around half past nine in the morning. At that time naval vessels in Kirkwall Harbour, who had been alerted by a wireless message from their headquarters, began to sound their sirens. The townspeople must have realised that something was afoot and, even though it was to be some hours before it was announced to the press, the streets of Kirkwall were soon the scene of mass celebrations. The bells of St. Magnus Cathedral rang out in accompaniment to the ship’s sirens, and flags and bunting were soon to be seen displayed on many of the buildings. The Town Council, probably recognising that there was not going to be much work done that day, announced that it was declaring a half day holiday.

In Scapa Flow, word soon spread from the British ships to Flotta. In an echo of the Kirkwall celebrations sirens were sounded, flags were unfurled and the minister himself rang the parish church bells.

In the evening of the first day of peace a hastily arranged service of thanksgiving was held in the cathedral, at which every minister in the town took part.

Following the armistice agreement there was a welcome relaxation of some of the restrictions placed upon the public during the war years. Among them, masking on street lights could now be removed, as could the shading of lights in houses and shops, except those visible from the sea. People were reminded, however, that there was still a shortage of coal throughout the country.

It would indeed have been a time of great joy and relief to people the world over. A great number of Orkney’s young men, nearly 600 in total, had lost their lives in the trenches and battlefields of Europe, but now the survivors would be coming home to their families.

Here are a few concert programmes from the Cromarty Hall, St Margaret's Hope, South Ronaldsay from 1922, 1923 and 1924.

And here is a photograph showing the people of Kirkwall observing Armistice Day in 1926.

Archive References: D1/155, TK730, TK731

Blowing our own trumpet

2011-11-10T15:04:00.000Z

I would think that if you're taking the time to visit this blog and read our posts then you probably have some interest in archives. But maybe not, perhaps you were actually searching for the Orkney Archery blog and your fingers got a bit confused, or maybe Orkney Hives, the local beekeepers blog. If so we are still happy to welcome you and take the opportunity to tell you what wonderful places archives are.

The Scottish Council On Archives has produced a very nice shiny brochure called Scotland's Archives Matter which explains lots of different ways that archives can help to enrich your life, understand where you come from and how you got to where you are, and lots of other things as well. It's available from their website and is well worth a read.

R.I.P. Jimmy Savile

2011-10-31T12:09:00.000Z

Lord Lieutenant of Orkney Colonel Macrae and Radio 1 DJ Jimmy Savile, by Phoenix Photography

Today we're marking the sad departure of former Radio DJ and television personality Jimmy Savile by revealing he spent time in Orkney. How much time, and why, I've no idea. Perhaps someone can tell me. I know that the Radio 1 Roadshow visited Stromness some time in the 1970s so perhaps that was the reason.

Not a lot of people know that I have a personal connection with the perma track-suited Savile. Many years ago, when you were probably nothing but a twinkle in your mother's eye, I ran the Glasgow Marathon (1985 possibly). An event was organised on the night before where runners could bloat up on as much pasta as they could force into themselves for extra stamina. While at this event imagine the thrill as I saw Jimmy Savile striding towards me. Unfortunately he hadn't noticed me and, walking straight into me, he muttered sorry" and strode off. Not even a "Now then, now then" or an offer to fix anything. I blame that collision for my pathetic time in the marathon the next day. Perhaps it was some kind of fiendish plan to take out the opposition!

However, I'm not one to hold a grudge so let's mourn the passing of a unique, if slightly odd, man.

The great smell of fish guts in the morning

2011-10-20T10:20:00.000+01:00

Herring gutters at work in Stromness, photographed by W. Hourston

The plans for the regeneration of Stromness Pier Head are moving slowly ahead so I thought it might be a good time to look at how the area was used in the past in case they need any ideas.

Stromness had a relatively brief spell as a base for the herring fishing fleet, from the mid 1880s. At the height of the industry there were 38 fishing stations spread along the Stromness shoreline with as many as 2000 gutters and packers hard at work. The arrival of the fishing fleet gutters and curers every year must have been a considerable boon to the economy of the whole town. The population of Stromness at that time was approximately 1700 but, for that few weeks of the year, this would be increased by up to 5000 fishermen and fish workers.

Unfortunately nobody told the herring when they were expected in Stromness and they had the annoying habit of not turning up when they should. The total catch for one year could be disastrously low, then the next year an all time high. This unreliability was to prove too much of a risk for those involved, and the fishermen and curers began to desert Stromness. By 1908 it was all over.

But wait, maybe not! In 1927 three curers were rented space by the Harbour Commissioners at the pier head. The venture caused much excitement in the town and the Orkney Herald newspaper included regular reports on its progress. The curers arrived in early May and set to work. By the start of June it was reported that the herring fishing was successful and that more curers had been attracted to the town, but by the end of the month this optimism proved unfounded as boats left for more profitable areas and the curers troughs remained empty. Herring fishing at Stromness was no more.

Friday Thought for the Day

2011-10-07T14:43:00.000+01:00

No. 534 – Men of genius are often dull and inert in society, as the blazing meteor when it descends to earth is only a stone. – Longfellow

Taken from The Book of Wise Sayings by W A Clouston, 1893

Here comes the rain again

2011-10-05T14:54:00.000+01:00

D51/3/7: Weather chart for October 1917

It's another day of cloud, rain and wind in Orkney today. So to cheer everyone up I thought I'd look back at the weather of the past when summers were long and skies were always blue. The chart above records the weather for October 1917 so that we can compare.

Systematic weather observations were begun in Orkney in 1827, by Rev Charles Clouston, minister in Sandwick. Although reputedly the second oldest complete set of weather records in Scotland, the records held by the Archives begin in 1890. The first recorder of these was Magnus Spence F.E.I.S. in Stenness who carried on until 1919.

So let's take a look...

This part of the chart gives a brief description of the weather on each day. Day 1 is overcast and foggy, day 2 is overcast and cloudy, day 3 is overcast and cloudy, day 4 is overcast and cloudy. I think we can detect a pattern here!

So there it is readers, the startling news that the weather was just as rubbish 94 years ago as it is today. Oh well, time to unpack the long johns.

Boom, bang a bang

2011-10-01T08:00:00.000+01:00

American minesweeper clearing a mine, from the Tom Kent Collection

On this day in 1919 Kirkwall was officially closed as a British Naval Base after the First World War. The day after also saw the last of the American minesweeping fleet leave Orkney.

Massive quantities of mines were laid, by both sides, during the First World War with the Americans concentrating on the seas between Orkney and Norway. In 1918 alone they laid more than 56,000 mines in this area. As a result, after hostilities had ceased, the big clean up began in 1919 with a large fleet of American minesweepers operating from Kirkwall Bay.

The ships would leave Kirkwall Bay for three or four weeks at a time, with the working day commencing at sunrise and continuing until sunset. The fleet also celebrated Independence Day in Kirkwall. This was actually not the first time the 4th of July had been celebrated in Orkney. In 1918 thousands of american sailors, stationed in Scapa Flow, got leave to celebrate.

In 1919 the minesweepers had been at sea for three weeks and were looking forward to a well earned rest. Friday the 4th of July was declared a holiday for the Flotilla and the ships were all decorated with flags. The celebrations started in the morning with a regatta for rowing boats, and continued in the afternoon with sports at the Bignold Park. In the evening a banquet was held, at which the Freemasons of Kirkwall were entertained by the Freemasons from the Flotilla. Elsewhere, an evening of entertainment was enjoyed at the YMCA hut by a large crowd of crewmen. The entertainment provided included one Mademoiselle Peter, female impersonator, who danced the Salome Dance and the Dance of Death.

The minesweepers and their crews began to leave Orkney around the middle of September 1919. They had been popular visitors and many a local would have been sorry to see them leave. As the local newspaper rather quaintly put it, “more than one american had found his affinity in some fair Orkney maid”!

Friday Thought for the Day

2011-09-30T10:53:00.000+01:00

No. 374
"The man who cannot blush, and who has no feelings of fear, has reached the acme of impudence." Menander

Taken from The Book of Wise Sayings by W A Clouston, 1893

Rescue Me

2011-09-28T08:00:00.002+01:00

On this day in 1909 a new lifeboat was named in Kirkwall Harbour. The John Ryburn, as she was to be called, was one of the first specially designed and built motor driven lifeboats to be used in the country and was to be stationed at Stronsay. And now for all you engineers out there; she was designed by renowned boat designer G.L. Watson, measured 43 feet by 12 feet 6 inches and was powered by a 4 cylinder Blake internal combustion engine capable of 40 bhp.

The Orcadian Newspaper reported that the ceremony attracted a large crowd but, judging by the photograph by Tom Kent, by the time it was taken they'd mostly got bored and wandered off.

The John Ryburn was stationed in Stronsay for a relatively short period of time. In 1915, due to a wartime shortage of able-bodied men to crew her, she was moved to Peterhead. It would be another 37 years before another lifeboat was stationed at Stronsay.

I Want Candy

2011-09-21T14:55:00.000+01:00

D1/882/3/2 - Notebook belonging to Thomas Moar, 1912

The sad news that McCowans Ltd., the makers of such confectionary delights as Highland Toffee and Wham Bars, has gone into administration has left us all shocked and dismayed. Such is our dismay that we've turned to the archive to help us in our hour of need. The above notebook contains many helpful hints, such as how to extract a splinter from the hand. The method described involves filling a wide mouthed bottle nearly full with water "as hot as the glass will stand" then placing the injured part over the mouth of the bottle. This will apparently subdue the inflammation and withdraw the splinter. It seems to have ommited the next stage which I imagine would be to attend your local Burns Unit.

Anyway, I digress. The notebook also contains a recipe for making caramel toffee. If anyone would like to whip up a batch here it is:

"Half a pound of fresh butter melted in a stewpan, add a sixpenny tin of condensed milk, stirring well together. Then add one pound of castor sugar and boil for ten minutes, stirring all the time. Pour into a buttered dish and, when cool, cut into squares"

What could be easier!

The notebook contains some other useful information that we may look at in the future, such as how to make nettle beer, french polish and even rat poison.

Can't beat a bit of Khachaturian

2011-09-15T18:22:00.004+01:00

Where am I? And whose clothes are these?!

In 1978 Orkney's seal population became the centre of a battle between public opinion and the government of the day. The drop in salmon catches around the coast of Scotland at the time was blamed on the number of grey seals in the seas around Orkney, with the result that Scottish Secretary Bruce Millan announced that there would be a cull of the adult and young seal population when around a third of the total population would be killed.

