From the Northern Times 25, 50 and 100 years ago
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25 YEARS AGO
From the newspaper of February 5, 1999
The future of village halls and community life in general is threatened by new licensing laws currently being introduced to Sutherland, it was claimed this week. Village hall management committees throughout the area have been shocked to learn they must now have a licence should they wish to hold any form of public entertainment. Chairman of Rogart Community Council James Ritchie, who is also secretary and treasurer of Rogart Village Hall, has labelled the licence requirement as "indirect taxation".
The resignation of Hunters of Brora's chief executive Raymond Eagleson has now been confirmed by the textile firm. A company statement issued last Thursday confirmed that he will be leaving later in the year.
Money intended for works at Uig Pier on Skye is being diverted for urgent repairs to corroded steel piles at Culag Pier, Lochinver. It was revealed at a recent meeting that there were serious corrosion in the steel supports.
50 YEARS AGO
From the newspaper of February 8, 1974
If Sutherland's small maternity unit, the cottage hospital at Helmsdale, was to be closed, then there should be a compensating service at the Lawson Memorial Hospital, Golspie, and an assurance that the maternity unit at Dunbar Hospital, Thurso, would be retained and indeed improved. That was the finding of Sutherland County Council at Dornoch last week when they were considering the terms of a letter from the Northern Regional Hospital Board which apparently indicated that the future of Helmsdale's General Pope Hospital was in jeopardy.
A MEMORANDUM has been sent to the Secretary of State for Scotland outlining the contribution that peat could make to the production of electricity "in the circumstances of the deteriorating position in the supply and cost of oil from the middle east". The memorandum has been sent by Mr Michael Burnett, prospective liberal candidate for Caithness and Sutherland. He has suggested that that a 30mw peat peat-fired station could be built at Aultnabreac.
100 YEARS AGO
From the newspaper of February 7, 1924
At a special meeting of the Sutherland County Council held at Lairg on Friday, the highly gratifying announcement was made that the Unemployment Grants Committee had intimated a grant of 65 per cent towards the cost of providing an adequate supply of water for the village of Embo. The estimated cost of the work is £1,300.
The Embo water supply question has been a long drawn-out one. For years past the County Council have tapped, through the agency of Mr Argo, county clerk, every Government source in quest of at least some wherewithal to provide Embo with an adequate supply of water. Time after time a blank was drawn but at last a Government Department has opened its heart and in due course Embo will have all its needs met in respect to an ample supply of water.
Fishing has been very bad in Embo lately. Plaice fishing, as far as it has gone, is a failure with the boats only getting a few fish each and the utmost one box. Stormy weather is hindering the fishing as well.
