From the Northern Times 25, 50 and 100 years ago
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25 YEARS AGO
From the newspaper of January 9, 1998
A £1.5 MILLION outdoor activity centre based on diving is planned for Lochinver. Operating year-round with accommodation for 40 guests, the centre will also offer sailing, canoeing and other activity holidays and courses, according to the project's developers. It would generate up to 12 local jobs and another eight for instructors. Behind the venture is local man Alec Munro, Ardglas, and a group of English business associates.
A NEW tea room opens in Golspie tomorrow. The Shalama will be run by Devon couple Bob and Chris Sloman from their bed and breakfast establishment at 1 Park Court. Permission to convert one room within the house was recently granted by Sutherland County Committee.
A NORTH-WEST Sutherland voluntary organisation which aims to promote Gaelic in the area has been awarded £8000 from the EU's Leader II rural development programme. Am Parbh hope to employ a project offer to record oral heritage.
50 YEARS AGO
From the newspaper of January 5, 1973
With their local government offices scattered over three centres, at Brora, Golspie and Dornoch, Sutherland could be in a particularly vulnerable position so far as jobs are concerned when reorganisation comes next year. That is why Sutherland County Council are gravely perturbed about the position, particularly when we are continually fighting depopulation. The loss of even a dozen workers and their families could have quite serious consequences in our small villages, and so there must be constant vigil.
For people in the north and west the feeling of remoteness from the seats of power can be bad enough – it would be calamitous if that were to be further deepened under the new system. It should be the objective to do all that is possible to prevent that from happening.
To commemorate Britain's entry into the European Community the Post Office have issued a set of stamps. It consists of a 3p and two 5p, all with a common design of interlocking 'jigsaw puzzle' pieces.
100 YEARS AGO
From the newspaper of January 4, 1923
It cannot be said that much interest was taken generally in the county of Sutherland in the poll which took place in the parish of Assynt on Friday, 29th December, under the Temperance (Scotland) Act., 1913, but in the parish itself keenness was shown by both sides and the question of "wet" and "dry" underwent an analytical examination which added zest to the contest, with the result that the poll can be considered quite a good one for such a scattered area as the parish of Assynt is.
The number of electors who recorded their votes was 438, out of 731 registered voters entitled to vote, which gives a percentage of 59.92 voting. Good as the poll was, yet it was not near big enough from the No-Licence point of view to give the "blend" its quietus, and thus No-Change carried the day.
It is gratifying to state that the numerous visitors to Brora during the New Year holidays have expressed themselves as highly delighted with the local war memorial. Many say it is the best they have seen.