But Mr. Millan had made a huge mistake in underestimating the people's love of the seal, and what's not to love? Okay I imagine their breath's not great but apart from that they're pretty loveable. Anyway, opposition grew very quickly in the islands, petitions were signed and newspapers reported that volunteers were flocking to throw themselves bodily in front of the hunters.

A touch of glamour and star quality was added with the arrival of popular actress Jessica Benton, seen above looking a bit dazed and confused. "Jessica who?" I can hear all you youngsters asking but let me tell you that back in the olden days Sunday nights were not complete without the latest episode of The Onedin Line, an everyday tale of seafaring folk in which Jessica played Elizabeth Onedin. Relive the tremendously stirring opening titles at http://youtu.be/Vx7RWW36wes.

Anyway, back to the seals. On 30 September Greenpeace arrived in their new boat Rainbow Warrior, at around the same time the hunters arrived in a boat of their own. A game of cat and mouse then ensued with the hunters setting off in dinghies hotly pursued by Greenpeace members in their own dinghies, only for the hunters to return to their boat. And then, as tension was mounting by the day, the Secretary of State for Scotland succumbed to the pressure. He announced that, due to “widespread public concern” he was dispensing with the services of the Norwegian hunters. The cull of adult grey seals was to be abandoned and the number of pups would be reduced to the levels already existing locally. And everybody lived happily ever after. The end.

Swimming not drowning

2011-09-10T08:00:00.003+01:00

Aquatic Sports in Kirkwall Basin, photographed by Tom Kent

Kirkwall Swimming Club was inaugurated in 1888 and they held their first "aquatic sports" event in September of that year. The event was held in Kirkwall Basin, which cannot have been the most hygienic venue, with the raw sewage outlet not being all that far away.

One of the events involved twelve white saucers being thrown into the water and allowed to sink twenty feet to the bottom. Contestants then had to dive in and recover as many as they could without surfacing. Surprisingly nobody drowned!

The first gala proved popular and the event was repeated annually for the next fifteen years, even managing to survive a bout of Victorian prudery. In 1891 the Harbour Commissioners received complaints about public bathing taking place from the pier. The problem was that not all the young men involved bothered with swimming costumes and this was causing "an inconvenience" to the ladies of the town. Amidst protests that learning to swim was a good thing, especially when surrounded by water, the Commissioners decided to ban swimming after 8.00 in the morning.

There is a light that never goes out

2011-09-06T12:21:00.001+01:00

Tonight the Science Festival includes a talk titled Around Scotland's Lighthouses by Virginia Mayes-Wright, Director of the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses. Orkney has many fine lighthouses which we're sure will feature.

This very lovely photograph of Hoy High Lighthouse was taken by Wilfred Marr. Don't be fooled by the name, it's not on Hoy but on the island of Graemsay. Together with its neighbour Hoy Low Lighthouse, also on Graemsay, they act as "leading" lights; when a ship entering Hoy Sound lines up the two lights they are on the correct bearing to stay in deep water. The two lights were designed by Alan Stevenson and were lit up for the first time in April 1851.

Hoy High lighthouse is the grander looking structure of the two lights on Graemsay. Its tall white tower, rising to 108 feet (32.9 metres) is still a much-loved landmark for travellers to and from Orkney. Hoy Low was automated in 1966 and Hoy High in 1978.

21 Today!!

2011-09-01T08:00:00.004+01:00

Today is the opening of the 21st Orkney International Science Festival. For the next week Orkney will become the place to be for those with enquiring minds.

One event that caught our eye takes place in the Pier Arts Centre on Saturday morning when they will be talking about and showing several short films by Orcadian film maker Margaret Tait. We hold Margaret Tait's written archive (Ref. D97) which contains a wealth of material, including film scripts, letters, business records and much more.

Margaret Tait, 1992. Photographed by Gunnie Moberg

One of Britain's most individual artist film makers, Margaret produced over 30 films in 46 years, including one feature length film, Blue Black Permanent, in 1992. In addition she wrote and published 3 books of poetry.

We are officially brilliant!!

2011-08-15T11:59:00.005+01:00

Yes, at long last we have been recognised as being great by someone else other than ourselves.

The lovely people at Iglu Cruise have just sent us the following message: "I am pleased to inform you that ORKNEY ARCHIVE - GET DUSTY has been chosen to receive an Iglu 2011 Blog Award. This year our specialist panel of judges has reviewed hundreds of different sites from across the internet before hand picking the best for each travel category. ORKNEY ARCHIVE - GET DUSTY is among the elite selection of awardees that can be seen here.

On viewing their website I couldn't help noticing that they've given an award to just about every website in Orkney but that does not in any way diminish our joy!

New Displays and Strange Old Customs

2011-07-02T10:24:00.001+01:00

We are proud to announce that we now have a new display of archives about Deerness in the Library foyer and continuing upstairs in the Archive Searchroom . This display is to help promote the Deerness in 100 objects event at Deerness Hall from 24 June - 7 August.

Our display includes school log books, kirk session minutes, photos of ploughing cups and medals, and one of the Deerness Coastguard Station books.

We have also provided some nice colour photocopies of some of the contents of the archive items to the Deerness Hall for the public to view there.

We are all waiting impatiently for our day off so that we can go down to Deerness and experience it ourselves.

We have not forgotten all you pirate fans out there though - do not despair! We have copied and moved the display of Orkney Pirate archives and Tall Ships photos down to the wavy wall in the library. The wavy wall (a very apt place to put it!) is near the childrens area on the way to the Marwick Room and the Computer Room in the main part of the Library.

And just to keep you laughing through the weekend here are a couple of drawings we found recently in the Customs & Excise Records. These are instructions to Kirkwall Customs Officials to watch out for some ingenious ways of smuggling tea and lace from ships in 1834.

Archive reference: CE55/2/6 Customs and Excise Records : Board’s Orders: Board to Collector, 1834.

This sporting life

2011-06-24T15:04:00.002+01:00

Golf is big news at the moment with Rory McIlroy winning the US Open on Sunday so we're celebrating by taking a look at the sport in Orkney. This archive photograph, taken before the First World War, shows a group of golfers playing a round. The chaperone has unfortunately fallen asleep or else I'm sure she would not allow such blatant disregard for the rules of the Royal and Ancient. Is that any way to treat your mashie niblicks?!

Tribute to Donald Hewlett

2011-06-13T17:13:00.002+01:00

Following the sad news of the death of Donald Hewlett last week, I thought it fitting that we share some archives we have of him to thank him for founding the Kirkwall Arts Club during the second world war and for all the wonderful shows he wrote, produced, directed and starred in while in Orkney.

This is an outline of activities of the Kirkwall Arts Club while Donald Hewlett was chairman.

These are some programmes for shows he was involved in.

And here's a letter from Marjorie Linklater thanking him too.

An lastly a special message from fellow actor, Richard Bishop.

Donald Hewlett went on to star in well-known television shows like Doctor Who, Come Back Mrs Noah and It Ain't Half Hot Mum. He will be missed.

References used are from the Kirkwall Arts Club Archive D44/1/1; D44/5/11; D44/5/15 and from miscellanous gifts and deposits reference D1/219.

Fiddling with Maps

2011-05-27T14:36:00.002+01:00

Its that time of year again when you can hear the distant sounds of skirling, fiddling, strumming, drumming and humming in the air - yes that's right its the annual Egg Scrambling Contest....

Only joking, of course its the brilliant (not biased at all) Orkney Folk Festival. And if you are in the town of Stromness or at some of the village ceilidhs these sounds won't be distant, but all around you creating a wonderful energy amongst all the locals and visitors alike.

If you're walking along the streets of Stromness or are unable to visit and wondering what it looked like in the past, here are a couple of maps to show you its development over the years. The first one is the Ordnance Survey map from 1903 and the second one is an Admiralty map from 1849. Double-click on the images to see them more clearly.

1903

References D8/W/36 [C2] Copy (in two parts) of Admiralty plan of Stromness and Kaerston [Cairston] Roads. Surveyed by F.W.L. Thomas, Lieut. Commanding. Dated 1849. (This older map is not so clear to begin with and did not copy well.)

Part of Ordnance Survey Sheet number CVI, 1903, 6"/1mile.

Ahoy me hearties! More Pirates!?!

2011-05-23T15:18:00.000+01:00

As you've probably guessed, I'm a bit obsesssed with Pirates and so tend to spot anything related to them in any other records we have. I was looking through our Customs and Excise Shipping Registers for Orkney from 1855-1904 and found a ship with the unusual name of Pirate!

Intriguing, I thought, I wonder who would buy a ship called Pirate. It isn't a name you would instantly trust. According to the register, it was built in Stromness in 1888 by Peter Johnston Copeland who also owned 16 shares of it which amounted to a quarter. Many people invested in ships as a way of making or saving money in the nineteenth century. Each ship was divided into 64 shares. The other three owners were Elisabeth Ross, James Spence and David Smith who all had 16 shares. Then in 1898 everyone except David Smith sold their share to William Cowper Ward which meant he had 48 shares. Then in 1900 both David Smith and William Cowper Ward sold their shares onto someone else and the ship left Orkney.

Where did it go? Who bought all 64 shares? You'll never guess...(well you might)....it was Francis Drake, master mariner from Braunton in Devon!!! And this Francis Drake was a direct descendant of Sir Francis Drake of the Elisabethan age who himself was considered to be, in some places, particularly Spain, a PIRATE!

Ok that's my last blog on pirates...for a while anyway. I promise to write about other things from now on. Maybe eggs...

Reference: CE55/11/2 Orkney Customs and Excise: Shipping Register 1855-1904

Pirates & Privateers

2011-05-19T17:57:00.003+01:00

We have a new archive display in the Archive Searchroom! Its all about pirates and particularly Orkney's famous pirate John Gow.

Gow was born in Wick in 1697. His family then moved to Stromness where he grew up before running away to sea. He rose to be second mate on the ship The George by 1724. When sailing from Santa Cruz on 3rd November that year, he and a few others of the crew mutinied, took over the ship and renamed it Revenge. They plundered around the coast of Spain and Madeira for a while, then came up to Orkney in 1725. Gow wanted to plunder the houses of the gentry. They raided the Honyman mansion, the Hall of Clestrain in Orphir and then headed up to Carrick House on Eday. It was here at the Calf of Eday that his ship ran aground and he was captured. He was later tried and hanged in London.

Gow was the inspiration for Captain Cleveland in Sir Walter Scott's novel The Pirate.

