Friday 10 December 2010

Strictly No Drilling!

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






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


 


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

2 comments:

  1. Blimey! So all that time I've been laid prone trying to photograph Primula scotica, I could've had a head to toe x-ray on the cheap?

    Please keep up the mining of the archive.

    Regards, Graeme

    ReplyDelete
  2. It certainly makes a windy day on Yesnaby cliffs that little bit more thrilling doesn't it?

    ReplyDelete

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