|
Newsletter Autumn 2003
New Premises
Over the summer we have been the hosts to a visit by the
Natural Stone Institute who were shown around the trail and
buildings at Castlehill. The members consisted of a variety
of people from many different interests in stone. This visit
was very much enjoyed and has now led to a renewed interest
in the formation of a visitor centre at Castlehill. We have
recently attended a meeting when it was proposed to try and
set up a visitor centre based on flagstone and fossil fish.
This was agreed and will be taken forward. As part of this
we have now been asked to apply for funding to start phase
one of the project which is the setting up of a small
heritage centre / tearoom at Castlehill. Initially this will
give the society a new home of a manageable size. As the
project moves forward it will be part of a larger and wider
attraction. The application has to be in by 10th September
2003 so things are moving fast. We will report back later as
it develops.
Sinclair’s Photos
During the summer we received the donation of the lifetime
collection of artefacts gathered by Sinclair Gunn. For this
most generous donation the society are very grateful and
thank his family for their kindness, patience and help in
packing and moving the artefacts from their store. In
packing and sorting the collection we came across 70 glass
negatives depicting scenes and people from around 1918. We
are now in the process of applying for funding to be able to
preserve these negatives and transfer them on to CD so that
they may be seen more widely. Also as part of this project
we hope to develop a ‘resource box’ which can be used by
schools to let the pupils learn more about the people in the
slides and the lives they lived at that time. When the work
has been completed on the negatives we hope to hold a
evening event where the slides will be shown. Refreshments
will be provided and also some period music from the society
gramophone and collection of records.
Flagstone Trail
Visitors to the Flagstone Trail will notice that all work
has now been completed on the paths. The new interpretative
boards have been erected around the trail and the finished
article is an asset which will be enjoyed by the whole
community and visitors.
Beach Clean
Saturday 27th September 2003 12 Noon will be the last beach
clean funded by EnTrust. Over the last few years the twice -
yearly beach clean has been a main stay of the society’s
fundraising and has also helped clean up the environment. If
you wish to help in this final beach clean, please meet in
the Sand End car park just before Noon when we will set off.
Bags will be supplied but please bring your own gloves and
suitable clothing. We hope to see you there one last time.
Highlander Exhibition
A new exhibition has been set up in the Highlander
Restaurant with the title ‘Let there be Light’. This
exhibition charts the provision of lighting in the village
throughout the ages. Man has strived to produce light
throughout time and has developed and perfected many ways of
getting light. This exhibition aims to show some of the most
common methods of getting light in the last few hundred
years. The early lamps were crude and basic, but these
developed into more sophisticated lamps as time went by. The
Tilley lamp must be remembered by most people as either the
main source of light at one time or when it was dragged out
of the cupboard during the winter storms. The next milestone
included in the exhibition was the coming of electric light
to the village and the ease and cleanliness with which light
could be switched ON or OFF. All these and more will be
covered in the exhibition along with memories of living
without electric light - a distant thought now. The
exhibition will be available during the Highlander’s normal
opening hours.
Heritage Fair
The two yearly Caithness heritage fair will be held again
this year in Wick on the 4th/5th October. The society will
again have a stand and the theme this year will be
businesses in the village. We hope to have a large map of
the village which will show the location of the businesses
and also photographs of some of the shops and people who
worked and shopped there. We also hope to have a collection
of baskets both shopping, bicycle and others. We hope it
will be as successful as the last one.
EUROPEAN GEOPARKS
As has been reported in the local press The Highland Council
development officer for Caithness is trying to have
Caithness designated as a European Geopark. The term Geopark
is a new one, first used in 2000, and it is used to
designate an area whose geology is of world wide interest.
At present there are 16 areas designated as Geoparks within
Europe stretching from Great Britain to Greece. The idea is
that a Geopark will attract Geo-Tourists - a new breed of
tourist who is not a sun seeker but thirsts after knowledge.
The parks all sign up to a charter ensuring the protection
of the natural geology which has given them the title. The
exchange of information between parks will enable tourists
to visit parks in other areas. In Caithness Castlehill will
form the hub of the Geopark with links to other areas
throughout the county such as Achanarras, famous for its
types of fossil fish which are only found in 2 other places
in the whole world. We are awaiting developments in this
exciting project. |