Another pirate mentioned in the display is John Fullarton who, according to Ernest Marwick, possibly came from Stromness or Orphir and was known to be smuggling around the Channel Islands in the 18th century before becoming a privateer for the Royal Navy. This means he had permission from the government to rob enemy vessels at sea. He soon became greedier and became a partner in a pirate ship with a Royal Navy captain called Keppel. He made a lot of money, some of which he spent on an estate in Orkney for his family. He was eventually shot by the wife of Captain Jones of the Isabella. She was then known as 'Mary Jones, the Pirate-Slayer'.

If you are in Orkney, please come along and see our display. It will be up until the end of June 2011 in the Archive Searchroom and I hope to put a copy of it on the wavy-wall in the library soon too.

References: D31/2/5 Ernest Marwick Collection - Orkney's Other Pirate John Fullarton and D36/3/5 R.P. Fereday papers - extract from The Pirate's Who's Who by Philip Gosse, 1924.

Which is scarier, Dr Who or Press Gangs? You decide!

2011-05-07T12:08:00.001+01:00

Tonight's episode of Dr Who has prompted me to put up this document for you all to see about press-gangs in Orkney. It was found recently by one of our volunteers in the Balfour Collection (Reference D2/19/16) and the contents are quite shocking.

The rest of this document cannot be copied as the wax seal still holds it shut, but I have transcribed it by peering in one of the corners, the words in italics indicate handwritten inserts:

"I Do hereby Depute Lieut Wm Balfour belonging to His Majesty's Sloop Lynx under my command, to Impress Seamen, Seafaring Men and Persons whose Occupations and Callings are to work in Vessels and Boats upon Rivers, according to the Tenor of this Warrant. In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my Hand and Seal this thirtieth day of April 1803."

In our Ernest Marwick Collection (Reference D31/1/6/15) in a transcript of a letter from Alex Skene on 6th November 1800 he states that "I assure you Sir that the impress service is to me the most unpleasant part of an officers duty and it is impossible to defend the propriety of it but on the score of necessity"

Ernest Marwick goes on to describe several places where seamen hid from the press gangs in caves and peat stacks in Orkney and of men escaping up their chimney's and hiding on cliffs.

Fereday Prize 2011

2011-04-18T18:18:00.000+01:00

We have now finished cataloguing the photocopies of this year's Fereday Prize projects. And what an interesting bunch of subjects this year! The best thing about these projects is that they often cover the history of businesses, people and places from the 20th century and they become a wonderful addition to our existing collections of archives from earlier in history.

This year, there were two first prizes, one from Kirkwall and one from Stromness. From Stromness, Thomas Penny wrote a brilliant account of the history of Motoring in Harray which includes information on the earliest cars and buses as well as interesting interviews with some of the residents of the parish over the years and much more. It's great to read about all their stories.

From Kirkwall, Douglas Corse writes with such feeling of the Longhope Lifeboat Disaster of March 1969, when the lifeboat was lost with all her crew. Douglas has included an interview with his great auntie which adds a personal view to this tragic event and finishes with the poem The Lament for the Longhope Lifeboat by Andrew B Irvine which, he tells us, was read out at the funeral.

Other subjects covered this year were the Rural Cinema Scheme; Uranium Mining; two on Scapa School; James Flett & Sons; Argo's Bakery; the Old Manse in Evie; Mousland Farm; Stromness Police Station; boatbuilder Ian B. Richardson; J & S Hay; Birsay Community Association; the Angel Family; Orkney Weddings; Skaill House; the Russian Convoys; Grain Farm, Kirkwall; Newark Farm, Sanday; The Ba; Sebay Mill; Travelling Studs; Life at Braebuster; Norwood Antiques; Refuge in Harray; James Sinclair, Botanist and The German Flower.

If you did not receive a prize from the Orkney Heritage Society for your project, but still would like to leave a copy in the archives, we would be delighted to receive it. Just drop by sometime and we'll take a copy and give you back the original.

If you would like to see any of this year's projects, the Archive Reference number for each one begins with D70/14.

When a child is born

2011-04-07T15:34:00.015+01:00

Rejoice readers, your usual blogger archiver is now the proud mother of a very lovely daughter! We are all cock-a-hoop at this and wish them many hours of undisturbed sleep.

They may now be considering a christening and if so this might be a good time to issue the following warning. John Firth wrote in "Reminiscences of an Orkney Parish" about the dangers of baptising a girl directly before a boy. If this happened "fears were entertained that the girl, on reaching womanhood, would be afflicted with a full flowing whisker, while the other would remain beardless to the end of his days".

Think this is unlikely? Well just take a look at the photograph below. You have been warned!

Get outta that lazy bed

2011-03-26T14:55:00.005Z

William Peace published an annual Almanac for a number of years and we hold editions from 1864 until 1940. They contain lots of useful information about local traders, church ministers, local officials etc. for each year and are a useful research tool. But more than that, as you can see below in a page from the 1864 edition, they provide all sorts of general advice on how to improve your life. When I read the title "He that would thrive must rise at five!" I thought "excellent, up just in time for The Weakest Link", but on reading further I was disappointed to find that I had misunderstood.

Another section in the same edition is titled Hints to careless wives and includes this dire warning; "Despair and recklessness have been planted in many a man's heart by the untidy dress and cheerless hearth, the sour looks and chilling discontent which await him". No wonder they're all getting up at five to go off to work!

Gone Fishing

2011-03-24T10:13:00.007Z

The new trout season opened on 15 March and once again men and women all over Orkney dusted off their rods and tackle for the summer ahead. Although fishing in Orkney's lochs is free Orkney Trout Fishing Association maintains fish stocks in the main lochs. The Association was formed on 8 November 1905 when a number of local gentlemen got fed up with indiscriminate use of nets spoiling their gentlemanly fun. The original membership comprised of twenty five men, including two members of parliament, three doctors, fifteen men residing in Orkney and one Admiral.

From D8/4/2/6

Some girls are bigger than others

2011-03-16T16:21:00.006Z

First I must apologise for my attempt to keep the Smiths song titles link going from the last post. I'm hugely embarrased and obviously nobody should ever think that it applies to the elfin beauty below.

You're probably all too young to remember Mary Marquis but never mind Angela Rippon, Anna Ford or Jan Leeming, Mary became the face of television news in Scotland from 1968 and continued in that role for twenty years. Here she's photographed in Kirkwall in, I'm guessing, the 1970s. I'm not sure why she was in Orkney, perhaps as an early experiment in geese scaring, hence the coat.

This charming man...

2011-03-12T10:20:00.001Z

In one of the collections we recently sorted through during our closure, we discovered this photograph of a very charming-looking man. He has been through the wars - literally - and we don't really want to throw him out, but if we can't identify him, we may have to. Can you help?

The thot plickens...
I've managed to extract the photo from the frame which looks like its been rescued from a fire. Phew! On the back it says that it was taken at Vivienne 20th Century Studios, London. So sadly not from Orkney, but maybe a film star?

We have a little list

2011-03-07T08:00:00.003Z

Our short stocktaking closure begins today. This is a far cry from the good old days when we closed for two weeks so, in an effort to appear super organised, we've made a little list. So over the next three days we will be appraising a new collection (very dirty!), matching up retrieval slips with records, moving equipment and boxes to make room for more records and having a big bonfire in the car park.

Ok, maybe not the last one.

We will be open again at 9.15 on Thursday morning, drained from our exertions over the past few days but ready as ever to serve you our (mostly) wonderful public.

Au Revoir Archiver

2011-03-03T09:44:00.005Z

Yes readers, after long and sterling service as our regular blogger archiver has finally succumbed to the strain and has been confined to home for the next year. Or, as it's sometimes known, maternity leave. Enjoy Jeremy Kyle while you have the chance archiver, your daytime viewing will soon consist of endless episodes of Peppa Pig!

Looking at the images below from D1/517, copies of a menu and programme for a farewell dinner held in honour of HMS Victorious, soon to leave Scapa Flow after World War I, I can't help feeling that we didn't put in enough effort to mark archivers departure. No songs were sung, no toasts were made, not even a short recitation. Just a few lovely homebakes and a cup of tea. Shameful!

Archive Stocktake Closure

2011-02-24T10:05:00.000Z

The annual archive stock take is fast approaching, so don't get caught out! We shall be closed from Monday the 7th of March until Wednesday the 9th of March inclusive. The archive shall reopen on Thursday the 10th at the normal time of 9.15am.

There shall be no access to the search room and we shall not be taking telephone enquiries.

The Orkney Room shall be open however, so it will be possible to peer through the glass wall and see that we are not counting stock at all, simply eating buns and playing twister.

Library services will not be affected.

A Catch-up.

2011-02-16T15:31:00.001Z

We do apologize for the relative lack of posts lately. We have been pretty short staffed and it is Fereday time again so there has been much less time to update.

This is annoying, because two excellent blogging opportunities arose this week and we were forced to let them slip through our busy fingers.

First of all, there was Valentine's day. Wait! Come back! Look at these plays and novels written for the Minervian Library by the children who used to live at Tankerness House where the Orkney Museum can now be found:

D98/1/4/12 and D98/1/2/28

D98/1/2/11 and D98/1/2/27

D98/1/2/11

D98/1/2/27

They are contained within hand-stitched covers and some contain lovely illustrations. We like to say the titles by replacing the word 'love' with 'luuuurrrveee'. Try it, it's fun: 'The Effect of Luuuurrrve' by C. Cowan, 'A Tale of True Luuurrrve' by C. Cowan, 'Cecelia Chantry's Luuuurrrrve' by C. Cowan and 'To Gain His Luuurrrve', A Novel.

Well it makes us laugh.

Also, yesterday was the birthday of Ernest Shackleton. One of the documents in our John Mooney Collection is a telegram signed by Shackleton himself. Erlend Mooney, John's second son, was one of two boy scouts chosen to travel as cabin boys on Shackleton's last expedition.

Unfortunately, Erlend was terribly sea-sick. So much so, that he had to be sent home. Shackleton writes "....regret necessary action, solely in boy's interest he was always willing. "

D49/1/3

Hoorah For Alison and Her Archive!

2011-02-11T10:23:00.000Z

Pictured above is the latest edition of the New Orkney Antiquarian Journal. This particular edition is a very special one to all of us here at the Orkney Library and Archive as it was written as a tribute to our former Principal Archivist, Alison Fraser, who retired last October and is a very big miss.

The journal begins with a tribute to Alison written by former Assistant Archivist Phil Astley. His piece is then followed by essays by archive staff members (both current and those who have moved on) and users of the archive.

The book is an excellent overview of the history of the service and of Alison's career in Orkney.

There was a small presentation on Monday night which is pictured below. A few speeches were made and chit chat was had. There was also a delightful buffet comprising of sandwiches, home bakes and a platter of fruit. That last detail may seem irrelevant, but we do like a good buffet here.

Alison receives her copy of the journal from Leslie Burgher of the Orkney Heritage Society as library and archive staff and journal contributors look on. (Photo: Orkney Media Group.)

Save Our Libraries Day

2011-02-05T15:57:00.000Z

Today is save our libraries day and I had planned to post scans of our collection of old library cards, application forms and stamps etc. but the computer connected to my scanner has died! Booooooooooooooooooo.

I expect that downstairs is a heaving throng of sweaty activists who are emptying the shelves of books, using the computers and picking the brains of our gorgeous and impossibly well-informed library assistants.

You can keep up to date with the various events taking place across the country here and there is still over an hour left to pay us a visit.

Anyone who thinks that libraries are not relevant in the digital age should remember that it is not just the books on offer but a sense of community, a quiet place to study, a shelter from the rain, free internet access as well as free computer/internet tuition, expert advice on books/archives/local knowledge, the occasional home bake, an excellent opportunity to ogle comely librarians, magazines, cds, dvds and space to explore your interests and stumble upon new culture.

SOL! SOL! SOL!

Boids

2011-01-28T12:55:00.000Z

It is the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch this weekend! Take an hour to count all the different birds that are in your garden and record them on the RSPB website. See here for details.

Don't worry about seeming uncool, birdwatching's totally in style right now! Camp out in your garden with a stool, sandwiches, notebook and wine box (what?) and you have the makings of a great afternoon. All the cool kids are doing it and birds are cute. We were terribly excited a couple of winters ago when some waxwings began to visit the back of the library to partake of the berries which grow beside the staff car park.

Yeah, you read right, we were excited by birds. We are librarian/archivists okay, whaddya expect?

Aaaagggh!!! They're so tame and cute!!

Below are some images taken from a book of Orkney postcards, each stamped, clearly dated and filed in a Stanley Gibbons folder. Other images shown include St Magnus Cathedral, The Churchilll Barriers, The Old Man Of Hoy, Dounby. Firth, Skara Brae, Stromness, The Standing Stones of Stenness and various other local scenes. The dates range from 1967 - 1971. Also included at the front of the album are four date stamps on squares of paper dating from 1848 and 1852.

I have also scanned a list of (stuffed?) Orkney birds which were being offered for sale by a Mr James Petrie in the latter years of the 19th century.

References: Postcards- D1/1028, List - D1/321/9

The Wonder That Is A Library

2011-01-27T15:20:00.000Z

We are lucky in Orkney that our wonderful, hard-working, nice-smelling, intellectually awe-inspiring, well-dressed, kind, sparkling-witted and drop dead gorgeous council are not threatening to do away with our libraries, but sadly this is not the case in many counties.

This speech by Philip Pullman is all over the internet at the moment and is well worth a read.

The Problem With Topical Comedy...

2011-01-21T11:24:00.000Z

One of our latest acquisitions is this small bundle of postcards. The drawings are fantastic and we would like to know who the artist is...

The images all refer to the Bay of Firth Oyster Fishery and are obviously meant to be humorous but we don't really understand the joke. Something to do with oysters...

Tee hee...

Very droll, I'm sure...

Stop! My sides!

The Syndicate of work!

Insect powder in some bellows, powering a jumper-sailed boat... hilarious!

How SLIC are we?

2011-01-17T11:18:00.000Z

All of you old-skool readers may remember this post about a very successful inspection of the Orkney Library and Archive.

Well, the inspection has led to a Scottish Library Excellence award from the Scottish Library Information Council (SLIC). Hoorah!

Our Library and Archive manager is travelling down to the awards ceremony which, inexplicably, shall not be televised, to accept what we hope shall be a solid gold, jewel encrusted trophy. Some manner of crown and sceptre set I should imagine. His speech is prepared, Cheryl Cole-style epaulets have been affixed to a spangly jacket and the dance routine has long been perfected and memorised.

The archive department did particularly well in the assessment, scoring 6 out of 6 for generally being a completely brilliant local studies collection.

Still Clinging Onto Christmas...

2011-01-08T16:18:00.001Z

We had a Christmas Night out. It was mental. Some staff members are still missing and at least three were arrested, one for public indecency and the other two for fraud.

If you have absolutely nothing else to do with your day, perhaps you would like to test your wits with our post-dinner quiz. The only prize is pride.

Round one:

Select the correct words to find the names of Christmas Songs:

a) The ideal reference room is noisy/silent/smelly

b) You clean your teeth in the morning and at night/work/the pub

Song Title:

a) Amy Tan wrote the joy/good/bad luck club

b) ‘It Takes One/Two/Three’ sang Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston

c) John Irving wrote ‘The World/ The Situation/The Story According to Garp’.

Song Title:

a) What is this man’s catch phrase?

b)How would one ‘Row, row, row the boat’? Swiftly/Happily/Merrily

c)Katrina and the Waves were ‘Walking on/with/o’er Sunshine’.

d)Name the Nick Hornby novel Low/High/Less Fidelity.

Song Title:

a) Bette Midler starred in the Best/ First/Ex Wives Club

b) What is this young man’s first name?

Song Title:

a) Stephanie Cole starred in the sit-com ‘Waiting For Death/Santa/God.’

b) Americans call toilets potty/ rest/ hygiene rooms.

c) If one was a cowboy and excited, one would shout Gee/Yee/Whopee Ha!

d) What is the first name of the Lord of The Rings Character shown above?

e) Name the Shakespeare play: The two Ladies/Gentlemen/Knights of Verona.

Song Title:

a) Complete the name of the song: Me, Myself and You/ I /Love

b) The modern horror film franchise named after a tool is Saw/Hammer/Wrench

c) Bananarama released ‘It Ain’t What You Do’ with the Fun Boy Gang/ Crew/ Three

d) The Pinto, Mayflower and Santa Maria were all ships/ jewels/ churches

Song Title:

a) Urine is a fancy word for wee/poo/mucus

b) Charles Bronson starred in the film ‘Death Star/ Strike/ Wish’.

c) Elvis sang a song called ‘The Wonder of Love/ Christmas/ You’.

d) What is the first letter of this group’s name?

e) If someone is tipsy, you may describe them as merry/ cheerful/ content.

f) Clement C. Moore wrote ‘The Night Before Santa/Christmas/ Yule

Song Title:

Round 2:

Quick Fire Round:

What year did Whitney Houston get to number 1 with ‘I Will Always Love You?’
What is the name of Ebenezer Scrooge’s dead colleague whose ghost appears at the beginning of ‘A Christmas Carol’.
How many of Santa’s Reindeer’s names begin with the letter ‘D’?
Which artist sang the opening lines of the first version of Band Aid’s ‘Feed The World?’
The three kings were named Balthazar, Melchior and ………?
In the song ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’, what did the singer’s true love give to them on the tenth day?
Christmas Island is part of which country?
Which monarch is said to have introduced the Christmas Tree to Britain?
Glogg, Gluwein, Vin Chaud, what is the British term for this festive drink?
Name the four Pevensie children in ‘The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe’.
Who starred as ‘The Grinch’ in the Hollywood adaptation of ‘The Grinch Who Stole Christmas’?
Which Christmas carol contains the lines :

And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall:
With the poor, and mean, and lowly,
Lived on earth our Saviour holy.

Name the angel who saves James’ Stewart’s life in ‘Its A Wonderful Life.’
Which British Republican leader is said to have personally banned Christmas?
In what year did the only Woman’s Christmas Day Ba’ take place?
What is the calendar date of the twelfth day of Christmas also known as The Feast of Epiphany?
Which company is credited with introducing the now obligatory red Santa costume in their 1930s advertising campaign?
Which muppet played the part of Bob Cratchet in ‘A Muppet’s Christmas Carol?
What was the Christmas Number two last year?
Which animated duo appear on the Royal Mail’s Christmas Stamps this year?

Round three, name the artists, their Christmas number ones and the years that the reached the top spot:

Toodle Poo

2011-01-07T16:11:00.000Z

We are still in the post-festive lazy slump here. It seems terrible enough that we have to arise before 8am, actually go outside and do some work, and almost inconceivable that archives could be selected, scanned and commented upon for the visual pleasure of cyber readers.

Such work when one has been used to spending entire days flicking Quality Street down one's throat whilst watching The Snowman and Enchanted for the hundredth time each simply because the remote control is outwith arm's reach seems both unachievable and wrong.

This lovely Kirkwall Town Borough Testimonial passed through my lazy hands as part of an enquiry, however, and the scanner is only two centimetres away from said hands:

The testimonial is in support of the character and the "natural genius for drawing and painting", of William H F Strange Petrie and dates from 1810. It is inscribed at the top of the page with Deus Nobiscum - 'God is with us' which is the Kirkwall town motto.

Well, that has been exhausting. Time to lick a finger and chase the last of the Christmas biscuit crumbs from the inside of the tin. But first, here is a picture of Noel Edmonds:

Archive Reference D1/379

Toodle Pip

2010-12-24T09:00:00.001Z

The Orkney Library & Archive

will be closed from

3pm on Friday 24 December 2010

We open again on

Wednesday 5 January 2011

9.15am – 7pm

Best wishes for the festive season from all the staff

Images taken from archive reference D30/2/10

Errrrr.....

2010-12-22T16:42:00.000Z

Found in archive reference D30/2/10

Click to enlarge if you dare.

We Are Closed Today

2010-12-18T08:33:00.001Z

Due to weather.

We do apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause you.

The Only Time Today That It Has Stopped Snowing...

2010-12-17T15:01:00.001Z

One Further Update...

2010-12-17T11:40:00.000Z

Stromness library is closed today and tomorrow as every single member of staff there is stranded in some way!

Again, we are sorry for any inconvenience that this may cause.

A Few Updates...

2010-12-17T10:33:00.000Z

The library is open today but the staff are a little depleted due to the weather. Us town folk must admit that the thought of leaving our warm beds to trudge through the snow was difficult, but we are not only dashing, adventurous types who laugh in the face of ice and snow, we are far too dedicated to you, dear customers, and so we are here; a little creased and rosy-cheeked but eager to serve.

However....

The Bookbug Rhyme time session has been postponed until Wednesday morning and the mobile library van shall not be in Burray and South Ronaldsay today.

Also, the library and archive shall be closed tomorrow, Saturday the 18th.

We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause.

From Us To You Dear Readers...

2010-12-14T13:20:00.000Z

Above is the archive image which has been chosen to adorn our Library and Archive Christmas Card this year. It is taken from a school jotter filled with stories, pictures and poems which were divided into editions of a magazine called 'The Star'. The book is part of the Mary Robertson Sinclair Papers, reference D30/2/10.

The cards themselves are even fancier as Karen and Steven spent hours titivating them with glitter glue before sending them on their way.

Strictly No Drilling!

2010-12-10T12:16:00.001Z

The student fees vote is the biggest story this morning and looks to be a hot topic for some time to come. Below are some images relating to probably the biggest protest to take place in Orkney.

In the late 1970s, exploratory surveys of uranium-rich land just north of Stromness were planned, to great public opposition. The Orcadian protests were much more subdued than those seen in London yesterday. Around four hundred people turned up on Broad Street for a silent protest and many children were present.

Plan of proposed drilling area from The Scotsman dated 23rd February 1977

Image taken from the Press & Journal dated 9th of February 1977

As above.

The government ministers involved tried appearing on a festive Strictly Come Dancing special to win folk over but the population were moved by neither sequins nor prowess with a flippy little cape and the plans for drilling were dropped.

Information taken from the Ernest Walker Marwick Collection reference D31/28/2

We Are Never Happy...

2010-12-09T12:53:00.001Z

The snow does seem to be thawing in Kirkwall, but this has only served to reveal the treacherous layer of trampled ice that was lurking beneath the crunchy, powdery snow which was easier to walk on.

Perhaps you are all feeling a little nostalgic for the irritating, yet safer fluffy snow of earlier in the week? Perhaps not..

High Street, 1918

The West End Hotel on Main Street, undated.

Old Scapa Road, 1918

Palace Road, undated

These photos were all taken by Tom Kent and therefore the undated ones must predate 1936.

Sound familiar?

2010-12-08T15:43:00.000Z

All of these snippets are taken from editions of The Orcadian dated January 1978. So far, so familiar, but things were about to get worse...

Nearly all of the West Mainland and Island schools seem to have been closed for an extended period, roads in Orphir were completely blocked and impassable, the water went off in Stromness, Evie, Rendall, Sandwick and Orphir and there were milk shortages due to farmers being without water, electricity and transport. Milk was being dumped at some farms.

Mr Alastair Whyte, manager of the Kirkwall Claymore milk factory said: " I have never known so much chaos in my time."

Worst of all, there was no telly for a significant proportion of the population! The Radio was working, however, and Radio Orkney was on air for three hours one night keeping the population up to date with developments and boosting morale with music and phone-ins.

The worst Orkney power cut story I have ever heard was recounted in the staff room one day. It must have been around about 1983 when the power cut out across most of the mainland. I know this, because this is when the fabulous guilty pleasure of a mini-series The Thorn Birds was shown. The power cut happened IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LAST EPISODE.

In these new-fangled days of iplayer, youtube and dvd box sets, this would be, at worst, a minor irritant but in the early 1980s such an event was truly desperate. Fans of the charming yet ambitious Father Ralph de Bricassart were reduced to roaming the streets, tearing their hair out and shouting "Does anyone have power? Will Ralph ever find out that Dane is his illegitimate son?!!"

Some people still tear up when it is mentioned and it is fun to prank call Orkney numbers and whisper "her dress was ashes of roses..." until the recipient of the call dissolves into confused and helpless sobs.

Shopping In A Winter Wonderland...

2010-12-07T11:31:00.000Z

We have been so caught up in the snowy madness of late that we forgot to post about our new exhibition which explores the history of Kirkwall's shopping streets. The display was inspired by the BBC program Turn Back Time and includes photographs, plans and archival documents relating to retail in Kirkwall throughout the centuries.

You can view photocopies of the original documents on the wavy wall of the library next to the computer room, but the real stuff is upstairs in the archive search room in our display cabinet.

As usual, the photographs have proved controversial, and our captions for some of the shop fronts have been roundly derided by folk who can apparently remember back to the early 1900s. Come in and have a look! Challenge our assertion that photograph L1067/1 shows the former location of Drever and Heddle's! Scoff at our dating of our interior of James Flett and son's to 1980! Roll on the ground with tears in your eyes at the idea that Kirkwall ever had a ladies' pants shop that stayed open long enough for a photograph to be taken!

This image of Sclater's menswear seems the most appropriate image from the exhibition to post. Look what a laugh they are all having. Here in the archives we prefer to complain endlessly about the snow, shaking our heads ruefully at the various official decisions which have been made and detailing exactly how we would have organised things ourselves. Much more fun.

The library is open today and staff were out first thing shovelling paths of snow up to the entrance. Do watch your step on the North side of the building though , as it is quite slippy there.

He is Calling You, Calling You... On The Saviour's Day!

2010-12-02T12:50:00.001Z

Now that the library Christmas tree has arrived and Steven's fab advent calender has been unveiled (see our twitter page for each day's hand-crafted-by-staff door countdown) we have decided that it is time to festoon the normally staid archive with inappropriate glitter and twinkliness.

It does look better in real life, honest.

The flashing fairy lights may irritate Orkney Room readers and the tinsel on our computers does somewhat obscure our views of the screens but surely constant, low-level irritation is as much a Christmas tradition as Cliff Richard and Walford punch-ups?

Our decorations include candle-like lights, wreaths, poinsettias, a small yet glittery Christmas tree, fairy lights and delightful tinsel head-gear for our long-suffering Orkney Room busts.

Edwin never minds, he thinks it's just a bit of fun.

George seems indifferent but has never complained.

Stanley is unsure.

Eric is always absolutely furious. We just bung it on his head and then run away from those angry, angry eyes.

Bad bad weather!

2010-11-27T15:23:00.000Z

Its looking a bit grim outside now and beginning to get icy, so since the staff do not want to spend the night in the building eating all the staffroom biscuits, we have decided to close early at 3.45pm. We are sorry for any inconvenience this will cause you.

Bad weather? Missed Scollie's Night Oot?

2010-11-27T10:40:00.000Z

It's snowing here in Orkney today and we're not sure how many folk are going to brave the weather to come in. It's 10 o'clock and there's not many footprints outside yet.

If you missed going to Scollie's Night Oot at the Phoenix Cinema last night because of the bad weather, you missed a great night of old and new Orkney and Scottish films. But all is not lost because we have many old films on video and DVD here in the archive.

And they are available to view any time the archive is open.

We have a little booth set aside for you to view these wonderful old films in private.

Or a large screen Video/DVD player.

Here we can see some Orkney folk dancing at The Police Ball in 1953. So if you get fed up of Christmas shopping and need a break, why not pop in to the archive to watch an old show?

Helllooooo Stromness!!!

2010-11-23T15:08:00.000Z

The Orkney Library and Archive cyber family has grown again and we are delighted to welcome the Stromness Library Blog which can be viewed here. We also have a link to the site on our blogroll below.

Up until now, we have mentioned Stromness events wherever possible but it was felt that, with so much going on through in the Wild Wild West Mainland, that it was time for a dedicated blog.

Stromness library is host to the Stromness library reading group, many George Mackay Brown Fellowship events and the local creative writing group. It is hoped that these organisations shall perhaps provide guest posts from time to time and that some local news and/or scandalous gossip shall be given an airing.

Pop over and join the party...

Totaliser

2010-11-19T16:22:00.000Z

Our happy customers have exited the building with chocolate-smeared faces and considerably lighter purses.

Our grand charity total for today is £210, which is fantastic. Thank you to everyone who made a contribution. The serving wenches are all wrung out and are sitting in a row in the staff room, their feet in buckets and cold compresses on their foreheads.

A Closer Look At The Delights For All Who Were Undecided.

2010-11-19T11:24:00.001Z

It's Homebakes Time Again...

2010-11-19T09:28:00.001Z

Hey, coooo-eee, lookey lookey what we have here for you! Yet more lovely homebaking... This time the worthy cause is Children In Need, so bring your money and your fat jeans to the library foyer from 10.30am - 3.30pm.

Will and Kate Sitting In A Tree K.I.S.S.I.N.G.

2010-11-18T11:54:00.000Z

Kate Middleton is to be Prince William's bride, hurrah. I for one shall be perfectly content to watch the nuptials from the comfort of the sofa, wearing the inevitable commemorative sweater and leg-warmer combo and munching from an array of cold meats and sausages on sticks laid out upon the coffee table. Lambrini shall be quaffed and twiglets shall be crunched.

I feel no shame about this intended grossly sentimental display of carnivorous fashion blindness as I shall be paying for all of this celebratory tomfoolery out of my own pocket. As, I am certain, Kate and William shall be.

The idea that the taxpayer would be expected to shell out for a Westminister Abbey wedding complete with designer frocks and limousines as has been suggested elsewhere is obviously a ludicrous ruse to hide the happy couple's real intention.

They are of course planning a good old-fashioned Orkney knees up which traditionally eschews fancy venues and puts the emphasis on fun, family and copious amounts of booze.

The night before the wedding, Kate's mother shall pop her daughter's feet into a bath full of water, dropping a ring in under her toes to be retrieved by the bridesmaids who shall be washing the feet of the bride. Whichever girl finds the ring shall be the next to marry.

The wedding shall of course take place during the waxing of the moon as ceremonies held during the waning phase are bad luck. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays are lucky days for weddings.

On the morning of the nuptials, Kate's mum shall serve everyone a stiff glass of gin at ten o'clock in the morning and the wedding party shall be led down to the church by a piper who has attached ribbons to his instrument.

'Hansel', that is pieces of cheese and bread shall be served immediately after the party arrive back at the bride's house and a bridecake of oats and caraway seeds shall be broken over poor Kate's head. This cake contains yet another ring and a button. The girl who finds the ring shall soon be wed herself and the boy who finds the button shall be a bachelor forever.

And then the dancing.

The Bride's Cog

As the evening progresses a 'cog' full of a heady mixture of home brew, whisky, sugar and spices shall be passed around the wedding party, all of whom shall take a drink.

Kate shall then retire to her boudoir to change for bed, whereupon male members of the wedding party, having secreted themselves within and without the chamber, shall burst out and try to steal bits of her wedding finery. Kate shall have taken some beefy, older women up with her to combat this assault, however, and a fight to the death shall ensue.

The cog shall return, full of plain ale this time, two hours after everyone has gone to bed as Kate's mother visits all the party guests in their bed rooms and offers them another drink just in case they are not quite steaming enough to have passed out completely. This revelry shall continue for the next two days or until the drink runs out.

I can't wait to watch it all unfold.

Photographs from the Tom Kent collection and information from Walter Traill Dennison's Orkney Weddings and Wedding Customs.

Happy Birthday Orcadian!

2010-11-15T14:31:00.000Z

The featured archive for today is the supplement to the 125th anniversary edition of The Orcadian. It appeared on the 15th of November 1979.

The Orcadian newspaper was actually first published on the 14th of November 1854 by James Urqurt Anderson. The Orcadian firm was already in existence as a bookbinding and printing service.

The supplement looks over the advent of North Sea oil and its effects on the island, the demonstrations against Uranium mining and the concerns of population drift. The most depressing section, however is entitled 'cost of living'.

Here, the author complains that whereas a first class stamp had been but tuppence ha'penny when the centenary edition was published in 1954, it now cost TEN PENCE to send a letter. It is further pointed out while a bottle of whisky had been about 20 shillings, a consumer was now set back by around £5. Further more 'A good, sound stone-built two-storey house in Kirkwall with garage, greenhouse, storage space and a biggish garden could have been had for a little over £3000 in the early fifties. The price today is much more likely to be in the £40,000 bracket.' Good lord.

11/11/2010

2010-11-11T09:49:00.000Z

click to enlarge

Documents relating to the war service of Pte. W. C. Robertson reference D1/257

Why?!

2010-11-10T16:57:00.000Z

According to the blogger stats gadget, the same google requests seems to take people to this blog week after week: "images of Michael Fish" or "pictures of Michael Fish."

The post about him from April is still our top EVER post (see below)!

Why is this?

Has he experienced a massive career boost in the last few months which I have been unaware of in this Northern hinterland?

I must know!!

Domestic Intelligence

2010-11-09T17:14:00.000Z

Here's a few quirky articles from around Britain that we have found in The Orkney Herald from December 1861 under the headline: Domestic Intelligence. The first tells the story of a poor young lady suffering from a problem that maybe not many people would have heard of in the 1860s, see if you can guess what it is before the end of the article.

The second snippet reports to us almost like an Agatha Christie novel the horrific story of a murder of a soldier in Aldershott.

The last one has to be the best headline I have ever seen and sounds like a super gathering! Aren't you sad that you weren't able to go to the Festival of Reformed Drunkards in Leeds' Victoria Hall on Friday night?

These snippets were all found in The Orkney Herald newspaper for 3rd December 1861, page 2, columns 5 & 6.

Oooh oooh ooh oooh oooh...

2010-11-05T14:59:00.000Z

The obvious subject for a post today would, of course, be Guy Fawkes a.k.a. Bonfire Night. Therefore, I dutifully searched our catalogues and bookshelves for mentions of relevant traditions/folklore/reminiscences.

The only thing that I could find, however, was an audio tape made in 1976 of a BBC programme called Island Calendar, which Ernest Walker Marwick used to make. The notes for the programme say:

(Guy Fawkes) 5th of November. Total alien - not traditional.

Indeed, the next traditional celebration would be Martinmas on the 11th of November but that date is now better known for being Remembrance day. So all that I can show you is this photograph of fireworks taken during a Stromness shopping week.

I don't really know where I'm going with this... basically that there's nothing to see here... It's Friday afternoon, let's dance around with Patti Labelle with her tip-top hit 'New Attitude'.

Point to your clothes when she sings "new dress!" Point to your head when she sings "new hair!" Gesture with your index finger like a sassy lady on the Ricki Lake show when she sings "Brand new ideas as a matter of fact I've chaaaaanged for good."

Happy bonfire night!

A Brief Suggestion.

2010-11-04T11:04:00.000Z

You could follow https://twitter.com/OrkneyLibrary if you were so inclined....

Hail Lot o' Love.

2010-11-03T11:20:00.000Z

Once again, the inhabitants of Kirkwall realised the futility of owning a hairbrush in this county. This morning the streets were filled with scurrying, behooded figures desperately trying to shield their heads from the wind and lashing rain. Aaah, how the gods laugh at those who seek to make hair-dos.

We were also treated to that special Orkney treat of horizontal hail which flies into the eyes, scratching corneas and ruining eye make-up. This onslaught makes it necessary to walk almost double, both hands clutching desperately to the rim of one's hood.

Many people will have got several eyefuls of hail, however, as they peered up towards the enormous rainbow which seemed to arch over the entire town centre. This beautiful vision almost made the rest of the atmospheric assaults worthwhile. Well played weather, well played.

Rainbows used to be taken as strong portents in Orkney. Whenever one appeared, it was a sign of things to take place soon or within a month at the very least.

If the a rainbow was seen to end at the chimney of a particular house, then a boy-child was to be born there within the month. Double rainbows meant twin boys. The rainbow was a bridge, you see, and the boy babies were sent scooting down it by the 'kerry' or 'keery', nymphs who lived in the branches of the 'the muckle tree' of life. No word on how the girl babies got in the house, they were probably just shoved through the cat-flap or something.

Rainbows also foretold marriages. As George Marwick wrote in his talk on legends for the Mutual Improvement Association on the 11th of March 1903, " Sometimes when there is a heavy dew lying on the ground, or when the ground or grass has been soaked with a heavy fall of rain, and the sun shines on an incline there will very often appear a rainbow on the ground whose ends join on to the earth ends of the rainbow in the sky. Any house that was within the rainbow on the ground was sure to be the locus of a marriage in a month's time."

So there you go.

And now for some exciting news: Stewart, our library tweeter has been shortlisted in three of the categories at the Golden Twits awards. There's famous people shortlisted and everything! Voting has resumed, so if you are on Twitter and enjoy the Orkney Library and Archive tweets, please vote and make all of our social network-related dreams come true.The staff are all dusting off their spats and fur stoles and practising poses for the paps as I type.

Thank you to all who have already voted. Your love has moved us deeply and irrevocably.

Rainbow rumours from the Ernest Walker Marwick Collection: Reference D31/4/1/2

Neeping Oor Heeds.

2010-11-01T14:48:00.000Z

As is usual on the 1st of November, the citizens of Kirkwall picked their way into work this morning through a gluey crust of flour and eggshells. It is the custom here for a certain section of the populace to bombard the buildings of the town with both.

Lat night we received visits from 'trick or treaters' who were called 'guisers' in my day. A party piece of a song or joke is usually performed in exchange for sweets, but some of our delightful visitors did not bother with this irksome duty. Others did not even have costumes on and were clearly about 25.

Most of the revellers last night had pumpkin lanterns. When did people stop using turnips? Memories of Hallowe'ens past are always infused with the stink of hot neep.

In the not-so-distant past, Hallowee'n used to be a very special night for young, unmarried women. It was the only night of the year that they could peek into the future and glimpse their future husband.

One tradition was to eat a salt herring before bed in the hope that an apparition of their future spouse would glide into their room with the offer of a glass of water.

In the Orcadian parish of Orphir, hopeful girls took a live coal from the fire, submerged it hissing into water and tucked it under a piece of turf. In the morning, the turf would be broken in half to reveal fibres the colour of the future husband's hair.

Braver lasses used to sit in the barn all night with a sieve and a knife because then (of course), a ghostie of the hubby-to-be would drift past the doorway. Other girls used to go into the fields at night and walk around a corn-rick, arms outspread, expecting to touch the ghostie hand of said h-t-b. Aaaaggghhhh!!!!!!

I don't know about anyone else, but I much prefer today's tradition of sitting in front of the X-factor results show whilst munching upon the excessively large supply of sweets that only the visits of 3300 children could use up.

Information taken from the Ernest Walker Marwick Collection D31/72/1/26

Stop It Right NOW, 'The Autumnwatches...'

2010-10-29T11:37:00.000+01:00

Northern viewers of the very wonderful Autumnwatch may have been puzzled by a low-level rumbling which seems to occur intermittently throughout the program. It seems to be occurring directly before and after Gordon Buchanan's reports from the Orcadian island of Stronsay where he has been filming and swimming with seals and their pups.

That sound, non-Orkney dwellers, is the sound of many teeth being ground in mortified frustration each time Kate and Chris refer to Orkney as 'the Orkneys'. It is just Orkney. Not 'The Orkneys'. Just Orkney.

I don't know why everyone up here is reduced to such violent, spit-flecking conniptions whenever this moniker is applied to our home, but we are. And it has to stop. No amount of cosy shots of Chris and Kate slowly falling in love over their mugs of tea in front of a bright, crackling fire can make up for this persistent trauma.

If all of this seal watching has wetted your seal-appetites, then pop into the Orkney Archive. We have natural history tomes on the grey seal in the Orkney Room, selkie folklore books and a poem or two on the mythical sea-people who shed their seal skins when they came ashore.

There is also a vast amount of information on the 1978 protests against the seal culls in Orkney. In the late 1970s, the fishing industry was blaming annual losses of £12 million on the fish munching creatures and there were great concerns about the growth of population.

The archive holds letters, papers, reports and much correspondence between then Orkney and Shetland MP Jo Grimond, members of the Orkney Field Club and various government officials. In 1978, a massive campaign of protests, press and 14,000 letters to Downing Street led to a reduction in the number of grey seals to be culled.

We also have a compilation audio tape containing a talk on grey seals by Dr Paul Heppleston, 2 sea-people legends, the reminiscences of a local man who saw two sea-monsters, Angus Findlater singing 'The Grey Selkie of Sule Skerry', Walter Traill Dennison's story 'The Selkie That Didna Forget' and Selkie based tunes played by Allie Windwick and Ronnie Aim.

The Selkie: A Legend of Orkney by Anonymous.( Reference: D31/1/3/9)

Orkney Field Club reference: D41
Compilation tape reference: OSA C14

So Long...

2010-10-28T11:10:00.000+01:00

Today we bid a sad farewell to the Orkney Today newspaper. Financial circumstances originally indicated a closure in December, but this has been brought forward and the final edition is now published.

In 2003, Orkney Today filled the gap left by the 1960 closure of the Orkney Herald and has been a popular read ever since. The original remit from founder Ken Amer was for a paper that took a positive look at Orkney and published 'light and punchy' articles. Ken's photographic background also ensured that the paper has always been packed with full-colour images.

First edition of The Orkney Today

The picture on this first front cover of the paper is hard to make out but that is a good thing. It is a photo of Ken Amer holding a copy of the paper which shows a picture of Ken Amer holding a copy of the paper, which shows a picture of Ken Amer holding a copy of the paper, which shows a picture of Ken Amer holding a copy of the paper...

Printing this terrifying vortex on the front of their first edition was a brave move and was not repeated again as several Orcadians were driven mad by it and there was some suing.

The newspaper reported on many library events and we thank the staff for all of their support over the years.

This closure shall be hard for some and if any readers feel like reminiscing over old editions whilst weeping softly, we have all of the back issues on microfilm in the archive searchroom.

The launch of the paper.

Pages taken from the Orkney Today dated 3rd of October 2003 and 10th of October 2003.

Great Scott!!

2010-10-22T12:26:00.000+01:00

Today is the birthday of Christopher Lloyd, known to many film fans as Doctor Emmet Brown of the Back to The Future Trilogy.

In tribute, I dug out this Sooan Sids column by Ernest Walker Marwick which was published by the Orkney Herald on the 26th of May 1959.

It is a short piece of fiction set in Orkney 2011. In this alternative future, towns have no names, churches have no use and the town of Kirkwall is covered by a concrete roof which doubles as a car park. Mothers leave their children to grow up in incubato-schools, the citizens of Orkney consume pills and vitamin water at an eato-refresho and the spire of St Magnus Cathedral has been removed to make way for a helicopter port.

There is also a healthy smattering of Anti-American feeling throughout with the unsympathetic, pro-progress character beginning her sentences with 'Gee' and a comparison between the replacement of old buildings with new and the gold teeth of Americans: "Quite, quite incongruous and Oh so ugly." Nice.

Mr Marwick need not have worried. Although some town-centre gardens sadly have been sacrificed for car parks, the buildings on the main streets are, for the most part, sympathetic and appropriate. His fearful predictions of 'big yellow signs' and flashing advertising hoardings have also not come to pass.

We still do not have a MacDonalds in Orkney which is, quite frankly, an amazing achievement as even tiny Tazmanian backwaters seem to have a franchise and the lack of advertising space is also to be commended. We do have a big, shiny new Tescos though which few can resist.

Damn you Tescos with your spacious aisles, cheap shoes and vast array of napkins and party hats...

Article reference D31/47/7/56 or Orkney Herald 26th May 1959.

Quick Poptastic Quiz

2010-10-21T10:54:00.000+01:00

Which of these 80s popstrels has penned two of the tomes in our beloved Orkney Room?

Is it a) Nik Kershaw?

Is it b), Alison Moyet?

Is it c), Julian Cope?

Is it d), Clare Grogan?

Is it e), Chris Rea?

Or is it f), Sinitta?

The first person to guess shall receive an Orkney library and archive coaster and large paperclip set. Try to contain yourselves.

(Clue: It is his or her birthday today...)

You Basic Slaaaaag!

2010-10-20T15:09:00.000+01:00

Vintage readers of this blog shall already know how much this 1940s ad campaign freaked us out. On this day in 1953 the company took things further with the creepy Wright's Biscuits child emerging from a television screen like that girl in The Ring whilst muttering " I'm Nuts. Ginger Nuts."

It would surely be more effective if the slogan was " I'm nuts, for ginger nuts".

I can only speak for myself, but a picture of a leering child proclaiming their mental illness does not make me in the least bit peckish.

*******

The next time I feel the need to give a person a piece of my mind, the first insult which rolls off my tongue shall be inspired by this simple advert.

Adverts taken from The Orcadian dated 20th October 1953.

We Shall D.I.S.C.O. Our Cares Away

2010-10-19T15:33:00.000+01:00

It is my duty to inform you, dear readers, of both a temporary closure of the library and archive building and a more permanent change to the archive opening hours.

On Tuesday the 26th of October, the Orkney Library and Archive shall be closed from 9am until 12pm. You are probably thinking that this is for some useful fire training or similar but you would be wrong.

We've loads of balloons left over from Alison's leaving do which are starting to give off that sad, plasticky, dying smell. The plan is to blow up some more, fill a room with them and then jump up and down on them in our vests and pants. Three hours may seem like a lot of time to do just this and it is. We plan to sit amongst the spitty balloon skins and watch The Notebook on the big meeting room screen and shall need some time for our puffy, crying eyes to get back to normal.

The other change affects the archive Saturday opening hours. During winter season (October - April), the archives shall now close for lunch on Saturdays from 1.00pm until 2.00pm.

Again, the obvious reason for this change would be staff shortages 'cos of the lean, mean times but again, no. The archive staff are keen to help raise revenue during this cash-strapped quarter and we've decided to run a small disco every Saturday to raise some pennies and boost staff morale.

From 1.00 until 2.00, the archive searchroom shall be transformed into a groovy, colourfully lit dance floor complete with small bar behind the counter. Orkney islands Council staff shall be invited to dance their poverty-stricken cares away for an hour for the very reasonable sum of £4.26 plus VAT.

Lest we disturb any library readers downstairs, our patrons shall be asked to dance in slippers whilst listening to our cracking tunes through headphones.

George Mackay Brown

2010-10-18T14:59:00.000+01:00

Yesterday was the anniversary of George Mackay Brown's birth. He would have been 89. Orkney Archive do not hold GMB's papers, unfortunately, as they still reside with his executors, but we do have a few relevant archives.

We hold some of his correspondence, mainly with Ernest Walker Marwick, some B.B.C. scripts which were written for programs on Orkney and several recordings of the poet either reading his own works or talking about the work of others such as Edwin Muir.

A personal favourite, is the set of Saga magazines which George Mackay Brown edited during his stay at Eastbank tuberculosis hospital. Originally an unsophisticated, hand-typed effort with cardboard covers, the third edition was printed by the local newspapers and made available outside of the hospital. The magazines contain poems, songs, articles, journal extracts, short stories and a murder mystery by fellow patients as well as Brown himself. The magazines ran from the summer of 1953 and the summer of 1954 and there are 5 in total.

We have also found a photograph of the young poet amongst our school class photos from Stromness. Can you spot him in the third row?

Saga magazines reference: D1/296

Oh You Weird, Random Thing, Internet!

2010-10-13T09:00:00.003+01:00

Have just discovered the new 'stats' button on the blogger dashboard which breaks down all of your user statistics. Much of the information is as expected, e.g. the vast majority of our readers are based in the U.K. followed by America and Canada, but you can also identify the conduit websites which lead readers to your blog.

Our main web portal is obviously the Orkney Library and Archive website, but I have learned today that we are listed on the blog roll of this blogger. Thank you!

I was also surprised to learn that our most viewed post by quite a long way was this tribute to weather man Michael Fish. Why is this?

The mystery of what brings random readers to your blog can be semi-solved by looking at the search engine terms which have resulted in a visit. The phrase which has been most successful for us has been "your mother doesn't work here poster" which brought readers to this weary protest about messy meeting room users.

Other top ten search terms have been:

"big piles of pancakes"

"George Galloway"

"It's alright, it's okay, doesn't really matter if you're old and grey."

and

"is master baker Paul Hollywood married?"

All of which are very far from anything that I would ever have guessed.

The Aftermath...

2010-10-11T14:44:00.000+01:00

Orkney Library and Archive was a shameful sight yesterday morning. The corridors were strewn with burst balloon skins, torn streamers and empty wine bottles, two members of staff were discovered passed out amongst the Mills and Boons and a sad pair of underpants swung slowly from a light fitting.

At least that would be the case if we were not nerdy librarian/archivists who did most of their tidying up on Saturday night. It was Alison's leaving do and the staff gathered to eat, drink and make merry. Homebakes were produced, speeches were made and gifts were presented.

It was a very pleasant, if emotional, evening. Anyone who claims they didn't feel a little moist around the eyes during Alison's speech was either crying a river inside, has a heart of cold, cold steel or is a liar.

Plenty of pictures were taken on the night but it is yet to be established whether they can ever be shown in public. Instead, this post is illustrated with two photos of a staff leaving do which took place just after the Second World War. These pictures were taken when the catering facilities at Lyness were closing so it was a leaving do for all of the staff.

It looks pretty similar to Saturday night's do except we didn't have any hats and they don't seem to have limbo dancing dogs as waiters.

Photographed by: J.W. Sinclair.

Lists of Orkney Plants by Dr. John T. Boswell-Syme

2010-10-09T15:19:00.010+01:00

For all you nature lovers, here's an interesting addition to our Archive.

It is a booklet of three letters containing lists of Orkney Plants written by Dr. John Thomas Boswell-Syme in 1850. They include comments about the places where he has seen the plants in Orkney and elsewhere in Scotland.
Letter 1a) from Swanbister, Orkney, 25th December 1850
Letter 1b) from 84 Great King Street, Edinburgh, 21st August 1850
Letter 1c) from 84 Great King Street, Edinburgh, 24th September 1850

According to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (which is available through the library website) John Thomas Irvine Boswell, (1822–1888), botanist, was born John Thomas Irvine Boswell Syme at 4 Queen Street, Edinburgh, on 1 December 1822, the son of Patrick Syme (1774-1845), a flower painter of repute, and Elizabeth, daughter of Claud Irvine Boswell of Balmuto. Both his parents were keen naturalists and gave him every encouragement to collect plants, insects, and shells.

In 1849 Syme spent a holiday with relations in Orkney, and the following winter he read a paper about his finds there to the Botanical Society of Edinburgh. He made such an impression that he was appointed honorary curator of the society's herbarium.

If you are interested in seeing more, our archive reference is D1/1088/1.

Totaliser Update

2010-10-04T15:49:00.000+01:00

The final sum from Stromness is now in and our grand, final Jeans for Genes day total is:

£205.35

That is £80.17 more than last year.

Well done cake-bakers and cake-munchers both

Totaliser 2010

2010-10-04T10:12:00.000+01:00

Our Jeans for Genes fundraising on Friday brought in £180.48, which is fantastic. It is £55.20 more than our efforts last year.

This result is particularly impressive when you take Friday's weather into account. Gales and rain did not stop our eager, cake-seeking visitors and we are very grateful to everyone who took part and gave generously.

Thank you!

We Are Weeping and Eating at the Same Time.

2010-10-01T15:32:00.000+01:00

Today is our Principal Archivist, Alison's, last day. This is sad for us as she has been so great to work with, but the hundreds of cakes are helping with the pain.

I was talking to my good friend Elvis Costello last night and he's gutted that Alison's leaving. "She practically built that archive from scratch!", he cried, "it just won't be the same without her!"

"I know", I said, " I'd like to put some manner of tribute to her on our blog. In the past, I have altered the words to popular songs to mark certain days, but I can't think of any that are appropriate here."

Elvis was oddly quiet during the rest of our conversation, refusing all offers of crisps and merely grunting when I tried to discuss the AMAZING fight between Janine and Stacey in last night's Eastenders. I couldn't help feeling that I'd offended him somehow. Can't think how.

Anyway, I finally remembered the song 'Alison'. I can't remember who wrote it, but it fits quite well.

Oh it's so funny that you're leaving after so long, Boss

But with the early mornings and the dust,

We all understand.

And I heard you plan to make some tasty soup...

...we like cake here too...

We're not going to get too sentimental

'Cos you're not going to be far away.

And we will phone you when we get stuck with something...

...so we'll be talking every day

Alison, you know that we will sure miss you.

Oh Alison, Bye, Toodle-oo

You don't need to deal with customers now.
Oh will you miss the endless copying
taking up your day?
You used to run this place all by yourself,
Hope we manage when you're away.
Sometimes we wish that we could stop you from leaving
When we see the piles of stuff to do.
I think we'll just all have to pull our fingers out
and look forward to your leaving do.

Alison, you know that we will sure miss you.
Oh Alison, Bye, Toodle-oo
Bye, Toodle-oo...

Come in, Look what we have for you!

2010-10-01T10:44:00.000+01:00

Jeans For Genes

2010-09-30T11:34:00.000+01:00

Tomorrow it will be that special day again: a fundraiser for Jeans For Genes, which provides care and support for children with genetic disorders.

Each year, Orkney Library and Archive staff slave over hot ovens on the last evening of September and festoon the staff room with delicious homebakes of great variety and deliciousness. These tasty treats are then grudgingly sold on to the library and archive visitors to raise money for the charity.

mmmmmmmmm.....

But wait, there's more. Not only will you have the opportunity to be served tea and cake if you visit us tommorrow, but you shall be served by staff wearing stylish, tight-fitting denim trousers which shall display the enviable figures that we keep under wraps all the rest of the year for fear of driving readers mad with lust.

Double mmmm.....

It's because 'jeans' sounds like 'genes' you see? We all pay £2 to wear our jeans and then that raises further funds.

So come along! Eat cake, drink tea, leer at library staff! It's all for a great cause...

Just When You Thought That Bran Based Cereal Couldn't Get More Depressing.....

2010-09-29T11:45:00.000+01:00

Hi, my name's Henry. When a leading food manufacturer asked me to appear in a nationwide newspaper advertising campaign in 1955, I was thrilled. I mean, who wouldn't be? Look at the men pictured above; they look great! Straddling pylons, pointing at us while puffing on pipes, giving cheery, masculine waves in their well-cut suits... "Sign me up!", I cried, "I can't wait to look suave! I'm going to phone my mum!"

Here is my ad:

When I first saw it, I was a little disappointed. I thought that the whole constipation thing was embarrassing and I was troubled by what seemed to me to be a sad, empty desperate void behind my eager-to-please eyes.

My mum told me that I'm being silly, however, and that I look just as smart as all those other guys. She's sent copies of the advert to all our friends and family and, when they laugh hysterically, Mum just tells me that they're jealous.

Thanks Mum!

All adverts taken from September 1955 editions of The Orcadian.

Items that will never be asked for...? No.1

2010-09-27T14:17:00.005+01:00

"Instructions on How to Hatch Lobsters Artificially in Neilson's Floating Incubators in Newfoundland" Dated 1901.

While looking for something else I found this juicy archive item that will sadly never be asked for unless we happen to get some very enthusiastic lobster researchers from Canada.

Point 14 states that: "The young lobsters should be dipped out from the incubators into a bucket of clean sea-water, a day or two after they are hatched, and be planted - that is to be carried away and liberated in the sea - in sheltered places, where there is plenty of goose-grass or sea-weed, and where pure salt water is found. In planting them they should be scattered as much as possible, and not be put in one place in a heap."

Got that?

If you are interested in seeing the whole document, the reference number is D19/7/12/4.

A Gross Little Poem To Put You Off Your Tea

2010-09-24T15:53:00.000+01:00

Taken from a 1906 edition of The Orcadian.

More massive excitement...

2010-09-23T11:22:00.001+01:00

Thank you Family History Monthly! (Although pedantry compels me to point out that we are primarily an archive blog.)

We've been written to by Paul and Mary!!!!

2010-09-22T12:16:00.000+01:00

The Orkney Library and Archive is divided into two factions at the moment. One group of staff members found a BBC recipe booklet in their pigeon holes this morning and thought "that'll come in handy", but the rest of us are rolling on the floor with the Great British Bake Off tie-in books clutched to our chests, whooping with joy.

Those of us who watched this almost perfectly conceived program which reunited Light Lunch duo Mel and Sue and put them in charge of a round Great Britain bake-off, LOVED it. We moaned with horror when David forgot to put egg yolks in his souffles, we squirmed when Ruth got told off for the size of her scones and we tutted crossly as Jas put Mars bars in her pastries.

Incidentally, did anyone else wonder if Mel got any spit on her face when she said "but these are amateur bakers we're judging" and Paul Hollywood leant over the table and said "Yes, but it's the BESSSTT amateur bakers."? They deliberated the final result for over three hours! It was intense!

Anyway, the book is a delight. It begins with a SIGNED letter to the reader from expert baker Paul Hollywood and Doyenne of Cookbooks Mary Berry.

This unexpected honour is followed by recipes for Mary's lemon souffle and Victoria sponge and Paul's scones and Cob Bread. The last section of the book contains common baking questions like "Why is my bread heavy and stodgy?" or "Why are my scones hard and dry?". These questions are answered.

This post may seem completely irrelevant to our work here in the building and, well, it is. However, we do have a Jeans for Genes day coming up which shall require the staff to do some home-baking in order to raise funds on the day. These wonderful books shall help...

Wishing I Lived in 1884...

2010-09-21T16:34:00.000+01:00

Whilst looking through 1884 papers for Australian emigration adverts, I found these delights:

Why are scientists spending cancer research money on wasteful laboratory work? They should just travel back in time to 1884 and pick up some Clarke's Blood Mixture.

Some subliminal advertising, cunningly hidden in the midst of news. Excuse me, I've got a powerful craving for some Hops Bitters....

The poshest, most thrilling column of news ever: pirates, duels and dukes!

Some useful fashion and beauty tips for lovely ladies...

Information taken from Orkney Heralds dated 9th, 23rd and 30th of January and an Orcadian dated the 19th of January 1884.

'Oui....un petit, petit, petit peu...'

2010-09-20T16:42:00.000+01:00

It has been a cultural day at Orkney Archives.

First of all, our valiant leader has returned from France bearing a load of French delicacies. After we had all struggled to open the little sealed packets which the tartlets came in, we munched contemplatively whilst making mmmmmm noises. Proud that we could remember the word for 'cherries' from French at school, we crossed off 'gastronomic appreciation' on the fancy pass-time list in our heads.

Next, I felt smug when a customer came in to enquire about the Melsetter house papers. He was researching the visit of two members of the Bloomsbury Group, painter Duncan Grant and economist John Maynard Keynes to the house in 1908. "Ah" I said nodding my head knowledgeably, "yes, economist John Maynard Keynes...". The customer does not need to know that the sum total of my knowledge is that there was once an economist called John Maynard Keynes.

Anyway, Keynsian theory was recently re embraced by Western economies and is behind the fiscal stimulation idea that if we all just keep spending like fools then everything will come out in the wash (to summarise.) Thanks wikipedia.

Literature was crossed off when researching an enquiry on the genealogy of the Orkney Earldom. A customer was keen to find out if the poetic talents of both Rognvald Eysteinson and his son Turf Einar, were passed down to their descendants. I could not find any evidence of this until I came upon this poem by the excellently named Snaekoll Gunnason:

The Poet complains of being captured while on business in Norway

I shall never,

though I live for ever,

ask for business

in South Moer,

since enemies

took me from there

to Bergen

at the king's command.

Cutting.

Here is my poem in homage :

The poet complains about being aggressively sale-pitched whilst visiting the bank.

I shall never,

though I live forever,

use a credit card

for my Lovefilm,

nor do I want

to buy a mortgage,

as I have one.

Stop reading my purchase history.

That will show them, I think.

Cool, Code-Like Letters

2010-09-17T15:52:00.000+01:00

I am enjoying writing Old Norse words today. For instance vaðill, meaning 'ford', which has an interesting letter called eth in it which is written like this: ð
You can read more about it here.

It is found in Icelandic and Faroese words and was used in Old English and some Scandanavian languages. I first came across it when helping to catalogue Gunnie Moberg prints last year. Several of the photographs are beautiful Faroese landscapes and some depict the whale hunting that still goes on up there.

There was quite a lot of blood in the whale hunting photographs so I was concentrating quite strenuously on the titles of the photographs in a bid to quell my wussy hand-sweating.

Although Orkney has been part of Scotland since 1468, there are still a lot of Old Norse words scattered across the maps and hidden in everyday language.

'Ness', found at the end of Stromness, Grimness and Lyness is derived from Old Norse, as is 'setter', the suffix of Melsetter and Grimsetter. 'Setter' is derived from setr which, according to Hugh Marwick, means dwelling place or homestead.

In Gregor Lamb's Orkney Wordbook, the derivation of 'flitting' is given as the Old Norse word flyja, to carry, and 'geo' is traced back to gjá, a chasm. (Look! I managed to type an acute accent on the a and everything.)

Information taken from Gregor Lamb's Orkney Wordbook and Hugh Marwick's Orkney Farm Names.

Archives in the Movies

2010-09-15T16:46:00.000+01:00

We are currently feeling inspired by/ jealous of Glasgow University Archive's brill new tour video. (See Below).

It makes archiving look so cool (which, ahem, it totally is) what with the spookily lit busts, stylish nerd spec and white glove fashion statements and people keeking down tubes at the camera.

We are going to do one too, but it may not look as slick as Glasgow's. We shall make up for the mobile phone footage, however, by injecting the proceedings with some fab musical numbers. The main emphasis shall of course be showing all the various spaces and resources of Orkney Archive, but that doesn't mean there isn't room for a melodramatic sub-plot involving long lost twin brothers, an evil baron trying to introduce paper chewing mould to the strongrooms and a song and dance finale involving strings of plastic paper clips, desk lamps and ra-ra skirts made of acid free paper.

Our Socks Are Wet!

2010-09-13T14:53:00.000+01:00

Uggghhh!!! What a wet, miserable and yet horribly airless and sweaty day it is in Kirkwall!! Uggghhhhh!!!!

Let's look at nice drawings of St Magnus Cathedral by Henry Dryden:

These lovely images can be found in the Orkney Room in a large, bound edition.